Yeahhhhh!!!!! Can you dig it? It’s time for my dump-truck loving son Andrew’s 3rd birthday party. Ready to get started? Here are my top 5 tips to GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
1) FINALIZE Party Budget & Secure Party Location: Considering the fact that it’s mid-summer and the heat is on – FULL FORCE – we decided that the ideal party location for Andrew’s 3rd birthday would be his air conditioned and favorite NYC playspace – For Kid’s Only at Equinox Sports Club on the Upper West Side. It’s a bit of a splurge compared to last year’s playground location but the comfort of being inside, combined with the help from the amazing staff is completely worth it.
2) BE SAVVY About Time: Everyone is busy in the summer. You might think it’s next to impossible to try to get a bunch of people together on a weekend day in the summer. In NYC, everyone leaves the city every single weekend of the summer for the “beach”. However, weekend is usually best for the husbands and extended family that may want to travel to the event. Therefore, I scheduled the party for Sunday at 4:30 to try to get the beach people to head back into the city a little early to make the party. This has proved to be the most successful time in the past – we do have 3 years experience with this. 🙂 A party’s not a party without your kid’s BFFs, an your’s too!
3) CHOOSE Perfect Theme: For me this is the easy part. It’s simply the vehicle of the moment. Year 1 it was fire trucks, year 2 it was trains, and now it’s dump trucks!
4) SEND Memorable Invitation: I decided to send out a digital invite this year since Evite really had a cute creative and I find digital to be an effective way to manage the RSVPs. Also, it saves me time that I can spend on the decor and favors! The guest list included an eclectic mix of family and friends from school, play dates and a few of mommy and daddy’s friends.
5) BRAINSTORM Decor & Favors: Don’t wait until the last minute to order decor and favors. If you decide to order online, some sites (my initial go-tos include Etsy and Oriental Trading) take 2-3 weeks to deliver your order. 4 weeks before the party is a good time to start thinking about what you want to do to make your party simple but fabulous so it stands out above the rest. Remember you only need a couple AMAZING memorable items. Fewer but higher quality is always better than average and quantity.
More details to come the next couple weeks on party bites, “dump truck” decor, playroom style and more! Now who’s ready to DIG IN on some mommy & munchkin-approved munchies? That’s next!
Party On,
Ashley