Never have the birthday party at home...just say Chuck E Cheese!

I'll be honest, I've made this mistake myself more than once. I had this silly notion that it would be cheaper if I just had the party at home, made some corn dogs and a cake and called it good. WRONG! It's more expensive, more annoying, and much more work than you could possibly have anticipated. First, there's the bake your own cake thing...Let me just say, the ingredients alone cost more than the $10 you would pay at Safeway for a sheet cake...and that's assuming you already own the appropriate pan, knife, frosting tips, food color and decorations that your kid's going to make you put on. Then there's the house cleaning on both ends of party, the broken towel bar or overflowing toilet that necessarily accompanies 15 hooligans destroying your house, and the brain damage in determining what activity you're going to provide for the 2 1/2 hours to ensure that the towel bar is the only thing that gets broken. Not to mention the lingering parent who decides to "just stay for a little while" whom you are now unexpectedly having to entertain, the "Oh, did you say the party ends at 5:30? I'm sorry I thought you said 7! I guess I'm a little late" parent who thinks birthday party is synonymous with free babysitting, or the "I want a drink" kid who has obviously never been schooled on the magic words at his or her own house. Seriously! Don't do it!