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Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 8: Timing is Everything}

Day 8 of my 31 Days of Party Planning series is all about the timing. When planning a party one thing for sure is there is never a perfect day for a party. You will always have to worry about the weather, the people you invite may be unable to attend on the date you set, or you or your child may become sick, etc.   There are even months of the year that may be difficult to have celebrations.  Like December for example, many people are busy with Holiday planning as well as expenses.  But what if you have a school age child who’s birthday is in the summer, like my child.  It’s very difficult for me to set a date since many family members go on vacation and her classmates may have summer plans, or even change schools.
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/If you’re unable to have a celebration for your child or loved one because of circumstances, you can always have a special intimate celebration for them.  Taking them out to their favorite place to eat is a mini tradition my husband and I do with our children every birthday.  Even if they have a party.  I’ve also made their special meals for dinner on their birthday. It’s our own private moment 🙂 .
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/Now we need to consider the time of day. If your planning a child’s party, the age of the child will come to dictate the time. You need to consider nap time, bed time and school time as well as any weekend activities or sports they attend. But also consider your budget to determine what will work for you. Remember that you can only do so much to select the best date and time for your event.  So please don’t be to hard on yourself when considering your time/date.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!
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Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 7: Game On!}

Welcome back!  Wow I can’t believe we’re on day 7 of my 31 Days of Party Planning series!  If you haven’t done so or need a refresher, check out the rest of my series here.  If you have been reading my series, thanks for following!
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/Mario Ghost Pinata by Jinkies Parties
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/I have been planning celebrations for a number of years now and I can honestly say that young children are the easiest people to entertain.   As long as you have a few age appropriate games and someone to help get things going, things should run smoothly.  Great games to play at parties are: charades, pin the tail on the donkey, hot potato, bean bag toys and musical chairs.  These games have been great hits are our home.  During warmer days, when we take our games outdoors, water balloon toss, relay races and scavenger hunts have been hits for sure.  When playing games,  I usually have a small prize from the dollar store for each child for participating in the game and a larger prize for the actual winner.  For the older kids, I usually have one grand prize for each game we play.  Prizes don’t have to be expensive.  Again anything from the dollar store or maybe from the clearance section of your local Target should be fine.  And don’t forget, these games can be adapted to fit the theme of the party.  For example: Pin the tail on the donkey can be tweaked to Pin the Tiara on the Princess.
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/Remember: games are not necessary at parties, it just helps make the event a bit more entertaining.  You can also have an activity station/area where kids can do arts and crafts.  Just buy a coloring book or Google your theme to find coloring pages online you can download for free.  Cover a table with an inexpensive tablecover, have some crayons in a cup for the kids to share and viola, craft station!
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/For the adults, I find that games are not really necessary.  Unless your having a baby shower or a bridal shower where families are coming together for the first time.  Then some games can be used as great ice breakers.
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/You don’t have to force yourself to have a bunch of games or activities, on hand, but consider the possibility of at least having one or two.  And don’t forget, sometimes simple is best.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day  of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!
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Categories
Real Parties

Holiday Princess Birthday Party

Holiday Princess party | Jinkies Parties
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/A couple of weeks ago we celebrated my nieces 4th Birthday!  My sister did an excellent job in putting together a princess party for her.   She used left over party supplies as well as some new items from her local Dollar Tree.
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/Holiday Princess party | Jinkies Parties Holiday Princess party | Jinkies Parties
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/She even used her daughter’s princess dresses as decor by the tablesetting!  Very smart indeed 🙂  (I guess it runs in the family lol).  She used coordinating balloons and white Christmas lights to adorn the backdrop.
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/Holiday Princess Birthday cake | Jinkies Parties
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/All in all she did an excellent job and I’m very proud of her!
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Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 6: It’s All About the Location Baby!}

Today we are on Day 6 of my 31 Days of Party Planning.  Ok we have talked about planning our party, the budget, our party theme, the invitations, and our guest list.  For a complete list of topics covered in the series check out my 31 Days of Party Planning.
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/Now let’s talk Location Baby!  I enjoy entertaining  them at home.  Not only for the sake of budget but I also like to come up with a lot of last minute items that I add to any event I’m hosting.   Some of the pros of hosting a party at home is
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  • Budget friendly
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  • You can decorate as early as you’d like, (I myself have set up some party decorations in my home a week prior to my daughter’s party.)
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  • You can set up the party any way you like
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  • The party guests can linger past the party scheduled end time
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  • You can cater your event or prep the foods yourself
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/But like many things, there are some Cons we must consider when it comes to hosting a party at home:
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  • Depending on the size of your home, you’re limited to the number of people you can invite
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  • More prepping and cleaning before the party starts
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  • Spills and/or Accidents can happen at home -which can mean sticky left over messes you cleaning (that has happened)
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/If you decide that a venue is more to your liking, you may need to consider the size, location, price and if the venue is available.  If your budget is a concern, other options may be to host your party at a local park, church or community center or in cases of baby or bridal showers, a friends house.   Here are a list of Pros and Cons to hosting a party at a venue:
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/Pros
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  • No clean up involved
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  • Some venues offers special packages for parties
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  • Easier to surprise guest of honor
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  • More help
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/Cons
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  • Date availability -the venue may not have your date available
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  • Length of Party Time- parties held at venues tend to end 3 hours and if you want to have the party last longer 1) you’ll pay more 2) there may be another party scheduled after yours leaving you to pack up and go so they can start the next event.
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  • Can get pricey -some venues offer packages but others are a la carte and you may need to consider things outside of the venue, like a DJ, caterer, etc..
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/As I said before, I like entertaining at home, but I’ve also hosted parties at various venues.  When my eldest daughter was turning 7, she wanted a party at Chuck E. Cheese.  Of course I saw no problem with hosting a party there (except for the 100 or so screaming kids 😉 ) It was a bit easier to entertain the kids at the party but the venue did cost us a bit more than what we would of spent at home.  I guess seeing the joy on my sweet girls 7th birthday was worth the extra money spent? right?  Ahem..
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/But, I do have a confession to make.. I’ve always wanted to host a gathering outdoors.  I just think there is something so nice about a warm summer breeze and kids running barefoot in the grass laughing carefree.  I often picture a beautiful buffet table with colorful balloons and tablecloths blowing in the wind.  Guests laughing and drinking a cool drink and enjoying some yummy treats.  Aaaah how lovely.  But because I live in the city,  the only view I had is of concrete floors and brick walls.  Sigh!..  We did try once, to obtain permits to our “local” park but was denied due to other summer activities happening around that time.  When we finally did have our permission from the powers that be, it had rained -and rain it did! 🙁  Which taught us a lesson; whenever you are planning an outdoor event, have a rain plan in mind.  We had to switch gears and bring the party to our home.  Luckily I was a bit OCD at the time and cleaned my home which made it easier to have it all ready for our guests.
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/As with themes, there are endless possibilities for locations. Here is a list of other options when choosing a venue:
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  • Swimming Clubs (be aware kids may not swim/and liability is on you)
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  • skate center
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  • Pottery Shop (was so much fun, kids loved it!)
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  • Spa/Salon
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  • Museum
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  • Bouncy Places
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  • Laser Tag areas
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  • Movie Theatre
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  • Zoo (for an additional fee, my local zoo had animals the kids could “pet”)
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  • Aquarium (this was a big hit, kids loved touching the swimming sea creatures)
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/Ultimately it’s all up to you!  Just keep in mind that restrooms, inclement weather (if outdoors), kitchen facilities and a separate room (for changing) may be factors that are essential, when planning your event. Make sure you have everything you need to carry off the party as seamless as possible!  Since your budget may play a significant role in selecting your location, you’ll want to be sure you to check your budget before you choose the place.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. This is Day 6 of my 31 Days of Party Planning. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it in your next event!
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Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning (Day 5: Invites)

Hi Friends!  We are now on day 5 of my 31 Days of Party Planning.  To catch up on the rest of the post in this series go to my 31 Days of Party Planning page.
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/Once you figured your budget and theme you now get to choose your invitation style.  Etsy has a plethora of custom invitations that can go well with your party theme.  Or you can head over to your local party store and grab a ready made invitation and just fill it out!  Some people even send out e-invites to their guests.  Either way we can all agree that an invitation definitely sets the tone for the party.  Not only does it give the Who, What, Where, or When of the party it also gives the attendee what “feel” of the party.
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/I may be a bit old fashion when it comes to invitations, but I still prefer to send invitations by mail to my guests.  I find it easier to remember an event i’m invited to when I can stick it on my refrigerator.  Yes I can a calendar on my phone and tablet that I set as reminders but I still prefer something I can hold in my hands.  But hey maybe that’s just me 😉
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/Regardless of how you send your invitation, there are still some basic information the guest will need in order to prepare for your party.
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    • Who is the party is for
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    • Date & Time of the Party
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    • Location the party will be held
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    • Whom to contact to RSVP for the Party as well as any questions or directions needed
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/Don’t forget to include any special requests or instructions you may need to include in the invtiation, ie: toothbrushes for sleepovers or bathing suits for swimming parties as well as directions to venues outside the home, etc.
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/Thanks for reading my blog series.  Come back tomorrow for day 6 of my 31 Days of Party Planning.  You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here.  I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it to you next event!
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Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 4: Theme or No Theme}

Hello!  Welcome to Day 4 of my 31 Days of Party Planning series.  If you haven’t done so yet, please check out my other posts of the blogging series by clicking: 31 Days of Party Planning.
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/First let’s start with: What is a Theme?  A theme can be pretty much anything you want it to be.  It can be the current popular character or tv show your kids are into or maybe their favorite sport or superhero.  It’s really up to you and (the celebrant).  I’ve done all sorts of themes that vary from a familiar character like Dora the Explorer or my daughter’s favorite color: Blue.
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/For me I love creating themes for whatever my girls are into.  I’ve done Superhero themes, Kim Possible, Candyland, Monster High and so on..  Each one of my babies have completely different styles and I love to incorporate it into everything that I create for their party.  Depending on your budget, you can go to your local party store and find a theme that works well with what your child is into.  Everything from invites to paper plates, cups, utensils, banners, and more!  This is great and there are times that I myself had done just that!
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/But for those of us out there that prefer a bit more of a personal touch, a great and simple idea to use is a monogram or initial.  You can also use the age of the birthday celebrant. This is especially common with milestone birthdays like First Birthdays or Sweet Sixteens, even 40th or 60th birthdays. I think it’s a great idea to have a child’s age displayed throughout the party.
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/In my opinion, I’ve had more compliments with parties where I kept it simple. Just using my daughter’s favorite color as her birthday theme, incorporated her age throughout.
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/Whatever you choose, just remember that a successful party is a party that you and the celebrant enjoys!  Everything else is a bonus!
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/Thanks for reading my blog series. You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here. I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it to you next event!

Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 3: Guest List}

Welcome back!  This is Day 3 of my 31 Days of Party Planning series.  If you haven’t done so yet, please check out my other posts of the blogging series.
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/Yesterday I talked to you about planning your Budget.  In my opinion, my budget is the most important thing when it comes to planning my party.  Without an established budget,  I feel a bit lost and not sure if the item I want is really necessary rather than just a “like to have”, which will lead to me spending more than necessary.  And that’s not a good feeling.
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/Today I thought we’d talk about the guest list.  Everyone has a different formula on how many people to invite to their child’s birthday party.  Some people invite their child’s 2 closes friends to the party, others invite their child’s entire class!  Yes, my daughter’s have been invited to several of these!
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/I come from a pretty large family,  5 brothers and 2 sisters.  Tan has 2 sisters himself but is very close to his cousins (whom on several occasions have called each other siblings rather than cousins- how sweet!)  When we have any type of gathering I already know that I’ll have at least 40 people in my home!  That’s just our siblings, nieces, nephews, parents and grandparents!  If we plan on having any more guests (like the celebrants friends and other family members) then we make adjustments here and there to accommodate the extra people.  Which to me means the more the merrier!
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/But I’ve also had parties for my girls, in which is was just a few of their friends having a blast!   No matter what type of party you’re having a key to determining your guest is: How large of a party are you willing to take on.  Because the more people you invite the bigger the party will be and so will your budget!
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/Thanks for reading Day 3 of my blog series: 31 Days of Party Planning.  You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here.  I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it to you next event!

Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 2: Budget}

When planning a party the first thing I think about is my budget.  How much can I afford for the event I’m planning.  For this I think it really ultimately depends on you, the party planner. Everyone’s budget is different and your budget will vary depending on what kind of party your throwing and how much cash you have available for your event.  Obviously a birthday party and a wedding are very different events and have different expenses.  But you can still have an awesome celebration within your budget goal!
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/Some of the questions I ask myself is:
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  • How many guests do I plan to invite?
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  • Will I have the party at home or at an venue?
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  • Do I plan to cater or prepare the menu myself?
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/Keep in mind that you may have to return to your budget as the party planning evolves and determine what fits into it and what changes may need to be made.  Remember to spend your money on things that matter to you and the person your having the party for!
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Jinkies Parties | 31 Days of Party Planning | Day 2 Budget

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Thanks for reading my blog series.  This is Day 2 of my 31 Days of Party Planning.  You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here.  I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it to you next event!

Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning {Day 1: Getting Started}

Hello and Welcome to Day 1 of my 31 Days of Party Planning series.  I’m so glad you’re here! I’m so excited to share my thoughts on party planning with you!
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/First things first…  If you love planning parties and doing most of the work behind planning a party then that’s your niche.  I myself loooovve to plan parties.  The decorating, the crafts, food, themes, you name it I love doing it!  But there are some people that just don’t like the work that goes with planning an event.  My sister for example hates planning parties.  She swears she’s not crafty or talented and would rather just have cake and pizza for her kids and done!  That’s ok too.  Parties don’t have to be elaborate time consuming events that you hate doing from beginning to end.  Some people would prefer to have a small gathering with close friends and family while others love planning big events at venues.  Either way is fine, as long as you have a clear understanding of your budget and who the party is for, then everything is gravy baby!
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/The most important thing to remember when planning a party is to Do what makes you happy!  Don’t feel like you have to do what’s expected or demanded of you.  Every party is a celebration not a competition or overblown expectations of what other’s may think.    If you want to have 100 props for your party- do it!  But if just having cake is your thing, that’s fine too!  The perfect party is when you are comfortable and your guests are happy! In this series I plan to share how I plan and execute my parties.  If you choose to do it differently, that’s fine!  Maybe by reading my series it will give you a new point of view or you’ll find a tip that you can incorporate to you next event!
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/Jinkies Parties | 31 Days of Party Planning
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/Thanks for reading my blog series.  This is Day 1 of my 31 Days of Party Planning.  You can find the rest of my 31 Days of Party Planning Series here.  I hope you find this series helpful and will incorporate it to your next event!
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Categories
Jinkies

31 Days of Party Planning Tips

Happy New Year!  Since we’re entering a New Year I decided to share some helpful party tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years that I hope will help you plan an awesome party.  I will be introducing these tips and tricks in segments throughout the month of January.  I’m super excited to be starting this series and hope to share some insightful tips as well as some awesome ideas!   I will be sharing some things I’ve learned along the way that’s all about the Party or rather the Behind the Scenes of a Party! So check back here all of January.

31 Days of Party Planning | Jinkies Parties
Day 1: Getting Started
Day 2: Budget
Day 3: Guest List
Day 4: Theme
Day 5: Invitation
Day 6: All About Location, Baby!
Day 7: Game On!
Day 8: It’s Party Time!
Day 9: HELP!
Day 10: That’s My Jam!
Day 11: Photos
Day 12: Menu Planning
Day 13: Cake
Day 14: Dessert Table
Day 15: Color Craze
Day 16: Decoration and Tablescape
Day 17: Drinks & Cocktails
Day 18: Key Party Investments
Day 19: Party Planning with Free Prinables
Day 20: Favors
Day 21: Gifts
Day 22: K.I.S.S.
Day 23: Party Tools
Day 24: After Party Clean Up
Day 25: Entertainment

Want to Follow along?  Make sure you subscribe for up to date postings or to our RSS/Email so you won’t miss any posts. Also, make sure to pin THIS page so you can come back and see all of the posts. I will add them all right here, as we go! (And don’t worry, I will also link to this page at the bottom of each post).

So come back for the First Installment of 31 Days of Party Planning!  I hope to see you here soon! 😉