Leyna’s birthday party is tomorrow! And we all know what that means… I’m about to LOSE MY MIND.
We’re having it at our house because, why not? Who DOESN’T want 20 something people in their not-exactly-large house that’s been in a constant state of renovation for the last year and isn’t quite completely finished?
“We’ll save money this way,” I told Scott.
Then I proceeded to order half of Etsy and Amazon, and have a shopping list for 2 baskets full of food at Sams Club.
“Just relax. It’s not a big deal. She won’t remember it anyway,” people tell me. Uhm, this party? Not really for the birthday girl so much. I only have 2, maybe 3 years to have any say whatsoever in how this goes down, before she’s begging for Chuck E Cheese and licensed characters. Let’s call it like it is. It’s for me.
I‘m bracing myself for Disney Princesses, but let me be clear- I will CUT anyone who introduces her to Barbie. Give her a Bratz doll? Prepare to die.
Assuming we pull it all off AND I managed to take pictures while running the show, I’ll show it all off to you on Monday. But now, I must go. CLEAN! CRAFT! CLEAN! CRAFT! SPEND MORE MONEY!!!
I think I should stretch first.
Leyna is 13 months old, and we’re having her party one month late since December 28th is sort of a rotten day for a party.
- 3Shares
23 comments
You’re damn right the party is for you! Enjoy it!
Good luck, Jill! It will be awesome and puh-lease remember to take photos, mkay?
I am hosting my nephew’s first birthday party at my house tomorrow. SO.NOT.READY.
I’m SO with you on all of this. Licensed characters as themes make me cringe. I also convinced myself and my husband that a party at our house would be cheaper and easier. WRONG. Plus, we were left with the cleanup. Next year, I’m renting some place. However, I’m glad we had the big first birthday blowout at home. Good luck!!
I feel your pain. One year (2 years ago) all 3 kids had their parties 3 months late… once the trainstarts rollin’… (and their bdays are all about 5 weeks apart – hold me) THIS year I have one turning 13 (GAH!!!) and the middle will be 10. Both are fairly significant milestones. I am already freaking out a little.
Have fun and enjoy … you will never regret making the bdays fun – 1 moth or 3 months late 😉
Don’t forget to pick up the keg…For the adults of course.
No keg, but we’re making a big batch of hot buttered rum apple cider!
Mmmm. Hot buttered rum! 🙂
I’m totally with you on the Bratz dolls and Barbies. I bought Kaelyn a Cabbage Patch doll for Christmas. She loves it. 🙂
Have a great birthday party. Leyna- um, I mean Jill! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Throwing the party at your house means that you are able to drink all day. Its a widely accepted standard.
That is the plan, friend.
Girl- we are the same person. Right down to the Bratz doll murders. Can’t wait for the recap 🙂
Amen on the barbies and bratz…and I am still working on allowing the princesses in (but sure, whatever).
And have a fun time at the party…I hope you are wearing a little something rainbow, too!
I don’t forbid princess stuff but I don’t encourage it, either. It is such a tidal wave of princess stuff out there I feel like I have to hold off at home, though, personally I love dress up and sparkles and all of that.
It’s not hard to avoid the d-word princess mayhem. Mine has never seen one of the movies and I don’t buy any of the books. Sure, her friend got a cool rapunzel doll for her birthday and her cousin has a trunk full of princess costumes, but we keep her occupied with other stuff.
She does want to play princess sometimes and that’s fine by me, though I do encourage playing queen instead. I mean, who dreams of growing up to be administrative assistant to the undersecretary of fire fighting? Or work in the property room at the police station? It’s just so weird to have so many kids dreaming of middle management.
I threw my son’s 2 year old party at our new, not-even-close-to-sone house. The walls weren’t painted, no drawer pull sin the kitchen and there was construction paper covering the hardwood floors. The good news was that I didn’t care AT ALL about the giant mess the kids made, and when the champagne (for grown ups) spilled on the floor I didn’t even bat an eye.
Of course first birthday parties are for the parents. It’s crazy to think otherwise.
We have kept things under control, so far, by keeping it at home and limiting the number of guests to her age. So far, though she has been to parties at Chuckies, et al, she accepts we do home parties and doesn’t question it. Not sure how many more years we get without protest.
I really, really hate the party places, though. Too big and crowded to leave your kid, but they have NOTHING for adults, so you basically get to stand around and watch your kid have fun for two hours. And every other week, it seems, once they hit preschool. And the you can’t buy a nice present because you hardly know the kid, and you have so many a year. and so the kid gets fifteen cheap presents. You don’t even get to see them open up and enjoy the present, which is Ella’s favorite part, giving someone their present. I’m obviously a Scrooge about all of it.
I am hoping to avoid Barbie as well, we will see. Cannot wait for the recap on the party! Have fun!
My daughter turned 3 in October. I made her a treasure chest cake, bought some pirate patches and called it ‘lost at sea’… I know she’ll want princesses at 4, but it will be VERY slim on characters, maybe the balloon, and that’s it (we got a mylar and then a couple of others, i.e. mylar +3=4 for how old she will be)… I’m still trying to figure out how to make it more ‘cool’.. like incorporating dragons into it…
and I’m with you on Barbie and Bratz.. who wants to look up to ‘that’ as a role model?
Props for calling it like it is re: the party being for you. I hope it’s a great one!
As we run the toddler party circuit I am routinely surprised by how many parents are doing the party “for the children” thereby attempting to justify via martyrdom a huge amount of money or work or time or whatever. “Carefully arrange and expertly photograph the organic cocoa and bacon cake pops in handmade owl wrappers! Our beautiful daughter is only turning 4 once! What if she and her friends only have vanilla bean cupcakes available to eat? What kind of childhood memory is that?! WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!”
It’s like, “Dude. We all know kids would be over the moon happy with chicken nuggets and oreos. It’s okay if you want to throw a party for yourself with cool, trendy food and pretty decor. You need to have fun too! Own it! Embrace it!”
Our daughters share a birthday! We did her party of New Year’s Eve Day, and it was a pretty big hit, thanks to the gorgeous weather. I hope your party goes well today!
You know back in the day I also said the same things you say – no barbies an no princess stuff. But instead I recent bought her first Barbie doll AND she got an Ariel doll for Christmas. It is not a day unless we have changes her princess dress (dress up play clothes) at least twice. Here’s the thing. I honestly believe that making these things strictly forbidden just increases their allure. If she has a Barbie doll them she will not be transfixed with the ones her friends have. Also we do not own Disney princess movies yet my daughter can still name every princess. Like I say – Barbie is a doctor, a lawyer, and a computer scientist. At least she’s got ambition!
I was very afraid of these things at first but they’re not so bad assuming you continue to parent and offer them in moderation. Yes my 2.5 year old has a Barbie doll but she also loves to read books, do puzzles, and play in the dirt. She just so happens to be wearing a sequined gown when she’s knocking over her tower of blocks with her toy dinosaurs and making earthquake noises.
Oh, let me clarify that my anti-Barbie stance has nothing to do with feminism or objectifying women or anything that lofty. I just hate all her damn accessories, her hair’s always a mess, and those damn shoes never stay on. I hated her when I was a kid, too, because she was always a hot mess:)
Bwahahaha! Well don’t I feel silly now for my rant, lol. Yes the accessories never made it out of the box and poor barbie’s hair has been a hot mess since her first trip to the bath tub. But hey, a disaster of a toy is a well loved toy right? 🙂