I am forever promising my husband I’m going to keep things “simple”: dinner menus, decorating projects, our children’s birthday parties. He knows I have a special talent for overcomplicating things and then flipping out because OH MY GOD THERE’S SO MUCH WORK TO DO. (Guess who gets to talk me off a ledge when that happens?)
But this year I really, truly meant it when I promised no gigantic parties for the kids’ birthdays. Between caring for our active little ones and working through my forever lengthening list of pet projects (Can jam! Design new gallery wall! Paint kitchen!), I’m just too tapped out this year to plan yet another kiddie birthday extravaganza.
Buuuuuut then Charlotte seemed genuinely sad she wasn’t going to see friends on her birthday. And then the mom guilt set in. OH, THE GUILT.
So I texted a tiny handful of neighborhood and school buddies’ moms with a simple invitation: Breakfast. Drop-off. Wear pajamas. No presents. I ordered a zillion balloons, put out old-fashioned games like Twister and hula hoops, and enlisted my husband (saint that he is) and my sister for back-up.
We set the table with recyclable and compostable tableware (huge Susty Party fans over here), classic red party hats accompanied by stickers for decorating, and charming coloring pages from Ellington & French that doubled as placemats. I made the seersucker table runner the night before by Stitch Witch-ing the heck out of a Serena & Lily fabric remnant while my husband and I watched TV. (Really.)
We served pancakes (really excellent buttermilk ones we amped up with rainbow sprinkles), fresh berries, bacon, and fresh-squeezed juice. Fancy sparkly donuts from local favorite, Homestead, served as a “cake” for the birthday girl. We sent our guests home with copies of “Eloise in Paris,” a nod to the birthday girl’s new affection for Eloise post-New York trip and her request for a Paris-themed party.
It was sweet. It was simple. And most importantly, by making the party last-minute I severely limited the number of days I had to freak out about it, honoring the spirit if not the letter of my promise. ❤️
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