Ready to scrape off icing from the floor and wash handprints off the walls?

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In a lot of ways, dealing with a birthday party for kids is a lot easier than a party for adults. Since they don't drink or smoke, there are no wine stains or gross cigarette butts to pick up. And while talking to a kid may sometimes feel as painful as talking to your husband's dull-as-dishwater boss, he won't hold it against you if you yawn mid-conversation.

On the other hand, adults at parties rarely throw tantrums, spit out their food or get so excited that they pee. You take the good with the bad.

If you're planning a birthday party for a child, there's definitely going to be some collateral damage. Coming up are 10 ways to make sure that your house doesn't look like a war zone after all the kids go home. At the very least, we'll help you get it back to normal as quickly as possible.