Choose Your Party: Splurge or Save on an Instagram-Worthy Celebration

Whether you want to splurge or save on an Instagram-worthy party for your little one, this blog will equip you with the resources you need and inspire your creativity to tackle everything from invitations to party favors.

Since becoming a parent, I’ve attended some fabulous parties by any age standards; however, the parties I’m talking about happen to be for one, two, and three-year-olds. As I’ve come to find out, throwing a birthday party for a toddler takes as much mental jiu-jitsu as planning our destination wedding.

Maybe you want a ballroom-sized balloon arch. If you do, I’ve got people! Maybe you want budget-friendly alternatives to a smash cake that’s fit for a royal wedding. If so, I’ve got tips!

The name of the game is: choose your party!

As a child, I loved reading the Choose Your Own Adventure Series. In a nutshell, Choose Your Own Adventure allows the reader to make choices that determine the plot’s outcome. Similarly, in this blog, you get to choose your party.

Are you willing to spend a few extra dollars in order to save time or are you looking for the best deal? (Spoiler: There’s no wrong answer!) If you’re looking to pull out all the stops, Option A will deliver. If you’re looking to save money, Option B is for you. Let’s get started.

1. Invitations

A. Nothing says “this party is a big deal” like personalized invitations delivered to your physical mailbox. For all things stationary, I turn to Pennysmiths Paper. Lady Whistledown herself could not turn down a die-cut invitation from Pennysmiths.

B. For the busy mom (aren’t we all?), Etsy offers customizable templates with instant downloads that can be easily forwarded to friends through email or text. For the modern mom who values thoroughness, Evite offers everything you could want in an electronic invitation, like hosting tools (think: a Poll and What to Bring List) as well as the option to link to a gift registry.

Remember, invitations set the tone for any party. Details like your colors and font will subliminally prepare guests for what to expect. Whether you want to send snail mail to your VIPs or Evite your 65 first cousins’ cousins, you’ve got options.

2. Food

When my daughter was first learning how to talk, she began making sense of her world by separating things into two categories: “eat” and “no eat.” (A girl after my own heart!) When it comes to a party, think “eat.”

A. For the moms who want to leave the food preparations to somebody else, consider catering. From Rudy’s to Dion’s Pizza (with bottles of Ranch on the side), the options are endless. Another time-saving option: connect with your local Walmart Deli and order sandwich trays, sliders, or wraps.

B. For culinary creatives, Costco offers a wide variety of bulk food items. One of my favorite Costco side dish staples is this Reser’s Classic Potato Salad. Pair it with Smoked Pulled Pork sliders, fruit, and veggies, and you’re good to go.

There’s so much to say about food when you’re planning to cook! This blog is barely the tip of the iceberg (lettuce). Keep reading for eight bite-sized hacks to decrease your stress while preparing to feed your guests.

1. At least a week before your party, set your menu.
2. Select dishes that you have made before.
3. Set aside time to do your grocery shopping in advance of your party.
4. After grocery shopping, prepare as much as you can ahead of time (e.g., chop vegetables, measure ingredients, and save them in your fridge).
5. In the words of Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade, “Great meals can be made using 70% store-bought ingredients and 30% fresh ones.” In practice, you can buy a salad kit from Trader Joe’s and embellish it with a package of fresh greens.
6. Cut down on cleaning by baking in the oven rather than using multiple pans.
7. Create a day-of timeline (e.g., write down everything from what time the meat should be on the grill and when to take out your chilled foods).
8. Delegate tasks (e.g., assign a family member to pick up ice bags on the day of your party).

3. Drinks

A. Let’s start with water . . . because hydration! Offering cans or bottles of your favorite sparkling water is a great way to elevate your party. It’s also an easy win for adults and children alike. According to registered dietitians at Women’sHealth, not all sparkling waters are created equal. Check out this article if you are interested in hearing where your favorite brand of bubbles ranks.

B. Individual drinks are great, but so are pitchers of watermelon agua fresca. To delight your adult guests, splurge on providing aluminum cups. Busy parents won’t ever have to worry about their drinks becoming warm while they chase down their toddlers, and you can rest easy knowing your cups are infinitely recyclable. It’s a win/win!

4. Balloons

What’s a birthday party without balloons?

A. For luxury balloon decor, backdrops, and marquee rentals check out Enchantment Balloons. I’ll admit that I have tried and failed at putting together my own balloon arch. A word of advice for the DIY mom: buy one of these balloon arch kits from Party City and leave the stress of figuring out which small balloon goes where to the professionals.

B. Look no further than your local Dollar Tree for all your decorating needs! My favorite Dollar Tree hack is this 4-pack of Yard Balloon Sticks. The goal is to take your guests’ eyes to another level with your balloon placement. With the right balloons, you’ll be able to transform any outdoor space into a fabulously decorated party.

5. Theme

A. The trick to throwing an Instagram-worthy celebration is in the details! If personalized, matching party favor tags, napkins, and thank you notes are your thing, I highly recommend working with Southern Paperie.

B. For the DIY mom who has chosen a theme for the party, head over to canva.com to create your own welcome sign, place cards, and more. Canva has pre-made templates that allow you to drag and drop your favorite photos and customize everything from the font to the visual elements for free.

If your party doesn’t have a theme, consider choosing one color, or even a palette of colors, for your party instead. To make it easy, start with the favorite color(s) of the birthday boy or girl.

6. Entertainment

Let’s face it, when the kids are happy, parents are happy!

A. If you’re looking to go big, you can rent a bouncy house (this idea really jumps out at me!) or book an entertainer like Facepainterina.

B. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep small children entertained with things you may already own, such as:

• A water play table for toddlers
• Playballs for the yard
• Sidewalk chalk
• Bubbles
• Our go-to yard game for adults is corn hole (sometimes referred to as “bags”). To spark some friendly competition, you can set up a whiteboard to keep score.

BONUS: For pool parties, did you know that you can hire a lifeguard from your community’s pool for added safety? Consider hiring an extra pair of eyes to reduce your stress while hosting.

7. Dessert

A. Your guests will salivate at the sight of miniature cupcakes from Cake Fetish or hand-painted sugar cookies from Feathered Arrow Cookies. For a customized dessert experience, you can hire Viva Fresca or The Paleta Bar to set up a cart in your dining room.

B. Do your kids go crazy for donuts too? There are tons of options available, but our favorite is Rebel Donut. For the crafty mom, head to Pinterest and search “donut wall” or “donut stands” for inspiration. Want another egg-cellent idea? Homemade cake pops!

My mom, brother, and sister-in-law gifted us these egg-ceptional cake pops for an Easter-themed party. The cleverly crafted base was made of styrofoam and topped with green crinkle paper to look like grass.

8. Party Favors

For simplicity, let’s focus on non-edible party favors.

A. Children’s books are the ultimate favors for little ones! Tiny guests will love cozying up with their favorite book, remembering how much fun they had at your party. Usborne Books & More offer a wide variety of activity books that go great with all kinds of themes. Here are a few that we love: Big Dinosaur Sticker Book, Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Princesses, Little Stickers Pirates, First Sticker Book Wild Animals, and Fortune Tellers to Fold.

Psst . . . consultants for Usborne Books & More have access to a wide selection of miniature children’s books for as low as $1.99. These minis have the same great content; they’re just easier to stuff in a goody bag! Connect with me (or a book lady you love) to see what options are available.  

B. The Dollar Tree is packed with small treasures, like this 5-pack of Play-Doh or 3-pack of bubbles with wands. For the DIY mom, you can buy a 64-pack of crayons, remove the paper from each crayon, and bake them (275 degrees for 7-8 minutes) in silicone molds that match your party’s theme. Useful and coordinated!

Be sure to check out this Guide to Birthday Parties in the Albuquerque Area for more great ideas. And, if you have a party and use any of these tips, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@readwithrachaelofficial)!

The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ABQ Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.