I was tempted to start off this post by saying I can’t believe how time flies but had to stop myself cause duh! My baby boy just turned three years old! The age between two and three was probably my favorite so far despite the notorious terrible twos. I actually think it wasn’t that bad and all the funny and cute moments outweigh the tantrums which did not spare our family by any means. The past year has been a wild ride with so much progress, challenges and difficult choices along with the impossible love, laughter and fun. I’ve got the best kid ever and I am so happy and proud to be his mama.
Construction Site Birthday Party
The decision to throw him a birthday party was kind of spontaneous. I wasn’t sure if he’d be interested so I started asking him about the concept of a birthday. He immediately perked up with questions about the cake and candles. That was my clue, a party there will be! I found out that he wanted a chocolate cake, his favorite colors right now are white, pink and orange. I started to think if there’s any character that would fit the profile and after some research it dawned on me – construction site! He loves all things cars and trucks, he can name all the construction trucks, like excavator, bulldozer and dump truck, and one of his favorite bedtime books is “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site”. Perfect!
I started searching for inspiration online, and found some great ideas on Pinterest (check out my board!). From decor to party favors to the cake it was such a fun process! I love organizing things like that even though it can get really stressful with all the logistics. In the end it usually turns out great and totally worth it!
Cake
The first thing I knew I had to get was a cake! Not any cake, a chocolate cake per Mr. Birthday Boy’s request. One of my co-workers makes some really cute and delicious cakes. We discussed the details and decided to go for a fresh creme chocolate cake filled with strawberries and tangerines. After some considerations, I decided that cake had to be brown on the outside to be obviously chocolate. You know, picky eaters can turn anything away if they merely don’t like the color. So here it is, a chocolate construction site themed cake!
Decor and Party Favors for the Constructions Site Birthday Party
Next was the decor and party favors! I got everything on Amazon. I wanted to make the party fun and cute without breaking the bank. We got a set of construction party supplies that included things like utensils, balloons, hanging decorations, party favors bags, tattoos, and construction hats. For additional party favors I got a set of mini construction trucks, construction rubber duckies, stickers and stampers. I also downloaded and printed construction coloring sheets (great life hack for parents of the kids who like to color). We were not going to order any entertainment staff so I had to make sure the kids had stuff to play with.
Location
The craziest part was of course the location and logistics. Just like 2 years ago on Alaric’s first birthday, the plan was to have a party at the park by the playground. But, the weather strikes again – on the week of the party, the forecast predicted rain and I had to change everything last minute. We started to look for a place that could fit around 15 people, would have availability just days before the party and wouldn’t be super expensive.
We were lucky to get a table at Au Fudge, which is actually perfect for the occasion since their whole concept is dining for families with kids. While there were some downsides such as exorbitant cake cutting fee ($5 per slice!) and $15 fee to get into the kids play space, it worked out great and we were happy with the experience overall. I booked a table which wasn’t available yet when we got there so the staff offered a private room at no charge. It was actually a way better option! We had two tables, one for kids and one for food with enough space to run around.
The Party
The funniest part was that I thought I don’t have that many friends with kids. I decided to invite everyone I know who has kids around the same age as Alaric. My list ended up including 9 kids and at least as many adults! So our little party was not so little anymore. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to manage and keep the kids entertained but balloons and party favors worked like magic and everybody seemed to have fun.
Alaric was shy at first but quickly got over it and was running around and playing tag with the kids. The cake was a hit! He was so excited when he saw it, I barely had enough time to take a photo. The second we blew the candles, the trucks went off the cake into the sticky little fingers.
Long story short, the party was a success! I am so glad we decided to go with it, it was a lot of fun! My friends also told me that their kiddos were full of emotions afterwards which is the best gift of all.
Thank you everyone for coming to celebrate and for all your thoughtful gifts for Alaric, we have been playing with all of them ever since.
