My sweet pup turned three today! To celebrate, I threw him a Young, Wild, & Three birthday party over the weekend! He had a BLAST at his party, and I had the best time planning it and hosting my family! If I’m honest, Parker’s parties are just as exciting for me as they are for him!
Young, Wild, & Three
In late August, I started my planning process by searching three-year-old birthday themes on Pinterest. I wasn’t sold on the Young, Wild, & Three theme at first, but after a little bit of time, it really grew on me!
Invitation Design
Once I nailed down the theme, I hopped on Canva and began designing an invitation. Canva is a completely free graphic design program that I love using for blog graphics, party invitations, resumes, and more! If you’ve never tried Canva, I definitely recommend checking it out the next time you need to make a pretty graphic or two!
Party Decorations
I’m all about Amazon, so of course, that’s exactly where I went to get the majority of the party decor!
- Artificial Palm Leaves
- Safari Hats
- Inflatable Giraffe (Honestly, one of the best purchases I’ve ever made!)
- Foil Curtains
- Melissa & Doug Binoculars (Cutie Pie Butterfly & Giddy Buggy)
- Melissa & Doug Shimmy Snake Magnifying Glass
- Jungle Print Dinner Plates
- Orange Napkins
When it came time to decorate, I hung the foil curtains on my balcony to serve as a backdrop when giving Parker his cake. Then I took the artificial leaves and taped them up all around my porch, in my kitchen, and a few in my living room. Lastly, I hung a couple felt ball garlands up as well.
I also put together with a little “Safari Station” on my kitchen table with the safari hats and Melissa & Doug items. I purchased the Melissa & Doug items for two reasons:
- They are super cute!
- My nieces would enjoy them as little party favors!
Party Menu
- Snakes (gummy worms)
- Zebra Cakes
- Safari Animals (animal crackers)
- Sssssandwich (a sandwich shaped like a snake!)
- Lion’s Mane (sliced bell peppers paired with your favorite dip. I chose ranch.)
- Jungle Juice (lemonade or your favorite party punch)
One guest, in particular, was very interested in all the food on the counter!
Puppy Cake
For the second year in a row, I made this dog cake recipe I found on Pinterest. It’s super easy, and Parker seems to love it! Instead of whipped cream, I use peanut butter for the frosting. To get the poured, drippy look, put some peanut butter in a measuring cup and microwave it for 30 seconds or so until it’s melty. Then pour and let harden.
I happened across a set of mini cake pans last year and they are absolutely perfect for making three-tiered, dog cakes!
Party Signage
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you probably know how much I LOVE letter boards, chalkboards, etc. and have them all over my apartment!
For Parker’s party, I switched every board in my home to reflect his party theme with some sort of safari/jungle saying or pun! Parky can’t read, but I sure enjoyed all the signs!
- Felt Letter Board from Letterfolk
- Magnetic Letter Board from The Type Set Co.
- Mini Chalkboards from Uniqooo
- Framed Chalkboard from JoAnn
- Versachalk Markers
All in all, a wonderful time was had by Parker and everyone else in attendance!
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