Kids Party Planning

Check out Talia Pollock’s healthy recipes book to serve at your next party!

Ways to save money and make your party go smoothly with less stress

-say “heave-ho” to the hired help and hail your herd of pals to help in cooking, baking, cleaning, and setting up

-decide if it is better to host at home vs venue; one may not always be cheaper than the other depending on a number of factors. Bouncetown in Canton is a venue that does the entire set up, clean up, and food serving for the party. If you hold the party at home, what better time to apply your hosting skills from reading Martha Stewart, Good Housekeeping, and Real Simple magazines.

-a party budget saves money like a budget for a wedding or car repairs. Keep in mind if you go over budget it may affect your spending on other expenses (ie food, home, school, health, insurance, etc) for the remainder of the year.

Pecan smoking chips for your barbecue Coconut based charcoal logs

sliding door track cleaner

Keurig Hot Rinse Pods

Ninja milk frother

portable compact dishwasher

Check out these budget planner journals for ~$4 to $6:

-more isn’t always better; try to limit the number of guests invited.

-bake or cook at home instead of doing takeout, delivery, or catering. Try a potluck kids birthday party where on the invitation you ask for each person to bring a dish.

-Create your own party decorations or reuse from previous parties. Check Facebook, Freecycle, or Craigslist for free or reduced cost party decorations.

-Download free printables online for invitations, charts, games, puzzles, thank you cards

reusable plastic straws reusable wrap for sealing food containers

reusable plastic serving bowls lighter 4 pack BIC

strike on matches box

high fired Vitaclay cooker in clay pot snap on colander good for folks w/limited kitchen storage space

–Evite erases money spent on paper invites, paper envelopes, stamps.

-state on the invitation if other siblings are welcome and any items to bring. For example, if it is a pool party, ask people to bring swimsuits and towels.

-RSVP is your best acronym. Avoid costs for kids that skip the party. Knowing an approximate head count helps save money by not ordering or preparing more food or party favors than needed. For guests that have not replied by the RSVP, try sending a polite reminder of party date and time. People may forget to RSVP.

-Buying food, drinks, and party favors as a one time purchase in bulk for large parties tends to be cheaper than buying in small quantities over multiple times.

paper towels in bulk: toilet paper in bulk:

tissues in bulk 8 pack: wipes in bulk:

magic erasers 8 pack Tide pens to go 6 pack (great party favor too)

diaper brand variety pack

– Doordash, GrubHub, and Dine in CT are food delivery services that work with a selected list of restaurants found on their websites to deliver food to homes, venues, or other locations for a fee. Delivery is limited to certain distances. Food delivery services save the inconvenience of having someone leave the party or arrive late to get the food and bring it back for guests.

-try to borrow chairs, tables, serving ware, and games from a friend instead of buying solely for the party

shoe rack for guests toiletries for overnight guests

dishwasher tablets purse and hat organizer

-designate one bin for trash with a sign or label and one bin for recycling to avoid confusion or guests asking what goes where. It saves the time from you (or having guests or assistants) digging through the trash later to save recyclable items and helps the environment. Plus, soda cans are redeemable for cash at the supermarket.

popup recycling bins: apply stickers to containers: