A Mom's Spare Time: Frozen Birthday Party (for real people)

So, as I posted Monday, Sheridan turned SEVEN this week. Still not quite sure how that happened.

I do not by any means think every child's birthday party needs to have a theme, it just makes it fun for me. I do big themed events at work, and I figure I should put a little of that energy into my own kids' parties! I also don't believe in breaking the bank, though, so these are all ideas you can do on a very limited budget.

When I asked Sheridan a couple months ago what theme she wanted, she settled pretty firmly on the movie Frozen. After my initial thoughts of "Really? Still???" I realized the month following Christmas is the perfect time for a Frozen themed party - all those snowflakes and white tinsel at 75% off!

I think I spent a total of $10 on decorations, and mostly on items I can use again next Christmas. Score! I put most of it up while she was at Grandma's, so she came home to a (smallish) winter wonderland. The gift table to the right has white tinsel garland wrapped in white Christmas lights (thanks Grandma!), making it look extra fancy at no cost.

I showed the kids how to make snowflakes a couple weeks ago, and they went to town.

They were EVERYwhere (still are). That was one part of decorating I could let Sheridan do all on her own, satisfying both of our needs to be in control.

Small splurge at the dollar store:

I was going to make a snowball toss game, but ended up just using them as utensil holders.

Our only activity (besides running through the house screaming, which is generally a given) was making snow slime:

I had one bowl with glue and glitter, and one with water and Borax, and they just had to mix equal parts. Then they got a baggie to take it home in (you're welcome, parents! I'm sure you'll get me back.)

If it's any consolation, I dumped the leftovers in my sink, and the glitter stuck to the stainless steel like you would not believe! Oops.

Instead of goodie bags, I made cocoa packets.

Thank-you, Disney, for making an easy-to-draw character! Each cup had a package of cocoa mix, blue candy cane, Frozen themed cookies for dunking, and a plastic spoon dipped in melted chocolate and silver sprinkles.

I love that all our friends from school seem to be healthy eaters - they'll eat cake, of course, but just as enthusiastically clear out a veggie tray. Since the party was at lunch time, I served the following:

Heck, it was already there, might as well slap a label on it.

Too lazy to clear off the buffet, so I draped it all in a 97 cent tablecloth and more Christmas decorations.

The blackberries were on sale, so I bought a ton - but I couldn't think of a "Frozen" connection other than reindeer poop. They were mostly devoured regardless.

Meatballs - which I almost didn't make, since we had sandwiches, but certain people told me they only came for my meatballs. Well, then.

Blue punch, lemon lime soda, and pineapple sherbet. Rather flavorless, I thought, but the kids didn't care. Oh, ignore the half-empty bottle of wine in the back.

And, of course, the cake! I always bake the cake, and Daddy decorates. Sheridan spent hours looking at all these fancy designs on Pinterest that were way beyond our abilities. Thank-you to my friend Lisanne for sharing this idea:

Simple sugar candy shattered after it cooled. The figures were a part of her birthday present from us (ooh, look at all the tiny pieces, that's...great.) I was originally going to make it an ice cream cake - just cut out the middle part and fill it with ice cream (we found a blue and white swirl kind). That...didn't work out. Fortunately, issues happened BEFORE I added the ice cream, so I just had to re-bake an entire cake is all. Stupid Pinterest.

Sheridan had her Elsa dress from Halloween, and Shane was a tiny crazed snowman in his old Olaf costume. There was a flurry of activity and excitement before the guests came...