In the same vein as Dstv's My Super Sweet Sixteen and Outrageous Kids Parties; a Pietmaritzburg mom Kavitha Nerputh made the news this week when she spent a whopping R100 000, that's 100K, on her four-year-old daughter, Zia's, birthday party.
From clowns to face painters, the single mom of three pulled out all the stops to ensure her party guests were catered for.
Her extravagant affair has raised a few eyebrows though, drawing the ire of social media users. One Facebook user even accused her of flaunting her wealth. But Nerputh took it in her stride with a cordial response, even going as far as inviting said user to a discussion on charitable causes.
The original story which featured in our sister newspaper the Post, also saw many parents coming to her defence, posting messages of support and encouragement.
So, what does R100 000 get you?
The Northdale businesswoman enlisted the help of party planners Hoppers & Bugs to bring daughter Zia's carnival theme party to life, while catering for 150 guests.
"We decided on the carnival theme because it catered for both boys and girls," she said.
Sunnylea Pre-primary School was transformed into a kiddie wonderland of jumping castles, colourful decor, face painters, animal balloon twisters, stilt walkers, magicians and cartoon mascots. It wouldn't be a real carnival without animals, so two ponies were also brought in to give the kids free rides.
Nerputh had also set up a buffet for parents in a marquee, while the little ones were treated to a full candy and ice-cream buffet.
The piece de resistance was arguably the five-tier birthday cake decorated with ice-cream cones, candy-coated popcorn and a huge cupcake on top, designed especially by The Cake House.
Spending the staggering amount of R100 000 may come as a shock to most, but Nerputh shrugs it off, saying that she didn't have a budget to begin with, and the final cost just happened to be that amount.
"I have taken a lot of flak for throwing such an extravagant party for my daughter but when it comes to my children I don’t have a limit," she told The Post.
"People spend more money on weddings and adult parties and people say nothing."
* Have you thrown a fabulous kids party, we want to hear about it. Mail me at [email protected]