Let's Flamingle!

So, if you haven't heard by now, Addy Pearl turned 3 earlier this month!!! We've celebrated her lots and lots! If you'd like to go back and re-read her birthday post to her, you can do that here and click here to see how we celebrated her on her actual birth DAY. 

So, planning Adalyn's actual party was just a mess this year. We had originally planned on partying at my mom's house. Addy's 1st birthday was at DJ's dads, and then her 2nd birthday was spent in Chicago with DJ's mom, so we figured it was my mom's turn to be able to celebrate with her! That's what happens when your family is spread everywhere! However, my mom's pool had issues this summer and it still isn't fixed. So, when I was planning this party, I was envisioning a pool party with close family and came up with a Flamingo theme! 

Since my mom's pool was still broken and we ended up traveling in early July, we waited until this past weekend to celebrate at our house. 

So, if you know me, I start planning the girls parties way in advance! Addy's party planning started in April when I found her a flamingo swimsuit and flip flops from Gymboree. 

We flocked our front yard with pink flamingos.

And inside, we were ready to Flamingle!

 I found these fun flamingo and pineapple straws at The Dollar Tree of all places! 

The Dollar Tree also had these cups. They ended up being $.25 each, so I bought a ton and told the kids to take them home after the party.  

 For the record, we are now the owner of a lot of left behind cups! 

I decorated our little kitchen nook with a tassle banner, and set it up as a drink station.  

 The main length of our kitchen was for all of the food. Her plates also came from The Dollar Tree, and the chevron napkins from Target.  

I ordered her a solid pink cake to go with her flamingo theme and found the cake topper at Hobby Lobby. 

 And then I decorated our kitchen table with a tall flamingo, a chalkboard sign, her party hat, pink gumballs, and lots of taffy! 

 I found this flamingo at a store in Alma, Arkansas. 

DJ had our backyard all clean and ready too!  

 So, fun story- the girls and I were driving to the pool one day last week and we found this flamingo planter out by the curb by a trashcan. So, I stopped and grabbed it up! A little wash down and our flamingo find was good to go! My stepdad also likes pink flamingos, so my mom ended up taking the planter home with her and is going to use it on her back patio. It probably needs a new coat of spray paint, and some of the jewels are missing, but it's eclectic and has a fun story! 

 We hung paper lanterns from the patio. 

 We found them at the Dollar Tree too! Seriously, they had some cute stuff! 

I ordered the strand of flamingo lights from Amazon.  

 Outside, we set out the slip-n-slide so I filled this basket with beach towels for the kids, and a little blow up flamingo! 

 I ordered cookies from Sweet T's Cookiehouse and Tiffiney did not disappoint!  

I sent her some photos from Pinterest, just to give her an idea of what we wanted, and they were perfection.  

Little pieces of art, that looked too good to eat!  

But, we did eat them! 

And they were super yummy! If you're not local, you can order from her and she will ship! Because she was going out of town she made these a few days before the party and they still tasted very fresh and I don't think anyone could tell!  

 The kids all played outside on the slip-n-slide and on our playset. Except for Connor, who was dressed to impress! 

 Addy ended up getting cold, so she asked to change clothes halfway through the party! After dinner (DJ grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, made smoked mac-n-cheese, and we had orange fruit dip) we let her open birthday presents. 

 We would tell her who her present was from and she would give it back to them! She didn't understand that she was able to keep her presents! 

But she was happy once she figured it out!  

Her Aunt Tiffany bought her two new ballet babies!  

 We came inside to sing her happy birthday and for cake. 

  

I had my mom cut the cake because she's more of an expert than I am! 

 So, fun tip- if you have a round cake, cut a circle in the middle of the cake, and the cut slices out. Your slices won't be as big, the cake cuts easier, and once the outside is gone, then you can cut the slices from the circle you cut on the inside. 

 Addy requested a white cake. (I really tried to get her to want chocolate, but she was persistent!) Girl knows what she wants! We used the cake service set that my mom bought her for her first birthday...... each of the girls have a cake service set and each year, if we have cake then we use it to cut their birthday cake. When they get married, their birthday knife will become their wedding knife that they use on their wedding day! 

 The kids went back outside to eat their cake! 

 And then they played some more! 

 Gretchen and Connor had a little "cake date" over on the picnic blanket. 

 So, when they get married, this photo will be set up beside their wedding cake! 

 DJ was near by to makes sure they behaved! 

Our birthday girl had a fabulous time!!! 

Thank you to everyone that came to celebrate her and for anyone that left us birthday wishes!!!!