Pancakes and Pajamas Theme Birthday Party

I was scrolling through some of the photos from Natalie's December birthday yesterday and realized that I never shared last year's party with you all! So, forgive the major delay, but today I'm showing off some pics from her 8th birthday party. The theme was Pancakes and Pajamas and we hosted it in our home last December. This is how we threw a budget-friendly party at home for our eight year old:

Including my own girls, this party maxed out at seven little girls. We live in a smaller, 1970s colonial, so allowing Natalie to invite every child from her class just wasn't going to work.

She invited five friends, and they each wore their favorite cozy pajamas! They had the most fun playing in our dress up trunk and putting on fashion shows.

(Invite from Party Invites and More --highly recommend!) 

Party Decorations and Food:
I bought some standard party decor from our local Hobby Lobby so that I could reuse them for future parties. Easy peasy!

The cake was from the grocery store, and I didn't serve ice cream because of all the sugar from breakfast. Drinks were water, orange juice, or milk. We used my mother-in-law's mini mason jars for cups with cute purple and white chevron paper straws. Also served were fresh fruit, vanilla yogurt, and granola. Sides were dished out from a vintage tea cart I got from my Nannie's house a few years ago. We also had whipped cream, flavored pancake syrups, chocolate syrup, classic maple syrup...and frozen pancakes from the store.

Hear me out...I had a baby just a few days earlier. There was no way I was going to whip up dozens of pancakes for this party. I wisely purchased some frozen pancakes in bulk. My mother-in -law cooked them in her oven and brought them to the party for me, wrapped up on a platter. The girls never knew the difference!

Favors:
Favors were the most adorable pajama cookies from a local baker. She was even kind enough to deliver them to my door when I told her I had a c-section and couldn't drive. If you're local, message or email me, and I can give you her information. Each girl also got to choose a nail polish to take home.

Party Activities:
We opted to do a small craft as the girls arrived instead of games. I purchased inexpensive white pillowcases from WalMart and the girls used Elmers Paint Pens to decorate their pillowcases however they wanted. That kept them busy for some time...it was wonderful! After Natalie opened her gifts, the girls had fun with her spa set and painted each other's nails until it was time to go home.

Side note: I was inspired by similarly themed parties from Tatertots and Jello and Hi Sugarplum. Thank goodness I did some early shopping and prepping, because I ended up giving birth to baby #3 via c-section just a few days before the party. And, to complicate matters, the whole fam rushed the baby to the E.R. in the wee hours the morning of the party (which kicked off the whole dairy-free-milk-protein-sensitivity drama).

We returned home just in time for me to pump, feed the baby, haphazardly apply some make-up, and complete the party food prep! So while the girls loved the party and had a blast, it was clearly not a fantabulous, Pinterest-worthy, jaw-dropping, styled party. But that's not why I threw it; so I'm okay with that!

For other party ideas I've shared:

• Barbie Party
• LaLaLoopsy Ballet Party at the Studio
• Hello Kitty Party
• American Girl Party at the American Girl Bistro
• Tinkerbell Ballet Birthday Party
• Cinderella Birthday Party
• Little Mermaid Birthday Party
• Sesame Street Birthday Party
• Budget Princess Party

What's the most fun party theme you've ever planned?

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LalaLoopsy Ballet Birthday Party {at the dance studio}

Michaela Byrd turned six years old in January and requested a LalaLoopsy themed birthday party. With a month old new baby and limited time on my hands, I wisely called the girls' dance studio and booked a date. I wanted to share a few pictures from Byrdie's LalaLoopsy Ballet Birthday Party today.

I can't stress enough how much this party didn't stress me out! Still struggling with adjusting to life with a newborn, juggling schedules with the older two, etc., I knew there was no way I'd be up to hosting something in our home just a month after my c-section. With the excitement over all the fun the teachers had planned, the girls didn't notice that I kept the decorations, food, and drink to a minimum.

For a small fee, our party included:
use of a dance classroom
two teachers
dress up tutus for the kids to use while they played
set-up time

The girls who led the class were amazing. One is a regular instructor at the studio and the other is a dancer. They helped with set-up, ran all of the party games and activities, and helped us with take-down. Many studios offer this kind of service, and I am so glad ours does!

The birthday girl (and her big sis) didn't feel like wearing their leotards and tights, so we opted for ballet shirts and leggings. Michaela Byrd's tutu is a hand-me-down from her sis and comes from Harper's Hat Box. They both wore their ballet slippers.

As I said before, I made life a whole lot simpler on myself by purchasing a party pack at the local party store.

Our party store carries LalaLoopsy decorations, invitations, plates, and plain colored table cloths. Honestly, the kids could have cared less that I didn't have a chance to make the button garland I had planned to create, and that I forgot to order balloons. I'm sure Byrdie would have loved the extra decor, but she certainly didn't miss it or ask why I left things out!

Activities included stretches and warm-ups (obviously with a fun twist to it), movements across the floor, "musical dots," and learning a choreographed dance to their favorite Frozen song! I loved that part (not something we did at Natalie's Tinkerbell party), and Michaela Byrd got to be the soloist since she was the birthday girl!

They also played freeze dance, and we had cake and juice boxes...I made a picnic on the dance floor with a plastic table cloth, and the birthday girl got to open her gifts.

Favors were a coloring book and an "art pack" for each girl that I picked up in Target's Dollar Spot months ago. All I did was add some ribbon and a little "thanks for coming to my party" note that I whipped up on Microsoft Publisher.

All in all, very simple, but a great morning. Several parents approached me the next week to remark over how much fun their daughters had, and one little girl even signed up to start taking ballet with Michaela.

I might not have saved as much money as I would have if we hosted at home or if I had used my craft stash to whip up some decorations, but I kept things simple and saved myself time by purchasing a few items (and using Byrdie's LalaLoopsy figurines), and that was perfection for me!

If you have a dance studio in your area, you should suggest a dance party if they don't already offer them. It was perfect for a winter birthday...so hard when the kids can't get outside!

What's your favorite outside-the-home venue for parties?

*You can view Natalie's Tinkerbell Ballet Party here. I've also shared our American Girl Store Bistro party, a Barbie Party at Home, a Cinderella party, and an Under the Sea party.*

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5 Tips for Winter Entertaining

Do you entertain during the winter months, or do the holidays leave you feeling drained? Ashley from Domestic Fashionista brings us 5 Tips for Winter Entertaining today. I think you'll find inspiration from her gorgeous photos; and her planning tips make welcoming guests into your home over the next couple of months a much more realistic feat! Please help me welcome Ashley to the blog today!

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Hi, Serenity Now readers!  I am Ashley of Domestic Fashionista, where I love to share about my home and entertaining! With the holidays behind us, it is nice to still have a festive home when entertaining for the remaining days of the cold weather months. Here are five tips for entertaining during the winter season.

1. Temperature
There are so many times that I get all bundled up for the cold only to enter into a really warm house with not enough layers to shed.  So when I consider the temperature of my own home I want it warm enough that people do not need to leave their jacket on.  But I also want it not to be too warm for those maybe dressed in sweaters.

2. Warm Food
Nothing says hospitality in my opinion like a hot meal.  If you are having guests over to eat, prepare in advance a hot meal that welcomes them in from the cold.  It doesn't have to be fussy (remember the holidays are over!) so go with something simple like soups or other hot foods that get kept warm on your stove top or crock pot.  I also try to keep hot water for tea and coffee available for those interested in a warm drink.  If you really want to wow your guests, try serving them a special latte made at home: Vanilla Chai Tea Latte | Pumpkin Spice Latte | Egg Nog Latte

3. Music
Music is one of those entertaining items that often gets forgotten.  If you are not a constant music listener, this is an easy one to not remember.  But having some kind of music playing in the background creates an atmosphere as well as fills potential awkward silence.  A nice classical piano mix playing in the background is perfect for this time of year!

4. Touches of the Season
All of your holiday decor might be packed away by now but that is no excuse not to add a little decor to your home for the season.  It can be as simple as a few branches of a seasonal plant in vases around the house or seasonal smelling candles filling your rooms.  It does not require a lot of work but a few touches will make your guests feel like you made the extra effort on their behalf.

5. A Joyful Heart
As we go into a new year, lets make more room in our homes and hearts for our family and friends.  Make these winter months warm through your kindness and hospitality.  Don't worry about having everything all together but instead embrace this time of coziness as you invite others into your home.

For more ideas and encouragement for your home and entertaining, please stop by over at Domestic Fashionista!  You can also click here to view more photos of my "Winter Tablescape" shared in this post. 

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Such beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing your heart with us today, Ashley!

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"Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails" Themed Baby Boy Shower

I've been wanting to share these baby shower photos with you all for a week, and finally downloaded everything last night. Here's a peek at the "Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails" themed baby shower that my sweet friend, Michelle, planned and hosted for me.

When Michelle offered to host a baby shower for me, I was surprised, but delighted. I wasn't expecting a baby shower at all, as this is baby number three for us. After seven years of frills and pink and ruffles, I didn't have a thing "boy." Michelle came up with the adorable "Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails" theme after I told her about the puppy themed nursery I'm planning for baby boy.

I can't claim a thing except a few of the photos--she is an amazing and gracious hostess with a stunning home. It was such a special afternoon! Natalie and Michaela Byrd were also invited, and they were so excited.

Everything was delicious, and I loved how Michelle matched the cards for the food to the invites/theme! From the puppy and snail shaped sandwiches to the chocolate fountain...it was all fabulous.

The activity Michelle planned was a hilarious, custom, baby themed "Mad Libs" that had us all laughing out loud.

I received some really sweet gifts: cute little outfits, embroidered burp cloths, beautiful baby blankets, and the hostess sent me home with the adorable little onesies she used for the banner!

More than anything, I enjoyed the afternoon of good food and fellowship. What a blessing!

I feel so lucky to have friends and family who care enough to share the special day with me. And how beautiful is Michelle's home? I'll have to do a tour for you guys someday!

What's your favorite baby shower theme?

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