Those of us with Costco memberships know how much joy the store brings. More than 89 million people have had a Costco membership, mostly for the great deals and free samples. One of those people? One-year-old Mason. Surely his parents pay for the membership, but that doesn't mean he's not a fan of bargains.
While a child's first birthday party is usually just an excuse for their parents to celebrate one very hectic year, Sebastian and Josie Gonzalez decided that Mason's very first party should be in honor of the company. Costco is essential when it comes to newborns and infants.
"Everyone we know is aware of my husband's obsession with Costco," Josie Gonzalez said to Insider. "He's a financial planner, so he's obviously all about making smart financial decisions," she continued. "Our Costco membership is most certainly a smart financial decision." It makes sense. As far as spontaneous purchases are concerned, it's easy to justify a pack of Oreos at the regular grocery store. A bulk supply of mayonnaise? Not so much.
Decorations included aprons, shirts, and name tags. As expected, they crowned the birthday boy as Employee of the Year. It's unclear if a parking space came with that honor, but it wouldn't matter for the next 15 years anyway. Here's everything else you need to know about the party.
Insider reports that (adult) guests enjoyed Kirkland wine and liquor. For those who haven't shopped there in a while, Kirkland is Costco's signature brand. Costco doesn't sell alcohol in every store, but the ones that do make it cheap for customers to stock up for big events.
Snacks were also presented on trays, so guests could feel as if they were right in the store. The best part about a Costco-themed party? You know exactly where to buy the appetizers.
Of course, the party also had some Costco themes that tied to birthday boy Mason. For one, they served meatballs. According to People, this was in honor of "their little meatball Mason."
Kirkland also helped decorate the party. Sebastian and Josie used old Kirkland bottles to hold flowers and serve as vases. It's nice to know that their Costco products were being upcycled for the occasion.
Josie posted on Reddit about Mason loving his party after it happened. "He did!" she wrote to a Redditor who asked about the new toddler's thoughts. "He loved having so many people showering him with affection and dropping food." Oh, 1-year-olds.
Costco loves having fans talk about the store, so representatives for the company were likely all about this party. "Everything you could possibly need, as well as everything you absolutely don’t need, is at Costco," Josie admitted to Insider. Now, if only they'll post some party photos on Instagram as a special happy birthday wish to Mason!
If you're looking for a good party theme, Costco is a great one. Everyone is familiar with the type of store it is, and you can easily buy food and drinks in bulk. (Plus, if you run out mid-party, surely someone will be willing to drive to Costco for more.)
If Costco isn't your thing, Target is another surefire winner. And, surprise surprise, it's been done before. Earlier this year, Romper reported on a 6-year-old's birthday party that had a Target theme.
As expected, the party was decked in red and white — Target's popular color scheme. “I honestly didn’t think much of it until I went to Target one day and saw people shopping in the Dollar Spot section and I thought it would be cute,” Chelsey Flint, an event planner, said to Romper. “I pitched the idea to my client and she was all for it. Everything turned out so great and the response has been incredible.”
If you decide to have a Target (or Costco) themed party, you'll actually be saving money. And not just because of their savings cards and programs. Any sort of costume that you wear — either a red apron or a red shirt — could double as a Halloween costume.
Going back to the Costco party, there's one big detail that Sebastian and Josie missed. Yes, the company is known for Kirkland, samples, and the color red. But it's also famous for its big hot dog deal.
Costco has made the act of eating at a grocery store both cool and affordable. The price for a hot dog and a soda is $1.50. The price has stayed that way since 1985, and likely won't ever change.
Costco pizza is also a big hit. Technically, Costco is one of the biggest pizza chains around. Each slice is $1.99, and it's a nice little lunch after a tough day of bargain shopping.
Mason might not remember his first birthday party, as most 1-year-olds don't. But his parents will cherish the memory for years to come. Every time they take Mason to Costco, they can remind him how important the company was to them during that first year of parenting.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
