Invitation

The invitation was just sent out digitally to save money – but also because Mila was not at school yet, we would have had to drive to each friend’s house to give them the invitation as opposed to her being able to hand it out at school.

You can download a blank invitation template here.

Cupcake Tags

I also designed some of these cupcake tags to carry the theme through (OTT – I know!)

You can download the cupcake printables here.

Gifts

I love gifts – both giving and receiving them and while I don’t completely understand why kids are given gift bags when they leave a party, since I love giving gifts so much I did want to have something for Mila to give to her friends as they left. What I definitely do not understand at all, is why children (after spending a few hours eating party food) are then given a gift bag full of more ‘party food’ to take home! So to avoid that lunacy, I decided to make something – something that didn’t result in temper tantrums and would last for longer than a few bites. I got my ‘craft’ on and spent a couple of months making these little kitties (note to self: make something easier for Mila’s 3^rd birthday party!).

You can get the Kitty pattern here.

The kitties had little tags around their necks so that each friend could write their chosen name for their adopted kitten. (It also helped identify whose was whose when it was time to go home).

The ‘Adopt A Kitty” Station.

The fruits of my labour!

I also made these Kitty Ears for each friend. (OTT – but oh so cute!)

Décor

As a graphic designer and a once-upon-a-time marketing manager, once I come up with a concept it ‘has’ to follow through into all aspects of the ‘event’. In the interest of saving money (although not time) I made silhouette cut outs as the décor.

I took a photo of Mila and her cat and used their silhouettes – life size and all! I love that I now have a cardboard silhouette to scale of Mila when she was 2 years old – it is still stuck on the wall in our lounge.

You can download my silhouettes here:
Kitty Walking & Kitty Sitting

Mila and her kitty’s life-size silhouettes.

Simple back cardboard kitty cut outs were very effective as decoration.

I had a stamp made from my drawing of our kitty, and stamped the large format paper which I used as a table cloth.

Mila’s Outfit

This was an easy one! A black ballet leotard, black footless stockings and a tail made from a stuffed stocking loosely sewn onto the leotard!

With one of the kitty ear headbands and a nose and whiskers with black face paint .

Food

Okay – a year down the line I am happy to say that my gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free cooking skills had improved dramatically!

On the menu:

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• Sour Gummy Sweets
• Date Balls (plain and chocolate covered)
• Raw Cacao Chocolate Fudge
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Popcorn (make sure it’s non-GMO corn!)

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Get the recipe here! (These sweets are delicious – and good for the gut too!)

You can find this recipe in my book Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics

You can find this recipe in my book Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics

You can find this recipe in my book Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics

The Result?

The kids loved their gifts and the food, the adults polished off the extra cupcakes saying they tasted better than ‘normal’ ones, the kids didn’t turn in possessed creatures after eating (since there was no sugar or artificial colourants or preservatives) – in fact, they had their daily quota of protein, healthy fats and vegetables! My mom was not horrified by the food (the year before she had said “How can you feed people this?” – she had a point!) All in all, it was a great success!

(I was tired though, and swore I would not ‘go to town’ as much for the next one… well, 12 months has a way of wiping your memory clean!)

Up next Mila’s Rainbow Flower Fairy Party…