Parents rack their brains trying to dream up the next best birthday party idea for their children when their kid may already be carrying the answer. At least that was the case for Melissa Bastidas of Mesquite, who found party inspiration in the palm of her son Andrew’s hand. “He’s always carrying around a Hot Wheels car or truck,” Bastidas says. So Hot Wheels theme it was.
Lucky for Andrew, his mom loves party planning and his dad loves entertaining. Together they created a personalized 2-year-old birthday party perfect for a toddler on the go.
Working a month before the party and putting her graphic design and marketing background to use, Melissa designed the Hot Wheels invitation as a photo and printed them at Walgreens for family members and guests to have as a keepsake. Leading up to the big day, she spent time at the print shop creating street signs for the multiple party stations: a “Candy Stop” where the kids built their own goody bag, a “Pit Stop” on the bathroom door, a “Fueling Station” for the drink area, a “Tow-Away Zone” on the staircase to keep kids from going up and a “Toddler Zone” for the play area.
On the big day, children brought their rides (bicycle, power wheels or push car) to cruise “Andrew Avenue” in the back yard – constructed of foam mats, complete with speed limit and stop signs.
Given the age of the drivers, Melissa kept the party casual with a do-what-you-want attitude rather than orchestrating crafts and games. Kids could spend all their time in the bounce house or in the Toddler Zone playing with toy cars, train sets and balloons. Once it was time for cake, everyone stopped what they were doing and headed inside to watch Andrew blow out his “2” candle. “He’d been practicing for weeks, and he did it on cue. Everyone clapped and cheered for him,” Melissa says. The Hot Wheels theme cake was made from scratch, something Melissa hopes to continue every year.
Anticipating many more birthday parties, Melissa invested in items such as a cupcake stand, popcorn machine and drink dispenser. She kept other costs to a minimum using Andrew’s monster trucks as centerpieces and creating the decorations herself. “It can be stressful,” Melissa says. “But it gives us a satisfying feeling when everything is put together and when we see how much fun the kids have.”
