Tools for Celebrations

While planning for birthdays can be fun they can also sneak up on you with all the other things you do to keep life moving.

Here are some tips on keeping TWTWD simple.

Best source for cards, bags, and tissue paper

Dollar tree is kind of like IKEA. It's more of a place we all need to go rather than want to go. I LOVE Paper Source. Everything is whimsical, beautiful, and on trend. $25 is also the price point for most things, and it makes things a bit out of reach say for a 3 year olds birthday party...and let's be honest the hours aren't really friendly for working people. So, let's just decide to embrace that dollar store life whole heartedly. How many are you planning for?

Planning

Let's simplify the planning here a bit using with a real life example. Get a total count so you can limit how you buy, potentially waste, and reduce the number of times you go to the store. We typically go to 5 birthday's a year for kids since my children are still small. Then I think about adults who need gifts and cards, and those who just need cards, and let's be honest there are a bunch of people I call and/or message and/or Facebook. 

Getting Organized

Ahead of time

Checklist for Cards and Gifts

Who I think about

My children

5 children we know

Partner/spouse 

My partner/spouses parent(s)

My parent(s)

Grandparent(s)

Great grandparents

Relatives we are close to

Close friends

What I get

Card/Bag/Tissue Paper

Small toys gifts 

Party favors

Party supplies - utensils, bins, table cloth, decorations

Pro Tip

February - April is a great time to buy party supplies and favors from either Dollar Tree or Target. The colors are bright and everything is stocked. By the time December roles around for my daughters birthday everything is white, gold silver, and snow flaky, or is sold out. I've never regretted having something on hand even if it wasn't what birthday dreams are made of.