For any of you who know me or follow me on Pinterest, I absolutely adore hosting. And above hosting, I LOVE, party planning! Who knows, maybe someday it will turn from a hobby to professional! But for now, I would love to share some of my tips and secrets how to plan and execute the biggest bash of the year, even if it is inside your own home!
I have fun putting together all of our fun and elegant bashes on a budget. To save cost, most of our parties have been in our own home, with games and decorations I have made myself. After every party, I am asked for my tips, tricks, baker's name, even to come help with their party. So, I thought I would open up the doors to my secrets and share them with some of my most favorite people in the world - my readers!
Whether it's a Baby Shower, Birthday Party, Game Day, Anniversary, staying under budget and keeping your bash fun for everyone and stress-free for you, can be a challenge: a challenge that I love! Here are some of the ways I stay in budget and stress-free, enjoying the big day:
1. Set a budget - and STICK TO IT, no matter what!: Yes, you may have to cut out some wants, but finding ways of getting those wants within your budget can be doable; you just may have to get a little more creative! We've had to cut out many things from our planning; things I think my kids just have to have to make their party the best. After the party, I realize, those ideas would have sent us not only over budget, but my kids and their friends had just as good of a time without the extra entertainment.
2. Decide your Venue: If you plan to host your bash outside of your home, know that most of your budget may go towards the cost of renting that venue, so try and find a venue that will include food and entertainment in the rental package. In order to stay on budget, you may need to sacrafice by minimizing decorations or party bags. However, a perk of finding a venue may be that they provide the food and entertainment!
If you choose to have the party in your home, this will open up room in the budget for additional decorations and treats. When we have the party in our own home, I can begin decorating little by little in the weeks leading up to the big day. However, know that you may need to focus more energy in coming up with ways to entertain the kiddos.
3. Host a dual party: My girls birthday's are just a month a part. We give them the option of two smaller parties - spending just 100$ on each party, or one big birthday bash, allowing a $200 budget. Luckily, they have always wanted the one bigger bash, allowing us to add in some of the extra "wants". Since we are only decorating once, having one cake, one set of party treat bags, I can allow my creativity to go wild! I have also received feedback from parents that they love being able to go to two parties in one vs. clearing their schedules twice. Now at 2 and 4, my girls have the same friends, so I'm sure the dual party will be challenging as they get older.
4. Get Creative: I know, I know, some may despise the creative word, but that's why I'm here (and of course, the wonderful world of Pinterest!) to help give you ideas. This year we hosted one of the most challenging, in-demand, birthday party themes. For any of you who are on the latest Disney Frozen movie craze right now, we had the challenge of every store and online being sold out of our theme for this year. I had to get super creative with the decorations. The end result, I hardly spent a dime on the decorations, and it turned out better than I had hoped for! If hosting a Frozen Winter Wonderland theme is in your future, I invite you to check out all of the decorations, ideas, and more.
3. Ready for my biggest party secret?! Have a Bestie Party Girl! I have the BEST Bestie Party Girl. She's a fellow preschool Mom, Coach, and great with kids. She keeps the kids having fun, while keeping in a straight line to get food, hands in laps during games, and all of the kids sitting and observing during gift opening. My Party Bestie shows up before the party, goes over my agenda, and executes the games, cake, gift opening! As many of you know, this is normally the most stressful time of a party, but with my Party Bestie one step ahead of me, this year was by far the most relaxing party, where I was able to ENJOY my girls and their party! In turn, I will be her Party Bestie and do the same for her girl's birthday bash! Thank you Vicki!!
Here are our Party themes and ideas we have successfully planned on a budget!
Frozen Winter Wonderland Theme:
Hello Kitty Theme:
Dora the Explorer Theme:
Baby Brunch / Baby Shower Theme (stay tuned for this year's 2nd annual at the end of this month!)
Check out more party ideas, themes, and secrets on my Pinterest page! And remember, the best part of the party is watching your children, or the guest of honor, enjoy it, and have fun... so you should too!
