One of the things I'm most often asked to do is help collaborate on birthday party planning. This is a ton of fun, especially when it comes to parties for little ones. Kids have so much imagination, so there's no limit to what kinds of themes and ideas they propose.
When a friend opened an awesome play cafe in Walnut Creek, California, I was excited to be brought onboard to help design the party packages she would be offering. While there is nothing at all wrong with wanting an Elmo or Frozen party, the ones that I think are the most fun are those with looser themes, which is why I created suites that were more ideas and starting points, and didn't include any licensed characters. There's so much more room for creativity and fun when you aren't tied to a certain character or company to provide you with everything. But with all that freedom comes a big challenge.
Many people are intimidated at the prospect of creating a full party from scratch, and with good reason. It is a lot more challenging to come up with coordinated items that aren't all sold in one package. When you buy the Princess Party Fun Kit from the local party store, you don't have to worry if the napkins will match the tablecloth, or if the favor bags will go with the cake. For a kid that knows she loves Ariel or Jasmine, this is perfect, and honestly a lot simpler for parents. Some kids, though, have a more complicated idea of what they want, or it's something that isn't tied directly to a "standard" theme. If, say, your daughter wants a painting party or decides she wants her day to be about bugs or some other random thing, it's near impossible to find a packaged set that will include all those things.
Sites like Pinterest have become incredible tools for inspiration. There are so many creative people out there and I am in complete awe of their design skills and innovation when it comes to designing themes and coordinating all the thousands of party items out there. I've pinned more parties than I could ever hope to throw and keep wishing my niece and nephew lived closer so I could do monthly birthday celebrations just for an excuse to decorate the house and bake cupcakes.