We celebrated the kids birthdays at a pool party! My twin boys turned 4 and my youngest daughter turned 1 this January. We planned on having a triple celebration instead of throwing a party for each one of them. It's more practical, besides their birthdays fall just a few days apart. As a practical mom like me, we partied but still thought of not breaking the bank. My two boys will start schooling this January and I am starting to add funds to my newly opened Mutual Funds for them. Budgeting to the highest level is what I need to make the party successful. For the party, I chose a theme that will incorporate to my 3 kids. They love sharks (yes from the song Baby Shark, ha ha ha) added on the mermaid for the little girl and we finalized that it will be a pool party. My nieces and nephews love the water and it will not be hard for them to be entertained if there's a pool. Now the difficult part is allotting a budget for all the other expenses. If you'll see my other posts about celebrating my kids birthdays, I don't like spending much. As long as my kids enjoy and get to celebrate their birthdays, that is all that matters. So here's my 8 budget-friendly tips for a fun pool birthday party.

1. Keep Your Guest List Small. Before anything else, noting all the invitees was my top priority. This is where I'll know how much I need to allow to all the things that we will spend. I make it to a point to invite my relatives including my partner's. I make sure that I'll invite the people who help me with my kids. I decided beforehand that this will be a family affair. If you really want to save, you don't need to invite a lot of people to celebrate birthdays. The most important part is you celebrate it with people that matter to your child.

2. Set A Budget. Now that the list is done, we have to set the budget. I only allotted a specific budget for the party and was hoping to not exceed it. I listed all the things that we will need and I was happy that throwing a pool party doesn't have to break a bank.


3. Look For An Affordable Pool. The key to every pool party is the venue. Of course, we need to find a private pool to hold the party. It was not hard to look for a party venue as there are a lot of affordable private pools in Antipolo. In fact, most of our high-school reunions are pool parties. I lost count on how many resorts we've been to here in Antipolo alone. We then decided to book Angela 4 Resort a month before the party. Angela's Private Pools have several pools that can accommodate up to 40 persons. If you will exceed from 40 pax, you'll have to pay for 100/pax. Four years old and below is free of charge. Pasok sa banga as the party is for the kids so I don't need to worry about exceeding the number of kids as long as they are 4 yrs old and below.


We chose Angela 4 Resort among the other pools. Angela 1, 2 & 3 are bigger and it will cost P6,000 for a daytime swimming while Angela 4, 5, 6 & 7 costs P5,500. Daytime swimming starts at 8 AM up to 6 PM. Night time swimming is at a different rate. The private pools are all the same it just differs from the rooms and sizes of the pools. We paid for the 50% and set on the date of the party. It is non-refundable and you'll pay extra if you reschedule. A security deposit of P1,000 is needed upon entry and it will be refunded if there are no damages in the venue. 


4. Use Simple Decorations. I don't really bother with having decorations that much. I had the personalized tarpaulin printed which I made from Photoshop then bought balloons and letter balloons that we set up at the venue.


5. Make Your Own Food. Another important factor in a pool party is the food. We made sure that the food is enough for everyone. Now, this had the largest amount of the budget. We decided to come up with only a few dishes but in a large quantity as we were staying at the resort for almost 10 hours. For sure the kids will get hungry from swimming the entire day. My partner did all the cooking before going to the resort and had the barbecue cooked at the venue. The barbecue was a hit! Everyone loves it and they kept on coming back. I also prepared a simple candy buffet that I thought will be ignored. I just prepared a few candies and the kids enjoyed it as it was all gone so fast. Don't have time to cook? Order from any nearby pansit sa bilao like what my brother did. There are bilao's that are on a group size that will accommodate everyone. 


6. DIY Invitations & Souvenirs. As you all know I love doing the invitations for my kids birthdays. And this time, I also did the printing. Last October 2017, I finally purchased a Canon printer so I could print my own invitations and souvenirs. I bought the needed printing materials such as glossy photo paper and sticker paper. I made the invitations, souvenirs, and tarpaulin from Photoshop.




7. Buy Budget Cute Favors. I didn't bother having a program during the party as I am sure that the kids will mostly enjoy the pool. And I don't want to risk that someone might get slipped from the tiles and all. But I still bought a budget cute favors from Edeng's Toy Store at Market Market as I don't have the time to go to Divisoria anymore. I got sick a week before the party, good thing I read that blog from mommy Jerellt. I went there just before my shift at work and looked for toys that will incorporate my theme. I bought these water guns and water toy that was a hit to the kids. It was a bit expensive but it was convenient for me. I made them play with it during the party and it was a lot of fun.
8. Look For A Cake Supplier at a Reasonable Price. What's a birthday without a cake? I am not fond of customized fondant cakes. Aside from it is pricey for me, I don't really like the taste that much. I am a frosting type of girl! Looking for a cake supplier was a breeze as I have the idea of where to order from reading blogs with reviews about the cakes within Antipolo. I always wanted to try Khayil's Bakeshop especially their cupcakes. Unfortunately, their cafe was already closed as per the owner but they still accept made to order cakes. I had a smooth transaction with the owner, made the order via their FB page, made a payment from BDO online and set the meeting place on where I'll pick up the cakes. We met at Robinson's Antipolo which is just a trike away from Angela 4 Resort. I ordered their signature cakes Vanilla Birthday Cake, Chocolate Caramel and Cookies, and Cream. 


All the cakes didn't disappoint! Aside from they are good-looking cakes, I love that they have their distinct flavors. The Vanilla cake had the right sweetness and the bread is soft. The Chocolate Caramel had enough bitterness and sweetness and the bread is moist, just the way I love it! The kids loved the Cookies and Cream too! I can't wait to order cakes again from them! You can opt for a dedication message on the base of the cake and it comes with a free number candle. I would love to order from them again!

A cake from Ninang Andrea. Ordered from Kuya Jun's Bakeshop

Another delicious cake was a gift from Ninang Andrea. She ordered it from Kuya Jun's Bakeshop. Their staff was friendly and easy to deal with. Andrea ordered it a day before around 4 PM and the staff forgot that the cakes should be ordered at least 1 day before. The staff apologized and asked if they can deliver it after 8 AM which is ok. They were apologetic and liked how they communicate well with their customers. I commend their service. Also, their cake is such a hit to my family that it is the first cake to be finished. I would definitely order again from them! The price is also reasonable. I would love to try their Yema cakes soon! They accept delivery but I am not sure what are their coverage areas. The staff delivered the cakes from their Cainta branch.

View from Angela 4 Resort

Angela 4 Resort - P5,500
Food - P10,000
3 Cakes - P2,740
Decors & Souvenirs etc. - P2,000
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Total Expenses = P20,240

Swimwear each for the kids is not included on the list. I got the twin boys' rash-guard from Taytay Tiangge (but they were not able to use it on the day because they dive into the pool as soon as they saw the water he he he) and a hand-me-down one piece for baby Chinita. I also didn't spend money on their gifts because I used the gift certificates from PR's with the help of this blog. I used the GC's to buy gifts for the 3 of them. I am really grateful for all the blessings this blog had given me.