*Party Queen*

I always seem to find myself planning the next party, anyone else? ;)

I was raised in a family where we celebrate every birthday and holiday, no matter how big or small, and for that I am forever grateful! We only get ONE life to live, so why not celebrate the milestones and victories? I know big celebrations aren't for everybody, and that's ok. If you know me, you know there is always something in the works!

Growing up my Mom threw the best birthday parties for my brother and I, and now as a Mom of three, I get to do the same for mine and I absolutely LOVE it! The best thing about parties and celebrations is having a reason to get family and friends together and enjoy each other's presence. This presence is better than any present. Life gets so extremely busy, and we deserve time to slow down and enjoy one another! I am quickly learning how fast children grow up, and I want to celebrate every year with my boys, and that's exactly what I plan on doing!

Having three boys I have done almost every "boy" theme party you can think of! Cayden's birthday is in October, Coby's June & Huddy's is in January, so I get to do their parties in all seasons, which is fun!

Several years ago a few of my best friends and I decided to throw an annual ladies Christmas party, and this year we just celebrated year seven! It's one of my favorite night's of the year, and it has grown so much over the years, I love to look back on the awesome memories!

I wanted to share how I plan my parties!

1) Choose a theme

I love this part! I let the boys choose a theme, and let the fun begin! The first place I start with is Pinterest. There is almost always ideas for every theme, and if there isn't anything for my specific theme (sometimes I like to do out-of-the-box themes) I look for similiar ideas to get my creative juices flowing! Once I have the theme I find a cute graphic and make the event invite on Facebook,I can't remember the last time I purchased a physical invitation. However, if I send invites for the boys and do not know or have their parents on social media, I print a little something for them to pass out to them at school. 

 2) Food & Refreshments

After choosing the date for the party, I pick the time and this helps determine the food and refreshments I plan on serving. After many years and parties I have learned everyone loves to eat, but nine times out of ten, the adults who attend are more interested in the food than the kids, as they are way too busy enjoying themselves to actually stop and take the time to eat. Easy food like chips and pizza is always a hit, and there are many cute snack ideas for every party theme! I always do a cake and then some other kind of sweet treat of a different flavor so that there is something for everyone!

3) See what you already have + start shopping early

After throwing so many parties, I decided to keep the things I use at every party to save on costs and cut down on waste. I purchased glass vases in the floral aisle at the dollar tree years ago and I use them at nearly every party. Larger mason jars work great as well! They make for perfect + easy centerpieces! Just fill them with shredded crinkle paper or tissue paper and throw in some centerpiece sticks and you have a cute centerpiece to add to your tables! I also purchase tablecloths from the Dollar Tree because they are the cheapest.

I purchased a letter board a few years back, and I use this for nearly every event! Now you can purchase these on Amazon, or they are available at nearly every store these days!

I like using the WordSwag App on my Iphone to create images that match the theme and I print them using the Walgreens photo app and stick them in photo frames!

4) Party Favors

One of my favorite things to look for when throwing a party, is the party favors! My go to favors, are the cutest doughies from Doughie Jax & Candy Tubes from One Fine Party! These are always a huge hit! Both of these business owners customize them to my party theme and I am always pleased with how they turn out!

5) BALLOONS

Balloons add so much to a party, and they are cheap! If you haven't already, check out my sweet friend Nancy's Balloon shop on Etsy, Girly Gifts Balloon Shop! She has every color balloon you could think of, banners, and if you need help putting something together she is always so helpful!

6) Photo Area

Of course you have to have pictures of your party memories to look back on! One of my favorite parts of throwing a party is a photo area! I usually purchase the tinsel foil fringe curtains on Amazon and then decorate the area with balloons and encourage guests to take pictures and send them to me! I truly enjoy throwing parties, and I look forward to hosting many more!

Stay tuned to see what party I throw next!!!

 Links to shop:

 

One Fine Party

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/OneFineParty?ref=yr_purchases 

 Girly Gifts Balloon Shop 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/girlygifts07?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=582120725 

 Doughie Jax

 https://doughiejax.com/