Ethan’s 3rd birthday is fast approaching and we’ve decided on a Mickey Mouse theme as his favorite show of all time is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. As I’m working on decorations and designing the menu, I thought it might be fun to take a look at the parties we’ve thrown for the kids in the past.
Keep in mind, we really aim to keep our parties relatively small and we DIY as much as we can to cut down on costs. We want our parties to be fun and memorable but a) not break the bank and b) be for the kids, not Instagram.
First up…Ethan’s 1st birthday: Wild ONE!
Having a party in 2020 wasn’t exactly easy, and we couldn’t have as large of a guest list as we had wanted, but it came together & I think it turned out super cute! We got 90% of the decorations from Amazon and the rest from Dollar Tree. We have a family friend that makes our kid’s cakes, at a very generous discount, and my husband prepared all of the food.
Next up…Ethan’s 2nd birthday: TWO Infinity & Beyond!
Ethan went through a BIG Toy Story phase (honestly, he’s still in it) so when I came across this theme while scrolling Pinterest – I knew it was the winner. We bought a $15 pack of decorations from Amazon that came with a banner, ballons for a garland & the large 2 balloon. Then we grabbed the tableware & piñata from Walmart & the rest…we already had laying around the house!
Pro tip: if you come across cute party supplies on clearance – buy them. The gift bags, rocket ship banner and highchair background were all Target clearance finds from their astronaut party line. I paid next to nothing for them and they fit in perfectly with our Buzz Lightyear theme!
Lastly, Amelia’s 1st birthday: Come ONE, Come All!
Because we hadn’t been able to have the party we dreamed of for Ethan’s 1st birthday, we wanted to go BIG for Amelia’s. We rented tables & chairs, a circus tent canopy and a big bounce house. We had ALL the carnival food: soft pretzels, peanuts, corn dogs, cotton candy, popcorn…and then it STORMED. It was torrential downpour all day long. So, obviously, we had to scramble to move the party inside at the absolute last minute. I cried, a lot, but we got it done and although it was crowded – everyone had a great time. We got most of the tableware/serving dishes from Hobby Lobby and the decorations from Hobby Lobby, Amazon & Oriental Trading.
Ethan’s party is just about a month away and we are so excited for his, “Oh toodles, Ethan is turning THREE!” theme. I can’t wait to share it with you!
