Party Planning Tips and a Giveaway….

Happy Hump Day!! Hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day. Mine was perfect. I spend time with my family and that was all I needed!!


You all know that last month we celebrated both of my boys birthdays. With that, I had done a lot of online searching for party supplies. I came across a great site called The Party Works. They had a ton of different themed party supplies for both boys and girls. And their prices were very affordable!! So, I just wanted to share some info with you. They have provided me with a some great tips on how to make your child’s birthday a success. Check them out below. And the ‘icing on the cake’ (get it??) is that they are going to giveaway one Super Mario Brothers party pack!!

Are you excited?? I was when I saw that!  We all know how much kids love Mario. All you need to do to enter is to post a comment below telling me the theme of the best party you have ever hosted. That simple.


The contest will be open until Sunday, May 24th at 11:59pm. Winner must be a resident of the U.S. and will be chosen via random.org.


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Ways to Make Your Child’s Birthday Party Less Stressful For You


You’re probably pretty good at managing your kids’ behavior, but you’re maybe not so good at managing the behavior of other people’s children. Few parents are. When you throw a birthday party for your child, you have to do your best to keep a room full of rambunctious children under control, which can be tough. Additionally, you have to make sure that every other aspect of the party goes over well. Thank goodness you only have to throw one birthday party for each of your kids every year. Birthday parties aren’t usually very much fun for parents, but they can be. Your kids’ birthday parties undoubtedly require work, but there are a few things you can do to make them less stressful. 


Here are some ideas to help you out:


Invite fewer kids…….
If your child doesn’t mind, try to keep the guest list short. A small party is usually more enjoyable for everyone involved. Plus, if the party’s small, the behavior of the kids will be easier to manage, you won’t have to prepare as much food, and the party expenses will be less. Inviting around 10 kids is usually a good idea. That way, the party won’t be too small, but it won’t be too big to manage either.


Ask for support……
There’s absolutely no reason you should try to throw your child’s party on your own. Ask your spouse, parents, other family members, and friends to assist you in planning and prepping for the party and during the party. The more extra hands you have, the easier and less stressful things will be for you.


Stick to snacks….
You may be feeling overambitious when you’re planning the party and consider cooking a meal for the party guests. However, if you do cook a meal, your stress levels on the day of the party will be considerably higher. It’s generally best to cut down on the amount of food preparation you need to do on the day of the party. So, consider just putting out some cheese, crackers, and fruit. All the kids will really expect at the party is cake. Anything else you provide is nice but not necessary, unless you’re having some kids over for a sleepover and need to provide them with dinner. In which case, you might want to consider ordering pizza.


Don’t allow for any idle time….
Before the party, make sure you’ve planned out enough activities and games for the party to keep the guests busy, happy, and out of trouble. You may want to consider hosting the party away from your home at a party and play or adventure center where the kids will have access to all different kinds of games and activities. If you do host the party at your house, make sure you have an arsenal of activities and games up your sleeve. Kids typically get in the most trouble and cause you the most stress when they’re forced to entertain themselves.


Your child’s birthday party probably isn’t going to be perfect. A few things invariably go wrong at every party. You can make things easier for yourself if you try to keep a level head, try out the tips above, and do everything you can to make sure your child has fun. Oh, and take plenty of pictures!


Author’s Bio: Melissa is a mom and guest blogger who writes for a variety of blogs about being a mom, event planning, and throwing themed parties with stuff like Super Mario party supplies.