Moms Talk: Party Time

Each week in Moms Talk, our community of readers like you take questions, give advice and share solutions. Moms, dads, grandparents and the families who make up our community have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today with this week's question. Provide answers below in the Comments box, and submit your own questions to me directly at jimw@patch.com.

Q: My son's first birthday last year was chaotic and stressful to say the least. I organized the whole party, decorated the venue and made sure every single thing made it to the party. And although it was catered, I still had anxiety that somehow something would go wrong. I enjoyed the party but would love to just show up and have everything done for me. 

I'm planning my son's second birthday this fall and was thinking of hiring an event planner for small parties. Is that a bit excessive? What do you moms think? Thanks in advance.