Pool Party 37yr

My husband's birthday is the day after Fourth of July basically in the dead of summer in Texas.  So we decided for his 37th we would a pool party.  You can do this for any milestone b-day, but we just wanted an excuse to have a pool party.  We talked some friends of ours that have a pool in the backyard into letting us use it.  We checked into both of the aquatic parks in our town, our neighborhood pool, and his mother's neighborhood pool.  All of them had a guest limit or too high of admission/rental prices along with other restrictions, like time slots.  We did the usual evite to minimize cost.  It had a pool graphic with all the important details, such as the place, time, and date.  I wrote to my guests JUMP INTO YOUR BATHING SUIT, GRAB YOUR TOWELS AND COME JOIN US IN THE POOL FOR A SPLASHING GOOD TIME. Since my husband was turning 37, I did not make mention of it being for his birthday, so our family and friends did not feel obligated to bring him a gift or thought we were doing this to get gifts.  Now, since we were using a friend's pool instead of a public one, the ideas to decorate were limitless.  We had the guests enter through the side gate to avoid going through the house as much as possible.  I took several pair of flip-flops and attached the to the fence around the gate and place a pool themed door banner on the gate to indicate where the party was since a few people had never been to this house. There is a grassy part you have to walk through to get to the actual pool, so to keep people on the path, I purchased a dozen helium filled balloons in bright summer colors and tied one to a bright summer colored flip flop candles to weigh it down.  I put 6 on each side about 2 to 3 feet apart to make a path.   In addition to this I had about 40 beach balls left over from a previous party, that I blew every single one of them and put them in and around the pool for color.  I hung a few off the roof from the gutters with fishing string.  I put most of the other decorations in the main eating area, which was under a covered patio.   I hung a HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner I created with colorful card stock across the window that was on the main wall of the patio.  I printed one letter on each piece of card stock using Word Art.  We used the patio table and I set up rectangular table with yellow and red plastic table coverings for people to eat.  I purchased flower leis, 3/$1 at the Dollar Tree, cut them and tied them together to make flower garland.  I hung these the garland around tables in a swag design. I placed several beach towels over the back of the chairs for decoration and for the guests to use that forgot to bring their own. For the centerpieces, it was several different components and designs.  It was more of a tablescape than centerpieces.  I used beach/pool/luau themed candles I had purchased the previous year at Garden Ridge for a dime a piece.  These were really nice candles in the shape of flip flops, beach balls, hula girls, a large woman floating in a intertube, and beach chairs.  The chairs had tealights that were in the seat of the chair.  I also used child sunglasses, flip-flops, and foam/plastic visors in various colors.  I placed similar decor on the tables around the pool too, but used tissue paper underneath instead of plastic covering.  It was a casual affair so no table settings or place cards were used, but I could of used some beach chairs candles in vibrant colors and hibiscus flowers on them.  They could have been set in front of each chair with a name card that could double as party favors.  I purchased numerous 8 inch round paper battery operated lanterns in a green, red, yellow, blue, purple, and white colors.  I hung these in alternating colors along entire perimeter of the fence. Along with I found a great deal on some string lights in the same round paper lantern theme at Target on clearance for $0.99 each.  I hung these across the pool from the roof to the fence.  In addition to the beach balls, we had inflatable floating rings and ride on animals (dolphin, sharks, etc) that we placed in the pool.  We set up a baby pool for the newest member of our family, which ended up being a 2-man raft for my husband and his buddy.  They were very cute with matching child visors and sunglasses.  We had some noodles and other pool toys for the kids, and adults, to play with through out the party.  We really did not play any games, other than toss with the beach balls and water soaker football. I did want to go through this whole presentation of food and the table, but was too much after getting the food prepared, cooked, and served.  In addition, we had everyone start swimming and playing then we started getting the food ready.  Everyone was ready to eat; so setting up a table was out of the question. The menu was simple, hot dogs, sausage links, and sub sandwiches served with various chips and dips.  I made lemonade and peach tea in plastic pitchers that I found for 90% off at Target prior to the party.  I put the plastic ice cubes for color and avoid them getting watered down by ice cubes.  These ice cubes were in various beach/luau themed shapes, like fish, clams, palm tree, etc.  I got 10-12 packs for 29 cents each at a local party store.  We had watermelon for dessert.  His family is really not into cake, so the watermelon served as a birthday cake for my husband.  They cut 1 large round slice, so it looked like a one layer cake.  I stuck birthday candles in it and everyone sung him happy birthday.  For the party favors,  I  found plastic mugs in different colors, for 90% off at Target. Inside the mugs, I placed a cello bag of Beach Shack Snack mix inside them. (Mixture: popcorn, honey nut cheerio's, plain M&M's, peanut M&M's, and colored gold fish.  I separated the colors of the M&M's and goldfish to make sure there was an even amount of each color in each bag.  I also put gummy bears inside gummy lifesavers to mimic a kid in a intertube and placed 2 of these right on top of each mixture).  I put these in a metal drink tub for each person to grab on the way out from the party.  There were a few minor snags, but all in all the party was a success.  Unfortunately my husband, one of his buddies, and myself are peeling from being out in the sun way to long.