What's in a Theme?

With the start of a new calendar year, it’s time to start thinking about celebrating another birth year.

Aw the joy of an excited child waiting in anticipation of yet another birthday and if they’re anything like mine, they start announcing their age by saying they’re “4 ½” even as their birthday is only 5 days away, but of course that addition of a fraction makes them feel special and more like a “big kid”.

Along with a new age, generally comes a memorable celebration such as a birthday party, which can lead to stress over what to do, but it doesn’t have to. Think about all the things your child enjoys and create something based off of that. It could be something as obvious as their love of art that might lead you to an art themed party or perhaps something not so obvious like their new found interest in apples that immediately brings a green, red, yellow and brown color scheme to mind with the thought of an apple, apple tree or bucket invitation, a bobbing for apples and/or a “What’s Your Favorite” apple tasting activity, and a cute little caramel apple bar where guest would choose a few mini, lollipop sized caramel apples to take home as their party favor. You could even go in a completely different direction having someone dress up as Johnny Appleseed, tell the kids a brief story about himself and then have them paint pots, which can be combined with apple seeds, left by Johnny of course, to take home as their favor.

The options are limitless when planning a party for your child and they don’t have to be the typical character themed parties. Think about your child’s taste or even better, do a casual, mini question and answer session with them to find out what their current favorite things are.

It’s great to think outside of the box in terms of party locations as well. Chuck E Cheese and bouncy places, while tons ‘o fun, aren’t your only options. There’s always your own house or backyard and the local park, but you could also take a sport themed party one step farther and have it at the ball field or court likewise with an ethnic themed party being held at a correlating restaurant or a fashion party at a local boutique.

No matter what theme you decide on, remember to plan ahead and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Whose coming to party?

Unfortunately RSVPing has gone by the wayside. Some parents think it's only for giving a "yes" response or only for a "no" response ... it's not, unless otherwise stated on the invitation. Even a "maybe" is extremely helpful because it allows for planning and lets the parent/planner know there's a 50% chance your child may be in attendance.

Whether inviting a small playgroup or large class of 24, it can be challenging enough to plan a party without having to hunt down responses from invitees. On the flip, being a busy parent means you may misplace those invitations or think the other parent responded when they actually haven't.

If sending invitations out yourself, here are two options for planning your child's next party:

• If your child's school has a directory, adopt a "double hit" method where you first send a "save the date" evite to each invitee parent's email as soon as you know the date of the party. At least 2 weeks prior to the party, send the official, mailed, invitation dirently to the child's home. The "save the date" will alert parents of an upcoming party (and hopefully prevent them from planning another event during that time, especially if it's a party their child really wouldn't want to miss) and the mailed version will do duel duty, serving as an invite and as a reminder.


• If your not lucky enough to have the information that will allow you direct contact with the invitees parents, though considered a bit formal for a child's party, try including an RSVP card in the envelope along with the invitation; teachers can discreetly place the invitations in children's take home folders and the responses in your child's folder when they come in ... always ask politely.

Hope one of these works for you!