Last weekend we celebrated Jackson and Ella’s birthdays. They were born only a month apart and were turning 1 and 3, so in an effort to keep things easy we threw a joint party at a local play place.
I made a big deal over Jackson’s first birthday, hosting the event at our home. His 2nd birthday was not as detailed, but it still was so much fun. I was 9 months pregnant and he was in full leg casts to correct some club foot issues, so I figured a party was out. Since the day fell on Mardi Gras, I made a themed dinner, we had cupcakes, a Kin’s cake and I added beads and masks from the party store. Knowing that I have a tendency to go overboard, I thought it would be a good idea to combine the parties this year and have it away from home since our house is a bit small.
A few months earlier, I had decided on a Sock Monkey theme after seeing this adorable party by The Creative Orchard. Renee didn’t miss a single detail and I was so happy to see she offered the printables in her Etsy shop. With the printables and some “Pin”spiration, I was all set!
The day of the party, Ella was all smiles and very excited.
We had 20 children attend, which was a mix of Jackson’s preschool class and our close friends. The kids had a blast. They spent the first hour running, jumping, playing and having an all around good time. Parents were able to relax knowing that everything was age appropriate and contained.
When it was time to go into the party room, I was a little worried since I had about 5 minutes to set up. Being a former caterer, I was prepared for the quick set-up, but I wanted to do so much more with the decor and styling. Good thing 3 year-olds don’t care!
The party was from 1-3 so I decided not to serve the pizza that was offered by the venue, but I brought in my own snacks. We served:
Fresh fruit kabobs
Veggie and dip shooters
Spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips
Cheese
Pretzels and snack mix
Juice boxes
Izze sparkling sodas for the adults
I ordered the cupcakes from the a local grocery store and had them frost half with plain icing and then add sprinkles and frosting to the other half. I decorated the plain cupcakes with candy-coated Nilla wafers and M&Ms to make the cutest sock monkey cupcakes. They were a hit!
All of the kids left tired and happy with a balloon and a “bunch” of banana chips.
We had so much fun that day and were so happy to celebrate with special friends. Can’t wait to do it again next year!
