Girlie Parties!

So we are rapidly approaching March.  It’s by far our busiest month.  Two of my kids have March birthdays.  With an older boy and a girl just a couple of years younger, we have no choice but to have two different parties.  I love parties.  I love planning party themes, making menus, cakes, etc.  It’s easy to be intimidated by all the parties you see online that are so extravagant and over the top.  It’s a kids birthday party, why spend $100s-$1000s of dollars on a KIDS PARTY??  Seriously.  My kids parties are planned on a pretty modest budget because they are going to care so much more about having fun with their friends at the party than how amazing it looks in pictures!  So I thought I would share a few photos from our parties over the last few years.

Today I will start with Girl parties!

Let’s go back to March 2011.

The butterfly party.

I was in the first trimester of my third pregnancy.  I hated food.  All food.  Indiscriminately.  So this menu was simple.  Fruit, cupcakes, drinks.

We cut out lots and lots of butterflies.  Large and small.  We used them to decorate around the room, on the straws, even on the drinks. I used candy melts to make butterflies, there were a few free handed ones but mainly I used a candy mold to make them.   Easy peasy.

Next was March 2012.

The mermaid party.

It definitely didn’t scream mermaid, but she loved it.

There were cupcakes and a small cake.  the frosting was supposed to be reminiscent of waves.  Once again, candy melts and molds were employed for seashell decorations that were placed on the cupcakes.

Don’t you love the look of frosting?

The cake had three layers, the pink layer matched the cupcakes.  I loved this color combination.I found fish plates at Michaels of all places, on clearance for 25¢.  I used them to hold various things on the table.   The “ocean cups” were a combination of jello and whipped cream.  Of course we had to serve Goldfish!  Spinach artichoke dip and bread for the grown ups!  I had a hurricane vase that wasn’t in use, so of course it needed a betta fish and matching colored pebbles.  I admit, I didn’t really think that idea through too much.  We had a beta on our dining room table for a few months, until a friend took it to her classroom as a pet!

On to March of 2013.

The rainbow party!

The thing I love about “generic themed” parties is that there is so much room for interpretation.

I made a bunch of different colored frosting and let her decorate the cake.  She thought that was the best thing ever.

Rainbow fruit tray.  Yes.

Rainbow plates. Yes. Rainbow Goldfish and skittles.  Of course.

Rainbow twizzlers.  Who knew they existed?!  (obviously I don’t venture past the chocolate section of the candy aisle.)

I couldn’t resist buying lots of brightly colored tulle.  And then, what to do with it?!  How about make a rainbow like the picture on the plates.  Awesome and Easy!

Oh Hobby Lobby.  Why do you have to have the most awesome selection of everything?

Rainbow bead necklaces.  Easy party activity, take home gift, and extra burst of color all in one!For favors and bingo prizes I made hair bows and rainbow hair clips.  We packaged rainbows and clouds.  Even a flavored lip gloss.  Every little girls dream, without spending a ton of money!!