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• Growing Up 80's!
• No Toy Gets Left Behind!
• Finding Neverland

Of all the parties you've thrown, which was your favorite?

My favorite party thus far was the Finding Neverland party in celebration of my daughter's 4th birthday. The party was inspired by both the classic story of Peter Pan and one of my favorite movies, "Finding Neverland". We wanted to pick a theme that would appeal to both boys and girls and with pirates and fairies and lost boys, this was the perfect premise! The party centered around the word "Believe", which is exactly what I wanted the birthday girl and her guests (young and old) to do. We set up the Darling's Victorian era nursery at a park and focused on silhouettes/shadows and decor to reflect the different story characters. From listening to stories to dressing up to playing, it was everything a party and ultimately memories should possess! Though I can't stop my daughter from growing up, I hope she will always remember and believe! http://www.lynleespetitecakes.com/2011/07/finding-neverland-part-i.html

What's a great tip for keeping a party affordable?

Oh, my favorite thing to do when prepping for a party is definitely carefully browsing the "dollar" stores and aisles and finding creative uses for the products being offered at low prices. And though it might take a bit more time, I peruse the aisles I wouldn't normally (i.e. tools and automotive) because you never know what you will find or what idea will pop into your head just by looking at an item! Some of these stores also offer items in bulk and definitely take advantage of weekly store coupons. If you do your homework on-line, you can often find better deals. The key is to plan as far in advance as you can because it will allow you to shop for the best price, utilize coupons or wait for sales for particular stores.

What are some unique ideas for party favors?

I always try to make sure the party favors not only match the theme of the party, but also are items that the guests can actually use after the party instead of getting tossed away before they even make it home! For our Finding Neverland party, in addition to their costumes, guests went home with flashlights and shadow puppets of the Peter Pan characters that I made. For a recent construction-themed party, I found actual tool boxes at the 99c Only stores, which I then filled with tools and trucks. The kids not only loved the gifts, but it was extremely affordable! Think outside the box, while keeping the theme of the party in mind and that way when guests are making use out of the favors, they will continue to fondly remember what a great time they had at your party!