Birthday Boy (and Bear)
Birthdays are special. They are all about…
Inviting friends (and their bears) to share in the fun. I chose these fun invitations and thank you tags from Nomie Boutique Stationery. (I kind of left ordering the invites til the last minute, but Naomi had the invites ready in less than two days, and offered express postage. Phew! I was delighted with the service I received from Nomie.)
Opening presents. One year olds don’t really get the whole present thing, but two year olds? Bring it on! We hung a green mosquito net to create a jungle present tent for the party.
Party food. Jelly in jungle colours, fruit skewers, banana lollies, fairy bread and teddy cupcakes. The jelly was a hit with the adults too…
Cake!! I think I’m improving. Yes, I baked the cake from scratch. Yes, I made the icing from scratch too. Yes, I did it all by my own self. Yes, I was a teensy bit proud.
Blowing out candles. Despite practising ALL week, he needed a little help from big sis to blow the candle out. She was only too happy to oblige, of course.
Individuality. I think a party should reflect the person being celebrated. It’s not about putting on the best show for the guests. It’s about saying “we love the things that make you unique and special.” My son loves his bear, so bears were part of the jungle fun. Kids could make their bear some morning tea out of playdough, and give their bear a ride in the shoe-box swings. We didn’t have games, because it’s not his style. Instead we had balls to kick around, the bear activities, and jungle vines (crepe paper with leaves) hanging for decoration. He loved it.
Learning to say thank you. This is really important to me. Receiving gifts shouldn’t be an expectation, and thanks shouldn’t be dependent on the size of the gift. Every gift is appreciated and my son hugged everyone after opening their gift. We also gave out party boxes to kids as they left. We decorated noodle boxes with jungle vines and attached the swing tags from Nomie.
Celebrating together. I was able to enjoy this party too, because it was so low stress. (Nothing worse than a party where the mum is stressed out!) Simple decorations, simple food, simple activities, but so much fun.
Yes, you’re 2! Happy birthday my little man.
Disclaimer: I received my invitations from Nomie Boutique Stationery free of charge. Thank you Naomi!
What wonderful pictures and your 2 year old little man looks very happy with it all …. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sweet one (((( Hugs ))))
It certainly seems from that picture of you that you are stress free which is good & take a big curtsey you have done great
(((( Hugs ))))
It looks like it was a wonderful day. Happy Birthday little man. I know whose big smile that is in the 5th picture
Looks like you had a great time!!
Congrats on the party, you did a fantastic job.
What a delightful party Cath! Good on you for doing it all yourself … CAKE INCLUDED! I totally agree a birthday party should reflect and celebrate the child’s personality. It doesn’t happen enough these days.
Donna
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What a beautiful party for you boy and bears. I love parties like this, they are simply the best. My nephew had one at a park on the beach recently … snags in bread, pass the parcel, sack races, three-legged races etc … everyone had fun, and it was proof you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great, memorable party. Beats those fancy schmancy ones any day!
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Looks like a whole lot of fun Cath. The jungle theme is great and all the little added features you created are wonderful!
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Happy birthday to your gorgeous boy! Love the Jungle theme idea!
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Gorgeous invitations, decorations and great, simple food. Looks like you all had a lovely time. Happy birthday to your 2 year-old!
Looks like your little boy had a fabulous time. What a great party. Great to hear that Mum enjoyed it too. Win/Win. (And I bet that Bear had a great time as well.)
[...] Mr 2′s birthday there were lots of new and exciting gifts to open. Several toys were wired into boxes with clear [...]