Planning for Party – the Mini Series: Episode 1 – Invitation

Thanks for tuning in, this “mini-series” will be the daily play-by-play, panicked countdown of a mom on a mission to pull off an original and memorable birthday for my soon-to-be three year old. I’ll take you through the last week of planning, because of course, that’s the fevered crunch time. And naturally when everything goes awry…

Sunday: T minus 6 and counting….

Until Princess Cupcake’s 3rd b-day party.

I started mentally planning a couple months ago, actually the very day that she said she wanted a rainbow cake for her birthday party – “just like the teacher’s.” (OMG, really child?! The thought of transportation alone was making me nervous.)

She also informed me that her party would be held at the Palaestra Gym. (She’s been going there weekly since she could walk.) And that all of her friends would be coming.

The problem for a creative mom like myself is now how to pull together a theme of rainbow cake and gymnastics. And of course, I feel compelled to break the mold of Party City Disney character-themed birthday (honestly, if she had Toy Story plates and a Krogers cake she’d probably be just as happy and I could be done with it, but I am simply not wired that way), so I set the creative wheels in motion.

I tested her for a couple days and weeks to see if she’d stick to her vision of the perfect birthday party – and she never waivered. Not once.

After scouring Tiny Prints, Shutterlfy and even Walgreens, this Mom found some pricy but awesome cards in the Apple Store (I heart my Mac), inserted photo of said child rolling on ground, and committed it to paper:

On the back:
“’Princess Cupcake’ is turning 3,
Oh how happy she will be,
If you’ll join her for fun and to twirl,
And all the things that COLOR her world.”

Now the PLAN was to have everything done in plenty of time. But this busy working mom only seemed to accomplish the shopping for the favors (the tchotchke ones – wait till you see the BIG one) and various supplies on the list. But that darn list continued to grow. And grow. As my imagination ran wild.

Tune in tomorrow for the next installment of “Planning for Party – the Mini Series: Episode 2 – Just ROLL With It”