Welp. My baby girl turned 2 this month. I can hardly believe it. It feels like she was just a newborn babe but also it feels like she’s been in our life forever. There is no greater joy than being her mom and Tyler’s bride.

Hazel grew so much this year, and it’s hard to think that the girl that couldn’t even walk in January is running around making full on requests, demands, and funny jokes. She is a fierce girl with the sweetest heart. I honestly think she is the perfect blend of her Mommy and Daddy. She doesn’t like it when things are “too tiighhhhhttttt” like her Daddy. She is very independent like her Mom. When I stare into her eyes I see Tyler, but when I watch a grin spread across her face I see little 1999 Madison.

To me, this year was so much better than year 1. She finally started sleeping well through the night, and she was able to tell us what she needed when she needed it. It was cool to see everything we spoke over her in year one about her being strong, beautiful, kind, smart, and funny be the exact words to describe who she is today.

Her birthday to me felt more like Christmas than Christmas itself. We had an amazing day as a family surprising her with her new room (blog on that coming soon), going shopping, grabbing her a happy meal (the girl loves the chicken nugs), and going to the indoor swimming pool. She looked like a princess, and she was one that day.

We had her party the day before her birthday, and I had so much fun with the theme “Two Groovy,” which I’ve wanted to do since she turned one lol. For food we did a baked potato/nacho bar, and then I made a corn dish, rainbow fruit kabobs, a peace sign pickle wrap, cheese, and cracker tray, a peace sign veggie tray, and then my mom made puppy chow and delicious colorful cupcakes (including red-colored ones at Hazel’s request). We got Hazel her own little cake and also had ice cream! Here are some tips/directions for that menu:

(First, a little disclaimer: There are affiliate links included in this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.)

For the baked potatoes

• Ingredients

• Russet potatoes (1-2/person)

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Sea salt

• Directions 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

• Wash potatoes and poke holes in them using a fork.

• Cover them in oil and salt on a sheet pan.

• Put them in the oven for 60 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.

• To keep them warm, we put the potatoes in roasters over a low setting.

For the delicious corn

• Ingredients

• Canned corn

• Minced garlic (to taste)

• Salt & pepper (to taste)

• Parsley (to taste)

• Sticks of butter (1 tbsp/can)

• Directions 

• Open canned corn, drain half the juice, and put in pan over medium heat.

• Add butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to corn in pan.

• To keep the corn warm, we put it in a crockpot on low.

For the rainbow fruit kabobs

• Ingredients 

• Strawberries

• Oranges

• Pineapple

• Green & purple grapes

• Blueberries 

• Kabobs 

• Directions 

• Wash all fruit.

• Cut strawberries and pineapple.

• Peel oranges.

• Put fruit on kabobs like so, following a rainbow pattern.

For the pickle wraps tray

(I have very much failed in the pickle wraps department in the past, and I finally figured out what works).

• Ingredients

• 46 oz. jar of whole dill pickles

• 4-8 oz. of cream cheese

• Package of Great Value rectangular honey ham

• Directions 

• Soften cream cheese by setting it out or putting it in the microwave for 12 seconds.

• Dry off pickles with paper towels.

• Lay out a piece of ham and spread on cream cheese using a butter knife.

• Roll up one whole pickle per piece of ham (you can also use 2 pieces of ham per roll-up).

• Chill all rolled-up pickles for 30 minutes in the fridge.

• Slice the pickle wraps using a sharp knife.

For the veggie tray

• Ingredients

• Cucumbers

• Orange, yellow, and red peppers

• Cherry tomatoes 

• Carrots 

• Directions 

• Wash all veggies.

• Cut cucumbers and peppers into slices.

• Place the cucumbers in a peace sign and fill in the in-between space with the other veggies.

For the decor

Here are some more pictures of the big girl’s day with links to everything we bought!

We set these tattoos on the tables, and the cousins had fun with them.

This decor bundle was only $20, and it included almost everything we needed to decorate! A Two Groovy poster, balloons, cupcake toppers, a sign, sunglasses, and even a hippie headband!

Here is what we used for plates, silverware, napkins, and cups we used for puppy chow since they were on the smaller side!

And lastly, here was a cheap bundle of 3 Two Groovy tablecloths!

I prepped a lot of stuff the week/day before, knowing that morning would go fast! Here’s what the planning timeline looked like.

Party Planning Timeline

• 1.5 months out

• Order decor

• Make birthday invites

• Make Facebook event

• Text out image invites with gift list link

• Week of

• Get plates, silverware, napkins, cups

• Get containers/platters for food

• Get all food

• Get all drinks

• Set out taco meat

• Finish wrapping her presents

• Day before

• Clean bathrooms and toilets

• Dust

• Borrow big roasters (for taco meat and potatoes)

• Borrow & set out tables and chairs

• Blow up balloons

• Clean off counters

• Clean entryway and make room on hangers

• Meal prep

• Set out cream cheese to soften for pickle wraps

• Cook taco meat in roaster and store it in the fridge

• Wash all potatoes

• Clean all strawberries, grapes, and blueberries

• Cut all strawberries and pineapples

• Clean all cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers

• Cut up cucumbers (wrap them in a paper towel & put in container) and peppers

• Cut pickles and make pickle wraps and store

• Set out plates, napkins, silverware, and cups

• Day of

• 7 a.m. Stick balloons on the wall

• 8 a.m. Set out 2 sticks of butter and wrap it in plastic wrap

• 9 a.m. Set out tables and chairs

• 10:00 a.m. Set out chips and salsa

• 10:30 Poke holes and coat potatoes in olive oil and kosher or sea salt

• 10:30 a.m. Warm up taco meat from fridge in roaster

• 10:45 a.m. Put baked potatoes in the oven on 500 degrees, cooking each side for 30 minutes - then put them in the roaster on warm

• 10:50 a.m. Make corn in deep pan skillet and transfer to crockpot

• 11:05 a.m. Make fruit kabobs

• 11:15 a.m. Warm up queso in mini crockpot

• 11:30 Set out loaded baked potato condiments

• Shredded cheese

• Queso

• Salsa

• Bacon crumbles

• Sour cream

• Salt

• Pepper

• Butter

• 11:40 a.m. Make veggie peace sign tray

• 11:45 a.m. Make cheese, pickle wrap, and cracker tray

• 11:50 a.m. Set out drinks

• 12 p.m. Party & lunch begins

• 12:45 p.m. Open presents

• 1:00 p.m. Cake & ice cream

We loved celebrating that sweet girl and will always cherish that groovy day!!