Eloise’s 3rd Birthday Party
The Wise Baby
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After our cross country move last week, we are at the beach for a week long vacay while we await our moving truck. I thought this the perfect time to share some photos of our big three year old’s birthday party back in June. Our little lady LOVES horses (and all animals, really – you may remember her petting zoo birthday party last year). This year we had a cowgirl themed pony party and I have to say it was my favorite birthday party yet. Thank you for indulging my over sharing of photos – sources and some thoughts on child party planning below!
Tyler and I decided before Eloise’s first birthday that we wanted to make birthday’s a big deal in our family. I love party planning so it is easy for me to get carried away. However, I learned to pick the things I get carried away on… keep the food simple, the sweet treats delicious and the decor festive.
We’ve used the same banner each year for Eloise’s birthday only switched up the back drop. This year, I saw so many cute fabric back drops on Etsy but they are pretty pricey for what they are so I ordered fabric, lace, ribbon, burlap rope from JoAnn’s and made my own. It was as easy as you would imagine it to be – messy cutting of fabric and tying on the rope. It took me an hour or so and was way less than the ones I found online. The best part is you can customize this to ANY decor so if you are stumped on backdrop this is a great and easy solution.
Last year and this year our splurge has been on adorable cake pops from Jamie’s Cake Pops on Etsy. The kids LOVE these. They are so easy to eat on the run and are so, so delicious. While they love the pops themselves it doesn’t hurt that they are such adorable animals. I used hay bales to incorporate our western theme. We still got a small cake for candle blowing and eating as each year the cake pops are 100% gone by the time the party is over!
Hiring a photographer could seem silly for a children’s birthday party but it is so wonderful having someone there whose job it is just to take photos (and is good at it!). Instead of doing a “3 year old shoot” we do the birthday party. We snag a couple family photos before hand and then get lots of action, party decor and best of all friends and extended family shots. And if your toddlers are anything like ours – their patience for photos is about 2-6 minutes depending on mood! Snapping photos while they are preoccupied and excited about a party is a great distraction.
My in laws gave Eloise this darling little stand from Land of Nod for her birthday and my artistic sister in law had the idea to make it a photo booth for the party! It turned out cute and the kids had fun with it! Best of all though, Eloise was so excited about this gift – seriously, check it out, it is so cute.
Lastly, I knew the pony rides would be fun for the kids but I had no idea how much fun. The pony’s name was Bob and all of the kids LOVED him. He was so sweet, calm and cute. I was getting texts and emails from friends weeks after the party saying their little ones were still talking about Bob. Eloise still asks when she will see Bob again. Maybe next year?!?
But after three years of party planning and hosting, my top three tips:
1. Keep the food simple. In years past we had adult food catered but always had a ton of leftovers. This year we got two meat choices from Bandana’s, dollar rolls, a pasta salad, fruit and some chips and it was a total hit. For kids, we made mini mac-n-cheese cups (in cupcake liners), hot dogs cut in half and fruit and chips. Again, a total hit, easy to eat food.
2. Do as much as you can in advance. Food prep, set up, pick up of items, etc. You don’t want to be running around the morning of picking stuff up if you can avoid it. Ask a family member to do so if you must because remember you still have kids to get ready (oh yeah and a shower for yourself!)
3. Have fun!! It is like your wedding day, once the party starts forget about any details or making sure the decor is still looking perfect. It is a day for celebrating your little one and that is all the guest and you really care about.
List of vendors:
Photography: Megan Thiele Studios
Pony party invites: Peas and Thank Yous
Cake pops: Jamie’s Cake Pops
Happy Birthday banner: SHRED by CM Handmade
Ribbon back drop: DIY with supplies from JoAnn’s
Cupcake liners for mac ‘n cheese: Tom Kat Studio
Cowboy hat water bottles: Oriental Trading
Mini hay bales: Amazon
Bob the pony: Cindy’s Zoo
