For months and months and months (literally), our boys have been dreaming and planning for their first big "friend" birthday party...
a pirate party!
a pirate party!
We invited mateys from each of their classes to a playground center for treasures and adventures.
Yo-ho! We weren't lacking with either!
T' party was a lot 'o fun!
Here are a few tips party tips we learned along the way:
*If a theme can be nailed down far in advance, appropriate invitations, decorations, and loot bags can be picked up on clearance as stores switch out merchandise.
*Renting a play facility for a flat rate is totally worth the money when it comes to entertaining a large group of rowdy energetic boys--there was no wear and tear on our home and the clean-up was all left behind!
*Making and decorating birthday cakes that your children love will not kill you. Promise. After searching Pinterest (of course), I followed the directions here for the little pirate guy cake and took ideas from here for the pirate ship.
*Two cakes baked in oval casserole dishes and layered make the perfect shape for a pirate ship! No hard cutting or shaping involved! Stack on a glass cutting board for a sturdy platform. (Make your favorite boxed cake mix with milk instead of water and you'll end up with a cake that tastes superb!)
*Buttercream frosting is super easy and much more delicious than frosting in a can. The faithful red-checked cook book says to make buttercream frosting like this:
Beat 1 stick butter (at room temperature) until fluffy.
Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat.
Pour in 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix well.
Beat in 2 more cups powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
For chocolate buttercream frosting, add 1/4 c. cocoa powder. Delicious.
*Cakes that are frozen are much easier to decorate! Use a toothpick to draw lines for the ship boards in the frosting. Embellish with candy, cookies, or anything that could resemble parts of a ship or a pirate! Get creative!
*Small character toys are inexpensive but add a super polished, fun look to any cake!
(Yes, this is pirate cake numero dos. We had one on their real birthday and one for their party. I like the second one best. Practice makes almost perfect!)
*Boys have a lot a lot a lot of energy. Next time, rethink inviting 21 little boys to party. Cuh-ray-zee.
*Lastly, cherish every.single.chaotic moment. They only turn six once!
What are your favorite birthday party tips?
5 comments:
Well shiver me timbers! Those cakes are awesome!!! Great job, mama! And I can't believe you actually made 2 pirate ships. Where do you get all your energy?!?! :) Your boys are lucky to have you. They'll remember this party forever!
Love the cakes! What fun memories that were made!
Love your cakes! Thanks for the frosting recipe also. I have been making cakes for my kids birthday's since Andrew turned one and have become more and more adventureous. I have never made my own frosting but think I might give it a try this time. (I have a 4 year old birthday in less than 2 weeks and he wants a Monster Truck). =)
Awesome party! Such a fun theme and excellent execution (of course!). I bet they'll remember this party forever! And decorating FROZEN cakes...what a great idea. I'm predicting a pirate party (copycat me) sometime in our near future. But sheesh, with 3 boys, we'll probably be sharing a lot of similar themes, right? Blaze a trail for me to copy..er, uh, I mean, follow ;)
I love, love, LOVE it! Great job, Mom! And happy birthday boys! :)
Post a Comment