Guest Author Sunday: Two Generations of Disney Birthday Parties by Lynne Hartke

The Disney Gals are thrilled and honored to welcome back Lynne Hartke to Guest Author Sunday!

Two Generations of Disney Birthday Parties

By Lynne Hartke

When my children were growing up, they enjoyed choosing the theme for their birthday parties, and it was no surprise that Disney characters were often the master of ceremonies. With the help of a file of ripped out magazine clippings, our imaginations, and a few party planning books, we were able to create some fantastic memories:

            A 101 Dalmatian party when Zach was six, complete with construction paper ears and collars with dog tags and a dog cake with oreos for the spots.

            A Little Mermaid party when Katelyn was five that included looking for treasure in the backyard.

            A Peter Pan party with pirates, a search for a ticking alarm clock and an alligator cake.

            A Lion King party when Aleah was six with animal masks for all the guests.

            A Minnie Mouse party when Katelyn was seven, where guest played, “Pin the hair bow on Minnie” and ate a Minnie cake with frosting so black it did creepy things to everyone’s teeth for their photo moment in front of the camera.

My youngest is now a senior in high school and my other three children are grown. My days of party planning for my children are over, I am sad to say.

But wait, now I am a grandma!

And with the help of Pinterest, online sites, themed blogs and still the good ol’ imagination, my grandson, Micah, had a fabulous first birthday party, planned by his mom, themed around Winnie the Pooh.

Balloons greeted guests when they walked in the door.

There was themed food:

            Piglets Haycorns (vanilla wafers, a chocolate kiss and butterscotch chips):

Kanga’s Pouches of Pita Bread sandwiches and Rabbit’s Veggie Garden.

And THE best snacks were Tigger Tails made from dipped and decorated pretzel sticks.

People visited and enjoyed the excellent food. Micah opened his gifts and the young party guests wanted to all play with his new riding toy.

Like all parties, things didn’t go exactly as planned. Pin the Tail on Eeyore never got played. Micah got some wax on his fingers from trying to grab his birthday candle and then was afraid to eat his birthday cake. Three attempts later, he posed for what will be memories someday in his photo album.

I decided things really haven’t changed that much since my children’s birthday parties. The key party elements are still the same: balloons, a few games, guests, presents, delicious food, photos, and a birthday cake with lots of frosting.

And whether you use Pinterest, blogs, a party book, a magazine clipping or your imagination, the memories from the party will endure long after the last balloon has lost all its helium.

I think Piglet and Pooh expressed it best:

Piglet: “How do you spell ‘Love’?”

Pooh: “You don’t spell it…you feel it.”

What better time to feel loved, than on your birthday?