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Parents Throw Trader Joe's-Obsessed 4-Year-Old the Perfect Themed Birthday Party (Exclusive)
Jenni and Sean Glester had a special idea, a year in the making, in mind for their son Joey's 4th birthday party
The "Trader Joey" themed event celebrated all the birthday boy's favorites from Trader Joe's
The family tells PEOPLE about the special meaning behind their son's name and why this event is one they'll always rememberA newly minted 4-year-old's family went all out to give him a celebration that fit him just right.
Jenni Glester and her husband Sean put together an epic Trader Joe's-themed 4th birthday party in celebration of her son Joey, who loves visiting the store with his mom. The Florida toddler enjoys "pushing the kid-sized red cart, picking out produce and shopping for new snacks," his mom tells PEOPLE.
"Celebrating Joey and gathering with loved ones are two of our favorite things to do. We came up with the theme a few years ago," Jenni shares.
"We were brainstorming and planning for almost a year ... taking note of his favorite snacks and fun touches that make Trader Joe's so unique. Sticking exclusively to Trader Joe's food and beverages was a fun challenge — and we even found some new favorites in the process!"
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For Jenni, getting the celebration just right meant nailing all the details. For decor, the family saved up packaging from their Trader Joe's favorites "for several months, to repurpose for decor and a 'shopping' area."
The group of over 20 parents and kids also enjoyed a "create your own bouquet" area, inspired by the store's fresh-flower selection, with flowers from Kings Wholesale Florist. Kids also had fun playing in a "Trader Joey's" bounce house, supplied by The White Bounce House of Tampa and Sarasota.
As for the menu, Joey's favorites — Diner Mac 'N Cheese, meatballs, mini chocolate chip cookies, cheese, crackers, fruit and vegetables — were all included. Goodie bags were filled with his favorite snacks, including fruit leather and seasonal Cherry Lemon animal crackers.
There were juice boxes for the kids to sip on, while grown-up guests enjoyed a selection of Trader Joe's wine and beer, like Two Buck Chuck, Josephsbrau Grapefruit Radler, Boatswaine IPA and Tarogino Frizzante Sparkling Orange Wine.
The family even fit in a crafty approach to birthday cake. Joey's birthday cake consisted of six Strawberry Lemon Mini Sheet Cakes brought together.
"We had a lot of fun challenging ourselves to purchase everything we served from Trader Joe's. All food and drinks were from there! The cake was six of the Strawberry Lemon Sheet Cakes, assembled with Lemon Curd between the layers, then topped with fruit. The kids loved the Diner Mac and Cheese, meatballs and tons of other snacks," Jenni says.
The result was a birthday party that both the birthday boy and his family are sure to remember forever.
"Joeyboy is so fun-loving. He's game for all of his mom's wild ideas — and he had the best time celebrating with his friends and family," Sean says.
Jenni notes that while it was a fun event to put together, it celebrates something even more special related to Joey's name.
"The theme is a fun pun on Joey's name, but it's extra special to us, because he's named after Sean's late dad, Joe, and my late mom, Joanne," she explains.
"This was the perfect way to lean into something Joey loves, while also celebrating his name, which means the world to us."
The family had "so much fun" putting the event together that they're already starting to work on ideas for Joey's 5th birthday.
Read the original article on People
