After Annie’s birthday party last year, she told me that she wanted her next party theme to be “Harry Potter.” As a huge Potter fan, I was soooo excited and I (unsurprisingly) immediately started mentally planning the party. But in recent months, Annie changed her tune. “I think for my birthday, I’d really like to go to Disneyland with a friend instead of having a party.” On the outside I was like, “Sure! It’s your birthday, if that’s what you want!” But on the inside I was like:
The day after Christmas, she said to me, “Mom, actually I think I want to have a sleepover party for my birthday.” On the outside I was like, “Sure! It’s your birthday, if that’s what you want!” But on the inside I was like:
And then she said, “I want to plan it myself.” And I was like:
My girl has learned a thing or two from me, though, and had a lot of amazing ideas that I helped her realize. The list of things she wanted were:
~Everyone wears pajamas
~Pizza for dinner and lots of candy
~Watch a movie
~Paint nails
~A craft
~Lots of purple and teal
~Ice cream cake
~Sleep masks and flashlights for everyone
~Invite Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande
So um, mostly easy.
Annie really had a hand in just about everything. She went with me to the fabric store and dollar store, and sat next to me while we ordered stuff off of Amazon. She picked out everything for the “Sleepover Survival Kits,” down to the fabric I used to make the sleep masks to the fold over elastic for the hair ties to the graphics on the name tags.
There were a few things Mike and I surprised her with, though. We rented a big screen and projector from my favorite company, Joymode, for the girls to watch a movie on:
We also rented a popcorn machine and a cotton candy machine. I swear the cotton candy machine was for the girls, not me.
Unsurprisingly, the girls had a total blast. They made personalized pillowcases (and they signed them for each other, which I thought was so cute), loaded up on candy, painted each other’s fingernails, told jokes, danced, and got very little sleep.
After getting about 15 minutes of sleep (or maybe that was just me), the kids were ready for breakfast. Mike set up a customized pancake bar, where each girl could pick out the extra ingredients they wanted. They could choose from things like apple pie filling, chocolate chips, marshmallows, fruit loops, and more. They were a huge hit (apple pie pancakes are LEGIT, FYI).
And thanks to the dark, rainy weather, the girls were able to watch another movie while they ate breakfast.
Annabel was so sad when everyone left, although I think if the girls had stayed much longer they all would have fallen asleep! Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande might not have been able to attend, but I don’t think the girls could have had any more fun.
(I slept for like 12 straight hours the next night.)
Jackson says:
I think you should be an event planner. You are so good at putting together parties. What lucky little girls.
Miriam says:
I am always telling her she should be an event planner! That party looks amazing. When you have a grown up version, please invite me
Toni says:
Oh my gosh, 10 girls for a sleepover!!! You are a brave woman! So fun, I remember sleepovers from when I was a kid, not nearly as cool as yours! I second everyone on thinking event planner is a job made in Heaven for you!
Chris says:
You are always so creative and think of everything for the theme of a party. Looks like so much fun.
Steph says:
What a great party for Annie! You deserve a massage for all that work. At least she didn’t ask for both Taylor and Ariana:)
Margie says:
Are you watching Moana?! I adore that movie!
Sheila says:
I thought so too, but it’s not out on DVD/Blu-Ray yet! So how did you get to watch it at home? My kids are so jealous. Looks like fun!
Heather says:
Yes! We have a Writer’s Guild screener!
Shea says:
I like how she wanted to invite Taylor Swift OR Ariana Grande. You don’t want to go too crazy and invite both, better to keep things realistic.
nicole says:
Would you consider posting what you had planned for the harry potter party?
Heather says:
Sure! I honestly didn’t get that far into the planning, but I was going to make them wands out of chopsticks, and the sorting hat was going to just be them reaching into a witch’s hat covered in fabric and pulling out a house name.
nicole says:
Fun! Thanks!
Rachel says:
I think I need more information about these apple pie pancakes. Did you add the apple pie filling to the pancake batter?
Becca says:
I was wondering that too! From the pic it looks like Mike is scooping the batter into individual bowls and then (I imagine) the kids get to add one filling to their bowl before cooking.
Which – for the record, is a GENIUS kid breakfast activity!
Heather says:
Yep! Although Mike let them add as many ingredients as they wanted, ruining all normal pancakes for these kids forever, LOL.
Heather says:
Yes, it’s that easy!
Laurie says:
Heather, that sounds like it was the Best! Party! Ever!!
Jeanie says:
You are a hard act to follow!
Sheila says:
I’m doing pillow cases this weekend for my 8yr olds party. Did you wash them first?
Heather says:
I did!
Rebecca says:
Forget everything else. How are you screening Moana!?
Heather says:
We have a Writer’s Guild screener!
Jeannie says:
My husband used to steadfastly refer to them as stayovers because “nobody sleeps”!
Glenda says:
Very brave! 10 girls at a sleepover Looks like a fun birthday party! Yay Annie!!
REK981 says:
I recall the first time my girl attended a sleepover. She was in bed by 6 PM the next evening and slept for a good 15 hours. Now she is a preteen and will sleep 12 hours every night without hesitation! The pancakes look amazing!!
JustAMom says:
You know what’s the biggest hit at my girl’s sleepovers? MONKEY BREAD!! Know where I learned how to make it?? I think you know……..
I had a girl over for a sleepover once and made monkey bread. Then SHE had a sleepover…. and her mom called and said “would this to be too much to ask? The girls all asked if A’s mom could come over in the morning and make monkey bread??”
Because of you, I’m the coolest mom ever.
Heather says:
YAY! That is awesome!
Rita A. says:
Because it takes a MOM village to keep our kids happy!! I love this.