This momma knows birthday parties! We have thrown birthday parties inside and outside the house. It doesn’t matter where you throw them they always have one thing in common. They are expensive. This blog post is going to show you how to throw a fun party at home without spending a ton of time and money! But don’t worry.. it’s going to be great and very impressionable!

Tip #1: DIY Photo Booth!

Ring lights are nice to have but if you plan your party during the day and it is nice outside you don’t need a ring light. Just make sure your photo booth area is by a window so you will get great natural lighting for your photos. Grab some cute cheap props on amazon to match your theme and your guests will love it!

This balloon arch kit was such a hit! You can always hire someone to come in and make this balloon arch for you but I wanted to go the cheap route and do it myself. The trick is that you have to have a balloon pump and make sure you leave it with the air constantly running instead of having to push it down to let the air out.

It only took me 20 minutes to blow up the balloons and then 20 mins to assemble them. Overall it takes about an hour to make by yourself! After you blow up the balloons you thread the end of the balloon through the holes. Then you take sticky dots and place balloons to make it fuller. The instruction manual will explain this and make it so easy for you! Use command strips to stick the arch to the walls. If you are planning a party I would tackle this first. The more people helping you, the quicker it is! I have tackled this with 3 people in 30 minutes before!

Tip #2: Recruit People to Help You!

I am so thankful for my mother and mother in law because they always help me with something. This year my mother in law was in charge of the cake. She took care of ordering and delivery. If you don’t want to spend a ton of money on a cake, I always suggest using Publix! But this llama cake was just too adorable and so delicious! If you live in the Nashville,TN area just ask me for a contact and I can get it for you!

My mom always grabs last-minute things at the store like ice and she also helps to cook to prep the food before the party. I call them the dream team because they truly are. They take so much stress off of me and keep me grounded when I want to go all out. They love keeping it simple and give me great advice.

We also all go in on a big present for the kids instead of a bunch of small ones. That is the only way all of us can afford the playset or bouncy house. We all split the gift three ways! We do it for every gift for everyone in the family now. That’s how I got an espresso machine for Christmas, how Chris got Bose headphones for his birthday and an apple watch!

Tip #3: Food Bars are Cheap and Easy!

Catering is an easier route but it can get expensive! My favorite food bars are taco bars, pasta bars, breakfast bars, or hamburger bars! All we do is put all the food in crock pots and layout toppings in little bowls! Catering pans are also nice to have if you have guests over a lot! We did tacos for Annie Kate’s party because it’s her favorite! I bought the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, already prepped! SO easy!

Tip #4: Kid’s Table with Crafts!

You know the cheapest way to entertain kids? CRAFTS!! You don’t need a cricut either. I didn’t want to spend hours cutting things out for their crafts so I went to Hobby Lobby and bought these cute decorate your llama kits. They loved it and it was only a $1 per kid! It entertained them for at least 30 minutes!

Tip #5: Buy Everything You Can on Amazon!

A lot of her decor was on Amazon! You guys know I love shopping from the comfort of my couch! Here is a list of everything I purchase on amazon for her party!

• Birthday dress equipped with gold crown
• Mini stuffed llamas
• Llama Happy Birthday Banner
• plates, straws, cups, napkins– they all came in this kit here.

Tip #6: Buy a Bouncy House instead of Renting One!

We had terrible weather for her birthday party but the rain wasn’t going to stop us! We put a bouncy house in the garage and the kids had the best time! Wanna throw a dance party? Just buy some cheap glow lights, bring out the blue tooth speaker, and turn off the lights! I suggest playing the freeze dance! I have never seen the kids have so much fun!

This bouncy house is only $200 which is way cheaper than renting a bouncy house every time you have a party! We are going to use it during the winter so they can get some energy out! Make sure you put a ton of blankets under the bouncy house and ball pit so it’s softer for the kids.

Need other rainy day ideas?

• pin the tail on the llama
• hot potato game
• Pinata
• decorate your own cupcake
• duck duck goose
• face painting (diy or rent a service)
• hire a character (usually around $160)
• hire a balloon twister (also around $160)

Tip #7: Cheap and Easy Birthday Punch!

This birthday punch is a staple that we have at every gathering!

It only has two ingredients:

1. (2) 2 Liter’s of Sprite
2. Rainbow Sherbet

Just throw the rainbow sherbet in the punch bowl and add sprite and you are done. Make sure the rainbow sherbet is thawed out and the sprite has been chilled in the fridge!

Tip #8: How to Entertain Adults at a Kid’s Birthday Party!

• Mimosa bar
• Photobooth
• UNO
• LCR- we LOVE this game! It’s always a hit!
• Board Games
• Bunco

Tip #9: Invite only your closest friends and family!

Yesterday we had about 20 guests and that was perfect! It can get a little overwhelming for you and your little ones when you have 50+ people at the party. You will not be able to entertain the kids while also entertaining the adults with that many people. So keep it small and only invite family and maybe a few of your closest friends. Remember that it’s quality over quantity when it comes to guests!

We had such a wonderful day celebrating the best girl! I cannot believe she is 2, you guys!! After we sang her happy birthday she said, “more!”.

We love you so much, Annie Kate!

Thanks, everyone for reading,

Abraidedblonde