Undercover Mama Breastfeeding Tank Giveaway {Something Special For Mom Hop}

I'm so excited to share today's giveaway with you! Undercover Mama is my favorite breastfeeding accessory. I did not receive anything from them to post this giveaway, but they are graciously providing the giveaway prize. I wear Undercover Mama shirts every single day. Literally. Every day. They're amazing!

 

Welcome to the Something Special for Mom Giveaway Hop hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network. Mother's Day will be here before you know it, which is why a group of fabulous bloggers have come together to share gifts and giveaways that are perfect for the special lady in your life! Be sure to hop around to them all, including the Grand Prize of a $100 Gift Card to aka originals! Enter to win the hand stamped jewelry Grand Prize here.

 

Breastfeeding moms, let's talk about fashion. Yes, there are some great clothing options out there these days. Thankfully we're not still in the dark ages when it comes to practical clothing designed for mothers with nursing babies. But what I've discovered is that a lot of times, the really nice nursing clothes have a high price tag to accompany them. I simply don't have the budget to purchase a complete wardrobe just for breastfeeding - especially because a postpartum mom has a body that is constantly changing sizes!

I've been nursing for over three years straight now, and by far, my favorite find for making breastfeeding easier - whether at home or on the go - is the Undercover Mama.

This nursing tank is designed to attach to your favorite nursing bra. You wear it under a normal, non-nursing shirt. The Undercover Mama keeps your skin covered when you pull up a shirt to nurse - but allows super easy access because it's clipped onto your bra. It could not be any more simple.

Undercover Mama is my go to gift for any new mom who is breastfeeding, and I have a secret desire to own one in every single color available. Right now, I have Black, Blueberry, Cream, Gray, Lime, Red, and Brown. Next on my list is definitely Emerald. Or Navy. Or Pink! I've found that I prefer a size smaller than my "normal" size. I like my undershirt to be fairly tight, to keep any extra post-baby skin in place. Make sure you check the size chart before ordering to ensure you get the size you need.

 You can find out more about this awesome company on their website. Make sure you follow along on Facebook and Twitter for contests!

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a an Undercover Mama nursing shirt of choice! This giveaway will end on May 15 at 11:59pm CST.  This giveaway is open to US readers only.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well.  All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Once you have finished entering my giveaway, hop on over and enter to win the Grand Prize! Then hop around to enter all of the other fantastic giveaways, too!

So Easy Being Green, Viva Veltoro, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Something Special for Mom participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations. I received no samples or compensation for featuring Undercover Mama in this giveaway. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Small Business Success with Organization by Office365 from GoDaddy {Giveaway}

This post brought to you by GoDaddy. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

I operate three businesses out of my house: this blog, my drama classes, and my Etsy shop. Sometimes, I think I'm brilliant. Most of the time, I think I'm crazy. Small business ownership is challenging, stressful, fun, and maddening all at the same time.

There are a few things that are especially important to me as the proprietor of my varying enterprises. I want to be sure that each of my brands has its own unique style - but where I have some crossover, I also like for them to be unified. Keeping track of business expenses, sales, sponsors, and more is almost a full time job by itself, so it's crucial to stay organized. Thankfully, organization has always been one of my strong suits (if you saw how many different folders I have to store old emails in, you would probably be shocked) - but even I am challenged in this area sometimes.

I like to sort and answer email on my phone in the morning before my kids wake up and climb off of me to start their day. Email is the only project I typically tackle from my mobile - most of my files are either saved on my laptop or my desktop, so I have to wait until I am at a physical computer to deal with other projects. However, I think that may be changing because I just learned about Office 365 from GoDaddy. Why should this software change my productivity strategy, you ask? It is pretty fantastic because it allows a business owner to access Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, email, contacts, and more from any linked device - and it saves all the changes everywhere! It's like having a business headquartered in the Cloud. Amazing.



I don't have any business employees (yet), but if the day comes, the Collaboration and Online Meeting Solutions offered by Office 365 will certainly be useful. It has the capability to allow multiple users to view and edit a document at the same time. It's like a real life brainstorming session! And another great thing about this software is that there is no advanced IT knowledge required. I set up my account quickly on my own, but Office 365 from GoDaddy is designed for small businesses that don't have IT departments and help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Maybe you already have a small business - or maybe you're thinking of starting one. Either way, here are my top three "must-have" items for running a small business!

1. An Idea - A Really Good One. Businesses succeed when they are able to generate something for their consumers that no one else can make. I am proud of the unique, handmade, one-of-a-kind items for sale in my Etsy shop. I'm thrilled when I can create online content that someone else finds inspiring. But of my three businesses, the most successful is my drama program - which has been running for over ten years now. It's never marketed outside word-of-mouth and continues to grow each year. My business model for the classes are unlike anything I've seen elsewhere, and I believe that's the key to its success.

2. A Computer and a Designated Work Time/Place. When you are first starting out, find the time to sit down and make some goals for your business. While this can be done via a device, I find it easier to have some dedicated work time with a real computer to make sure you know where your business is headed before you jump in headlong. Time set aside just to work on your business model may be difficult to come by if you're a stay/work-at-home mom like I am, but it can be done and it's so worth it.

3. Organization. Regardless of what you are doing or writing or selling, at some point you have to make sure all your ducks are in a row - or you'll have a serious nightmare next tax season. Do yourself a favor and keep track of every business expense and every hour that you work. This is where Office 365 from GoDaddy comes in handy. I can add a Hobby Lobby craft supply receipt to my Etsy spreadsheet immediately after I make the purchase via my mobile, and find it there when I go to balance my accounts later. I can tell you from years of experience that this is more convenient than having a huge pile of receipts to sort through when you've forgotten what half of your purchases were. Please make sure you're keeping business receipts for tax purposes - but ease your organization by entering them ASAP!

What features of Office 365 from GoDaddy would help you most in your small business?

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a 1-year Office 365 GoDaddy Business Essentials plan, and 1-year .COM, .NET or .ORG domain name registration! This giveaway will end on May 12 at 11:59pm CST. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
All views expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Why You Should Use Your Real Camera Sometimes

After Addie was born, I wrote a post about using my cell phone camera all the time because it was more convenient. And, to this day, the majority of my photos are taken with my phone camera. It's almost always with me. It's small and easy to grab and takes decent photos.

But it doesn't take great photos.

Sometimes when I go to clear my camera memory card, I realize that the only things I've photographed in weeks are products for blog reviews, Etsy shop items, or staged photos of birthday parties and crafts. This is not why I bought a fancy camera.

Yes, it's nice to have the proper equipment to take all of those photos - because they are important. However, in twenty years, I will care a lot less about seeing all of the interesting books we read or toys we played with than I will about the photos of sweet little faces and sticky hands and hair that's desperately in need of a cut.

Kids change so quickly. Way, way too quickly. So, snap away with the cell phone when it's the option you have. It may produce some of your favorite photos. But, if you have a nice camera in your possession, get it out and use it.

I snatched this shot with my DSLR in the flower aisle at Hobby Lobby last week.

Take a photo of the sleepy smile of your little one when they first wake up in the morning. Or what they look like when their face is stained with strawberry juice at lunch. Or the glee in their eyes when Daddy comes home from work. 

Don't just shoot at your house. I have so many photos that were taken in our living room. Nothing is wrong with that - but in twenty years, our kids might also be interested in seeing photos of themselves riding in the car or holding your hand at the store or sitting in a Sunday School class with their friends.


Think outside the box and shoot some new photos of your kids this week. Don't miss the opportunity to capture life's littlest moments. They'll be the ones worth remembering someday.

Wordless Wednesday: Take Your Kids To Work Day 2014

Also known as all the plaid and all the cute.

What's New at Adelaide's Attic {April 2014}

I haven't posted an Etsy shop update in a long time, because I haven't had a lot of time to craft! Finally last week, I was able to finish quite a few outstanding projects, and there are some new beauties in my shop! I'm most excited about the Disney Princess inspired hair clips - I just wish my daughter had enough hair to wear them! Maybe one of these days? 

Adelaide's Attic by Director Jewels is growing as a shop, and it's such a fun business venture. I'm highlighting a few of my favorite new items below. Please share with a friend if you see something they might love. Use coupon code DJBLOGREADER for 10% off your purchase in the shop anytime - just because I'm happy you're here!

Mint Rosette Headband on Houndstooth Band by Adelaide's Attic

Set of 8 Disney Princess Inspired Hair Clips by Adelaide's Attic

Miniature Owl Plush Toys by Adelaide's Attic

Set of Elsa & Anna Disney Frozen Inspired Princess Hair Clips by Adelaide's Attic

Navy & Pink Chevron Rosette Headband by Adelaide's Attic

Owl Ribbon Tag Security Lovey Blanket by Adelaide's Attic

Individual Disney Character Inspired Hair Clips by Adelaide's Attic

If you're a blogger who would be interested in featuring my shop in a review and giveaway, feel free to send me a message! I only take on a small number of promotions at a time, but I'd love to get you on my schedule.

Along Came You by Karona Drummond {Children's Book Review}

Disclosure: I received a sample copy of this book to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's no secret that life changes when a little one joins your family. One of my earliest "mom memories" is from when Lincoln was about three days old and not sleeping at night at all. I remember walking circles around our living room and kitchen, singing lullabies from my childhood and thinking how my sleepless baby was so very beautiful. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest changes in my life since kids is the amount of sleep I manage to scrape up. And while I may be grumpy and exhausted half the time, deep down I know that these are the most precious moments of life.

We received a board book version of Along Came You by Karona Drummond to review. I had not heard of this sweet little book from Zonderkidz before it arrived at our door, but it is quickly becoming a favorite. This is a sweet little storybook that features a mom and her little girl going about their everyday adventures. I think this book hits home with me because I try very hard to focus on the small moments of life.

Each page depicts a "before you" and "after you" and helps explain to a child how mommy's world changed after they came along. This author must be a mom of little ones, because she's definitely captured the beauty of a typical day with a preschooler. There is playing dress up, reading storybooks, and having teddy bear friends at breakfast. I am usually tearing up by the end of this story - because life really is amazing with my kids.

The board book edition is fantastic for our family because my kids are not easy on their books. I think this one will be a favorite in our collection for years to come.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for my review sample of this book. I received no compensation for posting a review and all views expressed are my own.

17/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Lincoln - Daddy took this. Love having a different perspective than the way I shoot.
Addie - Sneaking her way into my Etsy shop photo session.

 

Linking up at Practising Simplicity.

The Apple Tree & The Honey Bee by Bari Koral Family Rock Band CD {Review + Giveaway}

Disclosure: I received a sample CD for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

I'm so excited to tell you about this fun new album we have discovered just in time for summer road trips! We have a couple of trips coming up, so I've been seeking out new music to play for the kids while we drive and there's no doubt that The Apple Tree & The Honey Bee, the upcoming release from Bari Koral Family Rock Band, will be a big hit!

People Magazine named Bari Koral's 2012 release, Anna and the Cupcakes, one of that year's coolest albums for kids. We're going to have to look that one up, because I think we are hooked on her music! Her music has been featured on Sirius/XM Radio and PBS, as well.

Bari uses her music to encourage the "yoga for kids" movement and will soon be hosting the world's first yoga-based, movement-and-music TV show for kids on the Veria Living Network. This album will be released on May 13, 2014 and is aimed at kids ages 1-7. Both Lincoln and Addie have a great time dancing along to each tune.

Here's the track list -

1. Dancing Bear
2. Apple Tree
3. Big Truck
4. Birthday
5. Bee
6. When I'm Five
7. Sisters & Brothers
8. Roller Coaster
9. Yes & No
10. Fall Down
11. Back To The Farm
12. Give A Hug

Every song on this album is catchy, so I am having a hard time picking out my favorites! Lincoln likes Birthday (I think seeing all the photos of his firetruck birthday party this week have reminded him that birthdays are awesome). He's also, of course, a big fan of Big Truck since trucks are still the coolest thing ever in our house! A few of my top choices are Apple Tree (such a great bouncing tune), Sisters & Brothers (so cute to sing with my kids together - it definitely supports family bonding), and Yes & No (fierce banjo picking and it's just fun to sing).

There's a great subject variety to keep kids captivated and waiting for each new song. We love them all!

Hop over to Bari Koral Family Rock Band's website, where you can read all about Bari's music. You can also follow along on Facebook and YouTube!

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a copy of "The Apple Tree & The Honey Bee" on CD! This giveaway will end on May 19 at 11:59pm CST. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: Thank you to Waldmania for providing my sample CD and the giveaway prize! I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Firetruck Birthday Party Decorations and Favors from Oriental Trading {Review}

Disclosure: I received samples from Oriental Trading to facilitate this review. This review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the products listed. No other compensation was received. This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog and my family!

Something I learned very quickly after my second baby arrived was that there was no way I could continue doing as many craft and DIY projects. I've tried valiantly for the past eighteen months, but there are just never enough hours in the day to get everything done. So when I started working on ideas for Lincoln's firetruck birthday party, I turned to other sources than my own creative power. It's better sometimes to let someone else be in charge, as much as I may not like to admit it.

While searching for firetruck themed party decorations, I found Oriental Trading and I was thrilled! Their selection of decorations, party goods, and favors was just what I was looking for to round out our party.

We received several fantastic fire-themed items to use at our party. My decorating load was greatly eased by the Fire Garland and Hanging Swirls. I love adding little details to every area of a party, so these were just perfect! I received multiple compliments on the party design and have to say that much of it was due to these decorations. We also received Red Stripe Paper Straws to use with our drinks. The kids got a huge kick out of those.

My favorite parts of our Oriental Trading products were the favors! We chose to give our party guests each a Fire Dalmatian Puppy, a Fire Fighter Duck, and a Fire Fighter Hat.

This puppy adoption idea was not mine originally (I found it on Pinterest), but isn't it the cutest?! Everyone thought it was a perfect accent for the party. I made the "Please Adopt A Puppy" sign using cardstock and a friend's Cricut machine. Each party guest was really excited to grab a "fire puppy" on the way out the door.

The fire hats and ducks were big hits, too. Unfortunately everyone ran off with the ducks before I could even grab a photo!

Lincoln was most excited about the Fireman Toddler Costume that he received. We saved it for him until the day of his party, and he loved trying it on. He did have a small meltdown when asked if he was a fireman - because, as he said, "NO, my name INKY!" - but other than that, he's loved it. Addie thinks it's great too, and often the two of them disagree on who should get to be the firefighter that day.

The coat and boots are made for toddler dress-up play, and have held up pretty well in spite of my kids striving to destroy them. The hat is most impressive about this set; it's hard plastic and has yet to be damaged in any way! I think it will be around for years of playing pretend.

I am so pleased with everything we ordered from Oriental Trading - especially because it took a lot of responsibility off of me to hand make everything! I know they will be a go-to source for our future parties. I'm already looking for ideas for Addie's second birthday party, which is just over six months away!

Disclosure: I received samples from Oriental Trading to facilitate this review. This review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the products listed. No other compensation was received. For more information, you can read my Disclosure Policy.

Kansas City Door to Door Organics {Review + Coupon Code}

Disclosure: I received a gift card to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received and all views expressed are my own. I'm still subscribing to Door to Door Organics out of my own pocket, so please believe me when I say this is a great service.
 
There are two things you should know about me and grocery shopping.

1. I feel strongly about feeding my family the best foods available - whole, organic food whenever possible.

2. I despise going to the grocery store. It is seriously one of my least favorite tasks ever.

So, when I heard about Door to Door Organics, a grocery delivery service here in Kansas City, I honestly thought it was probably too good to be true - or far too expensive to consider. However, I was growing really tired of having limited organic produce selections at any of the grocery stores I frequent. I can get Red Delicious apples and bananas at Target - but if I want broccoli or carrots, I have to make a separate trip to HyVee or Nature's Pantry or even Whole Foods. And all of this is usually done with both kids in tow - so you can probably imagine that the process gets old very quickly.

Door to Door Organics provides a way to shop for groceries online and have them delivered - fresh - to your door. Here's how it works -

1. Select a produce box.
2. Choose a delivery day.
3. Set preferences for your likes and dislikes.
4. Customize your order each week.
5. Shop for additional groceries (if desired).

That's it. There's no separate delivery fee or any hidden charges. I was pretty excited to try it out.

There are four box sizes to choose from: Bitti, Small, Medium, and Large. Most sizes can be customized with all fruit, all vegetables, or a mixture of the two. What comes in each week's box is predetermined by Door to Door Organics, but you are allowed five substitutions per week. We are really picky eaters here, and so far the five substitutions have been just right to make sure we have produce that won't go to waste. The produce is all certified USDA Organic and is locally sourced whenever possible.

In addition to the produce boxes, there is an entire online grocery store featuring wonderful whole food products that can be added on to your order each week, with no additional delivery fee! I was so excited to find local bread and eggs available in the store.

We've received two subscription boxes so far, and I'm in love. Price-wise, I don't think I am paying much more (if any) than I would for the same organic produce at my local store - especially when I take into consideration all the times I have driven to two or more stores in search of an item. With the delivery included, Door to Door Organics provides a great value.

For our first delivery, I selected the Small Mixed Produce box. Here's what it contained -

-1 lb Red Potatoes
-3 Valencia Oranges
-2 Russet Potatoes
-1 Garlic Bulb
-3 Kiwi Fruit 
-1 lb Carrots
-2 Mango
-3 Gala Apples
-3 Bartlett Pears
-5 Bananas
-1 Granny Smith Apple 

I also added to our order (outside of the produce box):
-Stacey's Organic 8 in Whole Wheat Tortillas
-Bread of Life Whole Wheat Bread
-1 Dozen La Ferme du Bonheur Farm Fresh Eggs
-1 lb Strawberries

My total cost for all this food? $51.86.

The delivery itself was perfect. I selected "please don't ring my doorbell" because I never have any idea if my kids might be asleep when deliveries arrive. There was no announcement that my delivery arrived at all - it was just quietly left on my porch. I was excited to bring it in and check out all the food goodness inside!

Farm fresh eggs carefully wrapped.

Door to Door Organics reuses or recycles all of their packing materials - boxes, ice packs, everything. When I unpack my box, I just toss everything back inside and leave it in a spot where I will remember to set it outside on my next delivery day. Bloggers tend to have a lot more mail than normal people, and I have piles of packing supplies and boxes in my house - I'm very glad to have a designated place for this set of packaging to go.

I've talked about the service, the contents, and the delivery - but what about the quality?

I'm pleased to say that the quality is spectacular. I like to pick out my own produce in the store, and I scrutinize each piece to make sure I'm not spending hard-earned money on bruised or spoiled fruit and veggies. This was clearly a hand-picked order, with great quality all around. Even the box of strawberries (what I was most worried about) were beautiful.

I won't always be able to include the add-ons like bread, eggs, and tortillas - but they were so delicious! I'm thrilled to know I have the option if we have the financial freedom to order them with our box delivery.

Our second delivery has arrived as well. I switched us over to a Bitty box, since that's a little more budget friendly. It contained the following -

-8 Bananas
-2 Kiwi Fruit
-1 Mango
-2 Russet Potatoes
-1 bunch Broccoli
-1 lb Carrots
-4 Valencia Oranges
-2 Lemons

Our Bitty box total was $26.13 plus tax. Again, by the time I take into consideration driving to multiple stores to find all the produce I need, this is definitely a deal. There has been a lot of yummy smoothie making in our house this past week! Lincoln and Addie scarfed down smoothies that contained kiwi, strawberries, oranges, broccoli, and carrots. And that makes this mama happy!

Door to Door Organics has been around since 2004. Their mission is simple -  to establish access to nutritious food to every resident of Kansas City and beyond. We are working to expand the market for agriculture that enriches the earth and all of us. We enable people to enjoy healthy lifestyles and great-tasting organic produce.
If you're in KC and want to try out the service, use coupon code jewels to get $10 off your first order!

You can follow along on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news. Make sure you check out the upcoming free Kansas City event Taste of Local 2014 for a sampling of all Door to Door Organics has to offer!

Do you shop for local, organic foods? Do you think this service would benefit your family?

Lincoln's Firetruck 3rd Birthday Party

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog and my family!

When Lincoln turned three, it only made sense to have a truck themed birthday party. It was a toss up between firetrucks and monster trucks, but ultimately a firetruck party seemed the perfect choice. The party ended up rescheduled because Addie had pneumonia (it was a long winter), but it was still a great success!

And the party was only TWO months ago, so I'm doing better about sharing photos than I did for Addie's owl first birthday party, right?

The party favor station was a pretty big hit! The kids loved their dalmatian fire puppies and fire hats! If you're looking for fire Dalmatian puppies, you can check here and here and here.

I used a friend's Cricut to make the birthday banner. The firetruck stickers were purchased at Hobby Lobby, on a sheet of random vehicle stickers.

The mantel display was my favorite part of the decorations. The little flaming buildings were put together with brown wrapping paper, black cardstock, some basket shred filling, and hot glue.

For the flames at the top, I twisted crepe paper in orange, red, and yellow up to the ceiling and held it in place with push pins.

I added crepe paper to the fan in the kitchen, above the table display.

Not my best party table ever, but it worked. Several things got nixed from the to-do list since Addie was sick for two weeks before the party and I just ran out of hours. However - I again thought the flaming buildings turned out pretty cute, and they made a great backdrop for the cupcakes!

Lincoln's firetruck birthday shirt is from Zoey's Attic Personalized Gifts and it was the perfect touch! Read my Zoey's Attic review for more about this great company.

Our party food display. I need to work on my baking and especially food coloring skills, but at least the kids seemed to have no problem devouring my less-than-gorgeous "fire" cupcakes. The mini firetrucks doubled as decorations and favors, and went home with Lincoln's guests.

I felt pretty good about how it all turned out, even if I didn't get to finish everything I had planned to do.

Lincoln had conflicting emotions about the party and went from being excited that everyone was coming over to shouting that no one could come in his house, in the space of about ten seconds. It was...awesome. Or something. Oh, to be three years old! Make sure you have a firefighter outfit on hand for the birthday kid if you go with this theme...it was a big hit for my little guy.

My grandpa is always a popular party guest.

The kids also enjoyed the less-than-amazing pizza. It was just not a good night for us in the food department.

The only structured activity was the DIY Fire Fighter Game - and it was a huge hit!

Lincoln was really excited to blow out his candles. He was less sure about sharing the cupcakes with his friends, but there were no serious meltdowns.

We had a fun time celebrating with so many friends!

And of course, he was pretty excited about opening some birthday gifts. Addie wanted in on the action, too.

He was most surprised and excited by the vintage tricycle from my parents and the epic Thomas train set from daddy's parents. Both have been played with as often as possible since the party!

Overall, our party turned out really cute and was enjoyed by all! Lincoln asked for days afterward if we could have another firetruck party. I don't know what we'll do for his birthday next year, but I know he'll be even more excited about it. I love planning parties, and it's even more fun when the child is enthusiastic about the planning process!