Currently Planning: Ice Cream Birthday Bash
I feel like it was just a few weeks ago that we were planning Brody's 1st birthday party. As if the first year of his life did not fly by in the blink of an eye, the 2nd year has passed by even faster.
With the new baby on the way, working on getting our home ready to sell, and a busy Spring, we debated whether or not to throw a birthday party for Brody this year. Ultimately, the party won. I am always a fan of celebrations and realizing this would be one of our last celebrations as a family of 3 was even more of a reason to celebrate. I am taking a few shortcuts this year to make the party & planning process stress-free and fun. Here's what we have in the works.
Theme:
An ice cream party! I realize some mommas are probably cringing at the fact that I'm throwing my 2-year old a sugar-filled bash, however we love ice cream! Most of the ice cream parties I have come across have been pink and girly, so we are mixing up the traditional ice cream party colors and focusing on mint, blue and cream with a touch of black & pink.
Location:
The thing I am most excited about is hosting Brody's party at Gold Medal Gymnastics. The team at the gym invited us to check it out and it has been awesome working with them to create a fun afternoon for toddlers. For the party, they are setting up a toddler obstacle course. Different activities spread across the gym geared towards 2-year olds. This has been a great way to simplify the complexity of party planning. Rather than the stress of having to plan entertainment for the littlest of guests and prep our house to be party ready, Gold Medal Gymnastics has come to the rescue. What 2-year old wouldn't love running through all of this!?
Invitations
I'd be lying if I did not admit that the super cute ice cream invitation from Minted wasn't one of contributing factors towards picking an ice cream theme. A sprinkle covered backs and the sweetest ice cream cone on the front--it does not get more celebratory than that. Stress-free tip: Minted will address all of your envelopes for you! And just a heads up, the post office has the cutest ice cream stamps right now! I may have done a happy dance when I discovered them!
Food:
Since the theme of the party is ice cream, you can probably guess the menu! We scheduled the party between mealtimes so we would not have to worry about planning a full meal for guests. An ice cream bar should be the perfect afternoon snack after running around the gym. I'm all about simple, so I plan on sticking to vanilla ice cream and loads of toppings. Bowls, cones, and cookies will be in the spread so guests can personalize their treats to their tastebuds. Now I'm just debating if I should add a bowl of pickles to the topping bar for all of the pregnant mommas attending :)
Decorations:
I am still working on the decorations for the party, however keeping it simple is my goal. Similarly to Brody's 1st birthday party, I am planning on focusing on one statement table (the ice cream bar table). I want to create a fun background for the table that screams ice cream. I came across this gold wine glass drying rack and I think it may make the perfect cone holder for the ice cream bar. After the party, it would probably also make a great bottle drying rack. For table coverings, I'm leaning towards rolls of Kraft paper--for some reason Kraft paper reminds me of ice cream cones. If you're on Pinterest, I've pinned a few other fun ice cream party ideas on the party board.
Party Inspiration
One: Silver Mylar Balloon | Two: Ice Cream Invitations | Three: Kraft Paper Roll | Four: Soda Shop Hats | Five: Felt Garland | Six: Ice Cream Paddle Ball | Seven: Sprinkles | Eight: Two T-Shirt | Nine: Polka Dot Plates | Ten: Sparkler Candle | Eleven: Squirt Bottle (for sauces) | Twelve: Drying Rack (using to hold ice cream cones) | Thirteen: Square Plates | Fourteen: Pink Spoons
I am so excited to see how everything comes together, stuff my face with ice cream, and most of all--watch Brody's excitement on the big day! Now someone please pinch me--how am I possibly going to be the mom to a 2 year old!?
Fill me in, what's your favorite ice cream topping? Working on my shopping list!
