Last month, we celebrated our daughter’s second birthday. Because her first birthday was spent in quarantine, I wanted to do something really special this year. Most people look at me funny and remind me that she won’t even remember these years. But, I tend to be a little extra when it comes to planning things for my kids. Selfishly, I want those memories for me too…and the pictures!
I grew up in the country. We raised cows, rode dirt bikes and four-wheelers, and played in the mud. So when I pictured my future, I thought I was destined to be a boy mom. It just fit my personality better. God laughed and went on to give me one handsome son and four beautiful daughters. My girls are all very girly. They love their princess dresses, their dolls, and especially dressing up for tea parties. There’s been a bit of a learning curve with raising girly girls, but I’m fully embracing it!
Why a Tea Party?
Tea Parties are for special occasions. They are also very unique experiences. Before this, I had never attended one or even knew where to start on planning one.
Awhile back, my sister gave me the mismatched china sets that had been given to her after our grandparents passed. So they were special in terms of where they came from but not worth anything if they accidentally broke. Which was perfect for what I was planning on using them for.
By the way, what is with the natural instinct to put your pinky up when picking up a fancy cup? Just washing these cups days before the party had me wanting to try out my best English accent!
Let the Party Planning Begin
We kept this party simple. After all, a two-year-old’s attention span isn’t very long. The most important part of having a tea party is the tea cups! If you don’t have any, check your local thrift stores. Amazon even sells paper tea cups that look pretty fancy if you aren’t interested in doing dishes afterwards. Me, being a little extra again, had to buy a special tea pot too. Which I also found on Amazon along with the 3-tier stands and a pretty lace table cloth.
The flower arrangements I put together using leftover craft supplies I already had. But some fresh flowers would be really nice too. Or leave them out completely!
Our tea party occurred in the afternoon so food was simple. The sandwiches were peanut butter and jelly, cucumber and cream cheese, and a tomato/mozzarella/basil/balsamic (Dad picked). Along with scones, fresh fruit, and of course, pink cupcakes.
Since it was a kids party, we also used apple juice instead of tea.
Girls Never Stop Playing Dress Up
I will admit, my favorite part about planning this tea party was picking out the special outfits everyone got to wear. I kept it as a surprise too, only pulling them out the day of the party. My son is such a great big brother. Even though this totally isn’t his thing, he said he would be excited about it for his little sister’s birthday.
The boys wore nice collared shirts with a fedora and the girls all wore dresses with sun hats. You can see the enthusiasm and excitement everyone had just from the pictures!
The birthday girl loved it! My other two older daughters have asked me to throw them a tea party for their birthday too and I’m thrilled to do it again!
