14 Party Tips & Tricks for a Busy Mama to Make Your Dream Party a Reality!!

As a mommy of two little ones, I have always loved to throw myself into party planning when it comes to their big days! And since both my little ones' birthdays are within a couple months of each other, now is high-time for party planning; February through May is busy busy.  I always say they are only little once, & it does take time & preparation, but it is always worth it in the end.  As my first offical blog post I thought I would give some ideas & helpful tips when it comes to throwing a party for really any age or type! 

1. It's All in the Details!  I am self-admittedly m.e.t.i.c.u.l.o.u.s when it comes to details, & I always have so much fun planning and crafting for the party day! I would say some of the littlest details are what makes a party stand out.  Maybe that is taking the time to make food signs or crafting a sign that has your child's monogram to set somewhere...or even just getting creative about the presentation of the food for the party. 
   
 



Example of how a little scrapbook paper & stickers can make it so unique!

 

 



Cake done by Paula Daugherty at Toledo Wedding Cakes!


 
2.  Start Early! The only thing that keeps me sane is starting to get ideas a couple months ahead of time. Get everything bought or ordered the month ahead that is needed for crafting, decorating, etc. so when it comes down to the last couple weeks before the party everything you need is at hand...this is when the imagination runs wild with creating special, unique accents for the party. 
   
3. Do Not Be Afraid to Ask for Help!  As a busy mom, it is practically impossible to throw a party together & on top of it craft or do any of the "extra" details all by yourself!  I have found that asking grandparents or getting a babysitter a couple nights the month before the party can make a world of difference.  Also, the night before the party & party day itself before the magic hour arrives is another great time to at least have extra hands helping you!  My sweet sister-in-law Ala & equally sweet "cousin-in-law" Lynsey are always on-hand & so willing to come over & help at this critical crunch time! It seriously saves.the.day having them there to help finalize & pull it all together! I in turn can not wait to help them in the same way!  A lot of times it is so much less stressful for the person who's party it is not!  It's usually yourself that is worried and stressing the most!
   
   
   
   
4. Shop the Clearance or Sale Section at Your Local Craft/Hobby Store! I have always found SO many great deals shopping these sections. Whether it be $1 stamps that could be used for invitations or party signs or seasonal decor that could happen to match the color or decor of your theme, you are bound to find something that is cheap & add such detail to the party! Target's dollar section is an amazing place to find random things too-- my favorite being red chevron tape to attach bunting that went perfect for the theme...for just $1! And lastly, always always always ask if there are any coupons at the time at whatever store you might be at. Craft stores specifically seem to always have some sort of coupon at any given time. It is just plain silly to pay full price for anything at a craft store! Sign-up for emails, scour the newspaper, or check the websites; you are bound to find a coupon!

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   

   Each kiddo got their own treasure map to lead them through the treasure hunt & this larger treasure map had mapped out each stop for each activity the kids have during their treasure hunt-- & of course a treasure chest was at the end!

   
   
   
   
5. Spend a Little Time Each Day a Month Before the Party! It is amazing how just an hour a day over a month adds up & you can get SO MUCH accomplished! So many busy moms think they might not have time, & even though I am a stay-at-home-mommy of two little ones that never.hardly.ever.nap.at.the.same.time I rarely spend daytime hours working on a party-- it is always late at night after they are asleep. Maybe for some it could be a 1/2 hour during naptime or even in the morning-- whatever it is it adds up over just a few weeks or a month & so much gets done.

   

   My friend Jess saw this on Pinterest & shared the idea with me.  We put this together the week before the party-- the less things to get done the day or day before the party the better!

   
   
   
                                                                
6. Borrow Items! The first party I really crafted & spent a great deal of time on was my daughter's first birthday. It was a Sweet & Lovely Flower Garden Party & my ideas were from here to Mars! No but really to make my vision become a reality it was so helpful to borrow things or specific items I knew friends or family had that I could borrow. I of course in turn like to do the same for them! In that way we are all helping each other & not spending a fortune!
   
   
   
   
7. Lists Lists & More Lists! This is pretty self-explanatory, but how many times a day do we think of a good idea or something or someone we need to call & it is forgotten the next!? I have lists on my notes section on my phone & hard copies. It helps to categorize these to...for example food, decor, activities. It is so helpful when prioritizing & a good reminder to make sure I am not forgetting something!
   
   
   

   

   Cake by Paula Daugherty at Toledo Wedding Cakes (she is SO VERY talented & always hits the spot on the nail with my exact vision!) Sail handcrafted by me

 

8. Find a Theme That Inspires! The more I love the theme (or my kids do) the more fun I am going to have making it "come to life!" And espeically when it is ahem...a Vintage Cinderella Party (planning in the works!) it is even more fun! ;) Regardless, any theme that is going to get the creative thoughts moving is going to no matter what turn out to be a fabulous party because you have the drive to make it happen & are having fun along the way.
   
   
   
   
9. Use Etsy and Pinterest and Plain Ol' Google Search Again & Again...& Again! It is a PLETHORA of information, & I have gotten every cake inspiration & SO many crafty ideas & even purchased some already made from using these. Fill up a cart on Etsy with every good idea or item you see then narrow down what you can make yourself or what is worth saving some time on just buying. I thought for Preston's Jake Pirate party I was going to have to buy so much on Etsy & really I ended up making myself 90% of what his party decor was. Not every party will be like this, but you just never know. You might just surprise yourself.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Shop a Local Fabric Store! My sweet friend Jess pointed me to a fabric store in town that is very reasonable in pricing. I do not mind doing "character" parties but prefer to accent along the theme with patterns/colors that still "go" with the party but are not screaming the character in & of itself. I shopped the store & picked up whatever I thought would "go along with" the theme & used so much fabric just making bunting (and store-bought hemp) & for a couple table covers/runners, etc. There were even a few bins of 25 cent fabric samples!! I got SO much for SO cheap! Always always look for clearance & sales in ANY store-- especially for things you are only going to use once!
    
11. Let the Scrapbook Store/Section Become Your Friend! I graze this section kind of like the fabric store & just find colors/patterns that I think will go along with the theme of the party. Paper, stickers, die cuts...all of these can be used to add such detail to the party. For instance, I bought a lot of nautical stickers to add to Presotn's Jake and the Neverland Pirate theme...they went along with the theme perfect but were not so "characterey" so when I want to keep the birthday frame I made for him & look at years down the road it will still feel "timeless" & not outdated!
12. Make One Keepsake From Every Party! Whether it be a homemade framed birthday sign or a picture collage with the previous birthdays, it is something that you can hang on to forever & cherish. For Preston's 4th birthday I made one that said 4 years of birthday hats with a picture of him with his birthday hat from every year since the day he was born. Find something unique & it will mean that much more to you! 

    

    Every year (including his day of birth) I have gotten him a birthday hat to wear for his big day! This keepsake I made for this years party will soon have his pirate sash added for his birthday hat from this year!

    

    Each year for Bella I will have a floral arrangement made-- this was last years!

    
    
    
    

    

    Homemade birthday sign made by Mama!

13. Tap Into Your Creative Side (even if you think you don't have one-- you do!!) I used to think I just had to buy or have someone else make anything that was remotely crafty. I quickly learned that was not the case. Start small with something like for instance making a homemade tissue pom-- thanks to my sweet friend Brittany who told me how easy they were...& once you see how easy it is you are bound to want to try to make more things that are just as easy! The homemade pieces of the party are what makes it so unique and stand out. Plus a lot of time it saves money. I made the mistake of buying the Martha Stewart pre-cut and packaged tissue poms for give or take $14 for 5 & realized quickly that I could make my own for the same amount of poms for less than half the price
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
14. Find Your Niche! This will help make your party original & unique & will make your themed party SO so different than another party with the same theme. We all want our own parties to be a little different than the last or next, so while getting ideas from others is helpful, it is also nice to find that one area that you know you can put more time in to make it originally yours!
    
    
    
    
    
    

    

    Each year I get Preston a birthday shirt with his name and age-- another fun tradition to keep going (as long as he lets me!)

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    

    Thanks to MixandMatchMama for the AMAZING bundt cake recipe!  This was a hit & loved by all! One of my favorites!

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    

    I tried to make as most of the food for Bella's party bite-sized

Party day is always a fun-filled time spent with friends & family-- one of the best kind of days there are so I always know once the day arrives the time to see it all come together and enjoy is finally there...so relax & enjoy!! Last but not least just have FUN & let the imagination run wild!! You never know what you are capable of creating until you try! You must might surprise yourself!

 

All of the pictures I have shared are tons of examples of ways I have strived to make my last couple of kids' parties unique & original, while at the same time being inspired by so many ideas from other outlets.  My hope is that you can find at least one thing or a couple ideas to help inspire you to make your next party the best one yet-- while having so much fun along the way!  Pictures you have viewed are from Bella's 1st birthday party-- A Sweet and Lovely Flower Garden Party and Preston's 4th birthday party-- A Jake and the Neverland Pirates Party.

 

I would LOVE to hear your feedback!!  Leave a comment below or  

Email me at shelby.wazny@gmail.com

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Until next time...!