I asked twelve moms in my neighborhood one question last fall: “What actually ruined a birthday party for your kid?” I was expecting answers about bad weather or a no-show clown. What I got was a very specific list. And almost all of them mentioned the same five things. This is not a fun list…
Last May I threw an outdoor birthday party for my 8-year-old and forgot the sunscreen, forgot a trash bag, forgot a tablecloth weight (the whole thing blew into the neighbor yard), forgot a utility knife, forgot extra napkins, forgot bug spray, and forgot an extension cord for the speaker. The party was still fine. Kids…
Three years ago I booked a reservation at a nice restaurant for Mother’s Day brunch. Me, my husband, both our moms, three kids aged 2, 4, and 6. The wait was 90 minutes even with a reservation. My youngest cried through the appetizers. My mother-in-law spent most of the meal walking the parking lot with…
My friend Amanda texted me on a Tuesday night at 9:47 PM. I know the exact time because I was already in pajamas watching Biscuit — my corgi — attempt to bury a treat under a throw pillow. The text said: “Hazel wants a tie dye party. For Saturday. I have nothing. Help.” Four days….
Elliot has been asking for a Harry Potter party since October. Not a gentle “maybe this could be fun” ask — the kid printed out a checklist. Eight items, numbered, with estimated costs he got from asking Alexa. He is seven. I stared at his list for a minute. Floating candles. A real “Great Hall.”…
Last March my friend Jen texted me at 9 PM on a Tuesday. “Max wants a Lego party. His birthday is in three weeks. I don’t know where to start.” I was on the couch with Biscuit asleep on my feet and a glass of wine in my hand, so naturally I said yes before…
My neighbor called me the week before her son’s birthday and said, “He wants a ninja party but I have no idea what that means.” I told her: obstacle course in the garage, black everything, each kid gets a ninja headband. That’s basically the whole plan. Total budget came in at $91 for 14 kids….
My friend Lisa texted me in February: "Can you help me figure out a baseball birthday party? Tyler won’t stop talking about it." Tyler was turning six. Lisa had a backyard, a vague idea about T-ball, and $82 to spend. I said yes before she finished the sentence. Here’s exactly what we did, what it…
Nora decided her 8th birthday had to be a “Tropical Luau,” which is a tall order when you live in a Cincinnati suburb where the closest thing to a beach is a neighbor’s above-ground pool. But as an Etsy seller and a mom of three, I’ve learned that you don’t need a flight to Maui…
Last month, my son Elliot decided he didn’t want a “normal” birthday. He wanted a “Shark Attack” party. As a parent who spends way too much time reading CPSC recall notices and checking the weight limits on backyard slides, my first thought was: How do I make a bunch of five-year-olds act like apex predators…
