Ahh, birthday season kickoff has arrived! Maggie starts the birthday train in August and I feel like I have a little more energy to give to her parties than everyone else's. This year was a tiny party- just four girls- which I love best. It allows us to pay a little more attention to details and do things a little nicer for fewer kiddos.
Maggie actually plans her parties, and I try to make them happen. This year was a pony party theme, but the retro My Little Ponies had a last minute backorder and wouldn't arrive. They were the main pony factor, so it unfortunately went out the window there. It's okay. She really just wanted to hang with her friends and have pancakes and berries and play dress-up. Grown-ups mess with the simplicity, and then sometimes have a freakout when the balloon order is wrong (specifically requested months ahead by the birthday girl who lovvvvves the giant mylar balloons), the printout won't work for the game, the birthday cake topper is broken in pieces by an unnamed little brother, and things are just not feeling like they're going smoothly.... but then there's a call placed to get the correct balloon (free this time), the printer magically starts working again, and hot glue fixes that cake topper right up, and the freshly turned-7 year old is lighting up in excitement that her friends are arriving, and all is right again.
I love fresh flowers and that they brighten up a day or a party. Even just a few simple stems that are inexpensive have big impact. :)
The poster isn't just decor- it's a game that I thought of a few days before the party. Maggie loves the "pin the ___ on the ___" game, but since it wasn't going to be a pony party anymore, I was like, do I bother sketching a pony for the kids to pin the tail on it? I did that with the kitty party a couple years ago, and the kitty wasn't quite as cute as I hoped in that scale, and it took me a lot longer than I care to admit, considering its quality.
So then I was like, WAIT. I can get those huge printouts at kinkos or wherever for like $5. One picture of Maggie and a few felt bows with some tape later, we had ourselves a party game that was way cuter than the pony I would have sketched. Pin the bow on the Maggie. The kids loved it and it simplified things (except that part when the large scale printer wasn't working- so just don't procrastinate like me and you'd be good).
Maggie loves dressing up more than anything. She actually has her own really good style and calls the shots on her wardrobe. This morning we couldn't find a bobby pin and so I tried a flower clip, and she said to me, ummm I really don't think this works. It's like, cute, but way too fancy for my outfit today. And honestly- she was spot on. It cracks me up. She plays a lot of dress-up, and on her birthday, she played all the dress-up with her friends that she could want!
Pancakes are her favorite breakfast and the absolute easiest menu. I try to be healthier when I'm making them on a normal day and do mashed bananas, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla, but for the party in bulk, I just went with good ol' Krusteaz. I just didn't feel like mashing that many bananas. No regret.
SO in case you're looking for anything in the pictures, here are the links:
1. Rainbow Party Plates . 2. Susie Cakes 6 inch . 3. Silver Mylar Balloon
4. Cake Stand . 5 . Party Hats . 6 . Grid Napkins
7. Birthday Cake Topper . 8 . Streamers . 9 . Ombre Paper Cups
*some affiliate links