Thanks again to Little Beans Cafe for hosting Susannah’s 3rd birthday party. While the event was largely complimentary, all thoughts, opinions, and over-sugared little children are my own.
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It’s official. Zu has been Birthdayed with the best of them, and my now three year-old Big Kid might just sleep for days. We had a beyond good time at Little Beans Cafe in Chicago- and if I had loved this business beforehand, now I’m downright smitten. Because the party-throwin’ aspect? SO. EASY.
These goodie bags were a Keely/Nora endeavor. Art school!
We arrived half an hour before our party and were greeted by the sweet (and extremely helpful) staff. And listen- if your job is to open a play cafe at 9am on a Sunday and you still rock out the gracious smiles? I already have Le Impress.
Banana “cupcakes.” And fun factoid! Animal crackers in frosting turn soft suuuuper quickly!
Plenty of help was offered to set up our shindig, but I had that covered. (I had previously employed P.J.’s parents Mike and Nat as the birthday party heavies. Jasper hefting? Check. Crepe paper-hanging? Check. Figuring out what was taking their son so long out in the parking lot- wait, he went to get balloons? Wasn’t that, like, half an hour ago? Cheeeeeeeck.)
Zu, greeting Her People.
The party room itself was adorable. (As many a friend pointed out- How have we not done this “padded wall” thing in our own homes? It pretty much makes the most sense ever.) Little tables, little chairs, and full-sized areas for a buffet made the kid room a cinch to arrange, and the adjoining private lounge (with comfy couches, cozy armchairs, and a flat screen TV) made some friends decide that their kids were fiiiiine out in the playroom.
This might be the only picture of Susannah being bashful ever captured on film.
Oh, and that playroom. Bright, clean, and ridiculously fun, Susannah and her friends put the Zoo in Zu’s birthday. Things to climb! Things to wear! Places to hide! Places to sprawl (especially for the parents)! And even though it was a semi-private party (meaning we had the party room and lounge to ourselves), the smattering of other kiddos doing their Sunday morning thing hardly added any chaos at all. (I mean, it’s a three year-old’s party and I have three kids under 5 of my own. I bring my own chaos. Like Pigpen and his cloud of dust.)
Real firefighters don’t have time to stop for photos.
The “big girls.”
I was stoked at how awesomely the party gelled, how content the kids were to do their own thing, and how simple it was to actually converse with my friends.
Riff raff.
But the best endorsement of all? At 5:45pm last night, my darling three year-old birthday girl was conked out on the couch. And she barely stirred as I moved her to bed. And then she was down for the count.
THANK YOU, LITTLE BEEEEEEANS!
It takes a lot to out-Zu our little monkey, but they’ve sure as heck done it.
And I totally can’t wait to go back.
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Want to throw your own Little Beans party- or just spend some time in their delicious cafe and supra-fun playroom?
Go here: 1809 W. Webster Ave., Chi (littlebeanscafe.com)
Or call here: 773-251-1025
And tell ’em Susannah said hi.
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