Birthday Party Preparations~

Howdy howdy,

So I've been staying up pretty late these past couple of days.
"For what?", you may ask.
Well, I am already crafting things for Ella's upcoming 4th Birthday Party! Not to ruin the surprise or anything, but I just have to share some sneak peeks with you here -- complete with general birthday celebration philosophy and tradition in our family~

Firstly, I am really aiming for not spending big bucks at all, and so far the total tally for all the decorations, gifts, and activities is...$7.50!!
The main reasons why I'm going to be able to keep this event so inexpensive is because I'll be:

1) Making almost everything -- from her gifts and the food, to the face paint and bubble solution we'll be playing with at the party! DIY is almost always the more affordable route to go, no?

2) Using salvaged materials from almost everything -- times like these make me thankful for all the tissue paper I saved from gifts I've received and other things that we tend to assume only have "one life". With a little bit of creative thinking, it's amazing how far some items can go, and how many uses they potentially have after their initial one. Other examples of materials making a (re)appearance in her birthday celebration include a wire hanger, scrap fabric, ribbon (also saved from wrapped gifts I've received), and cardboard back of a notepad ;)

3) Keeping in-line with our values -- that's a pretty broad idea, but it mainly means not having a lot of excess of "doo-dads" and other things people assume to be "necessary" to a party...typically in the form of cheaply made "easy in, easy out" items (i.e. goodie bags, disposable eating-ware, etc.) that aren't the gentlest on the planet neither in their production nor their demise.
Kids are pretty easy to entertain in general and won't need much more than dressing up and dancing around to give them a good time. At least, that's what experience has taught me.
And last but not least...

4) Hosting a small party -- as we did last year, Ella Rose has invited as many friends as years she will be turning. Having four of her closest friends makes for a nice and intimate way to celebrate her birthday. Also, sugared-up 4-year-olds are so much more manageable in smaller numbers, don't you think? ;)


Back to the expenses: of course, the food will rack up its own bill, but we're still going to try to make as much of it at home as we can -- even the ice-cream cake Ella's requested! I've only ever seen them offered in the grocery store pre-made, but it will be fun to replicate at home!

Anyway, here is a little sneak peek photo of what I made for Ella:

Anyone recognize that sun emblem~? ;)

I will try not to give away anymore birthday surprises until the day of/after, but I hope you enjoyed this little post (tirade? rant?) :D

Until next time, take care and Happy Birthday Preparations~!!