Yo Help Me, Help Me!

   So I am starting to plan Orion's 2nd birthday party.  Yes, I know it's like 100 years in advances, but I like to be prepared.  The last thing I want is a repeat of last year's last minute, up-all-night preparing.  At least this year I'm not pregnant, not trying to play referee between Alex's families, not planning a wedding and not totally losing my mind.  On the downside, we're a heck of a lot more broke this year, but it's okay.  I was raised frugal and to this day, I am not going to go to Party City and pay $250 to get supplies for my kid's birthday. 

   This year's theme is going to be Yo Gabba Gabba because he adores it, and Brobee and Muno are his favorites.  Because the show is Nickelodeon, there ARE official party supplies if I should choose to splurge here or there on a thing or two.  But the show is all bright colors, so I can hit up the Dollar Tree and get solid brights for tableware, flatware,  tablecloth, balloons, etc.  They even have a balloon theme at the Dollar Tree, which is actually pretty perfect because the balloons are actually pretty integral characters in a couple episodes.  So that will be cute and cheap for the basis of the party.

   And seeing as I'm an artist, I am going to buy a bunch of poster board and create the Gabba Lands, plus a "lifesize" cutout of each character, plus get some brightly colored balloons and crepe paper to make it festive.  Like this:

Some of the decorations will be used for games:
Super Music Friends Show TV - Photo Op
Muno - Pin the Eye on Muno
Brobeee - Part in My Tummy Bean Bag Toss
Plex - Ring Toss
I don't think I'm going to do anything specifically with the female characters Foofa and Toodee because, well, Orion is a boy and favors the boy characters.  I am considering doing something with their lands though.
Foofa's Spring Meadow - Lollipop Pull with the suckers stuck in the middle of the flowers.
Toodee's Winter Ice Land - Ice Fishing for the kids to get their treat bags...
 
...which leads me to...

   Goodie Bags - undoubtedly one of the MOST expensive parts of a party if providing treat bags/favors.  So I am going to buy simple brown paper bags, decorate them like the characters and fill them as follows:
Krazy Straws - 6 for $1 at Dollar Tree
Crayons - 10 cents a pack at Staples
Activity Pads - 8 for $1 at Wal-Mart
Bubbles - 12 for $1 at Dollar Tree
Play-Dough - 8 for $1 at Dollar Tree

   I won't be putting any candy in the treat bags because there will be lollipops from the Lollipop Pull and we're doing a pinata.  Again, something I am going to be making out of papier mache in the shape of the boombox.  I'm going to fill it with Smarties, Tootsie Rolls and other small candies as well as confetti to simulate the beginning of the show. 

 

   We'll probably do this first once we get going with the activities, followed by Toodee's Ice Fishing for the kids can get their bags to stow their treats in and then Foofa's Lollipop Pull.  Once the kids have their goodie bags, we'll probably do the cake and ice cream.  Which leads me to...

   Food!  The other most expensive part of the party!  I'm making the cake myself, plus cupcakes.  Orion's personal cake is going to be orange and made with the Yo Gabba Gabba show theme on top.  Then I'm going to make Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes and frost them in the colors of the main characters: Yellow, Blue, Pink, Red and Green.  Then we'll serve those little individual serving size of the Birthday Cake ice cream - that stuff is amazing. I've planned the party in the late afternoon, so the only food I'll be serving will be snack type foods - Chips, Cheese/Crackers, Cocktail Weenies and Cookies (Caramel Apple Tarts and Pumpkin Smores), plus sodas.

   Then we'll probably do the games to let the kids' food settle and let Orion open his presents last.  Since it's gonna be at the park, the kiddies can play on the playground when everything wraps up, but before they go, we're going to have Dancey Dance Time and do a couple of the dances from the show.  Should be fun as me and Alex are gonna be the teachers.. or embarrassing.

   Ha!  Anything for my baby though... we're even dressing up!  Orion is gonna be DJ Lance Rock, Apollo is gonna be Brobee, I'm gonna be Foofa, Alex is gonna be Plex and they don't know it yet, but my parents are gonna be Toodee and Muno.  It won't be out there "costumes" though.  O is gonna wear a DJ Lance Rock shirt I'm making and a hat.  It's pretty much - gonna be jeans and the decorated colored t-shirts, with O, Apollo, me and Alex wearing hats, hence the reasom I gave Toodee and Muno to my parents... they're more likey to go along with it if they don't have to look too silly.  Ha ha... something like this:

 

And for the birthday boy! - Orion's 2nd Birthday Wish List