BATTER UP!

In June my little boy turned 3 and it was apparent we would be having a baseball themed party. Everything he played turned into a baseball bat & ball; in fact even everything he ate--carrots were bats, peas were balls, hot dogs were bats, buns were rolled into balls, when I say everything, I mean everything! As it was near the 4th of July, I went for an all American, red, white and blue & baseball too theme.

Invite by DimplePrints (of course!)

Menu: We went for the classics; burgers, hot dogs, french fries & concession fare-popcorn, licorice, soft pretzels, candy, sunflower seeds & lots more (sadly no peanuts & cracker jacks here, due to our kids food allergies). Drinks-Old fashioned soda

Dessert: I am no cake decorator, by any means. My normal cake people (my aunt or sister) both live out of the state and I have been left to fend for myself and boy could I use some pointers & tips! Love these baseball cupcakes & cookies, wish I could have pulled these off (looks easy right, but when working with vegan/allergen free cake & dairy free frosting-nothing is easy!)!

Cupcakes & cookies by bhg.com

Decorations: Red, White & Blue

I used 4th of July decor & bunting to create a classic ball park theme.

Centerpieces: I filled galvanized buckets with astroturf & baseballs. I created table runners out of $1/yard fabric found at Walmart. I created banners, cupcake toppers & signs to coordinate.

Games: The kiddos were a bit too young to play any organized baseball, but we set-up baseball tees for them to practice. I also picked up foam water splash baseballs at the dollar store and they played with them. Other ideas for older kids: Ball pass, longest hit/throw, or even a good old game of baseball.

Other Ideas: If you know me, you know that I insist we all dress-up for our parties. My husband hates it (he's not much of a costume person!), but I (and my kids) love it! I happened to find shirts for myself & kids at Children's place this summer (glad the boys size fit me!). I would have loved customized shirts, but just ran out of time I love these darling shirts by MSK Wear, she even has baseball dresses for sister!:

I always have a sign in book of some sorts, this year I decided to have guests autograph a baseball, which has been a fun keepsake after the party.

Favors: We gave out plastic bats & balls, which I was able to find at the dollar store!

It was a wonderful party. Happy 3rd Birthday Payton!