When you have two kids that have birthday’s a couple weeks apart you bite the bullet and combine their birthday party. That’s why we celebrated Nixon and Olive’s six and fourth birthday’s with a pirate mermaid birthday party. To say it went swimmingly would be arrrrrrgh-right (see what I did there?)!
Okay, enough of the small talk, let’s get to planning and what we did to make it a memorable party for everyone involved.
Invitations
When Nixon was two we threw an animal themed birthday party (check it out here) and I always loved the custom invitations we had made. After talking to my friend Kaitlyn at my work we were able to figure out a super cute custom design for their invitations.
To say she blew the design I pictured out of the water is a total understatement. If you are looking for custom designs, Kaitlyn is the best to work with and did exactly what I wanted. Check out all her stuff here.
Party Décor
If you haven’t seen the parties that Made it Ate It Loved It throws, you are missing out. She was our inspiration for some of the décor. We did a pirate balloon arch and a mermaid balloon arch that was easy once you get the tape to make it (get it here).
We basically had a check list of things we needed. It was simple once we had everything:
Once we had the décor, it was simple.
Of course with décor there were a couple fun games we had: pin the patch on the pirate, walking the plank, and a fishing booth. You need to have something for kids to do other than just expecting that they will be in the bounce house/pool the entire time. These were all great to keep the kids busy and active.
Pirate Ship Bounce House
I wanted to get a fun bounce house that would also have a water slide. When you look into these you get lots of options, but prices can be ridiculous. Depending on your budget, maybe getting a place that does it all for you is worth it to you. I wasn’t about to pay just under $500 (here is the one I was looking at).
So we found a place in American Fork, Utah where you picked it up, set up, and take down all yourself. The total rental cost was only $80. If this works for you, we used Plan-It Rentals and really it was a great experience. Here is the bounce house we rented.
After the kids used that thing, I looked it up online and it’s only $399 which I think would be perfect. Maybe I am going to have to order one for next summer when we need to cool off. Check it out here.
Food and Drinks
Treats
You know when you have a party with kids, they love to fill up their plates, but don’t eat all the food. Clearly a lot of waste. We loved the treat boards that our friend Kristen Andres has done and were inspired by what she’s done. So we did a simple treat table where we just laid out all fun treats so kids could just grab things as they wanted.
Drinks
If you follow me on Instagram you know my obsession with local drink company Thirst Drinks. They sell take home drink kits. These are perfect for any party because they provide you will all the things you need: drinks, pebble ice, cups, straws, lids, and difference syrups/creams depending on what you want to make. I would recommend a Thirst Drinks take home kit for any party you have: family reunion, birthday party, Christmas gathering, etc. Check out their site for more details.
Cake
Again, if you remember Nixon’s second birthday party, we got a cake from Erin at Dolce Bella by Erin and have loved her cakes ever since. Every year I have to get a cake from her because it’s absolutely amazing and she always creates exactly what I am imagining. I needed a ocean cake that would work for both a boy and girl.
Erin literally blew it out of the water with this stunning 9” funfetti cake with the most delicious frosting. The hint of gold was the perfect addition for our pirates and mermaids. Really, Erin has made so many amazing cakes for us that I recommend her to everyone. Also, let it be noted that we aren’t gifted these or anything. I pay full price like anyone else and I say they are worth every single penny. Check her out here.
We Like to Party
At the end of the day, all I cared about was that the kids had a blast. Growing up, I remember my birthday parties and how my mom went all out. I always wanted to do that for my own kids. But after a birthday party like this, Emily and I both agreed that we would do big themed parties every other year. Next year we will just let them pick a couple friends and take them somewhere else to party.
