DISCLOSURE: I worked with Magic Jump Rentals for purposes of this kids birthday party ideas post. All experiences and opinions are mine…
EIGHT. She’s 8. I am so impressed by her and proud of who she’s growing up to be. EIGHT!
Ok, no more gushy mommy stuff. But… I remember being 8! It’s weird to now have a daughter at an age that I vividly remember being. Does this mean I’m old? Yes. But I’m not freaking out. I’m just [wonderfully] weepy. And happy. And proud of her.
“What do want to do for your birthday party this year?” I asked her months ago. (At our house, we do friend-parties every 2-3 years… not every year.) “Makeup!” she screamed. “Not going to happen,” I responded. “Manicures!” she tried again. “You know that’s not appropriate…” I smiled. She started to argue and make her case and then quickly figured out it wasn’t going to work. “Just pick 3 favorite colors and I’ll help us come up with something fun,” I teased her. So she did. “Purple, blue, pink.” DONE.
Keep her young for as long as possible, I keep thinking. It’s too soon for drama and makeup and boys and all the stuff that comes with being a ‘tween’… I know it’s all coming soon yet I am not afraid. (FAB moms aren’t scared of kids growing up, we’re fierce and tackle all the ups-and-whoops head-on…)
I won’t resist all that stuff when it’s time…. but it ain’t time YET.
Most of you know I don’t believe in kids growing up too fast — I vehemently continue to resist and rant against the mani/pedi beauty craze involving toddlers. I can’t stand seeing 7 year olds getting blowouts as part of their usual routine. 10 year olds with lip gloss in their purse? Please. (Hey, that pedicure when she was 9-months old doesn’t count…)
I also don’t believe in birthday parties that are beyond kids’ years. Which is why I kept our recent birthday bash simple. Because she (and her friends) are ONLY EIGHT.
My top 3 kids birthday party rules:
Party activities are age-appropriate… which is why we booked that bouncer this year! Because kids like to JUMP. I’d never booked a bounce-house before… might as well try one out before she completely passes the age-bracket to enjoy it, right? Magic Jump Rentals (pegged as the #1 party rental service in SoCal) made it super easy. I went to their site, clicked and scrolled all the crazy fun wild colorful options involving movie screens, popcorn machines, climbing walls, game night activities, obstacle courses and more. When I spotted a humongous unicorn bouncer/slide combo (in her favorite colors!!), I knew that was IT. (Note: This baby has a special no-slip material and hooks up to any hose if you’re in the mood for water-sliding…) I clicked, booked it, confirmed weeks later via email (days before the party, they send you a reminder). One guy showed up at my house a few hours before the party and popped this beauty up in about 1 minute… five hours later, two more guys showed up to fold it up and haul it out in another minute. Easy. No stress. NO MESS. Quite the showstopper when you walked into our backyard…
Food should be FUN. Party food is not real food, period. Get the biggest pizza you can — I mean, SHOWSTOPPER BIG. Colored popcorn with a bunch of unicorn lollipops stuck-in and gold plastic cups (for scooping & snacking) goes a long way with wow-factor. Throw a bunch of candy, cupcakes, bright sherbet scoops and swirly-straws stuck in hot pink drink cups on a table and you’ve got a winning dessert spread. This isn’t about being perfect and pristine and oh-so-Instaposed… it’s about SECOND GRADERS. (They just want sugar that looks fun and wild…)
Goodie bags are small. No, small favors are not a buzzkill… in my house, goodie bags are merely take-home souvenirs of all the leftover stuff that everyone enjoyed at the party — a remembrance of the good time had. NOT a full-on gift. (You might remember those Little Golden Books I opted for at her 4 year old party?) Ours this year: 1 ring pop, 1 unicorn pop, 1 Disney Descendants pencil and 1 candy-flavored lip smacker. It’s not cheap, it’s AGE APPROPRIATE. (And all us moms hate extra junk, remember?)
