I’m in the midst of planning a birthday party for Emma. I made some invitations for us to run around the neighborhood. I thought I’d share them as a template for anyone who wants to make their birthday planning easier. I know I do. Planning these parties are not my favorite, especially for Emma. She’d love it if I went all out and ordered a hot balloon ride and a pink pony that gives out free cotton candy.
Sheesh.
This template is a 4×6 and would work for about anything. You could even insert a picture under the frame and make it a photo announcement. I’m printing mine at home by dragging some flattened images onto a 8.5×11 but if you went with a professional printer I recommend a matte finish so it’s more fingerprint resistant.
The download link is right here.
Here is my example. I used Dani Mogstad’s Deep Blue Sea kit. Emma helped me a bit with her input. She wanted as many creatures as possible on it.
Leave a comment if you downloaded so that I know how many of you like this sort of little template. Enjoy!
Oh, before you leave… click on my survey, will ya? Emma is dying for tiny little pet to call her own. This is her dream birthday wish list. The creatures are in order of want. Yes, she wants a snake the most. Ahhhg. I’m not sure what to do. Jeremy is tempted to go catch a garter snake and call it good but I’m wondering about something that is more holdable. Any experienced pet owners out there? Is one of these stinky choices better than another? I’m also worried about their food stinking (crickets.) Tell me what you think. Success stories? Horror stories?
Thanks so much.
My name is Manda and I love creating 
Betta fish are awesome pets! They are friendly, quiet, require very little space… just a little cute bowl, and kids LOVE them! Recently, our household lost a cat, but replacing with a betta fish went a long way in helping my child feel not quite so sad.
Love the invitation template. Thanks for sharing!
I love making my own cards and invitations, so thanks for this great template!
We’ve had turtles, lizards, fish and hamsters (and a lot of others not on your list). Turtle’s water smells nasty really fast. Lizards were okay as far as smell but really freaked me out if they got loose. Kids can’t pet fish and mine lost interest fast. Hamsters are good but stay up all night on the wheel and can be bitey. They may not live very long either. Our favorite pet for the whole family was a guinea pig. Big enough to hold and not get lost in the house. Not really smelly and loved vegetables.
Thanks for the template – you are great!
Another suggestion for a pet, and I know it sounds crazy – a rat. They’re big enough for kids to hold, and all the ones we’ve had were so sweet. We never got bit, and they are very clean animals. Also, I accidentally left the cage open once, and they just explored the room and climbed back in without doing damage. Just a thought if you want something furry…
I’d definitely have to say snake. We always had snakes growing up and if you get the right kind you can totally hold them and cuddle them and they give great kisses if you’re not freaked out by that sort of thing. They’re quiet, clean, and you only have to feed them like once a month. Change the water dish once a week or so and you’re good to go. Easiest pet on the planet.
Go for fish 4 sure!
I second the guinea pig idea! Great pets, and if you get them used to being held, they are really wonderful for kids! Check the animal shelters – they often have piggers that have been given up or have had unexpected litters. Let me know if you want more info – had four for years and LOVED them! (Maybe more than my dogs!)
Thank you for the Card Template! I love it! You always have fun stuff!!
Be careful with the turtles and reptiles with young kids because they often carry salmonella. Never had experience but I read it at the pet store while we were looking for our 4 little boys! We have done fish and they are pretty easy in a small tank. Good luck!
My little one just turned five and we got him a beta fish also. It lives in his room, doesn’t smell or eat much! I vote fish!!
I love that spunky little girl. A hot air balloon ride and a pink pony who gives out free cotton candy… I want that for my birthday too. That’s awesome! I’m sure you’ll be able to pull off a fun birthday without quite as much expense as Emma’s grand dreams require. If you were closer, you could use our cotton candy machine.:)
A lot of the animals on the list are hard to take care of. You have to maintain temperature, environment, fresh food. Fish, especially beta are easier but not at all cuddly even if they are fascinating. I had several hamsters as a kid and loved them but I was significantly older and could take care of it myself, as a parent I wouldn’t want to take care of. I personally love turtles but depending on the type, you have to buy them large and less cuddly because the smaller ones can carry salmonella. Also, they eat raw meat. Easier than live food but potentially smelly and squeamish causing. There isn’t a perfect pet and I wish you luck in your decision.
Also, thanks for the template!
I just wanted to share a layout I did with your #48 template. Thanks so much for sharing your templates! http://www.theshabbyshoppe.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=27979&title=mar-2009&cat=all