We’re baaaaaccccckkkkk!!! We had a glorious week in beautiful Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada {which I’ll be talking about in just a few days} but before we left, we threw a 2nd birthday party for our darling baby C! {Was I crazy for throwing a party and leaving for vacation in the same weekend? Why, yes. Yes I was. 😉 } I was in denial that baby C had actually turned two because we hadn’t had his party yet, and it’s not official until you celebrate, right? I have no more excuses, though. I finally have to concede that my “baby” is growing up! He had a blast at his “If You Give a Boy a Birthday” Party, and I’m so excited to share all of the details with you!
My little man is totally obsessed with the “If You Give…” books by Laura Numeroff, (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
, If You Give a Dog a Donut
, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
, etc. *affiliate links) so we decided to use them as a jumping off point for his party theme. Add some bright colors and fun patterns, and this cute boy ended up with a pretty sweet party, if I do say so myself! Prepare yourself for a picture flood!
We decided to rent a pavilion at a local park rather than have the party at our home, primarily so we would have more space but I also thought that keeping the mess out of our house would be helpful. (and it was!) The only downside was that we weren’t prepared for the difficulty of decorating. Apparently tape + wood = no bueno. The streamer background I had envisioned almost didn’t happen, but it eventually came to life because of my mom’s patience and hard work. (Thank you, mom!)
I designed the birthday banner in Word and just printed it out on cardstock. {If you want more details on that process, see my tutorial How to Make a Bunting Banner in Word!}
I also designed the cupcake toppers in a similar style. {My How to Make Pretty Labels in Microsoft Word tutorial can help you make these!} Note: When you make your own graphics and have to cut them out by hand, squares would have been 10 times easier than circles! 😉 I also printed a quote from If You Give a Cat a Cupcake and framed it to draw in the theme a little more.
The food table also included apples {baby C’s favorite and an homage to If You Give a Dog a Donut} with caramel dip, color-coordinated utensils, and my favorite way to serve veggies (in cups with ranch dressing at the bottom)!
The drink table was super-simple with a brightly colored tub {that just happened to match the party colors!} to hold water bottles and a dollar store bin with ice.
The water bottles got fun labels to match the rest of the party decor, also created in Word and printed on cardstock.
Since we kept it small and were just hosting family, we put the favors and gifts on the same table. Everybody went home with some chocolate chip cookies…
The front of the tag says “And if you come to his party…” and the back continues “he’ll give you some cookies to say ‘Thank You!'” {Find my World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe here and check out the tutorial for making your own favor bag tags here!}
All of the kids at the party also went home with personalized clipboards, which were displayed with a quote about drawing a picture from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
The centerpieces– donut bouquets and apple juice –were inspired by If You Give a Dog a Donut.
Each of the tables also had one of the “If You Give…” books for guests to peruse. {And the kids LOVED having the playground to run around on during the party!}
And, most importantly, the birthday boy had a great time, from blowing out his candle with Aunt B…
…to diving into his cupcake face-first…
…to using his new chainsaw to “cut a tree.”
It was such a fun day, and I was thrilled with how all of the details turned out, even if it meant that my baby was growing up!
Have you ever thrown a themed party? What details did you add to make it extra special?
I link up at these fun parties!
Carrie From Carrie This Home says
August 19, 2013 at 9:01 amWhat a cute party theme! We love the “If You Give A….” books, too! I’m going to be in complete denial when my son turns two. Not looking forward to my baby growing up!
I’m stopping by from Give Me The Goods Monday. I would love it if you linked this to my blog hop. Just click on Carrie This Home next to my picture and it will take you right there. Thanks & have a great week Abby!
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:18 pmI know! I keep telling the C’s they’re not allowed to grow anymore, but they just won’t listen! 😉 Hope you’re having a wonderful week, Carrie!
~Abby =)
Samantha @ Five Heart Home says
August 19, 2013 at 12:03 pmAbby! This turned out SO CUTE!!! You didn’t miss a detail. It looks like everyone had a great time, and I’m sure your little guy loved it…well done, Mama!
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:17 pmThank you, friend! It was a fun day! I’m just glad Caleb enjoyed himself. Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
Zainab @ Blahnik Baker says
August 19, 2013 at 2:02 pmWhat a great birthday!! You attended to every detail. So amazing!! I’m sure you boy had a great time and loved every bit of it. You are a great mommy 🙂
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:16 pmThank you, Zainab! You are so sweet! It was fun to watch him enjoy his day. Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
Cindy {crazylou} says
August 19, 2013 at 7:55 pmSuper cute birthday party! He is a lucky little boy!!
Cindy @ Crazylou
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:15 pmThank you! It was so fun to watch him enjoy his day! Hope you’re having a great week, Cindy!
~Abby =)
[email protected] says
August 19, 2013 at 9:26 pmThere you have your little handy man 🙂 I love all the decorations, the cupcake toppers and those pretty bottles of water are my favorite!
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:13 pmThanks so much, Cristina! He couldn’t wait to “cut a tree”! Lol. Boys will be boys, right? Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
Beth Anne says
August 19, 2013 at 9:42 pmAbby,
The party was AMAZING! You added so many adorable details, and did it in a way that is realistic and affordable for most moms to do. I love that! Hosting it at the park was perfect. Holden had a great time, and the cookie favors were definitely the best cookies ever! (Probably the most calories Holden has ever eaten in one sitting because he liked them so much!) Happy Birthday to Baby (or should I say big boy?) C!
I will definitely be checking out all your tutorials before Holden’s birthday rolls around.
Love to you,
Beth Anne
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:12 pmThanks, BA! We were beyond thrilled that you and Holden could be there for the party! Such a fun treat! I’m excited to celebrate his birthday, too! Let me know if there’s anything you want me to make– I’d be happy to!
~Abby =)
Crystal says
August 19, 2013 at 9:56 pmSuper cute party!! I love the book theme!! Great job!!
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:11 pmThanks, Crystal! After Caleb made me read the books to him 100 times in a row, I finally got his hint. 😉 Hope you have a great week!
~Abby =)
JaneEllen says
August 20, 2013 at 1:19 amEvery time I see your little guy I think of my oldest boy, your little boy sure reminds me of him. The chubby cheeks. They are so sweet and wonderful. I love seeing photos of your kids, they’re adorable.
What a great party you gave. Looks like even tho you were going away you did a bang up job Mom. You are to be applauded. Great place to have a party so kids can play and you didn’t have to worry about the mess, good thinkin’. Hope you had a great vacation also.
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:10 pmI do love the Cs’ chubby cheeks–so kissable! 😉 Thank you so much, JaneEllen! We had fun putting it all together! Have a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
[email protected] says
August 20, 2013 at 8:28 amOh my goodness, this is an ADORABLE party! My son loves “If You Give a Cat a Cupcake” and “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” (the latter of which he received at his construction truck themed party this year). Really wonderful job. I’m pinning it to my theme parties board on Pinterest right now. 🙂
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:07 pmThanks so much, Laura! Such a great book series, right? I just popped over to check out your construction party–SO cute! I’m sure Desmond loved it! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
Martina says
August 20, 2013 at 2:15 pmWhat an adorable birthday party – perfect for a little boy 🙂
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:03 pmThank you so much, Martina! It was a fun one to plan! Have a great week!
~Abby =)
now at home mom says
August 20, 2013 at 6:31 pmoh! he just turned 2! so cute, mine did back in May and I’m still in denial, when I hear him pronounce words I just can’t believe how much he grew up! I will look into these books! mine is obsessed with “superheros” because of his older cousin 🙂 your party looks great and glad to know your mom helped you out! love the banner of course and he looks so handsome in the picture with his aunt! 🙂
hope you are having a great week Abby & can’t wait to read about your trip here in Canada 🙂
abbylawson says
August 20, 2013 at 9:02 pmThank you, Ingrid! It was a lot of fun to put together! We LOVED Canada–such a beautiful country! At the end of the week Connor asked me, “Mom, can we move to Canada?” Too cute! I’m planning on posting about it on Saturday I think. Hope you’re having a great week!
~Abby =)
Katie @ Made to be a Momma says
August 20, 2013 at 10:01 pmWhat a fun party! I had an Elmo party for Jacobs first birthday and Mickey for his second! He loved it! I would love to have you share this at my link party going on! Glad you had fun on your vacation! Happy Birthday to your little guy too!
https://www.madetobeamomma.com/2013/08/homemade-by-you-64.html
abbylawson says
August 22, 2013 at 8:17 amWhat cute themes! I have two Elmo and Mickey fans here as well! I linked up at your party–thanks so much for the invite, Katie! Hope your week is going well!
~Abby =)
rainonatinroof01 says
August 21, 2013 at 6:44 amSuch a fun and cute party, Abby! I love those books!
abbylawson says
August 22, 2013 at 8:18 amThanks, Jenna! After Caleb made me read them to him about 100 times in a row, I finally got the hint and used them for his party, lol. Thanks so much for stopping by!
~Abby =)
Misti says
August 21, 2013 at 10:31 amAbby- what a fantastic party! We skipped out on a party for P’s 2nd Birthday because we just had so much to do- and we had recently been bombarded with 2 year and 3 year parties that had bounce houses and ball pits and face painting (seriously- in the D.C. metro we are surrounded by far wealthier families than us). After seeing your simple and creative gathering here I will never be over daunted at the prospect again!
Thank you so much for sharing! Can’t wait to here about your vacation!
Misti
abbylawson says
August 22, 2013 at 8:21 amDid I know you were in the DC area?! I lived in Centreville, VA (Fairfax County) for a while and taught at a high school in a really high income neighborhood, so I TOTALLY know what you’re talking about! I agree–don’t feel like you have to have all the “stuff”–your kids will feel special because you made an effort to celebrate them, bounce house or not! 🙂 Thanks so much for reading, friend! Hope your week is going well!
~Abby =)
Kelly @ View Along the Way says
August 21, 2013 at 6:19 pmThis is SO cute I can’t even stand it! Weston loves those books. He would’ve LOVED this party. 🙂 The donut centerpiece is my favorite. Great job, mama! 🙂
abbylawson says
August 22, 2013 at 8:26 amThank you, friend! Yes, those books are sure popular around here, too. Pretty sure I have a couple of them memorized! I was glad I snapped pictures of the centerpieces before the kids arrived because once they did, the chocolate donuts were gone in about two seconds and the others weren’t far behind! Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you’re having a great week!
~Abby =)
Kristen D says
August 22, 2013 at 9:23 pmSo Cute!! 🙂 Love all of it! And looks like the little Man had a blast!
abbylawson says
August 25, 2013 at 9:36 pmThanks, Kristen! It was a really great day! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
Krista @ the happy housie says
August 23, 2013 at 11:09 amWhat an adorable party Abby! And your little guy is sooo cute with the chain saw. My youngest, Finn, is a huge fan of ‘power tools’ too… he would love to get ahold of some real ones if we would let him but we try to keep it to the plastic ones as well. He turns three soon, guess I should get into birthday party planning mode- going to pin some of your cute ideas to my birthday board:)
abbylawson says
August 25, 2013 at 9:33 pmThank you so much, Krista! Boys loooove their tools! I hope they learn to use them so they can build us fun things when they get older! 😉 I’m excited to see what you do for Finn’s birthday! Hope you had a great weekend!
~Abby =)
Tiffany {A Touch of Grace} says
August 23, 2013 at 11:54 pmSuper cute! What a great theme! I love the donut centerpieces! I love the pic with the chainsaw cutting down the tree! Priceless!
abbylawson says
August 25, 2013 at 9:26 pmThank you so much, Tiffany! It was a fun day. 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
[email protected] says
August 25, 2013 at 1:05 pmFound you from Social Sunday linky party! This birthday party theme is so adorable!! What a great idea! My son just had his 3rd birthday, and we went out of town the next day so I didn’t have much of a party for him :-/ unlike you! LOL! I’m your newest follower on BlogLovin and Twitter!
abbylawson says
August 25, 2013 at 9:14 pmThanks so much for stopping by, Jessica! It was pure craziness. I started planning the party details, and then when I was checking on dates with family, that was the only day that worked for everyone, so it was the only option! Next year that will not be happening, lol. Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
April Hoff says
August 29, 2013 at 10:26 pmThis is just too cute! What a great idea!!!
abbylawson says
August 29, 2013 at 10:43 pmThanks, April! The birthday boy had a fun time, so I was happy! 😀 Thank you for stopping by!
~Abby =)
Madison says
April 25, 2015 at 12:34 pmWhat A cute party this was! I am Also struggling to get streamers to work on pavilion and just wondering how your mom solved the Issues. Was thinking tacks might work instead of tape but then how did she secure the bottom so the twirl stayed in the streamer? Thank you!
MiMi says
July 29, 2017 at 7:14 pmI also am wondering the same thing. Where they pinned or stapled? The bottom of the twirly streamers were attached to what?
justagirlabby says
July 30, 2017 at 9:06 pmThey were rough, lol! There was a log that went across at that part of our pavilion that we attached the streamers to, and we just ended up using lots and lots of packing tape to attach them. They were kind of a pain to set up, but they made a cute backdrop and lasted the whole party. I hope this helps!
~Abby =)
Jessica says
June 5, 2015 at 4:01 amI know this post is old, but we’re having a park party for my daughters first bday this Sunday and I’ve been pondering how to do a streamer backdrop for the food table! Yours was beautiful and exactly what I was envisioning! Hints?
justagirlabby says
June 5, 2015 at 10:17 amHi, Jessica! If I remember correctly, we took two colors of streamers and twisted them together and used LOTS of packing tape to attach them to the pavilion. I think tacks helped too. Have fun at the party!
~Abby =)
Breanne Clair says
August 7, 2015 at 12:57 ami love this unique idea and want to use it for my sons 1st bday in September. The trouble with unique ideas is that there aren’t as many readily available printables. I know this because I just pulled off Inspector Gadget for my 3 year old!!! I’m not finding any invites I like, and was wondering if you sent printed invites or if you’d have any pointers?
justagirlabby says
August 7, 2015 at 9:41 amI did! I actually made them myself and have a step-by-step tutorial too! It can be found here: https://justagirlandherblog.com/how-to-make-your-own-party-invitations-free/ . An Inspector Gadget party sounds incredible! Have a wonderful weekend, Breanne!
~Abby =)