Grace-Full Intentions: Create an Entertaining Kit

{Tablescape shown above is from the talented Heather of WhipperBerry}

A Little Back Story

My son will be celebrating his fourth birthday in December. Now, with only four months to until his special day, I'm trying to start the planning process. Now, for a little background, last year's celebration was a circus theme {thank you Pinterest} that my mother and I poured time, sweat, and our hard-earned money into... only to have a handful of people show up! Talk about disappointing!

But why were we disappointed? I mean, Little Man had a great time and didn't seem to mind one bit that only a handful of people came. Well, I'm embarrassed to admit that I had gotten caught up in trying to impress the guest more than celebrate the guest of honor. As soon as clean up started, I vowed not to let that ever happen again!

Fast forward to several months ago. I came across this post from wordplayhouse.com titled "Bringing Birthdays Back Home" and the idea behind it was that children's birthdays should be about the celebrating the life of your child instead of turning it into some expensive, albeit impressive, production. It was about allowing the child to take part in the planning and decorating. It was about keeping things simple. Friends, this post was my "Aha!" moment.

With that post as my inspiration, I am pledging that, from now on, my child's birthday parties are going to 1} take place at home and 2} be kept simple. I will only invited the people who play an active role in his life, instead of everyone that I think might be offended if they're not invited. I will not go all out on decoration that will only be used for those few hours and then tossed aside, never to see the light of day again.

Now, About That Kit...

This new mindset got me thinking about how I can keep birthdays simple. Then, {just so you know how my mind works} I got to thinking about other get-togethers we have at our home. Next thing I know, starts to think about my love of organizing with kits and how I could probably make one for when we entertain. Thus, the idea for an "Entertaining Kit" was born {though I'm sure someone, somewhere has already done this...}.

Here's what I'm thinking I'll need:

1. A CHALKBOARD - There is no rule as to what kind of chalkboard or frame I will buy, it just needs to be versatile enough to fit most any get-together. I can use it to welcome guests, write a special note to my birthday boy, or to display the menu.

2. A SET OF GLASS CANISTERS - These particular ones are from Crate and Barrel {for a whopping $80}. But, if I keep my eyes open, I can find some at thrift stores and yard sales. Even if I have no luck there, I can use a 40% Hobby Lobby coupon to score some jars for a reasonable price. {Any other advice on where to find them?}

3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BANNER - Making a birthday banner that is used year after year can become a great tradition for my kiddo. Hopefully, this is something I can DIY. {But, if not, I can always buy one like the one above; sold HERE.}

4. COLORFUL CANDLESTICKS - The great thing about candlestick is that you can buy them for mere change at your favorite thrift store or the yard sale down the street. You can also spray paint them to match whatever colors you've chosen for your upcoming celebration. {Photo found HERE.}

5. A LARGE GALVANIZED TUB - I'll probably use one of these babies to keep drink cold, but you could also use it to corral gifts or turn it upside down to elevate an item or two on the food table. Plus, when the party is over, I can use it to store some of these other party supplies. {This particular one can be purchased HERE.}

6. FABRIC - Fabric is, by far, the most inexpensive and versatile item to have on hand for a party. Couple it with good ol' modge podge and you'll bee unstoppable! I could use it to make a special garland in the coordinating party theme/colors or simply drape a large piece over the entire food table for a colorful tablecloth. {This photo was found HERE.}

7. WHITE DISHES - There's a reason that so many people are embracing white dishes: they go with EVERYTHING! There won't be a party you could have where white dishes would clash. Plus, I'm also kind of loving how the bamboo {?} items contrast against the white. Oh, and for the sake of honesty, I probably will only use white dishes for serving pieces, unless it's a really small crowd. Otherwise, I'm going to purchase paper plates.

8. MASON JARS - Ah, mason jars, how I love you! Okay, so it's not that serious, but I do think they're pretty fantastic, if for no other reason than their versatility. I plan on building up a stash of these to use primarily as drinking glasses, but they also double as utensil or candle holders. {Photo found HERE.}

9. STRIPED STRAWS - Okay, so they can't exactly be reused over and over again, but I figure, if this is one of the few disposable supplies I buy, then I'm doing pretty good. Plus, they're just so much fun! {Click HERE to purchase these.}

10. RECIPE BINDER - If you're anything like me, when it comes time to figure out what to feed everyone, you mentally panic because all of a sudden your mind goes blank... Am I right? Well, this will no longer be an issue when you have a designated space for your favorite entertaining recipes. You can either carve out a special section of your recipe binder {like the one shown above} or you can dedicate a separate binder to recipes for a crowd {and keep that separate binder with your "Entertaining Kit", of course}.

Oh, yeah, and I'd like it all to be stored, nice and neatly, inside one of these:

{VIA}

Is that too much to ask? ;) In all seriousness, though, I would have to find a way to organize this party stuff. *Sigh* But, that's another post for another day...

What I want to do now is to ask you:

If you were creating an entertaining kit of your own, what would you include {that I didn't}?

Blessings,