Choo, Choo! Gage is 2!

Happy Monday! If you follow me on Instagram you can tell I'm a little excessive with party planning! It's ok-I know. What can I say...I love to host a good party! My 2 year loves trains. I felt it was fitting to throw him a "Choo-Choo! Gage is 2" party.

Here are the details!

1. I built a train. I tossed around a few game ideas... and then quickly realized having 15 kids ages 1-5 playing games is practically like herding cats. SO I said NO to games :) Instead I built a train to have fun train rides throughout the party. It was a HUGE hit! I would highly recommend it. I don't have a full tutorial on building a train but here are some pictures of the process. I used casters instead of wheels because I felt like wheels would have been too hard to attach (& I'm not that skilled). In hindsight- I should of used wheels it would have been much easier to pull. But I am cheap & was trying to save money. (Whatever man.) Also-attaching the cars together took some trial and error. I ended up using one large hook between the engine & the coal car; and 4 smaller hooks between the coal car & caboose. I used foam pipe covering (I'm sure that's the official name) & electrical tape as the track. The total cost of the project was about $50. Here the reader's digest tutorial: make 3 boxes (I used MDF) & trim each box out with furring strips. Attach your wheel (casters) & bell. Paint your train. Have endless fun. The tools I used were: miter saw, circular saw (with Kreg Rip Cut), nailer & drill. Message me if you have questions & I'll send you more details :)

2. Let's talk about food. I built a food train. This was SO easy-and a fun way to decorate! I built boxes out of scrap wood to create a train. Spray painted them (but you could use any kind paint). Attached the cars with jute & used a hole punch to make wheels. I already had all the supplies. However, it would probably be $20 to make if you had to go buy all the supplies.

3. Make your space comfortable for your guests. Find a friend who loves to help! Let them be your "host" (take out the garbage, refill drinks, refill food, etc.) They will be a huge help to you as your connect with the guests & the kids. Also-I had designated spaces for: babies, crafts & toys. This kept things organized & not TOO crazy :)

4. Keep the party moving! I had a timeline for the party which included: guests arriving, eating, playing, opening presents & eating cake. I tried to keep it tight so people felt like they could leave. Let's be honest- as much as everyone LOVES a kid's birthday party-they also love staying for an hour :).

5. Have FUN! If party planning is overwhelming and stressful for you-don't do it! No one is going to judge you. I do it - because I like it. Find people to help you! I am a horrible baker! However, my friend is AWESOME at it! She graciously offered to bake the cake! And it was awesome-look at this picture!

So find your people! Stick with them! Ask people for help if you need it! 9 times out of 10 people want to help!!! I promise!

Happy Party Planning!