In my family, birthday parties are a big deal—my parents were always great and catered to every whim my brother and I wanted for our birthdays (within reason, of course). For example, when I was in my 20’s (yes, I’ve never stopped having parties) I wanted a Hawaiian themed party. My parents offered to host it, and when I got there, they had built a genuine palapa—out of palm fronds!—for the bar. I’ve been lucky and I want to make sure my kids get the same happy memories. So, when it came time to plan my first child’s first birthday party, it took me back to when I planned my wedding—you’ve been to a ton, and now it was time to incorporate the best things from each one. Here are five ideas for planning your own. Make sure to pass on your own favorites in the comments section! –Alex
Rock Star Party
My friend Alison threw this for her son’s third birthday and it was awesome. The vibe started with the invite—she had made laminated VIP passes, complete with the lanyard that had all of the party details on it. The kids were to come in their best “rock star” outfits. When we got to their house, we went to the backyard and the kids decorated tambourines. This killed some time until the band Hullabaloo [Read more…] about 5 Great Birthday Party Ideas