OT: Birthday party Advice

[suffolkprincess]

OK, I figured that here on the DIS there are many, many of my kindred... you know yourselves... you just finished cleaning up from your child's birthday party and you are already googling ideas for the next one....

kinda like planning your next Disney trip on the ME ride back to MCO...

so: 4 weeks out too soon to mail invites for a 4 year old's party?

(*of course* they are here, ready, labels on the envelopes and special stamps ordered. need you ask that?!?!?!)


This is a hot topic round my house, soo.... any advice allowing me to say "but everybody does it" would suffice. BUT if it really is too freaking early, well, please save me from myself.

 

[lastminutemomma]

I would send them and then check it off your list. Your guests will appreciate the advance notice. Have a great party!

 

[BlondeAlligator]

I would go ahead and send them out...I had my DD's teacher put invites in her classmates' packpacks on 6/5 for a 7/9 BD party! (Of course, I didn't have any of the kids' addresses, but that's besides the point). If it's a late summer BD, the more notice you give people, the better your attendance will be. I know my family tends to book up those last precious weeks of summer pretty far out.

Have a great party & HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your little one!

 

[Becky2005]

I say go for it! I try to send my invites out early too (especially since I have other timing issues to work around with their birthday dates).

I *HATE* when I get invites only about a week before the party. I have 4 kids, they are in sports, our schedule gets filled up mighty quickly to try and coordinate getting any of the 4 from point A to point B while getting another child from point AA to point BB.

I love it when they come early!

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

I've always sent our invites out about a month ahead of the party, so I say go ahead and send them.

Yes, I'm a huge party planner myself. Three of my kids have b'days the end of September/early October, so that is our "birthday season" and I'm in mid preparation for those. My baby's birthday is next week. It feels weird having to plan a party that is separated from the rest.

Happy planning!

 

[suffolkprincess]

That's it then-- I am sending them on Aug 31st! (Party is September 3)


FYI-- I used Birthday in a Box for the first time ever and am VERY VERY happy with their selection, prices and service. Because we have big numbers we never have all of our paper products with characters on them, so her price (in line with Party City prices for "character" plates) was fine. I am filling in the gaps either with dollar store (if they have the right colors) and/or plain white items from Costco.

Anyway-- ordered the personalized invites, made a mistake which I caught in the confirmation email and they fixed it promptly, and got the order in less than a full week! The invites were 99 cents each and perfectly cute.

MickeyHereWeCome-- have fun getting ready for your little one's party! I truly love planning the parties and "birthday season" is my third favorite (after Christmas and Disney seasons, of course...)

 

[dznygurl]

I am at the end of our "birthday season" right now! I am surfing the message board to keep me awake as 6 eight year olds are still giggling and laughing in my living room for my DD's slumber party. Last weekend we celebrated my DS3 b'day, even though his real b'day was just yesterday. My DD's b'day is actually on Monday. I usually have their parties together, but she really wanted a sleepover. I feel like I've been planning and cleaning constantly for months! I just can't wait till tomorrow!

I always send invitations two weeks before a party. I feel like if I send it any sooner, they might forget about it. But if I send it too late, they may have plans.

Good luck to you!

 

[PA Princess]

I too love planning kid parties...right up there with vacation planning I generally send invites about 3 weeks ahead, because I have found over the years that people tend to forget about events with too much advanced notice. However, busy times of the year are exceptions...like holiday parties, etc. I consider the back to school season a busy time, so I personally would go ahead and send those invites a month ahead. We have two birthdays at a similar time...8/30 and 8/31...no parties for us this year, but in years past I did send invites a month ahead.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

As a working, single mom I say THANK YOU for sending out the invites early. Even though I only have one child, it drives me nuts when the invitation comes in the mail on Monday for a party the next Saturday -- I really don't have time during the week to go to the store to buy a present! If I know a month in advance that I will have X, Y, and Z birthday parties coming up I can make one trip to the store and stock up.

Having said that, this doesn't bother me nearly as much as when schools send out announcements about special events to which parents are invited a week or two in advance. I'm much more likely to be able to take off work for that play, exhibition or field trip if I have a few weeks notice.

 

[Lisa_Belle]

I always send ours out early. DD has an October birthday, and with school starting, Halloween parties, football games, Race for the Cure and other kids' birthdays, the weekends get booked quickly!

I also agree with the poster who likes a little notice. As a working mom, my birthday buying happens on a weekend. I've had to go to TRU on the way to party and wrap the gift in my car because I've had three-days' notice.

 

[LoveMyBoys]

DS is 5 and so far we had 2 birthtday parties for him, and I sent out the invites about a month in advance. That seems to be the norm here, at least with all of DS's classmates. And RSVPs are always required by about 1 week in advance.

 

[lillygator]

I would definitely send them out - I try to get ours out early as well!