Birthday party ideas

So, it’s getting close to my birthday and my wife is busy organizing a huge shindig for all of our friends.  This party will be held outdoors at a local park.  We’ll fire up the BBQ, chill some adult beverages in a cooler from Costco, and bring a frisbee to toss around.  We’ll do our best to step over (instead of on top of) all the small children who will also be attending.  And we’ll take a step back from the grind of the daily life to relax and to be grateful for our friendships and community.  As the person who’s getting one year older (and none the wiser!), I thought I should share some of my personal birthday party ideas to make the event a huge success!

1. Don’t overplan.  You can’t get all the details perfect all the time, so the best thing to do is make sure the big things are taken care of.  Like: Everyone knows where to show and what time.  Remember that just being among your friends and family is enough to have a good time.  No one is going to care if you only have one brand of beer, or if you run out of ketchup.  Focus on the big things before the small things.
2. Make sure you have too much food.  There’s nothing worst than going to a party and leaving hungry!  Your guests are busy people.  They are taking time from their busy day to be with you on your special day, so make sure you thank them.  And nothing says Thanks like a belly full of delicious food.
3. Fluids…It’s getting hot out there, so be sure to provide plenty of drinks for your guests.  With summer full swing in most parts of the country, there’s a lot of heat to contend with, and dehydration can really sneak up on people, especially if you’re also serving alcohol.
4. Make a list and triple check it.  I’ve always found it extremely helpful to create a list of tasks as the first step in planning.  Sitting down and calmly thinking through (and writing down) all the things you’ll need for your birthday party is a much easier way to generate ideas and keep things in order.  On the day of the party, you could be too frantic to focus in and get the details done.
5. Have fun.  Don’t forget the reason for your birthday party.  It’s all about having fun!  If you start to go down the road where it’s overwhelming you and no longer fun, turn the ship!  You’re not reaching your goal.  Your goal is to have a good time.  Period.  Now focus on that!