Oh, what a day!
I fully intended to give Everly a low-key, understated third birthday. It's been a wild year, we're still not settled into a new home of our own yet, and honestly I'm just tired most of the time. But then I discovered her love of bounce houses, and that was that!
One late night -- after mulling it over for a while, researching prices, (and enjoying a few glasses of wine), I pulled the trigger on a rental. That would be our gift to her and I knew she would love it, even if it was only for just us to enjoy.
We ended up inviting over just a handful of our closest friends and toddlers to revel in a sunny day of jumping, sliding and sensory playing with snacks and sweets. Since Ev has been super into dinosaurs lately, we couldn't resist a "Three-Rex" theme for our little wild thing. Luckily, dino decor is very easy to come by. I grabbed some basics from the Dollar Tree and Target's Dollar Spot, with a few key Etsy finds.
Evie had an absolute blast -- and so did we. Her eyes lit up when she saw the bounce house in our backyard and she is still saying that was her favorite part about her birthday! Check out our photos from the day in the gallery below (although a cute family shot was definitely NOT in the cards for us) and if you're searching for gift ideas for a special three-year-old in your life, you can shop a few of my favorite Amazon picks here.
Also, consider a Sensory-Based Busy Box or Monthly Subscription from Mom Needs a Minute!
A few other notable birthday memories! Mike's parents drove up to share a special day with the kids and take Everly out for a birthday breakfast. And earlier in the week, we traveled to Pittsburgh to meet up with our friends from LA and Evie's birthday twin for a mini celebration. Gotta keep that tradition going! (If you don't know that story, we explain everything here: Everly's 'Two Wild' Celebration With Her Birthday Twin.)
MORE BIRTHDAY FUN!
Everly's 'Two Wild' Pandemic Birthday