Birthday Parties!

As we begin to plan for our third 1st Birthday in two years I thought I’d share some of the tips I’ve learned on planning and enjoying first birthdays! For our water loving sons July birthday we had a pool party/bbq while our April daughter had a book themed party at our house filled with some of her favorite stories – food and decor to match. Our third daughter is kind of a mix and doesn’t have as many set preferences yet so we struggled in deciding what to do for hers. We ended up doing a traveling Minnie Mouse theme because she is our traveled little babe (coming to us from another part of the country) and gravitates towards her favorite Minnie Mouse lovey. But enough about us!

Planning a first birthday party for your baby? Maybe your first time?

Here are my top five suggestions for first birthday success!
  1.  It’s really about the adults so make a fun party themed cocktail! Just because the birthday boy/girl can’t drink it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun! See our Lorax Breeze below and the recipe here :
  1. Trying to pick a theme (I once went with five?!?) is nearly impossible but keep the little one happy by picking something in the realm of their favorite activity – maybe a favorite book or toy, animal or game? Don’t worry if its not one of the ten characters they sell at Party City – you can do so much better online or even on your own (yes you can do some DIY without losing your mind) these days that you don’t have to stoop to a random tv show.
  2. Think about your guest list — mostly relatives? Friends who have babies? Friends who have older children? Plan appropriately.
  3. Keep in mind nap times and your kids cranky times. For my daughter she naps in the early afternoons and gets crankier around 7 so a late afternoon party was perfect, but if your kid naps later schedule earlier etc.
  4. Make sure you can enjoy the party. Do all the crazy stuff you want ahead of time, but make sure any prep or cooking or drinks made during the party are easy! No mixing up martinis while everyone is hanging out. Think beer, wine, maybe a pre-made pitcher of one drink. And foods that can be prepped ahead of time so you’re not spending the whole thing in the kitchen – you worked hard this year so relax and enjoy it!
Bonus #6 : Take lots of pictures and ask guests to send theirs! You’ll be amazed at how fast it goes by and how much you miss and how few pictures you end up with of those precious moments.
Sesame Place: The Chaos of Fun
Flying with 3 Babies (under 2)

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