Throw an awesome birthday party for kids without a lick of planning

I'm all about at-home birthday parties for kids. Which is not to say that they don't stress me out, because they totally stress me out. But the idea is so appealing and old-fashioned, isn't it? You know, if someone else would do all the planning and purchasing of said old-fashioned, appealing idea. Well, that's where this marvelous new service steps in. Parties By Alex is a lovely, homegrown business from mom Alexandra McGee and dad Tony Gentile, who were inspired to start the biz after planning a party for their son quickly became a major (and expensive!) hassle. McGee and Gentile designed five birthday party and playdate themes and put them all together, making the nicest party in box kits I've ever seen.The presentation is lovely, the quality of the materials is excellent and they have thought of everything, including a sample schedule for the party and possible recipe ideas in keeping with the theme. In the Pirate Party, for example, you'll receive pirate hats, vests, eye patches, hooks, decorations, place settings, games, prizes, goody bags, invites, thank-you cards and much more. I just threw a party for my son a few months ago and trust me, I spent waaaay more than this. But one of my favorite things about these boxes is they still feel designed with serious love. It feels like I planned it myself. You know, if I were sane enough to do so. Aside from Pirate, party kit themes include Princess, Fairy, Superhero and Knights and Dragons. Hopefully this business will thrive and they will be able to add more themes soon and eventually do custom parties. A big Cool Mom Picks thumbs-up for a cool mom and her cool husband making life easier for the rest of us Check out all the different birthday party themes at Parties by Alex.