9 easy steps to throwing a simple and stress-free child party

Blake turned five a couple of days ago and after coming straight off of a busy basketball season and family road trip to the state playoffs, I ended up throwing him a last-minute super-simple kid party. It was fun and perfect for him!

Here's how you can do it too!

Step 1: send out a quick email invite to six little friends five days before the proposed party and hope for the best that a few can make it.

Thank your lucky stars when everyone can.

Step 2: pick an easy theme, let's say "basketball", or anything else that means you can make a round cake without having to cut it into weird shapes or use artistic decorating skills that you simply don't have.

Step 3: throw up a few streamers and balloons and call it a day.

Or, if you really want to go fancy, use a circle punch and some construction paper and make a bunting using your daughter's knitting yarn and a hot glue gun, preferably while watching American Idol the night before the party. 

Step 4: Once the party guests arrive, play a couple of easy party games, awarding bubblegum to the winners and a Starburst candy to everyone else.

Step 5: let everyone climb on top of daddy because that's always a fun thing to do.

Step 6: Time to open gifts! If you can, keep them simple... five-year-olds are easy to please. A new outfit and some play men? Major hits.

Step 7: immediately move to cake and ice cream sandwiches with a side of Tang, or whatever drink mix you already have in your cupboard.

Step 8: send everyone outside to play for the remaining half hour of the party while your husband quickly cleans up the relatively small mess inside.

Step 9: hand out goody bags to guests as they leave and pat yourself on the back. You just threw the easiest birthday party in the world :)