Back to School Parent Party

Now that the kids are settled back into school, it’s time to enjoy the quiet days just a bit.  I hosted a little back to school parent party yesterday for some of my mom friends.  Nothing fancy, just a casual morning with snacks and coffee and good girly, kid-free conversation.  It was a great way to reconnect after sparse conversations over the summer months.

I set up a buffet table in the kitchen with a few simple, school-themed decorations gathered up from around the house.

I covered the table with old dictionary pages, pulled from a thrifted book, set out a couple of globes and a pile of pencils …

… and hung a simple book page garland on the wall behind the table.  I simply folded dictionary pages over a piece of twine, glued them down on the back side, and then tacked the garland to the wall.

I set out coffee and tea and let guests serve themselves in white, mismatched cups …

… and I left a dry erase marker on the table so the guests could mark their names on their mugs.  This is an easy way to differentiate cups and mugs and the dry erase marker will wipe off easily when the party is over.

I set creamer bottles in a vintage copper mold filled with ice and placed a mason jar in the middle to hold stirring spoons.

The menu was simple: a variety of homemade mini muffins {perched on a pile of colorful hardcover books next to an apple} …

… green apple slices served alongside a caramelized dip, and a baked cream cheese danish that guests could slice and serve.

I really love hosting casual gatherings with friends and this back to school parent party was a really easy and fun way to celebrate a new school year.

Are you celebrating the start of school?

For another fun back to school party idea for kids or grown-ups {or both}, check out this simple back to school breakfast bar!