the very first birthday.
This post was originally written in early May 2017. our little boy, Greyson, turned a year old on April 27th. as is my tendency when it comes to blogging, I composed this post soon after, but never got around to publishing. when I decided to share some of my favorite hosting tips + tricks, as well as children's birthday party ideas, I thought it may be best to start at the beginning—with the very first birthday party we ever hosted. the remainder of this post will be written from my point of view nearly three years ago as we gathered to celebrate our first little boy turning one!
Our first baby turned a year old at the end of April. it was the wildest, most bittersweet thing... they always say that time goes by quickly and I knew this to be true from my experience nannying; but even still, it seems like it happened in the blink of an eye. one day, I was riding home from the hospital in the back seat next to our fresh, seven pound newborn, laughing at my overly-cautious husband. and the next, we had a spirited one-year-old, waddling through the house, giggling and getting into everything.
in this post, I want to share a few birthday party ideas. I want to remind you [and myself] that less is more. I did stress myself out over this party, but that had less to do with the actual party + preparation and more to do with us trying to install butcher block countertops + a new backsplash in five days leading up to the party. but that's another post. I would be lying if I said my hair wasn't still wet when the first guests arrived and the cake had yet to be frosted. and when my mother arrived and I informed her of this, she responded, "seriously?" naturally, I burst into tears as I bustled through the house, tweaking last-minute things. some of the stress was due to my perfectionism. some of it to realizing that my baby wasn't a baby anymore. some of it was because I am emotional by nature, and I have to think the pregnancy hormones didn't help much.
but as I rushed around, getting things ready, I couldn't help but think that the old adage is true: less is more. the party came and went. it was such a sweet time and I forgot all about the things I didn't finish. and that's one of the best parts and secrets—no one knows what you didn't do or finish or what didn't go according to plan unless you tell them. what mattered most was that all our family and friends were there to celebrate with us and the little boy who has brought us so much joy.
the theme
I am not exactly sure what one would describe the theme of this party. it had a bit of a farm feeling to it, with the animals and pops of red. the only thing I actually knew when I started brainstorming party ideas was that I wanted baby animals on the cake. I shared this idea with my incredibly gifted artist-sister and she created an [absolutely precious] original watercolor that I then had printed onto the invitations.
the menu
The party began at 10 o'clock, so naturally the menu was light. it included a fruit + cheese spread, a vegetable tray, a bowl of mixed nuts, in addition to the tried-and-true party favorites: cake and ice-cream. preparing a charcuterie board has become one of my favorite things to do when playing hostess. one thing I love about it is how beautiful and fresh it looks, but the other thing I love is how easy it is. this is a great thing to put on your party menu as it is both budget friendly and easy to assemble. I highly recommend!
For my beverage station, I served lemonade, sweet tea, and water in carafes from the Target dollar spot. two silver teacups held fresh sliced strawberries and lemons for those wanting to add a little something extra to their drink. this great beverage dispenser from Walmart held ice water and played well into the farm-party feeling. red + white paper straws have been a favorite of mine ever since our wedding reception. the ice bucket is from TJ Maxx and the old wooden box is a treasure I've gathered along the way.
And now for the details on the cake! it may sound like it was homemade since I frosted it myself, but it is actually a simple round cake from a local grocery store bakery. I asked for three plain round cakes. if I remember correctly, they cost about $9ish a layer. the lady in the bakery was hesitant to sell this to me for whatever reason; but after I assured her it was really what I wanted, she reluctantly pulled three out of the freezer and sold them to me. I let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then, as I mentioned earlier, frosted them as the guests were arriving. and yes, I suppose you could say poor time management has always been my thing.
my favorite little party detail is what I used to top the cake. I ordered a few Schleich animals from amazon and used them as my cake toppers. I made a miniature pennant banner and miniature party hats for the animals the night before the party. the miniature cake came from Hobby Lobby in the dollhouse section. I had just planned on the animals + banner at first, but it seemed odd for them to be sitting atop the cake with no dessert themselves. can you tell I overthink—I mean—put a lot of thought into this stuff?
another little tip I’d like to share is my source for paper products + napkins. this is by no means groundbreaking and I cannot be the only person who takes advantage of this, but I always get all my disposable serveware—plates, cups, napkins, cutlery [if I’m using plastic]—from Dollar Tree. while I do love pretty party plates and napkins, I am fairly practical [a nice change for me] when it comes to this aspect of hosting, as far as birthday parties go. for dinner parties, by all means, break out your finest [in my case: thrift store] china!
since I know all of the little plates filled with cake and ice cream remnants will be thrown away in a matter of minutes, I can’t bring myself to pay more than a couple bucks for a pack of plates or napkins. I typically buy simple white plates, but I’ve also bought red and yellow before. if you just can’t bear the thought of solid plates or napkins from Dollar Tree, TJ Maxx and HomeGoods have some great, reasonably priced options. I’d check there before going to a party supply store as they tend to be a bit pricier, in my experience.
and that about wraps up this sweet little first birthday party! I don’t have a photograph, but I parked the little red wagon Greyson had gotten for Christmas in front of our fireplace and the gifts were placed there.
