My first-born turns 7: a Birthday party with a difference

You know your daughter is growing up when she asks to have a sleepover rather than a party. She has always been mature for her age, but this year, I reflect on the birthdays gone by and how rapidly time seems to be moving. 

Past Birthday Parties

First birthday: we cancelled her party as she threw up all over herself in the car on the way to the Playbarn in Poringland – poor lamb.

Second birthday: we had a party at the Playbarn in Poringland. It was so much fun.

Third birthday: this was a teddy bear-themed party courtesy of Maria who was a TinyTalk teacher.

Fourth birthday: another TinyTalk party with Maria.

Fifth birthday: Alice in Wonderland-themed party complete with Alice and the Mad Hatter.

Sixth birthday: bowling for a few of her closest friends.

Seventh birthday: a sleepover with her sister and three school friends!

Firm Ideas

Once the idea of a sleepover had been passed from her to me, I began to wonder about how many friends she would be keen to invite, what they would eat, and most importantly, whether they would actually get any sleep. How would I actually survive the night? My daughter’s close group of friends consists of just the four of them. They are inseparable in school, but have a much more diverse range of friends outside of their primary education. She was keen to invite just them and her younger sister, who has just started in reception. 

Keen to give both of my daughters childhood memories that will last a lifetime, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make this sleepover special.

Birthday Party Teepees

A couple of weeks after the declaration, I saw a Facebook post pop up about teepees. I showed my eldest and she was keen, so there we had it. She would be having a sleepover with individual teepees for her and her friends (and sister!).

I contacted Toni-Mariie instantly and was able to provisionally book the date. She was very efficient and provided me with an invoice almost straight away, but understood that I needed to wait until after payday and the holiday expense to be out of the way before I could settle the deposit. 

Communication was great from start to finish. Around a week before the hire date, I was contacted to arrange a mutually-convenient time for her to come with the teepees and set up the room for the five excitable girls. She arrived punctually and, immediately, it was clear that there was nowhere near enough room for them. However, with plenty of advice and patience (from Toni-Mariie, not me!), we managed to rearrange the room and achieve a setup that all of us liked. 

My daughter ran into the room and was overcome by the end result. She was excitedly jumping around and ever so grateful for her birthday treat. 

When her friends returned from bowling later in the day, they couldn’t believe their eyes either. I am over the moon that I decided to go with these teepees.

Although it certainly isn’t as cheap as getting children to bring their own sleeping bags and camp out on the lounge floor, the decision to hire these teepees was definitely the right one. Each girl felt as though they were being made a fuss of. The individual sleeping areas were fantastic with strings of battery-powered LED lights, individual breakfast trays and lanterns, with cushions, a pillow and blanket each. The attention to detail was fantastic and certainly these teepees were value for money. I am so impressed by everything that I have already recommended Toni-Mariie to all my mummy friends!

For further information, check out their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tonimariieteepee/