I love throwing birthday parties for my kids. We’ve done our fair share of trampoline parks and inflatables, but my favorite ones, and the ones my kids still treasure, are the ones we threw at home in the backyard or dragged the folding table and chairs up from storage to set up in our living room.

I’m the first to admit that I’m a little nuts about it. We’ve made ninja swords out of foam pipe insulation wrapped with red and yellow duct tape and set up a balloon obstacle course. We’ve hung 100 paper snowflakes from the living room ceiling when Elsa was so new that Frozen decorations were non-existent. We’ve made tiny cakes out of marshmallows dipped in chocolate for a doll tea party.

This year for my daughter’s 8th birthday, she wanted a puppy party. We sought out our local humane society, thinking that would be the perfect spot. And it was — it was new and spacious and even had a party room. But my daughter had visions of sitting on the floor with puppies climbing all over her, licking her face, snuggling in her lap, lots of oohs and ahhs. She remembered the rescue adoption event at the pet store that we went to last year where we found our own own dog. But for the safety of the children (and the dogs too!), the humane society doesn’t offer that.

Since what she really wanted was a puppy adoption event, I decided we could create one. With a few clicks on Amazon, we soon had a bundle of plush puppies and paw print balloons on the way to our house. I found puppy adoption certificates on Etsy and craft supplies at Michaels. Upon arriving, each girl picked out a puppy, filled out an adoption certificate and then made a collar and carrier to take their puppy home in. We threw in a few animal-themed games and made some paw print cupcakes (which my daughter loved decorating!)

And yes, that is my 10-year-old son wearing a “puppy poop” hat. Luckily, his sister has a sense of humor!