This NC business delivers birthday parties in a box
CLAYTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- So you've decided on the perfect party theme, and now it's time to execute.
"It's so cumbersome to party plan. Nowadays you're running to 50 stores and buying things off the internet. It's the wrong colors. It doesn't come in on time, and it can be really stressful," said Dina Schweisthal, founder of Happy Hippo.
But that's where Happy Hippo Party Boxes come in.
"So it comes with a dinner plate, dessert plate, all the accessories you need. This one has the bamboo tableware (and) silverware... One of the things I love is every kid gets a straw to take home, so it's just a fun little thing. It comes with all the decorations, and we give you examples on how to set this up," Schweisthal said.
Happy Hippo currently offers complete sets for five party themes. The idea grew out of the memorable birthday parties Schweisthal's mother created when she was growing up.
"When I was a little kid, my mom made birthdays super, super special. And this is long before Pinterest and the internet. This was the '80s. So my mom was coming up with this in her head, and birthdays were always so, so special to us. I just kept thinking, 'I feel like there's something I need to do with party planning and birthdays and things that I love, while making it simple for parents,'" Schweisthal said.
Happy Hippo was born, offering party boxes filled with details designed to help make a child's birthday celebration easier to plan.
"If you're going to spend your hard-earned money, and money's so tight, we're going to give you the best that we have all the time. That's what it means to us. We're a small business that's hand-packaging these and shipping them out with love in our hearts so people can enjoy their day," Schweisthal said.
The goal is to take the stress out of party planning and create more space for making memories.
"It's a lot that somebody entrusted the one day a year for their kiddos for us to be part of. That's so amazing to us that we get to be part of that. We're grateful for every party that we get to do," Schweisthal said.
Happy Hippo also gives back. For every party box purchased, the company donates a birthday cake kit to food pantries in Johnston, Wayne and Wake counties. The kits include cake mix and candles.
For more information, visit Happy Hippo Party Box.
