Birthday party pinks...

The heading is my way of doing a play on words...instead of Birthday party blues...lets be optimistic and say Birthday party pinks...

It also has a double meaning in that today my little girl has turned two...how fantastic!  I can't believe I brought a human being into this world 2 years ago to the day...Yeah for me!  So of course the pink is for the girl part of this equation...

So this past weekend I threw my littley a birthday party and the theme was a little different to most toddlers birthday...you know...its either a Barney theme, or a Pooh bear theme or a Tinker bell theme.  Well my theme was "pretty party".  I think the world of my little girl and she is so pretty, so the theme was based around her. 

I am no event planner but I'm going to let you into a little secret as to how I pulled it off.

1. Decide your theme and your date(then send save the dates out at least 2 months in advance) - a must, you can't build a house without a cornerstone!

2. Google and Pinterest your theme, another great site for ideas is www.theprettyblog.com - other parents have most certainly documented their parties and you can get amazing ideas from their successes

3. The trick is to invite the same amount of children as to the age the child is turning - 2years old=2 friends - I know sounds a bit min, but remember for every child there is at least 2 parents, that is not counting aunts, uncles and grandparents from your family.  So if you are worried you won't have a crowd, you can bet your bottom dollar you will have plenty on the day.

4. Test any new recipes beforehand - nothing like a flop to add to the stress of the day.

5. Collect all party decorations, food(non perishables) and presents at least 2 weeks before hand, this gives you plenty of time to assess what is missing. 

6.  Draw up a plan of how your area is going to look, as well as the table set up...it does not have to go according to plan but it gives you a great idea as to where things are gonna be and what you still need to get.

7.  Rope people into help - yes granny and grandpa need to get your littley out from under your feet, hubby needs to do the last minute grocery shopping and picking up of balloons, you need to stay at home and keep calm.

8.  Last but by no means least, do what you can in the time you can do it and do not panic if something is forgotten, your guests will never know.

9.  A great parting gift for adults is cupcake in a jar, and don't forget the kids - don't go through all the expense of taking the easy pre made gift packs, buy plastic buckets with lids, get stickers to stick all over the outside 3 eats and 2 treats and bobs your uncle you have a goodie pack for kids to reuse at home.

We had a lot of fun, and with a minimal amount of stress, largely due to preparation and a great deal of help on the day.

Good luck and enjoy your birthday party planning...

Serene Motherhood