Great birthday party ideas & tips....

I had a few minutes to browse the internet and some of my favorite sites and ran across this gem and her great birthday party tips and ideas.  Here is what she has on her business site but I'm not sure how often it changes so I copied it here so we can all find it a little easier for future use.

First, here is the website address of Twiggle Box http://twigglebox.com/news.html, which they give out fun free ideas and tips along with their inventory of adorable hair clips, barrets and headbands for children.  Just adorable and they are reasonable too so if you or know of anyone in the market, please pass this little gem on!  The blog address is http://www.twigglebox.blogspot.com/

If she starts posting more soon, this may be another one of my favorites!!

Here are her tips:

Better Birthday Bashes!

Kid’s Birthdays seem to be getting bigger and better every year. But a great birthday doesn’t have to be a headache, or break the bank. Here’s 5 tips for Better birthday Bashes from our experts at TwiggleBox.com.
1. Begin with the End in Mind! I always purchase or make my thank you cards at the same time as my invitations! I pre-address the thank you’s, even though I’m not sure which guests are really going to come. I’d rather throw out a 5 cent envelope than have to look the address up again. And if the Thank You’s are sitting ready and waiting, it is much easier to remember to complete the task and send them out.
2. Keep it Simple! Theme’s can help a ‘party planner’ (aka MOM!) focus on invites, decorations, games and more, but they don’t have to be complex (think circus with clowns, tents, and animals....sounds like a headache). Here a some SIMPLE theme ideas that will help reduce the stress and headaches, and still bring unity to the party. Pick a color (pink, green, yellow etc.) and use that to unify invites, thank you’s, birthday cakes and more. Use your child’s initial. It’s easy to find a letter stamp to monogram favor bags, cards, and even table cloths.
3. Keep it Small! When I had my first 2 children with birthdays 2 days apart, throwing a party (actually, 2!) seemed overwhelming. My mom gave me this great tip: Invite as many party guests as your children’s age. This has been a life-saver for me! Now a mom of 5, I still use this rule. My 8 yr old invites 8 guests, my 3 yr old gets 3. This helps keep our parties manageable, affordable, and fun. Little kids can become overwhelmed by large groups, so this rule works great!
4. Keep it Short! There’s no reason to have a dozen screaming children for hours on end. I use the 20 min rule... 20 minutes for each year of age. My 6 year old got a 2 hour party, my 3 yr. old 1 hour. Since children’s attention span expands with age, it makes sense that a young child’s party shouldn’t last as long as an older child. Birthday parties are not a ‘free babysitting service,’ and they should accommodate the needs of you and your child, not the guests!
5. Over-Schedule! It’s hard to tell how long party activities will take. I have a few kickbacks that take no prep, but will entertain birthday guests just in case we have extra time. Duck-duck goose, charades, red-light-green-light, or even just a favorite story book on hand are all easy to adapt to any theme (just change the name!), and can be used if you have extra time. I also like to keep some fun upbeat music on hand, most kids love to dance, and this takes no prep. It’s even more fun if mom and dad get in on the action! On the other hand, if you’re short on time, they are easy to cut out, and no time or preparation energy is wasted.
Birthday parties should really be about the child who’s growing up, and both mom and dad should be able to enjoy the moment WITH their child and friends. Kids will be more relaxed if their parents are, so remember don’t over-do it!