by Tanner Cangelosi

Recently our second oldest, Cosette, celebrated her ninth birthday. I wanted to do something special for her, but our budget was slim to none. Birthdays are very special because in a home where you share everything with seven other people, having time that is on just one is very rare.

A dear friend of ours let us use her beautiful lake house pool. Their generosity allowed us to celebrate our girl in a lovely setting with her closest friends. The girls loved swimming and eating on the deck next to the lake.

Because the venue was a gift, we were able to get some goodies for just a few dollars. If I could do an infomercial for Dollar Tree, I would. I love that place! I know, I need to get out more!

We started by finding precious ring dishes with llamas, mermaid tails and pink flamingos. I snapped up 10 for party favors and wrote their names on the dishes with a silver paint marker I had at home. Those, along with some lip gloss we found, made for wonderful favors!

Next, we went to get paper goods and found plates, a tablecloth and napkins to hold the tropical/swimming theme. We went to grab snacks and got popcorn, Pringles, applesauce and cookies, along with a few other things. Squeeze was a hit as the drink, and it was also cheap and easy to clean up. Finally, I usually get a bakery to make the cake or cupcakes, but we were really trying to save money, so I grabbed cupcake mix and icing and made my own for $2! Coco even found tiny umbrellas to put in the cupcakes, which were the hit of the party!

This party cost about $20 at the Dollar Tree. The longer I’m a mom of the gaggle of children that God has given me, the more I realize that the Pinterest parties stress me out, and I don’t have to do them. Some moms love that, and I say, “Girl, go for it! You rock that party.” But for me, keeping it simple and on a small budget keeps my heart calm. 

We walked away from the party and Coco felt so loved, which is the whole goal parents have, right? So, try Dollar Tree for your next kid gathering. They will love it!