Howdy! It’s been awhile, but I come bearing good tidings of party joys!
This past week, our little buddy turned two *cue the waterworks*, and to celebrate, we threw a Pixar Cars birthday bash, of course! He is into all things transportation – planes, trains, and automobiles – so this theme was right up his alley.
So racers, start your engines, and let’s get this party started!
1. The Inspiration
As always, I have to turn to my good pal Pinterest. She is always there when I need a party-planning helping hand, and this party was no exception. After some perusal, these are the pins that drove the overall vision of the day:
After deliberations and discussions with the husband unit, this is the pin that won the overall goal and drove the final creative intent.
2. The Prep
This is the part where I typically wait until the night before, stay up ’til 3AM painting and blowing up balloons, and tell myself I won’t do that next time…
Well…spoiler alert: I still stayed up until 2AM the night before, BUT I made it a little bit easier on myself this time and ordered some great items from Etsy that made my life so much easier and still brought all the crafty fun.
First, the invitations. I found this fun design on Etsy that matched the overall vibe that I was going for. The print itself was reasonably priced and printing them was no biggie. I printed them through Shutterfly because I wanted the matte finish, but if that isn’t a priority, you can also print from CVS or Walgreens for a faster turn around and cheaper price.
Side Note: I ordered the invites before I ordered the next set of party printables. The printable package also had an invite option.
Second, the party printables. Luck would have it that the very pin I chose to drive the creative vision just happens to be an Etsy printable package. AHHH! Yay! I get to make it look JUST LIKE THE PICTURE.
{gentle reminder to always work smarter, not harder}
Y’all. I cannot RAVE about this package more. I bought the customized banner {$15}, the oil can labels {$5}, and the license design party favor template {$3}, so for $23, I had all of the extra little decor templates ready to go. PLUS, SeawayStudio provides this AMAZING pdf that goes over how to print everything {sizes, companies to use, type of material to print on, etc.}, as well as shares any “additional items” {ex. what soup cans to use} to help recreate the given party. AND they gave me some extras {banner template, cake topper template, and pin the buck teeth on Mater game} for free. Cannot rave enough. Highly recommend. 6/5 Stars. Top notch.
Once I had all the design templates, it was time to print, cut, laminate, cut, repeat. This part did take some time, but it was mindless, Netflix-watching work and all came out simply extraordinary.
3. The Food
You know me. I can’t go an entire post without talking about food. Food is life. It is the sustenance that sustains me {I know, duh 😛 }. But really, let’s talk food.
So I’m lazy {& cheap…haha} and prefer to plan our kids’ birthday parties around times when a full meal is not expected, i.e., 10 AM. I like this time for a couple of reasons, namely:
- Toddler Prime Time. This is a time of day where I can usually count on the kids being in a decent mood.
- Mid-Meal Zone. This is between breakfast and lunch, so I can plan a menu that is mostly snacks and desserts {cheaper and more “Pinterest-y” food options}.
- Florida Sweet Spot. We live in FL. It’s hot {especially in July}. 10AM is slightly more bearable. Slightly. Haha.
This party was no exception. Started at 10am, people began to leave at 12pm to go home for lunch, and I got to focus on my snacks. All was well.
Now, speaking of those snacks….the menu consisted of:
- Sally’s Cozy Cones {aka Bugles}
- Luigi’s Spare Tires {aka Chocolate Iced Donuts}
- Lightning McQueen Birthday Cake {aka Publix vanilla cake with SeawayStudio Cake Toppers}
- Radiator Springs Friend Cupcakes {aka Funfetti cupcakes with SeawayStudio Cake Toppers}
- Traffic Light Fruit Kebobs {aka watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew}
- Popcorn {aka Skinny Pop Popcorn – healthier and does not require popping}
- Blue Oil {aka Hawaiian Punch Polar Blast}
Side Note: The cake topper and cupcake toppers were laminated
Side Side Note: Recommend NOT buying cut-up fruit for the Traffic Light Fruit Kebobs. If I were to do again, I would have bought the whole fruit and used a melon baller instead of a cookie cutter {s/o to Lucas and Paul for making those and figuring that out the hard way!}
4. The Decor
MY FAVORITE PART – THE DECORATIONS.
Ugh. I just love decorating for parties. It’s so fun and rewarding and just the best. So, without further ado, let’s talk about the main ticket items – dessert table, photo spot, party game, and party props.
Dessert Table. This was the main focal point of the party. It held all the food and the main theming elements. Decor-wise, the dessert table showcased the custom banner, balloon arch, specialty food containers, party printables, license & toy car party favors, and desert flora for that Radiator Springs vibe.
Here are all of the links to help recreate this tablescape at home:
Photo Spot. This photo spot was a hybrid between the printables package and invitation. The invitation inspired the photo props {cardboard cutouts of Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramirez, Sally, and Mater}, which I created myself. Then, I used the flag banner printout from the printables set and twine for the flags background.
Party Game. The party game was Pin the Buck Teeth on Mater, which was included in the Etsy party package. The Mater poster was so easy to print {directions given to print through the 1-hour Walgreens poster print}, and then, I printed and laminated the teeth for a quick, easy party game!
Party Props. AKA the little, wearable cardboard box racers. Okay, these were probably my favorite decoration from the party. They turned out exactly as I envisioned in my head and looked so cute on the kids 🙂 The ideal purpose for them are kid races, but the kids didn’t really catch onto that concept. The photos sure are cute, though.
To recreate, all you need is a cardboard box, checkered ribbon, and some paint. 🙂
Side Note: S/O to my mom for bringing the right size boxes and staying up ’til 2AM painting them with me.
5. THE PARTY
The Florida rainy season {aka hot, FL summer} is upon us, so of course, our outdoor party turned indoor the morning of. Friends and family came, all wore masks {thank you! | Side Note: Lucas and I are vaccinated. However, since the kids aren’t old enough, we are still taking precautions. Stay safe, friends!}, and joy was shared all around.
And now, the pictures…
And yes, we did Disney Bound for the party as a family. And no, I have no regrets.
That’s a wrap on Buddy’s second birthday! We can’t believe he’s already two, but we had so much fun celebrating him.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed seeing the birthday fun!
Until next time…
Stay Magical!
Jasmine
*Disclaimer: All opinions shared are in no way affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. They are completely my own and shared from a Disney guest perspective.
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