Wow. What a weekend! Saturday, October 12 was baby Cash's 3rd birthday. Okay, okay, I know he's not a baby anymore but he will always be my baby! Cashton Duke came into the world three years ago and changed my life forever. I would legitimately do anything for this little boy, including pulling out of my comfort zone and spending days and hours blowing up balloons in an attempt to create the perfect balloon garland for his Paw Patrol themed birthday party. (We'll get there in a minute.)
Even though my husband and professional counterparts all pointed out that this year's party topped all of Cash's previous celebrations I beg to differ. For some reason this year felt easier than ever to plan, but maybe I'm just getting good at this party planning thing. Let me share with you some of my hacks and details from this year's Paw-ty!
As I told you last year, I found a woman who bakes and designs beautiful cakes on the side! She has a corporate job by day but moonlights as a baker on the weekends and she is incredibly reasonable and talented! Her name is Angel and she is just that!
We sent photos back and forth for days coming up with the perfect design and after brainstorming together we decided on a two-tiered, half chocolate, half vanilla fondant masterpiece! Angel was so much fun to work with and she even delivered our cake straight to our front door on the day of our party so that I could focus on setting everything up! If you would like to use Angel for an upcoming party please email me here for her information.
Ahhh, the balloon garland. This single project could have been the bane of my existence. I called around and started to get quotes on what I thought could be the centerpiece for our party. However, the quotes came back with some sticker shock. In my head, I budgeted for $100 - $150 for this decor, but the quotes I was receiving were more like $250- $300 and I couldn't justify spending my entire decor budget on one thing.
Sure, I saved money by having our super creative Aupair Elena design and print labels for the food. I also happen to have a popcorn machine that my over the top mother bought Cash for Christmas after seeing me rent one for his party last year. I found our Paw Patrol backdrop on Amazon for $16 and I paid $5 for someone on Etsy to design our water bottle labels that a friend offered to print for me, but I still had other things that needed my attention and money.
I know what you're are probably thinking right about now... Did you blow all those balloons up by mouth?!?! Hell no! That would have taken all week and more breath than I had. Instead, I opted for the Balloon Buddy from Party City, but you can find cheaper ones on Amazon.
The morning of our event, I wound the fishing line around the pairs of balloons we had tied together the night before. I also blew up some smaller single balloons that I could plug into sparse areas of the garland once I had it hung on the Balloon Arch Kit I bought at Party City. I only used one side of the kit but it was a lifesaver! It comes with reusable PVC piping and weights, which are essential, especially if you are working outside. I decided to put my garland up in sections instead of one long piece. Out of all the YouTube videos I've watched, here is the one I found the most helpful!
The other moving parts to this party were manageable by time. Friday after work I picked up the cookies I purchased from The Little Baker Company in Huntersville. Ansley is the owner and I worked with her last year as well to create the most perfect and delicious cookies for this year's theme. Ansley is an amazing cookie baker and decorator! She hand paints each cookie to perfection and never disappoints. Her company is local to Charlotte but they also have an Etsy shop that ships nationwide.
What can I say about this next piece of decor except... WOW! Alpha Lit Charlotte is like no other. Their company is new to Charlotte but our light up "Cash Is Three" billboard really was the highlight to our bash and the topic of conversation! They are great for weddings, engagements, events and of course parties! The Alpha Lit load-in and out was simple and took less than an hour. They do require two different sources of power for residential parties but that was easy enough to accommodate. Their three-foot-tall letters dazzle and become the ideal backdrop for any photo! This area truly became our "photo booth". I can't say enough good things about this company and how easy they were to work with!
Our next feat to tackle was the entertainment. How do you keep a bunch of children under the age of 5 entertained? A bounce house usually does the trick, but let's be honest they are really fun for all ages. This year, I opted to try Funday Party Rentals. They had competitive prices for the bounce house I was looking for. I needed a smaller house around 13 x 13 and they had one available that worked with our color scheme. The cool part about Funday is that they also have (for rent) video game trucks and they are working on releasing a spa day truck too! How adorable for Princess Parties?!?!
Again set up and break down was easy and took little to no time. A tech comes to the house to set everything up for you and breaks everything down after your party is through. Funday also provides favors for your guest which is a nice touch of customer service.
Our entertainment didn't stop there. I mean what is a Paw Patrol party with out Chase? My mom was all over this one. Remember how I said she was a little over the top? Well I guess I know where I get it from because she set this surprise up for Cashton. I have never seen a bigger smile on my sons face than when Chase came strutting into the party to the Paw Patrol theme song. Cash immediately stopped what he was doing and sprinted in Chase's direction. He stopped a few feet short to check out the life sized figure, but once he knew all was good the high fives and hugs started flowing.
My mom set up this sweet gift through the nation wide company, Party Characters for Kids (Globe Party Inc).
With an amazing day of fun behind us I have so many people to thank for showering my son with love. Thank you to my Mom and Elena for helping us set up. Thank you to Alpha Lit Charlotte, Funday Party Rentals, The Little Baker Company, Angel, and of course a special thank you to Juan from de la Torre Visuals for capturing all of this memorable day on camera.
