Chart: Do I Have to Go to Kid's Birthday Party?

I developed this flowchart after one month and three birthday parties. Now, one of the parties was my firstborn's party, so I was definitely on the hook for that one.

Last year, I scoured the Internet for "Curious George" party paraphanelia, including monkey-themed favors such as bracelets and temporary tattoos. We spent days cleaning our house, and even hired a balloon artist to make balloon animals.

The day before the party, I panicked that the storebought cake wasn't enough to feed the guests and whipped up a batch of homemade cupcakes.

The end result? The children ignored the balloon artist and went outside to play. Half the guests forgot to bring home the meticulously-curated favor bags. We also had enough cupcakes to last a month.

This year, I dialed it down a notch and held the party at a local community center with a pool. We had pizza and another store-bought cake. I didn't do favors, and nobody complained. Nobody missed the homemade cupcakes, either!

Nina Snyder is the author of ABCS OF BALLS and the designer of the HOT PINK ORCHARD JOURNAL. Follow her on Twitter @nsnyder_writer.