baby steps

Remember my last post? Yeah, me too. All I'm going to say is "baby steps". Yes, I stayed up WAY too late, and worried about each detail, and stressed until the last minute (even though I told my friend Carolyn, "Hey, look at me. I'm chill. I'm not stressing. Nope, not a bit. Zero. Zilch. Nada...10 bonus points if you can guess that cartoon).
Let me tell you what I did do though. I compromised. I did send out email invitations. Would I do it again? No way, Jose´. They felt impersonal, and some people never even opened their invite. Blah. Lesson learned. I did buy a cake, but I personalized it. I might have piped on the kids' names and then scraped it off (twice). I would totally do it again. Costco cake (delish) + me personalizing it exactly how I wanted it  = winning! I bought most of my decorations, but personalized a few. Let me just go ahead and say that I made a pinwheel garland that I strung up on my mantle and I might never take it down, ever. I'll just have to redecorate my whole house in red, white, and blue. Okay, so back to the party & the food. I bought it all. Costco for the win again. Chicken salad on croissants ("fancy food" according to my sister...I am nothing if not fancy), watermelon cut like this, a cheese tray (again, so fancy), fresh fruit, cake, iced sugar cookies from Kroger, sweet tea (this is Texas for Heaven's sake), and lemonade. Easy peasy. Oh, and I forgot the 2 gallons of Blue Bell (again, because Texas) in the freezer until everyone had already left. Sorrynotsorry.
For entertainment I did an interpretive dance. Kidding. I made a ginormous slip and slide out of 6 mil plastic sheeting from Lowes, landscape pins, a water hose, and some baby shampoo. The kids had an absolute ball. $30 for hours of entertainment. I might, or might not have, slid down it a few (dozen) times today. If I had, I would tell you that it was a blast and my kids have crowned me: "Best and Most Fun Mom Everrrrr". We also did fireworks... and by fireworks, I mean a $37 package of poppers and snap-its from Costco. Okay, this is where I almost lost my "It's all good" vibe. I really thought I purchased real firecrackers. Apparently, I didn't read the packaging. I saw a big 800+ "4th of July pack" for $37 and ran to the checkout like my hair was on fire. When it was time for the big fireworks show, the kids ripped open the package and started popping away while I was grabbing my 3rd sugar cookie refilling drinks. When I came back, my sweetie says to me, "You know the giant package of fireworks that you bought...well, they are all poppers and snap-its." This is where I might or might not have said, "What the crap?", but my sweet husband quickly added, "But the kids are having a ball." Whew! Cool status still intact.
All in all, we had a blast (see what I did there). Our firecrackers poppers and snap-its might not have looked like a "rocket's red glare" or "bombs bursting in air", but our awesome neighbors decided to really go all out this year. Maybe they saw me with my killer fireworks and thought, "Dang, I don't think we can outdo that, but let's try". I'm pretty sure that's what they said. Anyway, thank goodness for competitive neighbors, because we were thoroughly entertained by 360 degrees of a legit fireworks extravaganza for the last 45 minutes of the party (well, that's if you don't count the remaining 3 hours after we went to bed...awesome).
Enjoy my professional iPhone pics...see, I'm chill like that. By the way, you are about to view the cutest kids on planet earth. Consider yourself warned...

Seriously cute stuff, and a great way to personalize your party.
(Printable from Caravan Shoppe)

The key to any great kid party...balloons. 

Epic slip and slide...at least, that's what I heard.

Mantel decor. It's never coming down. 

I could eat her up.

The birthday boy with his fireworks "fireworks".

The birthday girl is totally cool with her sparkler.  Totally.

One more...can't help myself.

Best buddies 

"The" Costco cake...because nothing say,s "I'm all easygoing" like a store bought cake.

There is always that one kid. So glad he's mine. He cracks me up.

Yep, my friends have cute kids.  

So, let's recap, shall we? We shall.
Costco cake - good. Homemade slip and slide - good. $37 "fireworks" - bad/good (depends on whom you ask). Homemade food - not necessary. Sweet tea - necessary. Chicken salad on croissants - fancy.

There you go. You're welcome.

Jenn