Do the younger generations call this a soft launch?
We Just Launched. Holy Shit. (well, sort of)
I'm writing this about an hour after posting on Instagram for the first time as CelebrationShare. But the truth, we’ve had the domain for just a few months short of a year.
My hands are shaking a little. Which is ridiculous because we’ve thrown 100+ events, run multiple businesses, and built a whole community around our farm. Not to mention my life as an Athletic Trainer.
But this feels different. This feels like standing up and saying: "Hey, I think we're doing this all wrong. And I think I know a better way."
(And if you're still reading, this is for you.)
The Idea That Wouldn't Let Go. Here's the weird thing about this: the idea came seemingly so long ago and in no time at all. Months of thinking about it. Planning it. Building it quietly while very few people knew what I was working on.
And then suddenly—today—it's real. All the Best Things in Life I Never Could Have Planned
That's my tagline for life.
Well, one of them.
The other? "This or something better."
Because here's what I've learned: when you hold your plans loosely and trust that something better might be coming…that's when the
magic happens.
I didn’t plan to meet my husband in Aruba. We didn't plan to buy a farm five years ago. I didn't plan to create a whole community around it. I didn't plan to spend 4.5 months in a hotel after a flood JUST as we started this process. I didn't plan to build an app in the middle of construction chaos.
But here we are.
And honestly? All the best things.. this family, this life, the farm, the community, this vision for CelebrationShare…they came from saying "this or something better" and then watching what unfolded.
So no, I didn't plan this. But I'm building it anyway.
This or something better.
The Unicorn Party
Let me tell you what crystallized it.
My daughter wanted a unicorn party. I'd been putting off planning because I was secretly hoping she'd change her mind. Maybe just want family and cake? A vacation instead? Please?
She didn't change her mind. So I did what I always do: I went all in. WE went all in. Because if I'm doing this, I'm not half-assing it.
The backdrop. The balloon arch. The pool filled with corn (yes, really). Hand-made pool noodle unicorns. Color-changing mocktails. Not because I needed to prove anything to anyone. Because that's how I show love through the details.
The cart kept climbing. I stopped looking at the total. My husband Mark was home thankfully. He'd ask "how much are we spending?" and I'd say "I'm figuring it out." (Which actually means: I don't want to tell you yet and also i have NO idea.)
The party was perfect. She was glowing. Worth every single penny? Absolutely.
But here's what happened next…
The week after the party, I found out someone in the development around the corner from our farm had thrown the exact same themed and colored unicorn party a few months earlier. So much of what we’d just bought was sitting in their garage. Right now.
We could have helped each other.
We could have saved money.
We could have spent more time with our kids instead of shopping.
And I realized: we're ALL doing this. Separately. Alone.
That's not a personal failure. That's a systems problem. What If We Just Shared? So I'm building CelebrationShare.
A platform where you can rent party supplies from people in your community instead of buying everything new. Where someone else's mermaid party decorations become your kid's magic. Where your garage full of stuff helps other families celebrate.
Where we rise together instead of drowning in Amazon carts at 2 AM.
Because everything is better together.
Let's do this together.
Make Magic Accessible
That's the mission.
And here's what I've learned: magic IS accessible to us all. Look around. Find the good. Be the good. We have 4 car garages full of party supplies. Rooms full of decorations. Sheds packed with things to make celebrations magical.
And I'm not special. You probably have it too.
That box of birthday decorations from three years ago. The balloon arch you used once. The themed plates and napkins you couldn't return. The backdrop gathering dust. That's magic sitting there. Accessible. Ready to help someone else. We just need to share it.
The Backstory You Should Know
I'm building this while living through... a lot. We spent 4.5 months in a hotel after our house flooded. Construction is ongoing. Extra long hitches, and new responsibilities. The kids started new schools. Life threw curveball after curveball.
And somehow, in the middle of all that chaos, this idea wouldn't let me go. I rememeber asking Mark when this all started with the flood, “should we still do the app right now?” - his response? … “we have to!”
Because that's the thing about celebration—we need it ESPECIALLY during the hard times. When everything feels overwhelming, creating one perfect moment or your kid? That matters.
But doing it alone, stressed, overspending? That's not how it should be.Magic Through the Chaos Here's what I learned living in a hotel for 4.5 months:
Community gets you through.
The people who show up. The people who help. The people who say "I've got that, you can borrow it." That's the magic. Not the perfect Pinterest party. Not the expensive decorations. The magic is in doing life together. Look around. Find the good. Be the good.
And if we can celebrate together—share resources, support each other, rise together…then even the hard seasons become bearable.
What We're Building
Five years ago, we bought our farm in Millstone Township.
We created a community around it. A place where people feel welcome. Where magic is accessible. Where everyone belongs. Now we're taking that same heart and expanding it. CelebrationShare isn't just about party supplies. It's about building community everywhere. Making magic accessible to everyone. Doing life together. Through the highs and the lows. Through every celebration, every moment, every memory.
Stuff Shared, Not Wasted
The second part of the mission.
We're all buying the same supplies. Using them once. Letting them collect dust in garages. While someone nearby needs exactly what we have. That's wasteful. Isolating. Expensive. And completely fixable.
What Happens Next
Listen, this app isn't ready yet. It will be. And it'll be beyond epic. But why can't we start helping each other anyway?
We're launching the full platform summer 2025 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. But between now and then, I'm building the founding community. People who believe in this vision. Who want to help shape what this becomes. Who understand that everything is better together.
If you're reading this, you're early. You're part of the origin story. And trust me…you'll want to be part of this. Promise.
Join the email list: celebrationshare.com
Because all the best things in life? You never could have planned them. But you'll want to be there when they happen.
This or something better.
Why I'm Really Building This
Honestly? Because my daughter has anxiety when I leave for events. Because Mark is away for months at a time as a merchant mariner. Because I kept missing bedtimes to make other people's celebrations beautiful.
And I have garages and rooms and sheds full of party supplies that should be helping people instead of sitting there.
I could keep running my events business. It makes money. It can grow. It works.
But this? This could change how we celebrate. How we support each other. How we build community.
Magic is accessible to us all.
We just have to look around, find the good, be the good. And do it together.
To the Founding Members
If you're reading this because you just joined the founding community: Thank you. I see you. I get it. I am you.
Whether you're the mom who goes all-in on themed parties or the one who wants to do less but still make it special…you're welcome here.
Whether you're in the middle of chaos or smooth sailing…you're welcome here.
Whether you have garages full of decorations or you're just trying to throw one party without stress…you're welcome here.
This is for all of us.
The Real Mission
Make magic accessible.
Through the highs and the lows. Through every celebration, every moment, every memory. Keep stuff shared, not wasted. Look around. Find the good. Be the good. Do it together, not alone. Because everything is better together.
Let's do this together.
What You Can Do Right Now
1. Join the email list (seriously, you'll want to be part of this—promise). www.celebrationshare.com
2. Get the free party planning checklist while you're there
3. Follow us on Instagram: @celebrationshare
4. Tell one friend in Monmouth County about this
5. If you have party supplies you're gonna want to rent out, DM me! You know I'm personally onboarding the first 50 founding members.
6. Look around. Find the good. Be the good. That's it. That's how we start.
One More Thing
I'm going to document this whole journey here on the blog.
The wins. The failures. The "oh shit what did I get myself into" moments.
The hotel days and the launch days and everything in between.
Because if this works, I want you to see how it happened.
And if it doesn't work, well... at least we tried to build something
that mattered. But it will work, I have no doubt.
Let's go. Together.
Xo — Kelley
Founder, CelebrationShare
Mom, Farmer, Event Designer, House Flood Survivor, Believer in Magic
P.S. If you want to follow along day-by-day (ish) , Instagram Stories is where I'll be most active: @celebrationshare
P.P.S. This or something better. All the best things in life I never could have planned. Magic is accessible to us all. Look around. Find the good. Be the good. Let's do this together.
