Random Splendor...: His Jungle Party Details

This was Caleb's year for a big party. Big - as in he could invite a group of friends, and we would decorate the house up for him and all his guests. Well, more on the guest list he had in a later post (because it was as unique as Caleb himself).

When we went to look at party decorations we were not impressed. He finally settled on Batman. I said that would be fine because I figured that would be easy to make some things to go along with that. A few minutes later at Walmart I was getting plain paper plates that we needed to restock with at home when Caleb spotted the zoo animals paper plates set. . . "More decorations" he shouted my way. And then he made a decision.
"Mom! A Jungle Party! A JUNGLE PARTY! That is what I was always wanting!"
That was not as easy to come up with decorations for, I was thinking, but I wasn't about to rain on his jungle parade. And so...I began considering how to make jungle decor.

Seeing as I was still recuping from surgery, I went ahead and got a bakery made cake. Thankfully they did have one "Jungle" themed cake. So that helped alot.

Along with the cake, I bought 2 green tablecloths and 2 green pom poms and a set of plastic African animals, and 2 packs of jungle masks (randomly found at Freds for $1 a pack).

So all in all, we had a $19 cake and $12 in party supplies. That was about it. I had no idea how, but somehow I was going to try and turn our dining room into a Jungle.

Thats when Susanne (my Mom) came out in me :) That Saturday I had no plans on how to do it, but I put the kids down for a nap and got started on decorating. I had this broken toilet paper holder stacked up with our garbage and all the sudden it hit me...we needed a tree! Perfect!

So, broken toilet paper holder, a brown paper grocery sack and some green construction paper and scrapbook paper and voila! An exotic jungle tree :) This helped our table look alot more festive :)

After that I added some jute twine and cut up a bunch of little leaves and hot glued them quickly onto the tree. I even thought to make a little jungle vine and glued one of the little african monkeys onto it. I cut up alot of green leaves to sprinkle on the table and then added a lot of plastic animals around his cake (and a couple extra onto his cake).

Then I had a little issue because my dryer rack was full of wet clothes that I didn't want to have to move. Problem solved! I took the extra green tablecloth and draped it over it, and then took a blue one leftover in our party box and ....hope against hope that it resembled a waterfall in the jungle.

Other than that, I hung up the balloons, laid out the plates, cups and hung up the pom poms and then we were ready. Finally the kids woke up from their nap and it was time!

My absolute favorite part of the kids parties is when they come through and see their decorations. I don't know why but it has become something over the years I really enjoy. To do something special for my kids and to see their reaction. Caleb's reaction was everything I was hoping for! :) He was so pleased! And it made me happy. I know our parties are simple but little kids look at things differently than we do...wish that didn't have to happen as we grow up!

His reaction!