As parents we all enjoy bringing our littles to a party, but planning one can be a nightmare and I really hate that for us. So, after spending the majority of my Sons 1st birthday party feeling more like an event coordinator than a Mom, I decided to set my standards for sanity not social media this year, and I think that’s what made it a success.

Of course I have to note that my scale of success is based on how much time I get to spend having fun with my child and guests, so this year was definitely a 10/10.

I’ll defintely upload a reel or maybe even a short youtube video on the party planning process, and my go to’s for last minuete party planning but for the most part I just used these 7 simple steps.

1. Make a pinterest board filled with afforadable and reasonable decor that is within budget and simple enough to recreate.
2. Keep the guest list manageable
3. Hosting our events durring our childs most active hours
4. Cater/Cook for your guests in attendance, not Social Media
5. Pick a theme your kid loves and forget what aesthetic is trending.
6. Think outside of the box when shopping for decor
7. STAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET

This year we decorated one table near the pool with a few table pieces, toddler and parent friendly snacks the cliche large number balloon and of course a themed cake and had a classic Pizza Pool birthday party. It was pretty nostalgic for me and very similar to parties I had as a child. Family, food, laughter and a super cheesy themed cake which to be honest, really brought it all together. Besides a few licensed pieces that I found at a local party store most of the decor including the large number ‘2’, were all from dollar tree. I will admit the pricest portion of the party was the food, but lets be honest no one cares how cool your balloon arches are if they’re hungry– but I did make a few balloon arches.