Party Update!

R's birthday is May 3rd, and I had originally scheduled the party for May 4th. However, because my surgery is currently scheduled for the 21st (and the 20th is Easter) I decided to bump the party up to April 13th. I know a week won't be enough recovery time, and since I'm not really sure what will be enough recovery time I decided I'd rather be safe than sorry and pushed it to before the surgery.

Above are the invites I threw together in Photoshop. I don't know if I love them the way I loved the hockey ticket invites I've made the previous two years, but the creative part of my brain has been hard to reach lately. My heart just wasn't in it. I found a perfect My Little Pony graphic online, made the pastel rainbow background myself in Photoshop, and used a MLP themed font (found here.) I made the file size 8 x 12 so that it'd shrink down to a high quality 4 x 6, and then I had them printed at Walgreens. I had originally wanted matte prints, but those would have had to be shipped to me and after moving the party up I wanted to get these out ASAP. I was all excited that the prints only cost $6, but after envelopes, address labels, and stamps... Well, I don't want to talk about it. ;)

In case you were wondering, the invite does in fact say "no gifts." I know there are people who must think I'm weird or mean to do that, but I just don't want our friends to feel obligated to buy her something just for the sake of buying her something. Especially if they don't have a lot of money to spare. I just think it's needless. R's party is her gift, and she is certainly at wont for nothing. A lot of people usually do end up bringing her something and that is totally ok with me, we just don't open it at the party.

Anywho, because we are moving the party up I'm also scaling back on the things I wanted to order (cookies and cake pops) and I'm going to try to make as much as I can myself. One of my dear friends who happens to be very talented at baking and cupcake decorating has offered to come help me bake the day before and I'm very excited. I'm hoping to make a small cake for R, cupcakes, marshmallow crispy treats, cookies, jello squares, and fruit kabobs. My parents have a big, gorgeous kitchen with double ovens and an electric stand mixer so I'm all over that!

My mom also offered to cover the food food for the party, and she suggested doing a taco bar from Qudoba or Chipolte because it will be just as cost effective and equally as delicious. It doesn't really fit the theme but uh, who cares, haha. I think there is going to be plenty of good eats at the party- hopefully I will get to eat it!

I just ordered a big batch of party supplies from Party City (branded plates, napkins, etc. as well as streamers) and I decided that instead of goody bags (which I despise) I'll have a mini candy bar that people can grab candy from. I have a few other things I need to grab like balloons, but I think we're pretty much set at this point and honestly, I need to stop spending money- especially since I have her room to keep planning!

On the list of things still to make:

- A "happy birthday banner"

- Cupcake toppers

- Food signage

- R's tutu

And I think that might be it for now! Whoo hoo!

Plans: R's Third Birthday Party

Now that R is a little older she has lots of things that she actually enjoys herself- that aren't connected to N or I. Some of these favorites things include Cars, Toy Story, Despicable Me, Peter Rabbit, monster trucks, etc. But her most favorite thing of all is of course...

And it helps that I heartily approve of this show for my little feminist in training. ;)

So the theme is set: My Little Pony with a big dose of rainbow. Her favorite pony is Twilight Sparkle (not Rainbow Dash) but I figure that rainbows are an integral part of Ponyville, and really, I'm just looking for an excuse to be colorful. I know R is going to love it!

We're going to have the party at my parent's house again this year (it's where we had her first birthday as well) because they have a big (though awkward shaped) basement and an even bigger backyard.

Which is important because I want (for R obviously): REAL LIFE PONY RIDES!

I've already contacted a pony rental place and put down a deposit for one hour of pony rides and a small petting zoo. Is it cheap? No. Is it cheaper than what we spent the previous two years? Yes. Would it be AWESOME? HELL YES.

As far as decorations go I'm going to get all the branded MLP stuff without shame. I've slowly but surely been accumulating stuff from Zulily thinking I was smart and saving money, and then I looked at the Party City website and realized they're selling all the same stuff for EVEN CHEAPER. WTF Zulily? So yeah I'm done with them (ok not really, but a little bit.)

I also want to do some nice rainbow decorations with lots of streamers and balloons such as:

Source

With the streamers twister and balloons instead of the puffs because I've tried to make those before and it wasn't pretty...

Or:

Source

With Dollar Store tablecloths instead of tulle because while gorgeous, that is far too expensive! I love these "cake table" setups but my parents basement is strangely shaped and doesn't lend itself well to one of these. I think I will put one up against the wall where we had the photo backdrop for R's first birthday. I would put the cake and sweets on it, and put the regular food on the bar that's down there.

As far as food goes I'm hoping I can talk my mom into having our local Dickies BBQ do a delivery buffet. You see, one of Reagan's other favorite ponies Applejack is "Southern" and uh... Yeah you're right I just want the BBQ for myself. (Pulled meats are much easier on my stomach! And coleslaw for days!!!)

 

For treats I'm thinking: MLP cookies from Etsy (I can't find these exact ones anymore and am so sad!), rainbow rice crispy treats, fruit kabobs, cake pops (likely also from Etsy), and jello squares. And then all sorts of rainbow candy of course.

We'll definitely be doing a cake and cupcakes again because cupcakes are a lot easier to deal with. As much as I love Gigi's I think I'll be making our own this year, or asking a friend (or my sister if she's home) to help because as you've seen I am not very good at decorating cakes!

For R's outfit I'm going to ask this Etsy seller if she can this shirt with a 3 behind Twilight:

Source

Then I'll make her another tutu myself and get her another cupcake headband from the same seller I got her first one from:

Source

 *Phew* That is all I have for now, but I'll likely have more planning and progress posts in the future. This is the one big party I plan all year and let's be real here, what else to I have to do with all my sickly free time?

Throwback: R's Second Birthday

Throwback: R's First Birthday

With R's 3rd birthday coming up in about two months I've been thinking about what we're going to do for her party this year. Before I start blogging about my plans and preparations, I thought I'd share with you pictures from her first and second birthdays. We are super blessed to have a professional photographer in the family- N's sister is incredibly talented. She's taken pictures at our parties that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Here's are the pictures from R's first birthday:

 

 

A "Disney Side" Baby Shower!

 

F#!% It Friday

I have a couple other posts I need to get done but I am still steaming right now and I need to let this out. Today I woke up all excited to watch the U.S. vs. Canada men's hockey game and all I have to say is:

 

 

Anyway it's been a pretty emotional week.

The other day our good friend's oldest daughter was really hurt in a freak accident (she was turning away from a dog, tripped over her own feet, and fell hard on asphalt.) She split her forehead open and was helicoptered from their local ER in New Mexcio to a hospital in Lubbock, TX that had a children's trauma unit. They had suspected she had a skull fracture but thankfully her sweet little skull and brain were alright, it was just a giant gash. The pictures my friends posted were terrifying; it was like something straight out of a horror movie. Their little girl needed a couple layers of stitches, but she's back home and doing well now. R and I bought her a bunch of goodies that we're going to send out tomorrow. I'm just sick for her and her whole family that they had to go through that!

Another friend of ours had a very serious spinal surgery yesterday. He is in his early 30s and was diagnosed with esophagus cancer a few months ago. The cancer has spread to his brain and lymph nodes and there were painful growths on his spine that they removed the other day- that they had to wait to do while our friend recovered from pneumonia and a lung infection. Our friend was given a terminal diagnosis and it's all so fucking sad it hurts me to think about. Our friend is a really, really great guy who was  Marine during the early days of the Iraq War and is a purple heart recipient. He has a beautiful wife and three little girls- the youngest is younger than R. If anybody is interested in making a donation towards their family they have a You Care funding site open here.

Anyway I am over today and this week and maybe next week too. ;)

I'm hosting a Disney Side party!

So that mystery package I was teasing you about yesterday actually came today- I wasn't holding out on you on purpose! ;)

But before I'll show you the pictures I'll tell you what this is all about. A few months ago I got an e-mail from Mom Select asking if I'd like to enter to be chosen to host some sort of party for Disney. I was like, why the hell not I'm sure they won't pick me anyway, so I sent in my info. Well a few weeks ago I got an e-mail saying that I had actually been selected to throw a party, and that Disney was going to send me a kit with which to do it.

Now you know my stance on free stuff, I LOVE it, but I'll be totally honest right now- I'm not the biggest Disney fan. I absolutely despise the "Disney Princess" machine, and there's plenty of other stuff I find problematic. I'm not anti-Disney by a long shot, and despite some of my reservations, some of R's favorite movies are Toy Story and Cars. I've also let her watch vintage Mickey Mouse cartoons on YouTube (spurring a love affair) and those contain plenty of family friendly racism, sexism, violence, etc.

But I agreed to throw this party, and throw it I shall- although it will be much more of a glorified play date, because this mama needs to save her resources for R's third (!!!) birthday party in May. Anyway, here's is what they sent me: