Birthday Party Plan: Let Her Eat Cake

Pinterest has turned throwing a child’s birthday party into an Olympic sport. Hand-made decorations, themed food, personalized party favors…

… and appearances by Disney characters all contribute to the judges’ scores.

I imagine most kids get excited about big birthday parties, but my 3-year-old only seems concerned with cake.

I probably don’t even have to decorate it. Just bake something from a box, slather it with whipped cream and let her eat with her hands.

The past two years I cleaned my house, decorated cookies to look like animals (Jungle Party: Year Two,) and forced adult guests to wear mouse ears (Mickey Mouse Party: Year One.)

I hung streamers from the ceiling, rearranged the furniture and ate off child-sized paper plates for weeks after because I bought too many.

Despite all the planning and effort, the most memorable part of either party was when CeCe smashed cake between her chubby fingers and ate it with such fervor it ended up in her eyebrows.

This year, I’m taking a different approach. My husband and I decided to use the money for a party and go on a family adventure.

We’ll gas up the minivan and spend the day at a nearby museum or park or aquarium.

I know as she gets older and makes more friends, the parties will have to make a comeback.

I’ll return to my Pinterest boards to find free printables of cartoon character masks, or recipes for a homemade pirate ship or castle cake.

There will be a cleaning spree followed by a huge mess, and thank you notes written in crayon.

But until that time, I’m looking forward to spending CeCe’s birthday by quietly celebrating her existence, and not having to clean up anything other than her sweet, cake-covered face.

Watch Baby Bump Editor Katie Saltz on ABC36 News@Noon on the first Thursday of each month. She shares her favorite products and resources for parents and babies, and always has giveaway prizes for viewers!