As a teacher, I know the most important thing to remember when organizing a stress-free kids event is to stay organized with a well-developed plan. No matter how simple or how elaborate you want your kids birthday party to be, you can implement a fun-filled party by taking advantage of a few birthday party planning ideas:

1. Plan ahead. Being prepared will significantly reduce your stress level the days leading up to the party. Begin planning at least 6 weeks before the birthday party.
2. Make a list, check it twice. Write down your ideas for the party and keep a party planning checklist of the things you will need to implement the party. Make multiple copies of your list and keep them in spots that are handy. You will be more likely to refer to the list and check things off frequently rather than rushing to get everything done right before the party.
3. Don’t spend a lot. Money alone can be a source of stress. Don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune to give your child the best party. Most times, kids aren’t even going to remember all the fancy details. Instead, go green. Make use of household items for decorations, games, and party favors. Invitations can be personally made by your child on recycled paper.
4. Consider the time of day. If you are not a morning person, then a kids birthday party scheduled for mid-morning is probably not a good idea. Other reasons for scheduling an afternoon party are to allow yourself extra time for the little details, allowing time for family and friends to arrive from out of town, and to have more control over when the party ends.
5. Enlist some help. When it comes to party planning, kids can offer the most enthusiastic help of all. By having them help with decorations and game set-up, it teaches them responsibility and adds their personal touch to their own party. If that option does seem too stressful, don’t be shy to ask friends, family, and neighbors to lend a hand.

Planning a kids birthday party? Keep it stress-free by keeping track of your to-do’s with a handy birthday party planner. This Birthday Party Planner Checklist will help you organize all the party details so can enjoy the reason for the celebration-your little one!

I recently came across a really fun baking site. At Bakerella, you can find recipes and the how-to’s for baking some tasty treats that also happen to look amazing. If you love cupcakes as much as I do, check out the “cupcake pops” and the “cupcake bites“. I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t brighten up any day!

At one point, I was planning a birthday party for myself and wanted to have cupcakes instead of just one big cake. Aside from being cuter than cake, cupcakes offer the perfect serving size. They have also become quite a popular trend in terms of serving cake to a crowd. Many people opt to have a cupcake display at their wedding reception instead of a tiered cake. These displays are beautiful and can be quite elaborate. I then started to wonder if there was a cupcake that could be made bigger in size to look more like a cake. This got me excited. You have to know one thing about me-I LOVE cupcakes and cake in general, but cupcakes are the one thing that really make me light up. Just to see a cute little cupcake with its sprinkles just makes me happy and well…like all is good in the world. So, I came across a pan that would bake up a big cupcake. As I prodded around some more, I came across something even better. It’s the GIANT CUPCAKE PAN! Are you kidding me? There is no doubt in my mind that I WILL HAVE this pan and I WILL have that GIANT cupcake EVERY birthday for rest of my life!