Tween Slumber Party of Her Dreams

Olive requested her first slumber party with friends for her 11th birthday.

I was hesitant.  Tried to suggest a late over instead, but she was sure she was ready so I got on board.  We invited friends that we knew well and knew their families well.  Plus one new friend.  The friends we knew well spent the night and the new friend left around 10pm.  It worked out great and I'm glad I said yes to her request.

My best teen advice is to ask your kids what they want to do for their birthdays, listen and come up with a plan you both agree on.

We brain stormed a list of activities for the slumber party and then promptly hid the list before her friends arrived.  It was good for us to talk through activity options ahead of time.

She made another Canva invitation and we texted them out to her friends.

We made candy salad.  Stay tuned for a post on this because it was so much fun!

Did the cutest craft.  I've got to get a post together with links and details.

I made a pasta bar for dinner.  The girls loved it and it was much cheaper than eating out.  The boys went out to dinner so that it was just us girls at home.

Kevin had some leftover Memorial Day fireworks to do for the girls.

We gave them flashlights and let them go on a neighborhood walk together.

We did popcorn and a movie, made late night blizzards, played ping pong and lots of talking.  I took their breakfast orders and told them breakfast was at 9:00am.  I went to bed at midnight and suggested they do the same.  They stayed up too late so everyone was tired the next morning.  They loved the breakfast and then their moms came to get them at 9:30am.

It was Olive's real birthday so she got busy opening gifts after her friends left.

She loved her gifts this year.  Can you tell??  It always feels good to pull off a good round of gifts.

We took it easy all day and then she requested carrot cake for dessert.

I was nervous about a sleepover, but it was so much fun!