The humidity in Austin last April was basically a personal attack on my hair and the pink crepe paper I’d spent three hours hanging in the backyard for my niece Maya’s sixth birthday. I stood there, iced coffee in one hand and a stapler in the other, watching the first few drops of a classic…
I sat on the floor of my Atlanta living room on May 12, 2024, surrounded by fifteen five-year-olds and a literal cloud of green and gold paper. My son, Leo, was turning five, and I had decided—in my infinite wisdom as a single dad with zero event planning experience—to throw a wilderness bash in our…
Rain was lashing against the windows of our Beaverton home on April 12, 2025, and I was three seconds away from a total meltdown. My son Leo was turning four, and he had spent the last six months talking about nothing but “Real Life” Bluey games. I had exactly $72 left in the “fun budget”…
The humidity in Austin on April 5th was basically like being under the sea anyway, which felt oddly poetic as I sat on my living room floor surrounded by 400 googly eyes and a mountain of yellow kitchen sponges. My best friend Jen’s son, Leo, was turning 10, and he had specifically requested a “Bikini…
My daughter Chloe turned 11 on April 12, 2025, and she looked me dead in the eye and said she wanted a “Queen Bee” theme for her birthday. As a dad who lives in Denver and spends a disturbing amount of time reading Consumer Reports and checking for lead paint on imported toys, I felt…
@kenji_partydad: Okay, serious question for the GINYOU Party community: how is it already April 13th?! I swear it was just Valentine’s Day. Easter is THIS weekend, and my usual “plan everything three months ahead” routine completely evaporated this year. My wife had a work trip, I had a big youth group retreat to organize for…
Frosting was dripping from the ceiling fan in my Houston living room last April, and I only had myself to blame for thinking twenty-two toddlers could handle “unlimited” sprinkles. As a second-grade teacher at a local elementary school, I thought I was battle-hardened, but nothing prepares you for the high-pitched squeals of preschool energy fueled…
Four-year-olds are a special breed of chaos. They have the energy of a solar flare and the attention span of a goldfish on espresso. Last June 14, my son Leo turned four, and my wife and I decided to transform our Denver backyard into a full-blown spectacle. I spent three weeks obsessing over safety certifications…
Easter Egg Hunt Tips and Tricks: My Frugal Genius Needs Your Help! @tanya.jones: Hey Party People! Tanya from San Francisco here. Anyone else already feeling the Easter egg hunt pressure? My kids – Jude (4), Miles (5), and Sofia (10) – are already buzzing about it, and my spreadsheet for this year’s neighborhood hunt is…
My kitchen table is currently a disaster zone of leopard-print tissue paper, half-eaten chicken nuggets, and enough glitter to be seen from space because Leo’s second birthday hit us like a freight train yesterday. Finding the right two wild party favors for kids felt like a high-stakes competitive sport last Tuesday when I realized I’d…
