5 tips to throwing a super cute and stress free kid birthday party!

 What?!?!? It's been a whole year already! AHHHHHH! I truly can't believe my last baby is one tomorrow.It has been a bitter sweet transition leaving my baby years behind. My hubby got snipped so this really is the last one, and some days I am sad I will never hold a newborn again (at least not one I birthed), and some days I am ready to jump up and down with excitement for the next stage of mothering I am about to enter.Mothering babies is physically HARD. It's no joke the sleep deprivation, but mothering tweens is no joke either my friends! Just when you think you have made it through the hard years, you find yourself helping your daughter shave her legs, and talk about boys, and deal with the emotional highs and lows of her day.It's kind of cool to celebrate your one year old daughter, knowing the fun that is to come because you have already experienced it with your oldest child. And as the years go by I enjoy more and more my children. I love seeing the people they are becoming. I love being in their space as they figure out who they are.So over the years and with all the birthday parties I have truly done it all! BIG HUGE parties, trip birthdays, family parties. Every theme out there! You name it!And here are a few tips I've learned along the way for throwing a cute, fun, stress free party!

1. Keep the guest list small. My 8 year old actually told me her least favorite party was the one I went all out on, and we probably had 40 kids there. She said it was too stressful! Ha! She had no idea how stressful it was!!! So now I've learned my lesson. It is family and close friends. That's it!
2. Let your kiddos choose the theme. I know I know it's not really fun planning decor for a Paw Patrol party for your 3 year old, but hey they are into it, and your rustic vintage sports party is not going to get them excited. Just go with the flow mama! We are making memories here after all.
3. Get the most bang for your buck and use all your decor items on your cake table vs spreading them out around the room. By using everything together you make a big impact. Making a big impact with decor everywhere is costly. Put it all together, use a color scheme, shop your house, and purchase a few key items, but you certainly don't have to go bonkers ordering everything on Etsy.
4. Plan your party around meals you so don't have to feed the masses. My new favorite party time is 2pm-4pm after lunch anmd before dinner. I don't have to provide a meal because of this. I serve lemonade and cupcakes and everyone is happy.
5. Do everything you can to prep the day before. No one wants a stressed out dragon mommy on their birthday. So clean the house, bake the cake, make the goody bags, everything the day before. My goal for party day is to enjoy my kiddo and be PRESENT in the moment vs rushing around like a mad woman.

Ultimately friends your goal is just that. To enjoy your child and be present in their life....am I right?So go enjoy those babies, even if they aren't babies, because babies and kids don't keep.Marianne