Let’s talk about birthdays a minute. There are always going to be those women who overachieve at party planning — but you don’t have to. It’s okay to throw a kid’s party and ditch the treat bags. You have my permission to completely skip streamers and balloons. And it’s most definitely acceptable to pick up a cake at Costco and call it a day. The important thing is making sure your birthday babe and guests enjoy themselves.
Simple plus intentional equals memorable.
When I host a party or event, I pick one or two important places to direct my planning energy and phone-in the rest. I know my capacity, and I’m determined to enjoy myself. I don’t want to feel stressed and I really don’t want to be sweaty when my guests arrive!
My daughter turned one yesterday and we hosted a small family party for her. I don’t have a playroom or toys her older cousins would enjoy (ages 3-14), so I decided I was going to build the ultimate cardboard fort with tunnels and lights — all the stuff of childhood dreams. (It took a little legwork on the front end to find boxes but Nextdoor and Facebook did the trick, and I was able to build the whole thing during just one of the baby’s naps.) The other thing I decided to make was the cake. That’s it. I picked up a few helium balloons, a banner on clearance at Target I could easily use again and ordered pizza. (My hubby went to pick up the pizzas when they were ready, but you could simplify your day even more with delivery.)
So what’s my point? Simplify things so you can enjoy them more. No one can do it all — and anyone who expects you to isn’t a real friend. AND make sure to get the pictures you want. I don’t know how many holidays over the years we’ve meant to get a full family picture and forgot until it was too late and everyone’s makeup was melted off. Yesterday morning while my husband put the finishing touches on the fort, I rattled off the pictures I wanted to make sure we took. It helps to have another brain on the case once things are in full swing. (If all your friends get equally caught up in things, make sure you get the posed pictures checked off your list right away and snap candids as you think of it.)
I will say, the one thing simple party planning can’t do is remove the nostalgic sadness of watching your child grow up (I know this from experience now), but it can free you up to be completely in the moment — feeling all the feels about the day. So before you hop on Pinterest to pile on the ideas (and obligations), stop and think about how you really want your guests to feel when they leave, and gauge your capacity for energy vs. enjoyment. These milestones should be about making memories and meaning, not doing more.
