For someone who’s just not fond of arts and crafts, my daughter’s third birthday would be one of her birthdays that I almost did everything myself from the smallest detail up to the last remaining item that I just had to get from the mall. Oh, wait! Not entirely, I remember asking for help to pick up the balloons, some extra art papers and glue because I ran out of tools in the middle of my DIY. The giveaways, which I totally forgot, was sponsored by my daughter’s Tita Ninang all the way from Japan while the food budget came from her Dad… so let me rephrase the beginning!
My daughter’s birthday is yet another birthday celebration that we were blessed with people who were always ready to give us the best day ever. Here’s how it all began.
Choosing the Party Theme
At almost 3, my daughter has an idea of what ‘choices’ are and how to choose. We would often play the game, “Which one do you like? This one or this one?”. So, two months prior to my daughter’s birthday, I would randomly ask her which among her most watched cartoons she likes to see at her birthday party. I would often give her two choices, then she’ll pick the ones she likes most. I thought it’s a great idea to give the kids the opportunity to choose from our ‘Top Motherly Picks’. 🙂 It gives a sense of involvement for them, minus the stress of guessing which party theme would excite her the most for us.
Glueing Things Together
The party preparation was the part that I overthought and it’s painful! I had two weeks left before the party and still, I couldn’t decide if we are having a big party or small ones. When finally I let the budget dictate, I told my daughter that she’s having a small party to which she replied: “How about a big party?”. It took a minute to convince her that a small party is fine and two nights with little sleep to pull off the Doc McStuffins-inspired party.
“When I thought the hardest part was deciding on how big the party would be, was actually how I’d explain to her that a small party is more than enough, for now.”
Food Hustle
With little time to prepare, I went on to get the most convenient party platters closest to the party venue (Conti’s Westgate) and I even had them delivered an hour before the party started for just 70 Pesos delivery charge. I made sure to have enough for everyone, including all the teachers, staff and a little more to bring home. The food cost for a party of 15 and more was around 7,000.00 Php
Party time with the whole class
We were given 15 minutes to decorate the classroom while the whole class was in the playground and another 30 minutes to hold the actual party and I couldn’t believe how we were able to have a great time with just less than an hour of partying.
Twice the Fun
I couldn’t let all the party decorations go to waste, so I made sure to repurpose them to the next party for the family. I invited less than 20 people for a weekend party to surprise my daughter. It wasn’t exactly a happy reaction from her but that’s expected since she’s only three. But then again, it was fun to introduce her to the concept while reusing the items we already have.
Total Cost = Priceless
Our combined cost from having the party was more or less 20,000.00 Pesos or 500 USD. Most of the expenses went to cover the food for the two parties. All were delivered right at the door of the party venue so it was really convenient. I DIYed most of the decorations but had to spend a little bit more on the donut/ cupcake tree rack, wood labels, buntings and balloons. This is something that is really affordable and extremely fun to do for the people you really care about.
Will I do this again? Absolutely! I’m also thinking about doing it for others to enjoy at a cost that won’t break their budget.
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