One of my absolute, all-time favorite things to do is plan a party. Oh, I get so excited thinking about the details of a party: the theme, the food, the decorations, the party favors, the outfits…..it can all be so wonderful. But, party planning can also bring out the “Crazy Christen” side too: the panic, the frustration, the sharp tongue (anybody with me?).
Here are 10 tips I’ve learned about staying “cool” instead of “crazy” while party planning:
1. Remember the reason for the party. When my girls turned one, all I wanted to do was celebrate their lives since their first year of life had been so rocky. Since they were twins, I also wanted to celebrate each child as a unique individual. One way I did that was by giving them each their own smash cakes in colors that coordinated with their outfits. Everything pink was for Adeline and everything yellow was for Maralee. Those colors symbolized sunshine and girls which is exactly what God had brought into our lives with our twins.
2. Prioritize. Parties can get waaay over budget, quick. While it is fun to have your own party board on Pinterest, it is important to pick what is going to be top priority at your party. Is it the food? Or a game? Photographer? Decorations? Pick one area to really go all out. I’ve been to some parties that are decorated fabulously and the hostess cut corners by offering Chex Mix and Veggie Straws in her cute party bowls.
3. Don’t try too hard. Some parties can be a little showy. While I’m all about creating an ambiance for the event, don’t go overboard just to try and one up your friend’s party last week. As moms, we can’t help but compare our parties to our friends’ parties. If we go above and beyond to create “the perfect party” and it leaves our friends feeling bad about their own parties, have we really done anyone’s hearts (or pocketbooks) any good? Let your party feel inviting and relaxed not showy and stuck up.
4. Be spontaneous. This past year, I haven’t done a good job of inviting friends into our home. It’s a rental and I’ve let the shag carpet win. But, I need to get over it already and spontaneously invite friends over for an impromptu party. Parties aren’t about the plates matching the place mats; parties are about people.
5. Keep it small. Recently, a friend with three children had a party for her youngest child’s 1st birthday party. She invited over me and a few other friends and her parents and nieces. There were maybe seven adults and ten kids. Y’all, we had the best time. I loved how she kept it small because the adults could actually talk to one another and let our kids have more snacks if they wanted! 🙂 Keeping parties small allows you to spend more in the areas where you really want to shower your guests.
6. Set your expectations low. One year, several of our good friends could not attend a party we were hosting. At first, my feelings were hurt because I had recently attended all of their parties and I felt like they should attend mine. My husband always reminds me that this is not an indication that they don’t want to be my friend; all it means is our date didn’t work for their schedule. Since then, I try to set my expectations low and not get upset if someone can’t make it. I’m always pleasantly surprised by who can attend the party and how much fun I had even if so-and-so didn’t get to come.
7. Plan ahead. These days, there are so many great party sites where you can purchase products before the party. I love online party shopping because I can do it from home and not get all stressed out if I go to a store and they don’t have what I need. It also helps me not go overboard on spending. Some of my favorite shops are Shop Sweet Lu Lu, the TomKat Studio, and Etsy.
8. Don’t try to do it all yourself. As a semi-stay-at-home mom, I tend to want to do most of the party planning myself to save time and money. One party, I made all the food, the decorations, and two outfits for my twins. By the time the party rolled around, I was so exhausted. Find one or two areas to DIY and get family or Target to help you do the rest!
9. Go off site. Recently, we had a Gender Reveal Party for Price Baby #3. Instead of doing it at our house (remember my shag carpet phobia from above) we had a family get-together at a local pizza restaurant. All I had to do to prepare was cut out some cute “I voted” stickers and make some cupcake toppers (I didn’t even have to do that but I wanted to.) There was no banner, no party favors, no special drink. You know what? Nobody cared! All they cared about was finding out whether we were having a boy or girl (boy, by the way!) and we all went home without cleaning up a thing. Just what this mom of almost three wanted!
10. Celebrate. If we lose our cool and go all crazy-mama, we miss the whole point of throwing a party in the first place. Parties are a form of celebration; a way to give thanks for another year, a special moment, to show someone how much they are loved. Take a deep breath and remember to enjoy yourself. Life (and parties) are too short to be spent in crazy-ville.
God is the Ultimate Party Planner of our lives and sometimes the unexpected is the best gift of all. Go ahead, plan a fabulous party but remember to give your party and your plans to God.
Till next time, let your light shine!
Blessings, christen
Christen Price blogs at illuminate {formerly the uncontainable truth}, where she offers a light for your path. As wife to her high school sweetheart and mother to premature twin girls, she’s learned that God is the Ultimate Party Planner and sometimes the unexpected is the greatest gift of all. Christen is the Children’s Ministry Coordinator at her church, a lover of exclamation points, and gets way too excited over food and fabric. You can find her on Facebook and Etsy, or on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter @chris10price.
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