My older son will have a birthday next month, and already the party preparations have begun.  We’ve done the “home party” with games in the backyard, lemonade and cupcakes, and a pinata to boot.  We’ve had the bowling party, all the friends at the lanes, lots of noise and fun.  And, we’ve had the “progressive party”, moving a small group of friends from activity to activity, ending up at the house for cake and ice cream before sending everyone home.

My least favorite part of birthday parties are the party favors, mainly because I cringe almost every time my son brings one home from someone else’s party.  Party favors typically comprise of a plastic bag filled with candy my kids don’t need and toys my kids lose/don’t play with/forget about after an hour.  I certainly want to make sure that the favors we send home end up in a better spot than the floorboard of a car or the trash can in the driveway. Read more…