five is the new four...

... or how to throw a low-key, in-a-tiny-home birthday party with thirteen adults and fifteen children in attendance.

A few weeks back, I began panicking that Red's fifth birthday was approaching and we had zero celebrations plans. Last year, we opted to not do a big party but simply met a couple friends at the playground to share cupcakes, so I felt Red could use a bigger event this year. Before we did the actual planning, I opted to write out my conflicting thoughts on the matter in my Greenbelt Patch article Birthday Bash Burdens. At that point, I thought I was ready to give it a go, and our plans had to center around Red's one request:

the chocolate fountain

With the appliance that delivers happiness one drippy chocolate skewer at a time as the centerpiece of the party, our usual approach of hanging out at a playground was eliminated, hence the at home location. From there, we opted for some key party components that were simple and clearly indicate my future as a successful party planner.

1. Top notch catering is imperative.

Being the big old foodies that we are, a trip to Costco was in order for several pizzas. With the majority of party guest in the age range of 2-6, we couldn't go wrong. And just so we wouldn't be judged too harshly by the parents of said guests, a veggie tray and bowls of fruits sat next to the pizza boxes for good measure. I did my part by leading the kids to the healthy foods, but thankfully, the job of making them eat it was not in my hands.


2. Go all out with the treats.

Chocolate fountain? Check. Apples, pears, pineapple, bananas, strawberries, pound cake, shortcake, and pretzels? Check times eight. Nothing like bringing folks together over melted chocolatey goodness. Kids and grown-ups alike chowed down, and I've never been so happy about caloric intake in my life.

3. Channel your inner Martha Stewart.

No matter that my inner MS doesn't know how to handle a hot glue gun without inflicting injury upon self and anyone else in the general vicinity, there were "craft" opportunities at Red's party. Guests could decorate cut pieces of card stock with stickers or drawings to serve as bookmarks, and they could channel their own inner author and illustrators by creating a book of their own. Got construction paper, card stock, plain white printer paper, some tape and a stapler? Then you my friend could replicate this oh-so-sophisticated craft on your own, as well! Paired with our "pick a book" basket in lieu of goodie-bags-filled-with-crap, there even managed to be a vague theme to the soiree. Score!


4. Go with the flow.

To open or not to open, that was the question that lingered in my head during the pre-party stage. I ended up not making a formal decision and deciding to just play it by ear. (A lovely phrase that is virtually impossible to make a young child understand.) Not having a clear answer to the "when can I open my presents" question was almost too much for one particular redhead to handle, and at one point in the party, it just seemed like it would work to do it right then. I told Red to ask individual friends if they would like to see her open the gift they gave her, and for the most part, it was an estrogen-filled affair. I liked this approach in that she could thank each friend face to face, in addition to the thank you cards that she will be forced to start writing today.


5. Drop unnecessary pressures on yourself.

For me, this came in the form of the cake. In the last four years, Red has had a kitty cake, a ladybug cake, a merry-go-round cake, and a flower cake. Now mind you, the resemblance of cakes to said labels may have been questionable in some cases, but I gave myself an A for effort in each case. This year, though, her requests were undeniably out of my league (a My Little Pony cake, really?!), and hubby gave me the clear answer: "It's cake. If we get one of those sheet cakes at Costco, it'll be delicious and everyone will love it." Duh. With that decision made, many to do list items were wiped off my list in one fell swoop. Even if the design on the cake made me gag just a little, I have to admit that it was delicious in that special occasion kind of way, and I don't think I heard any complaints that it wasn't homemade. Worked for me.

6. Don't forget about the grown-ups!

Sure, our space is tiny, but I tried to do some strategic rearranging that allowed for a couple of chairs in the kitchen, a couple in the dining room, a couple in the living room in addition to the regular couch and chair, as well as some outside on the patio and in the yard. Even if the adults chose to remain standing, at least they could do so with the aforementioned eats in hand, or they could select an adult beverage for their over-21 consumption. I feel all funny when illicitly bringing a cooler of beer bottles to the playground for a child's birthday celebration, but at my own home? Drink up, folks! I had my own plastic cup of wine (complete with sharpied name on the side) in hand for much of the day, myself.



7. Let them eat cake... and then run and scream to their heart's content.

If at all possible, the very first thing one should acquire when planning a child's birthday party hosted in a small home is a beautiful day. Somehow, we managed to make this happen (I credit my superior planning skills, personally), so after I provided a dizzying array of sugars in the form of chocolate fountain goodies, cake and juice boxes to the crew of kids, there was thankfully the option of running around like maniacs in the yard. This group rocked the house at that part, with two experts in the field often leading the way.

The party continued in this fashion, with some not-to-be-named children having various meltdowns that thankfully didn't overlap each other too much. All in all, I'd say that simple worked this year, and Red was surrounded by friends who love her and were happy to eat bad-for-you foods, put tons of stickers on bookmarks and run around like crazies. Happy birthday indeed.

So now, five is the best number ever, and we continue to be in constant awe of this funny, emotional, creative, noisy, thoughtful and fabulous little girl.


Happy fifth birthday Red!







Party planner extraordinaire,