How I Survived My Son’s Birthday with a Little Help
By a Mom Who Thought a Simple Cake-Cutting Would Be Enough (Spoiler: It Wasn’t)
When I was growing up in Chennai, birthdays meant one thing: semiya payasam, a packet of Gold Winner balloons, and maybe, maybe, a new frock.
So when my son, Arjun, turned seven and casually informed me that “everyone in school has a theme party with a trampoline,” I knew I was in trouble.
I briefly considered faking a power cut on the day. Instead, I did what modern mothers do—I opened Instagram and had a mild panic attack.
The Guest List, or, “Do we have to call all our relatives?”
We started with a list of names, which quickly ballooned into three Excel sheets and one Google Form. School friends, building friends, cricket friends, cousins, neighbours, random child who once shared a pencil with Arjun in tuition class. Everyone had to come.
And with that many people, I realised I needed to track them. Who’s vegetarian? Who needs a driver’s phone number? Who’s allergic to cashews? I love my son, but I also love not losing my mind.
That’s when my friend Shweta sent me a Zapigo link. “Use this,” she said. “It saved me during Riaan’s party.” I clicked.
An Invite Website? For Me?
Creating a Zapigo digital invite was suspiciously easy. I chose a cheerful, balloon-themed design (because Arjun insisted), wrote a warm but clear note (“Yes, parents are welcome, no, you don’t need to bring gifts”), and added all the bits that no one tells you you’ll need:
- A note about location: Party hall in the fifth floor of our building.
- A “let us know if your child has allergies” field
- Dress code: “Something fun—there will be a foam machine”
- Reminder 1 day before and 3 hour before, which I can set ahead of time (because I know how Bangalore traffic works)
It even let me add a nudge at the bottom: “Please come hungry!”
When I clicked ‘Publish,’ Zapigo generated a lovely little invite website. Not an attachment. Not a PDF with Comic Sans. A proper, scrollable page. I sent it out on WhatsApp with a smug little flourish.
RSVPs, Real-Time Drama, and One Unexpected Hero
Over the next few days, magic happened. Parents actually RSVP’d. I could see who was coming, who wasn’t, and who was “checking and getting back” (read: ghosting). One mother messaged to say the RSVP page made her daughter squeal in delight. Another thanked me for including allergy info.
And when I changed the party time from 5 to 4:30 (long story involving the building committee and a noise complaint), Zapigo re-sent the updated invite to everyone. I didn’t have to send 37 messages with “New timing! Pls see above ☝🏽.”
The Day Itself
Arjun had the time of his life. The balloon arch stood proud, the magician earned his samosas, and no one showed up in formalwear by mistake.
More importantly, I didn’t forget anyone. I didn’t lose track of RSVP responses scribbled on the backs of receipts. I didn’t cry in the bathroom. And at the end of the evening, one of the dads asked me if I had an event planner.
“No,” I said, smiling.
Want to be that cool, collected host?
Create your own digital invite with Zapigo. It’s free, it’s fabulous, and it won’t judge your Excel skills.
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