Mom on a mission

Here are some photos that were missing from the party post: I created a special sign and made Mickey Ears for people to write messages to Gavin on. After the party they were placed into a scrapbook for safe keeping until photos are printed and put in the scrapbook.  An idea is to have people take photos with the birthday boy/girl as they come in the door so you can put their message with their photo.  Meredith and I created this wreath for the front door to great people as they came in. Took some time, but such a great thing and can be used again! Simply take 3 wooden circles and attach with hot glue (or use any three rings you can find to make it cheaper!). Cut ribbon into small sections, tie and keep ends short to make them stick out. Easy and cute!

Gavin's 1st birthday went off without a hitch! AND we managed to do it all on budget.  We had 40 people attend the party. First, the groceries were purchased at my favorite grocery P-lix. They often do B1G1 Free, so for the weeks prior to the party, I stocked up on what I could freeze that I needed. All total we spent around 127 for the food. Here's how the table turned out:  I ended up printing off pictures for kids to color (free to print!!!!) from Disney Jr. Great idea, keeps kids busy, and it's FREE!  I printed a sign for the kids to know it was ok to have fun: The sign reads: Mickey's Masterpieces. Here's how the decorations all turned out:  Another way it was made a success (and remained on my $150 budget) was that my wonderful friends MADE his birthday cake and smash cake. The smash cake is the invitation and the birthday cake is the club house: AND the results of the wonderful party! I also made Mickey & Minnie ears (grand total of 12 doll

 I'm about to go through a series of blogs to help with those out there on budgets or who are looking to cut back so they can put their money elsewhere. First, the average cost of a child's birthday party has grown drastically. Through my research, I've discovered that the new average for a birthday party is between $200-500. This is only for the "smaller groups" of around 30 people. So how can parents on tighter budgets pull off these "extravagant" parties and include everyone involved in their child's life? Here are some of my suggestions for those looking to have an amazing party on a tighter budget (and yes, I am doing this myself. Pictures will be posted on Monday, December 13): 1.) Have the party at your home, a family or friends home: Renting a place to host a child's birthday party simply adds extra costs that are not necessary. If you have someone that has a large backyard (great for the warmer months), or someone who has enough room