Cara turned 3!!! (yes, a month ago!)

So, I never did a recap (that I remember) on Cara's birthday party. Going to start off by saying SORRY to everyone who didn't get invited. And you're probably glad you weren't there. It was COMPLETELY crowded, but that's what happens when you're frugal and have all your parties at home....in a very tiny home :). Not unloved home, just small!

First I have to share what we found on our fridge after everyone left Eric's 30th party....funny :)

Ok, so Cara woke up on her birthday, knowing it was her birthday this year. And I was so excited. We got her a Fancy Nancy dress up dress and shoes for her party. Daddy was going to make her a vanity for her playroom, but VBS was just entirely too time consuming, so that'll be a Christmas gift! Here she is first thing. She went into the living room to find her gifts, and took them to our bed (as Micah and Daddy were still asleep). On the way there, she walked by her cutely decorated tables a la Mommy!
She loved the gifts, but even more funny, look at that Bed Head!! :)

Here she is all dolled up!

Here is Fancy Cara eating her tea party food and drinking her tea (aka grape kool-aid, which no one managed to spill!) :)

After the tea party, we went outside to find some hidden water balloons. Then had a water balloon toss....well, at least the older kids did. The 3 and 4 year olds didn't quite get it!

Here are the petit fours my best friend Trayce made for the party. Can I just say YUM!! And I was eating on them for DAYS :) Here she is opening her many wonderful gifts from family and friends. There was definitely a dress up theme, so she got lots of fun dress up clothes, as well as puzzles, drawing things, clothing, and the list goes on. She (and we) are so blessed to call so many people loved ones!!

And if we weren't crazy enough already, we took Cara to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday dinner. She had such a good time (not that you can tell from this picture) running around, eating pizza, and playing with all the fun things. Eric's parents and sister came with us, and we all had a great time!

And don't think I threw this party without utilizing some deals!! :) One of my favorite places to shop for birthday party stuff is BirthdayExpress.com.

Don't let first glance fool you. The prices look a little up there. However, if you are a savvy shopper like myself (stifled laugh), you know the best way to shop. I ended up getting 2 mylar balloons, some party plates, dessert plates, napkins, favor boxes, etc for $2!!! It's awesome. I did a quick shop (for the plates and napkins) and it was around $11. BUT, as Carrie has taught me, ALWAYS sign up for trial offers (and remember to cancel if you don't like it), and there was a trial offer for something (can't even remember now) that said if you sign up (and got a free month membership), they'd give you $10 back on your next purchase. Well, having used things like these in the past, I knew it also offered a $10 monthly rebate on a past purchase. So, I signed up, went and got the balloons and party favor boxes, and again the bill was around $11, then input the code for $10 off and paid $1. Then I submitted my previous receipt (as simple as forwarding the email you got as a receipt to a specific email address provided by the trial company) for the other $10 back. So, I paid $12, then got a $10 check back in the mail within the week (and then promptly called to cancel my membership). YEA, see deals and birthdays go hand in hand! :)