It's birthday party time again!

Thing 2 has his 5th birthday coming up in mid-March. This year (so far) he wants an Iron Man party. As with his older sister, Thing 1, the theme can change ... and change often!

Eventually we'll agree on a theme, and the search will be on for fun things that he and his friends can do at the party. This happens twice a year, every year. It's always a struggle to keep coming up with activities the kids will enjoy, won't be too much trouble to pull off, and (most importantly) won't cost too much money.

Here's a little tip for you. Check out this website: http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/. Visit this site once, and you'll be hooked. This collaborative site is a huge repository of birthday party ideas by theme and by age. So if you (like me) were interested in what fun things other parents have done for their 5-year-old's Iron Man party, all you have to do is read through the postings. I'll be doing that over the weekend.

Each posting is different, but most contain information on the following categories:

• invitations and thank you notes
• food
• games and other activities
• craft ideas
• party favors

For every birthday party we've ever done, I've always been able to find some good ideas from this site. Usually I end up combining the ideas from 3 or 4 different postings, and the kids have always had a great time.

And while we're on the topic of birthday party planning, here's a great resource for getting those party supplies from the comfort of your own home: http://www.birthdayexpress.com/. This place has all the cups, plates, napkins, party favors (and more!) that you'll ever need. The prices are reasonable and they ship your items pretty quickly too.

Here's to happy birthdays, and happy birthday parties, from now on!