This year Jordan our daughter who turned 8 years old had a wonderful party planned. It included lunch, a trip to the hair salon and finished off with a trip to the American Girl Doll Store. I was excited! This would be an easy, no clean-up and girlie party. SWEET…….That was until she went to her friend’s birthday, Kai. Oh, Kai…. she feels like she is madly in love with him. We hear about Kai every other day. We see the notes she writes him, oh help us! After after going to Kai’s haunted party her party quickly turned into a vampire party. She no longer wanted to go to the American Girl Doll store for her birthday, but still wants to go another time. After some shock and some worry about how much influence this boy really has on her, I was relieved. This party would be cheaper! LOL. No seriously, really it would.
We decided to rent out some tables and a spot at the local Bartel’s Farm. For $5 a kid we got a hay-ride, pick any pumpkin you wanted, chase the chickens and run around the farm. We stuck with a vampire theme where the kids were got “transformed” upon arrival. With make-up, fangs and fake blood. After the hay ride, we decorated our pumpkins with 50 different colors of Sharpie markers (rain was in the forecast and I wasn’t going to chance the paint). We snacked on kettle corn, apples, caramel dip, bloody-eyeball drinks made with Cherry 7-UP with Ping-Pong eyeball in the drink and “vampire mouth wash” which was actually mini water bottles. For the birthday treat we had chocolate cup cakes (recipe under cakes and cupcakes) with buttercream frosting (recipe under cakes and cupcakes). The kids could choose from either a spider cupcake or a vampire cupcake. Then to finish off the party, the kids got a little treat with Jo’s favorite cinnamon-kettle corn and fall colored M&M’s.
The party lasted for 1 1/2 hours, the perfect amount of time for the kids and the adults! It was simple and easy to plan and fit well within our budget – $75 for the food, treats and vampire “transformation” and $60 for the party itself at the farm (I think we got a discount). Can’t beat that for having 18 kids there.
Included are some pictures of the kids and the party set-up. Hope you enjoy and are inspired by a simple party celebration that fit well with in a budget.
