The evolution of birthday parties... a comical look at the then and now

Birthday celebrations have being around for decades, even centuries and it is a lovely occasion to get all the people (your child loves) together to party!
Gone are the days though when birthday parties were simple and could be thrown together in haste if needed. Now there is more organisation needed along with a party planning style flair and an ability to hold a party that will leave all your kids friends talking in school for weeks to come. It can hardly be that hard right? Read on and get all the information needed here. 
  • Invitations- In my day mum would go to the shop and get a pack of duplicate themed invites usually in pink or blue depending on the sex of her child. Simple enough however now individually made invites are on trend, with a photo of your kid plastered on it for a more personal approach.
  • Themed parties- Like I mentioned above you either fell into the blue or the pink category but now there is a huge array of choice. From the many cartoon characters your child likes or a certain design of stars or hearts the list is endless. It doesn’t end there though and you will feel compelled to add on the extras like matching cups, napkins and plates. It will look absolutely fantastic, though you may miss a mortgage repayment with all this extra expense.
  • Fun and games- Years ago parties were all about the games for example pin the tail on the donkey and pass the parcel and who didn’t love winning a little gift of sweets at the end if you won? Now though every party must have a bouncy castle, some oversized connect four or jenga sets and wait for it - an entertainer. Children’s entertainers can range from balloon animal making experts to jugglers or magicians, kids will especially love the Disney characters dressed up to enchant the little ones. 
  • Food- Remember rice krispie buns, chicken nuggets and chips with diluted juice to wash it all down. These days though, sure you will have these foods and drinks but in addition there will be cupcakes (personalised) chocolate fondue with marshmallows and homemade ice cream served in retro pots with a choice of toppings. 
  • Lucky bags and favours- Lucky bags in the good old days consisted of rice krispie buns, a few packs of jellies and if you were very lucky some fancy paper. Now a lucky bag is a gift in itself consisting of pens, markers, rubbers, glow sticks, sweets, cupcakes and a couple of stickers. 
  • Birthday cake- Jam and cream sponge was the cake of choice years ago and it pleased everyone but how time changes. Now picking the right cake is an incredibly difficult task with the amount of choices, chocolate fudge, vanilla, red velvet added with the icing which can be fondant with any colour you choose. The baker can make any kind of cake with your favourite characters or even your face if you please. The list is endless and the cost is astounding too! 
Written by Emma, Irish mummy blogger and staff writer at www.familyfriendlyhq.ie 
Check out her own blog at emmasmadjotters.com

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