The Efforts and Costs of At Home Birthday Parties

Guests
Mary
Judy
Susie
Betty
Jannet- cannot make it (dance comp weekend)
Doris - haven't heard back
Jane
Peggy


Party Accessories
Place Mats
Med Plates for girls
Sm Plates for girls
Plates for dolls
Napkins for girls
Doll size Napkins
Napkin rings (also hair accessories) for girls
Napkin rings (also hair accessories) for dolls
Cups for girls
Cups for dolls
Utensils for girls
Utensils for dolls
Favor Bags w/ tissue paper and name tags
Hanging decorations
Crepe paper rolls
Confetti
Tablecloth
Sleeping Bag Craft for dolls

Party Gifts
American Girl Short Stories
Sticker sheets
Beach chairs w/attached umbrella, back pocket & carrying strap
Puzzle Crazy books
Plus they will take home Bird houses, Sleeping Bag for doll and crowns

Activities
Girls put their names on Crowns
Make dolly crowns & sleep masks
Put Initials on Backs of Chairs (bad idea to have a child's Name on something they wear or use in public)
Birthday cake & make your own sundae
Make Dolly sleeping bags
Glamour Writing (make your own pen - glue flowers, rhinestones & whatnots on pens)
Paint Bird Houses (for Mother's Day gift or for their own)
Paint nails
American Girl Hair Dos (from the AG book)
Play Dress up from Dance & dress up closet
(open presents)
American Girl Theater Games
Birthday Girl Quiz
Scavenger Hunt
Midnight Madness Game
Movies
Each girl read their American Girl Short Story book

Game Prizes
Strawberry Shortcake Princess Bath Time set
Barbie Lunch box with candy
Claire's Club Nail Polish and Lip gloss set (clear with sparkles)
Claire's Club Lip gloss set of 7 sparkles
Crayola Kitty & Puppy sidewalk chalk
Bubble Up Strawberry scented bubbles (shaped like ice cream bars)
Princess Magic Wand
Claire's Mirrors and Scents lip gloss set
Lip Smakers Lip gloss and chap stick set
Creative Kids Mold and Paint Plaque set
Super Girl Doll with bath bubbles
Girls Inflatable chair

Things I still need to do...
Make a "curtain" out of streamers
Buy new set of Tide wipes for spills on girls and dolls
Buy pretend cakes for the dolls (buy dollhouse cakes from AC Moore)
Clear out EVERYTHING from the living room - one girl is allergic to cats so everything from furniture to drapes must be moved to the basement.
Put up new curtains in Snow White's room
Paint the white parts of Snow White's desk so I can move it back to her room
Clear out sunroom and move all snow stuff to the room under the sun room
Pink table cloth for snack table
Friday afternoon :
Cut up veggies and fruit for all nighter snacks
Pick up Cake
Purchase chips, pretzels, juice, cupcakes and sundae supplies
Order Pizzas! for 6:30 pm delivery We cannot have hungry girls on our hands when they arrive at dinner time
Buy foam sheets for dolly crowns & sleep masks
Put Initials on Backs of Chairs (buy fabric pens in Gold & Silver at JoAnns or AC Moore)
Find painter smocks
Pick up movies
Decorate Dinning Room and Living Room


American Girl Party package $105 + shipping
Beach Chairs $80
American Girl Short Stories $18
Cake $45
Other Party food (pizzas, snacks, etc) $45
Dolly crowns $4
Girls crowns $10
Fabric Pens (4) $16
Pink Table cloth $10
Total for just the above is $363 which does not include gift or other items.

Chuck E Cheese, Teddy Bear Tea Party or other organized birthday parties where I don't have to put on the Party at our house, really makes more sense. All I have to do is send out invitations and arrive with the Birthday girl. We only go to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party but my goodness they set up, entertain and clean up. We also did a Teddy Bear Tea Party where I only had to find Tea pots (apparently no longer available in stores) at an antique shop, supply Tea Party hats and arrive with the birthday girl. I forgot, we did make fruit pyramids for center pieces and I purchased a beautiful cake. Still, it was a lot less work for me and it far less expensive.

Gone are the days of take your child to a birthday entertainment establishment. They do not exist in this little country town we now live in. On top of that, Snow White prefers sleep over parties. She wants to have one for every holiday, not just her birthday.

****UPDATED 28 JUNE 07 *****

Other Child, Princess, Boys Birthday Party Ideas

Lilduckduck

SVMoms

More SVMs Boys Birthday

Another Birthday Story