With summer winding down, I knew I wanted to treat the girls to a fun back to school date night to celebrate the end of summer and usher in our new weekly routine. Throwing a pajama party is always a win for the girls in my life, so I asked Sophie to make a list of everything she thought we needed to celebrate in style. Second grade handwriting and phonetic spelling will always be my favorite, but it doesn’t hurt that she came up with the perfect list!
PARTY ATTIRE
Nothing says “party” like the perfect outfit, right?! I shouldn’t be surprised that her first request was matching pajamas. She thinks color coordinating our outfits is a must. Don’t worry about spending money if you don’t already have a matching set — evaluate your selection and make it work! We all had pajama bottoms in a similar shade leftover from the holidays, so we paired them with solid tees and called it a day. Matching t-shirts, crazy socks, or hats would be a super fun addition, too.
CHANGE OF SCENERY
Parties are always more fun when a change in location can be managed. I remember loving to camp in our tent with my dad when I was little and my girls are exactly the same way. Sophie requested a “camper pajama party,” so I plugged up the RV for a little air conditioning (necessary in the South!) and got started decorating.
There was no reason to make up all of the beds, so I put everything we didn’t need in the bunkroom and closed the door. I made up the bed in our end of the camper — everyone knows pajama parties are more fun when you all sleep together! — and piled all of our favorite pillows on for a bit of color. I even swapped out the quote on our letter board to welcome them to the party!
GAMES + ACTIVITIES
Sophie might have missed this category on her list, but every mama knows that a party without fun and games, isn’t a party at all! We have a closet in the camper, already full of fun options, so we pulled out a few of our favorites. The girls love to play Go Fish, so cards was their first request. We also love our oversized checker board, jigsaw puzzles, board games, movies, and coloring books.
PARTY GUESTS (no boys allowed!)
I love that she added party guests to her list. Everybody knows that the people make the party! I had to laugh when she noted that no boys were invited — sorry, Dad! We’ve thrown slumber parties with plenty of guests, but don’t feel like you have to be overwhelmed if this is your first. Host a pajama party for your own kids, like I did, or think of other ways to keep it simple — invite your kids’ grandparents, a cousin or two, or let each child pick one friend to join you. Want to go big and invite the whole crew? Host your pajama party over brunch and let everyone head home after a few hours of fun.
THE PERFECT MENU
Party food is always my favorite thing to plan, even when we’re talking about an at home party. Sophie single-handedly planned our shindig and pizza ranked pretty high on her list. We’re going on eighteen months of limiting her gluten intake, so pizza is always a tricky dinner option at our house. We’ve tried every brand of frozen and delivery pizza I can find, but she’s so picky and always points out how it never tastes like real pizza. Enter Papa John’s.
Papa John’s recently introduced their Ancient Grains Gluten Free Crust and this was the perfect opportunity for us to try it! Their dough is never frozen, perfectly thin & crispy, and always delicious. Not only is it crafted from ancient grains like Sorghum, Teff, Amaranth, and Quinoa, but it actually tastes great! In the past, we’ve ordered regular pizzas for the family and added a small gluten free option for Sophie on the side — it always makes me feel so guilty when we’re enjoying something that she can’t. I am so thrilled to finally be able to order a pizza that won’t make her sick and that my entire family will enjoy.
Right now, Papa John’s is offering Taz + Belly readers an opportunity to try their new pizza crust for a steal. Try any two topping pizza with with Papa John’s NEW Gluten-Free Crust made with Ancient Grains for only $9.99 when you use the discount code: GLTN2T.
Now it’s time for you to dish, what are YOUR pajama party must haves?!
