A Princess Party on a Commoner's Budget

In 2 days, our sweet daughter will turn 3. She has such a unique personality because she loves princesses and all things girly...but then she catches a worm or attempts to catch a wasp with her bare hands! She is a spunky, fun, tomboy who loves to be girly. :) She's so fun to have as a daughter.

Some of our family were able to make a birthday celebration on Sunday.

As I was planning, I spent WAY too many hours on Pinterest, "looking" at princess parties (or more so comparing and wanting what others had). They were the most extravagant parties and the more and more I looked at them, the more discouraged I got.

You see, we've had some financial setbacks this month. A huge car repair, an air conditioner that needed repair to our guest's side of the house, food costs, and other unexpected things that came up. I didn't want to spend a penny on a party but wanted to do something fun for this little girl.

And thus, the princess party on a commoner's budget.

The absolute best part? My daughter had the most genuine, sweetest smile on her face the entire time. She LOVED every detail and didn't need that over the top princess party with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. All she needed was to feel loved and cherished....and that, my friends, is free and a gift I can give to her over and over.

She loves princesses so instead of focusing on one, I put them all in the party.

Using my Cricut cutter, I cut out a "Once Upon a Time" decal and put it on the mirror. Aubrey noticed it and said, "Oh!!! Pretty!" :) And the cost? Absolutely nothing

And then, the food. The only thing I paid for with the party but we kept it simple:

And that was Aubrey's princess party on a next to nothing budget.

Some observations about this party compared to others I've planned:

1) I, as the mother, actually enjoyed it. I didn't have activities planned, I didn't have a set schedule to do. The kids played, the adults talked, we brought out dress up clothes, and we just lived in the moment, improvising as we went. I LOVED it and it reminded me of my own birthday parties. I remember playing with cousins or friends and just having a special day.

2) It was so much more about my daughter than about me and impressing others. Her needs came before my wants....and it showed in how the day went. She was so happy :)

3) There doesn't need to be a specific order to birthday parties. All of a sudden, it looked like a good time to open presents so we said, "Hey! Let's have her open presents!" It was so freeing to just go with the flow. 

Birthday Parties don't have to look Pinterest worthy and they absolutely don't have to cost a fortune. A little scrapbooking paper and food go a long way to make a little girl feel like a princess for a day. 

She took Sleeping Beauty to a whole new level on her birthday! The day was so fun that she fell asleep mid-playing on her chair. SO funny :) Oh, Aubrey girl, you are such a joy to have in our family!