Hey everyone! Sofia here from Des Moines. So, Easter is just around the corner, and I’m already having anxiety dreams about Stella (my littlest, she just turned one!) trying to eat every single thing she finds during the egg hunt. Last year, Liam was four, and he was already pretty good about knowing what was…
My living room looked like a glitter factory exploded inside a time machine on March 12, 2024. That was the day I hosted my niece Luna’s 9th birthday bash in the heart of Austin, and I am still finding stray sequins in my dog Barnaby’s fur. We decided on a “Boogie Down” theme, but since…
My backyard in Denver looked like a neon paper blizzard had hit it on June 12, 2025. My daughter Chloe turned 12 that day, and her request was simple yet terrifying: she wanted a butterfly-themed bash for 22 of her closest middle-school friends. I am a dad who obsessively checks the safety ratings on every…
Leo turned two last Saturday, and I decided to go full Battle Bus on my sister’s tiny backyard in South Austin. Most people think a Fortnite theme is strictly for the middle school crowd, but my nephew is obsessed with the dancing llamas and the “chug splash” juice boxes his older brother, Jax, always talks…
My son Leo turned 12 on March 14, 2026, and the basement in our Denver home looked like a training camp for shadow warriors. Planning a pre-teen party is a minefield of “cringe” moments, but nothing kills the vibe faster than a sad, saggy balloon or a loud pop that sounds like a gunshot in…
My kitchen table in Logan Square was a total disaster zone last April. Sticky tape everywhere. Red felt scraps on the floor. My twins, Leo and Maya, were turning five, and I had eighteen hyperactive kindergartners coming over for a backyard bash. I realized quickly that the parents needed a win too. That is when…
Sweat was dripping down my neck as I stood in my Austin backyard last June 12th, clutching a tangled mess of red and white latex. My nephew Leo was turning nine, and he had his heart set on a “Big Top” extravaganza that would rival a Cirque du Soleil show. I had exactly $64 left…
The humidity in Austin on March 14th was enough to make my hair double in size, but my four-year-old, Leo, didn’t care about my frizz because his “Power Up” party was finally happening. My backyard looked like a pixelated fever dream. Red and white toadstools lined the fence, and Barnaby, my golden retriever, was wandering…
The first time I tried to make a fairy cup, I ended up with hot glue burnt into my thumb and a kitchen that smelled like a swamp. It was May 12, 2023, and my daughter Maya was turning nine. I had this grand idea of creating these whimsical, glitter-encrusted vessels for ten kids on…
My daughter Maya turned four on April 12, 2024, and I decided to be the hero who threw a Moana party in our tiny Atlanta backyard. I failed at the cake, but I nailed the gratitude. Being a single dad means I often feel like I’m playing catch-up with the “Pinterest Moms” who seem to…
