So we have decided this year to NOT throw a birthday party for my soon to be 4-year-old, because he wants a slightly more expensive birthday present (A red Ferrari sports car to be exact, I think we may have to settle on a go-cart). I’ll be honest, its got me feeling like a pretty terrible mum, because If you are anything like me, you slightly obsess over children’s birthdays party. Well any party’s really. The creative side comes out and I spend months trolling the internet for ideas and ways to be original. I LOVE IT! It’s my side hobby. My bestie and I always say one day we will focus on it full-time and make it a career. I love to creative unique idea’s and I hate the stereotypical “Disney cartoon” themes, with cartoon characters plastered all over plates, though I did cave once my putting barney toppers on my sons 2nd birthday cakes.
Anyway the “not having a party” thing got me thinking of all the parties I’ve gone to and the ones that ive done so I thought I’d share some creative inspiration on parties gone by.
The first was my youngest 2nd birthday. He’s a tough one. He’s not really into any cartoon themes, nor does he have a favourite colour (yet), or a preferred teddy. The one thing he does obsess about however are biscuits (cookies for the folks over in the USA). As in completely and utterly obsessed. He cries for them when he wakes up, if he sees someone drinking tea he wants them, he wants to “dip dip” into the tea. Naturally, that was the selected theme. “Cookies and Milk”. I love it because the theme here in South Africa is not common, yet.
Using blue and brown for the colour combinations I found some brown striped paper that I used as the base for decoration. We had chocolate and strawberry milk as well as milkshakes available and I went crazy with the cookie themed food.
First the cake – It was the idea around my whole party and I wanted it to be the “pièce de résistance”.
It was one giant layered chocolate chip cookie with cream cheese icing. Super sweet and way to much to eat a huge slice, but it was one of those cakes I kept going back in for another spoon. If I made it again I would probably try to make it a little more “cakier”, but it was exactly what I wanted, a giant cookie. I found the recipe here.
Additional desserts included Mini Oreo cheesecakes, and choc-chip cookie dough cupcakes which you can find on recipe girls site here. In hindsight I would change the icing on that recipe, I know it was meant to be “cookie dough” but I found the brown sugar to be too grainy, I prefer a smooth icing.
I made batches of mini cookies up and filled jars around the table with them as well as put some in the give away bags. For an activity the kids are at the perfect age to roll out and make their own sugar cookies and I had some pre made for them to ice as well.
It is such a fun theme and the possibilities are endless, I really wish I could do it over. The one thing I wanted to do, but I just ran out of time, was to give away glass jars filled with a layered cookie mix to take and bake at home. Maybe you could use that idea?
I’d love to hear some of your favourite party themes. Happy planning xx PS I know my photos aren’t professional 🙂
This was SUCH an amazing party and all the details were insane! That Oreo Cheesecake was super yum xxx