Forrest has been counting down to his birthday since about 3 days after his last birthday. And he's actually got about 2 more weeks before his big day arrives (and thank goodness for that, because I am feeling more than a little weirded out by the idea of having a 5-year old), but that didn't put even the slightest of dampers on his excitement for his Avengers birthday party.
As a general rule, it's pretty difficult to nail this kid down to a concrete idea. In the months leading up to Halloween, he changes his mind every 20 minutes about what his costume should be. As Christmas approaches, he starts every day by rattling off a list of different, previously unmentioned toys he wants to see under the tree. So I expected him to toss out 18 different ideas for birthday party themes (and I was prepared to veto 17 of them, since I am not an elaborate party thrower), but he surprised me by spouting off one idea only--superheroes--and sticking with it as his birthday drew near.
I can handle superheroes. The 3-tier birthday cake he requested, though? Not so much.
I headed to Walmart to pick up these awesome MARVEL party supplies by American Greetings. I kept the decor simple with a red table cloth and star confetti (to represent his favorite hero, Captain America), themed place settings, and a birthday banner. I particularly loved using a different Avengers mask at each setting. Forrest wore his for hours, and went to bed in it, too. I don't expect to see his face for quite a few more days.
Only mildly creepy to see Captain America wandering around the house, requesting cupcakes. Forrest expressed some concern that with the mask on, he has "a grown-up man head but still a little boy body! (dramatic sigh) I just wish a was a big man already." Gonna have to disagree with you there, buddy. I hope your little boy body sticks around for a very long time yet.
(That pose, by the way, was uncoached. Give credit where it's due--you do you, little dude. You do you.)
I have to admit, party planning stresses me out in a serious way. I dread the days and weeks leading up to birthdays because I know I'm expected to produce something extraordinary and I just cannot handle it.
But throwing this party was absolutely a delight--I basically just wiped out the Avengers section of the party aisle at Walmart, ordered a pizza and frosted some cupcakes, and called it a day. So simple to pull together, but Forrest absolutely loved it. He declared it "the best birthday ever!!" many, many times.
I didn't have to do any projects, or go crazy with decorations, or spend tons of money to make his birthday special. I kept it simple with a fun table, kid-friendly food, budget-friendly party items, and just let the children have a fun time together without stressing.
Without a doubt, my favorite element of the party is the fun party favors. My talented sister (of Ritzy Reba fame) whipped up these darling favor bag tags to match our superhero theme:
I spotted these MARVEL tumblers while buying my party supplies at Walmart and thought they would make the perfect alternative to traditional favor bags.
I bought one cup for each guest, then stuffed them with tissue paper. Add some party goodies like pencils, hero stickers, and candy, then use curling ribbon to fasten the tags:
Every bit as easy as stuffing a treat bag, but I love using the Avengers cups instead! Forrest is always so excited to drink from cups with characters he loves, so I liked the idea of sending the guests home with favor cups they could keep and use.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of the back side of the tags--it has Captain America's emblem, since he is Forrest's favorite hero. To use these printables, right click on the images to save them, then print them out at home. If you want the Captain America emblem, turn the paper around after printing the first side and send it through again to print the emblem on the other side.
What was your best birthday party ever?
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