I debated for a long time whether or not to even have a party. I mean, she's 2! It's not like she'll remember it. But since we don't have any family nearby, I thought a little party - more of a playdate really at this age - would help make the day special for her.
I'm so glad we did it. Sydney had a ball and the whole thing was relatively easy. Except when I made it hard. She gets super excited these days when kids come to play - and we had a lot of kids here that day. Almost 20! She wound herself up so much she ran right into the refrigerator and busted her lip minutes into the party. And although she won't remember it, I have a gazillion photos to commemorate the day so she'll never forget.
So, the details. The theme was Dora - as that is Sydney's obsession - but otherwise the plan was easy. We would set up outside where we already have a great play set and just let the kids do their thing. No need for organized activities. She's 2! However, given that the temps had been 100-110 the past few weeks, I was really taking a risk. Fortunately, we got a little reprieve with temps in the low 90's. Yes, my northern friends, that is a reprieve!
I've already posted about the cookie favors. Although my back ached for a good 2 days after stooping over the counter decorating these Dora Star cookies, I was mighty proud of my own work - and I am by far my harshest critic! They are super time consuming but very rewarding and so yummy too!
But I almost - almost - made a critical mistake! My plan was to bag the cookies for party favors. I found the biggest, small cellophane bags that I could and thought I had measured to be sure the cookies would fit. But something about that star shape just wouldn't let some of the cookies go into the bag. By the grace of God, I had molded each star point slightly to give it the feel of some action. That minor adjustment allowed most of the cookies to barely slide into the bags - just enough for all the kids. WHEW! After all the cookie cutting, baking, icing coloring and precision of the decorations - I would have cried if they didn't go in those bags. And this would be why we always should do trial runs!
Notice I ran out of creativity and used the manufacturer provided twist ties. I had cute little ribbons to match the Dora colors but just ran out of time and energy to add them.
I wasn't as crazy about the cupcakes. Please know I was not trying to torture myself. I have nothing against a good box mix. But birthday's are special and deserve a little extra effort so I wanted to make them from scratch. I found a recipe online which I thought would be super. I did not do a test batch. My mistake. They looked great (except when I overfilled them).
But I found them a little oily. I'll have to try another recipe next time. Any suggestions?
Thankfully a good heap of icing covers many mistakes. It was delish and that's what most of the kids eat anyway - success!
And I put these cute little Dora toppers on them
Completely out of creativity, I ordered these adorable Backpack treat bags from Etsy and filled them with fun treats for the kids. I had a few rules - there must be some learning involved and there could NOT be anything that would drive parents crazy when they got home.
Sydney was excited about all the preparations that morning and insisted on eating her breakfast in the midst of everything outside.
Sensing a party, she was really amped up, making it next to impossible to get ready, so I finally booted her out of the house with Pat to go pick up the balloons so I could finish preparations.
I didn't get too crazy with Dora. Besides the cookies, cupcakes and party bags, I simply tried to keep a color theme going - pink, purple and orange - with the paper products and some inexpensive fabrics found at Hobby Lobby. Oh, but I did discover a Dora party mix on iTunes. Because every party needs music, right?
Wondering why you haven't seen any pictures of Fletcher? Thinking perhaps he was stuck in the stroller once again while everyone else had fun? Nope. Fletcher - the best baby ever - slept through the ENTIRE party! Three and a half hours total! We actually went to check on him TWICE to be sure he was still breathing. Not sure what got into him but it was a heckuva-lot easier not having to keep one eye on him during the party.
The kids were great, had a ball playing, swinging and bouncing in a fun bounce house borrowed from a neighbor. If you live in a neighborhood with lots of young kids - or have a gaggle of your own - I highly recommend investing in one of these. Even Fletcher got in on the action with Sydney later after everyone left (and he woke from his long morning slumber).
So much for requesting no gifts. Of course Sydney wasn't disappointed - she hit the jackpot!
What a great day!
In case you're curious, here are links to all my resources...
Cupcakes (again, I found them a little oily) - Glorious Treats
Cupcake Buttercream Frosting - Glorious Treats
Cookies - Sweetopia
Royal Icing for cookies - Sweetopia
Party Favor Bags - Etsy Jettabees
Invitations & Cake Toppers - Etsy DesignedByDVB
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