My boy’s’ birthday’s are in T-2 months and it’s time to get the ball rolling on the party planning…or at least having a “plan.” I am definitely a “planner,” especially when it comes to things I can control, like the birthday festivities and knowing what we want to do makes it much easier on me, because as we all know…time flies and these yearly milestones happen so fast!

When it comes to a venue, you’ll probably need to reserve your space with much notice…most of these places that regularly host kid’s parties book up months in advance. If you use a local park, those reservations can book up quick too, especially when it comes to weekends and warm weather. There are many advantages to having it at home, but that’s an individual decision. Things to consider when booking are cost, convenience and the number of guests…availability can sometimes be a factor too if the date and times you wanted is already booked, so get on it early.

In the past, I’ve created fun invitations using templates I’ve found online, that fit the theme and then we personalize with all our details. I’ve done both printing it out and using snail mail, but also emailing all our guests and attaching the “invitation.” Last year, we used an online invitation website, which is also very easy, there are different designs you can select and then all you need to do is enter the details. What I like about online invitation services is that they keep track of all your guests, who has opened aka viewed it, guests can add comments AND you can easily make any changes to the invitation and/or send out updates if there are any last minute changes or special instructions.

Earlier this year, when hosting my sister’s baby shower, she suggested we use an online service called Paperless Post. Paperless Post has both online invitations, as well as cards for every occasion. Their designs look more like beautiful stationary than computer graphics. You can add photos and envelopes as well, so basically you save the tree, but still offer the “thrill” of getting something in the mail and opening it up! You can also opt to print hard copies and send them out the more traditional way too.

Whichever method you choose to get the word out about your fiesta, be sure to check it (at least) twice. Make sure you have all the important info date, time and place – I recently had a friend who ordered beautiful invitations for her son’s 1st birthday, but she left off the date, so she sent out a second invite with the date…that’s double the stamps. Also be sure to make sure the contact info is included. I think its great to use email, but sometimes a phone number is super helpful for kid’s parties because well, when you’re a parent…things happen!