Really, we weren’t going to have a birthday party.  I wasn’t sure how the first weeks with a newborn were going to go… if I’d have the ability to plan a birthday party in a sleep-deprived state.  There was no party for Colin’s first birthday because we knew he’d have no idea and the same is still true at age two.

But as the ‘big day’ drew closer, I started having second thoughts.  We wanted to do something special for our baby boy because the last six weeks have been so much about his new sister.  I started looking for a way to throw a birthday party with very little fuss… and landed on Curious Kidstuff because they handle everything [except invitations & the cake].

Immediately after I booked the date, I went to Pinterest and typed in ‘art themed birthday party.’  [Obviously.  How did people plan parties before Pinterest?]  

Dear Lord.  I was so overwhelmed by the picture-perfect parties with excessive everything.  Is that seriously what people expect out of toddler birthday parties?  I can promise you my little guy would not properly appreciate straws that were special-ordered-to-match or custom-designed easels for each child.

In the interest of keeping things simple [see earlier statement about sleep deprivation], I decided to pick three ‘ideas’ and then be done with Pinterest.

We served paint brush rice krispie treats,
accompanied by rainbow fruit kabobs,
and followed by a paint splatter birthday cake.
[And then ordered pizzas].

Beyond that, I did NOTHING because Curious Kidstuff handled the rest!  Ahhh-mazing.  The party room was setup with cute place settings for each child plus helium balloons (quite possibly the best part of the party, if you ask Colin).  The adjoining art studio had various stations of age-appropriate activities.  And they provided fabulous gift bags for each child, filled with toys from the store.  They made me look good.

I gotta say I’m pretty proud of this birthday cake.  Sure, it’s just icing splattered on the side of a cake (basically requiring the skills of a toddler), but part of me expected a massive #pinterestfail.

And Colin’s shirt?  [found on etsy]  I love it!  He will be wearing this thing all year long.

Thanks for a great party, Curious Kidstuff!

Want to hire Miss Freddy to photograph your child’s birthday party?  Read more about my event coverage or contact me for more info!