# Donut Birthday Party Ideas: How I Pulled Off a “Donut Grow Up” Morning for 11 Toddlers (6 Total) I didn’t realize how much 11 two-year-olds could accomplish in 90 minutes until I saw my neighbor Lydia’s backyard covered in pink sprinkles last Saturday. We called it the “Donut Grow Up” party for her daughter…
Last month, my daughter Nora turned eight, and she made it very clear that she didn’t want another “cute” princess or tea party. She wanted a “rave.” At least, that’s what she called it. I spent about three hours on Pinterest looking at glow-in-the-dark setups, and honestly, most of them looked like they’d cost $500…
Biscuit was personally offended when he saw me packing a bag of catnip last Saturday. He followed me to the door, giving me that specific Corgi side-eye that usually means, “Where are you going, and why does it smell like herbs I’m not allowed to eat?” I had to explain to him that his best…
My dad turned 50 on a windy Saturday in late April, and I remember standing in his driveway at 4:12 p.m. with a roll of painter’s tape in one hand and a Costco sheet cake sliding around in the back seat. We were supposed to rent a private room at an Italian place. Then my…
I was taping pink plastic tablecloths to the side of a folding dessert table at 9:14 on a rainy Saturday when Ava’s little sister walked in wearing rain boots, a winter coat, and a plastic tiara that was already missing one jewel. She looked at the room, looked at me, and said, very seriously, “This…
Last Saturday, I learned that a three-year-old’s lung capacity is roughly equal to a 747 engine. Sam, my friend Courtney’s son, has officially entered the “everything must roar” phase of his life. If it doesn’t have scales, a tail, or the ability to swallow a jeep whole, he’s not interested. So, when Courtney asked me…
Last Tuesday, my son Owen’s best friend Toby decided he didn’t want a “normal” party anymore. He wanted to go to Mars. Specifically, he wanted a “Space Mission” in his own backyard in Cincinnati. Toby’s mom, Rachel, called me in a panic because she’d seen those $400 Pinterest setups with life-sized cardboard rockets and fog…
Toddler Birthday Party Ideas: My 90-Minute Setup Plan (and the Party Hats That Actually Stayed On) I used to think toddler birthday parties needed a “theme” and a color palette and a Pinterest-worthy backdrop. Then I watched a two-year-old have a meltdown because the balloon touched his forehead (not even popped… just touched). That was…
Last Saturday I helped my friend Erica pull off a soccer birthday party for her son Leo (turning 5) in a very normal New Jersey backyard. Nothing fancy. A slightly lumpy lawn, a folding table that wobbles if you breathe near it, and my corgi Biscuit stealing cheese cubes like it’s his job. It ended…
Last Saturday at 7:12 a.m., my six-year-old walked into the kitchen in a Spider-Man hoodie and announced, very calmly, that his birthday party was going to be “a real hero mission.” Not a theme. A mission. He also informed me that his little sister would be “the dispatcher,” which meant she got to boss everyone…
