So it is spring again and once again we are swamped with events to plan. It was not a well thought out plan by my husband and I when we had both our children's birthdays 10 day apart. Every spring we end up with 2 birthday parties with school friends, at least 1 large family party and the mothers day all inside of 3 weeks. This year we have added my daughters first communion into the mix leaving me feeling slightly overwhelmed. So here are a few tips I have found to make my party planning go more smoothly.
1. Make sure you have a clear timeline of events. I wrote each event on the calendar then counted back 3 weeks to figure out when I needed to send out invites. I always make sure I have made my trips to the Dollar store, and Walmart early enough that I am not scrambling for grab bag goodies, decorations, and cake supplies the week before the event.
2. Regrets only on the invites. This way I don't have to track all the parties just the regrets which results in way less phone traffic at our house.
3. Decorations can be minimal. I find that a colored tablecloth (dollar store) and whatever themed cake I make is enough for decorating. No one really notices balloons and streamers and they cost $$ and just end up in the garbage.
4.Keep the food simple. I always stick to pizza at the kids parties. Pizza is most always a favorite and I pair it with a simple veg tray and fruit tray. I find the kids eat very little of whatever I serve so simple is always best. For the more adult parties I always ask for my close family (mother, sister, M.I.L) to bring a salad or casserole. This cuts down on my cooking time and get me good variety on my buffet.
5. Enjoy! Your kids only turn ? once. The day of whatever event I am holding I try to make sure I take time to enjoy it.
Wish me luck for this event season I will try to post pics of each event.
