party planning

It is hard to believe, but I am in the beginning stages of planning a FIFTH birthday for my babies. It seems that I was just planning their first birthday, and here were are on #5. Guest author, Wendy Dessler, shared a few ideas for planning the big bash this year.

Each of our children is special and their birthday is a particularly important day. When you are the parent of multiple kids born on the same day, giving each of them their special experience can be a challenge. It’s unrealistic to host multiple parties and expect guests to attend each one. But you can have a shared party for your multiples and still make each child feel special. It just takes a little planning and creativity.

More bang for your buck

If your children were born on different days of the year, you would be hosting different parties, complete with unique sets of decorations, cakes, gifts, and of course the expenses are multiplied. As the parent of multiples, you can combine the funds and have one big celebration. For the same money you would have spent, you can have pony rides, rent a bouncer for the entire day, have costumed superheroes attend or have a talent show.

Instead of multiple cakes, have a candy buffet

Candy buffets are very popular right now, and as the parent of multiples, you can easily make that work to your advantage. Set up an 8’ table, or two 6’ tables. Zone the tables so that each child has his or her own section. Your table covering for each child should be a different color, using craft paint to write their name on the front of the cover in their zone is a nice touch. Each zone will have a theme based on the likes and style of each child. For example, one zone may be a Barbie theme, another section may be a baseball theme, the third may be all about bugs, and the fourth may be teddy bears. Allow each child to choose their theme. Buy your candy in bulk and have it sent directly to you. Each zone should feature two main colors. Create matching backdrops and you have a really great quad-candy buffet. If you need more information on how to set up a candy buffet, please click here.

Set up the venue in four zones as well, allowing each child his special table.

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Shared Birthday = shared gifts?

It happens. People buy one gift for multiple children to share. Multiples are not unlike any other child. They want their own gift and sharing with siblings is a tough request. So how do you get around the shared gifter?

Request a no gift party. Explain to the children that the party is a great celebration, and it may be difficult for some of our friends to afford multiple gifts. Here are some favored variations:

Note on the invitation that no gifts are expected, but if they feel inclined to bring a gift, please bring one gift for the children to share. Then divide the gifts among the children, allowing each to open a few.

Limit the gifting to one gift per child per family.
If the children are inviting their own friends, you could note, “You are invited to Bobby’s 6th birthday party. You are not expected to bring a gift for child A, B, or C.

While some people feel uncomfortable, my favorite idea is to have a 5 & 5 party. You explain to the guests that you request $10.00 for the gift. $5.00 will be donated to the charity of the child’s choice and the other $5.00 is collected for the gift. The children can buy one item or the money can be divided equally between them.

There is no right way or wrong way to host a party for multiples. So use your imagination and have some fun!

About Wendy
Wendy is a super-connector with Outreachmama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

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After my sister’s engagement, I knew I wanted to host something special for her. She and I chatted about ways to celebrate the upcoming nuptials, and decided a “Stock the Bar” themed couples shower would be fun. Courtney and Matt have a close knit group of friends (something reminiscent of How I Met Your Mother) and we wanted the entire crew to be included in a shower.

George and I have always prided ourselves in making our home cozy and inviting to visitors, and that is especially true for parties. When it comes to hosting parties, I tend to overthink, and over plan minute details, most of which probably go unnoticed. Adding quadruplets to our family, made me rethink how I do many things to make life easier, and parties were no exception. As I prepared for this particular party, I changed my game plan, making things MUCH easier on myself, while still throwing the perfect party. It went so well, I’ll approach all future parties in this manner.

easy peasy party prep

Invitations

In the past, I’ve used various online stores to design and create customized invitations. After all, invitations typically set the tone for the party, and I personally love receiving party invitations. I’m usually satisfied with whatever invitations I’ve created, but almost every invitation consumes a disproportionate amount of time. Again, I over think details and spend time making too many tweaks. I’m D-O-N-E with that! Instead, I commission my friend, Amber, to design custom invitations that I either have printed at Costco on matte paper OR send electronically. I highly recommend visiting Amber’s Etsy shop, Texas Take when you are ready to order invitations for your next soiree. She has several ready to go designs in her shop, or she can create something based upon your preferences/ party theme.

2. Party Décor

This go round, I hit up Target’s One Spot, which was loaded with inexpensive yet trendy items that coordinated with the invitation. In fact…when I ordered the invitations I already spied the party goods and it helped me decide on the color scheme. Mini chalkboards, banners, and beverage straws helped bring the party together without much effort or expense on my end. I also bought a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers from Costco, which made things bright and cheery.

I scored a ready made banner for $1 then added stickers from my collection so it matched the theme.

I found this bridal shower scratch off game from Target. The winner took a bottle of champagne home.

3. Cleaning

Former party hostess me, would spend days, if not longer scrubbing EVERY inch of the house. I’m talking, crazy stuff like wiping baseboards and dusting furniture in rooms people wouldn’t likely visit. I’ve finally learned there’s a better way- short cut cleaning! There’s no need to do heavy duty cleaning prior to a party because parties are messy (at least fun parties are). Extra traffic means extra use of facilities and such. I now spend most of my time touching up the bathroom by wiping surfaces with a Lysol wipe and cleaning the toilet the day of the party. I’ll also do a quick dusting of the main areas, wipe counter tops, then vacuum. That’s it! My cleaning regimen can be knocked out in an hour or less. I’ll then light candles so the house is filled with a warm aroma. Walmart sells delicious smelling jar candles for just $3.49 each! A few candles spread out strategically makes the house welcome guests.

4. Food Preparation

Food preparation is another area where I’ve labored too much. For this party, I pulled a classy spread together from ready made items found at Costco. Crudites with hummus, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers complimented the theme perfectly with very little work. My co-hostess and mom each brought a homemade dip too. I also bought my first ready made cake from the Costco Bakery- it looked pretty and tasted decadent.

Chalk paper and a white pen from Target personalized the tablescape.

I saved money on paper goods by using our own glassware. Cocktails were marked with washi tape.

5. Hosting

In an effort to keep guests comfortable, I used to hustle around refilling food, tidying up, and fussing over things, which kept me from enjoying the party. This time, my food was all simple, and didn’t need much attention. I charged George as bartender, and my co-host offered to be our cocktail waitress. We used our own glassware and silverware, but used paper napkins and plates. Then, I strategically placed trash and recycle bins outside and guests helped keep things tidy. I left my camera on our bar, and let guests snap pictures during the party since I tend to struggle with photography during a party. For the first time, I really got to enjoy the party as much as our guests, and clean up was relatively simple too.