Leah Langnas was all made up and ready to party.

Kid-Conscious

The best parties don't have to be expensive for today's children.

Lisa Brody I Special to Celebrate!

f you ask my now 23-year-old daughter, she'll probably tell you her favorite
birthday party was her seventh, when I created a cooking class for her and her
girlfriends.
Upon arriving, each girl was given a small muslin apron I had purchased at Michael's
and had painted the guest's name on with beautifully garish puffy paint.
Then they headed into the kitchen, where we made puff pastry cheese twirls, which they
dined on while they made lasagna rolls, mini-pizzas and other kid-friendly food, topped off
with chocolate-dipped strawberries. They proudly then devoured their creations.
What was doubly wonderful about that birthday party was that not only did the girls have
a blast doing something unique and creative, but also it was inexpensive for me to put on.
The cost of the food was significantly less than purchasing prepared food, and the aprons,
which became their "goody bag," were $5 each back then; today, they still are. Slightly
snazzier ones from Williams-Sonoma.com are available, already personalized and embroi-
dered. They come in red and blue twill or blue denim for $22.
Today, with the popularity of "Top Chef" and "Iron Chef," future Bobby Flays and Rachael
Rays would have a blast preparing child-friendly gourmet creations for a birthday party. And
with the economy in the doldrums (or worse), parents who want to make a birthday party
fun for their child can still do so. All it takes a little creativity and resourcefulness, with a
dash of practicality thrown in.
That's the recipe that Laynie Langnas of West Bloomfield uses as her mantra. As the
mother of three, she doesn't believe in "keeping up with the Jones," especially in this

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March 2009

economy.
"Leah [9] went to a fancy dress-up birthday party at a mall, where the girls get their
makeup done at a salon, put on a costume and have their photos taken, for $350 for eight
kids," Langnas says. "I found this too expensive."
Instead, she went to a dollar store, bought a lot of vivid makeup and nail polish for
approximately $10, hair-streaking toys to add color to the hair, and a hair accessory for
each girl invited to Leah's ninth birthday party for $1 apiece. She hired her older daughter
Sarah, 14, and two of Sarah's girlfriends to do the hair, nails and makeup at the Langnas
home, which the younger, and older, girls adored.
"I took a digital photo of each girl with my camera, downloaded it onto my computer,
printed it out and put it into an inexpensive plastic frame, which along with the hair acces-
sory, was their giveaway," says Langnas. "Later, the girls did a music video with my digital
camera. I burnt it, and the next day, Leah gave each girl a copy of their very own music
video." All told, the cost for Leah's party was $70.
Langnas advises that another good way to keep costs down is to schedule a birthday
party for mid-afternoon. Then you don't have to serve lunch, just cake and ice cream.
She is in full planning mode for Leah's 10th birthday party in April. "She wants an
American Girl tea party," Langnas says. "The girls will come dressed up in a nice dress with
a doll, and we'll have a tea party." At her house, not a fancy hotel.

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