First Birthday Ideas

[naturalnesting]

I can't believe the time is already coming for Silas to be ONE! I want to have a fun party with our family and friends to celebrate his first year. I need ideas on themes and tips for a first year party. Let me hear it mamas!

[Adaline'sMama]

I kind of really wanted to do a sock monkey theme, but DH talked me out of it, as DD's has shown a preference for orange since she was about 3 months old. I am making a three tiered orange cake with neon polka dots and a gerber daisy on the very top. Ill serve ice cream, punch, bruchetta, hummus, salsa, guacamole, baked brie with fig marmalade, and Im sure MIL will bring spicy dip.

It will be mainly family and my two next door neighboors, one of which has 5 girls.

Im buying three pieces of fabric for the three tables that we will push together to make one really long table (we live in an old general store, so its a big room). A piece of purple glitter tule, orange cotton, and hot pink satin. We are also getting a dozen gerber daisys (live so I can plant them afterwards) to decorate.

Ada will wear a silver baby tutu thing and a mulitcolored shirt- no gerber daisy headband! But of course, a pointy birthday hat. Ive been trying to teach her how to blow so she might be able to blow out her candle.

We are buying invitations from target or somewhere. I thought about doing a photobucket invitation, but I  got one from a friend a few months ago and now Im like "wtf am I supposed to do with this". You dont throw pictures away, but I dont want to save a picture of this kid.

Im getting all of our digital pictures printed off of snapfish so that I can put them in a photo album and make a scrapbook. Ive been collecting stuff for the scrapbook since she was born, so I want to have it ready at her party.

We are buying her a trichair. Its a highchair, rocking horse, and desk with a seat all in one.

[Knitting Mama]

I have been thinking on this, and I think I have decided that I don't want to do a "theme," per se. One of my plans is to make a reusable felt birthday crown, for Cecilia to wear every year on her birthday. I think I'm just going to spin off of that and do a springtime looking cake, and pretty, feminine decorations, and that's about it. I have to remember to invest in some natural food dyes so that I don't give her tons of red dye, which I was allergic to as a kid.

[McGucks]

Guess I am not too fancy...we will have a small party at a local park (weather permitting).  Um, I will make him some kind of healthy cake and probably just unsweetened whipped cream so he can dig in without my worrying about sugar and food color.  We will have a regular cake for other folks.  We don't have much money, so we may have a little potluck or something.  We'll plan on around an hour or so.  Doesn't sound too exciting, I know.  We more celebrate the everyday stuff...or at least that is my excuse for not doing something more involved. 

[cocoanib]

Well, we are having a dinner with family and a couple of friends.

It would be at home, but our condo is too small for dinner for about 12.

We are having it at DH's workplace.

We don't have a theme, but things will probably wind up looking springy.

I may buy some potted flowers for decor and make an edible fruit arrangement.

DH is making a fabric Happy Birthday banner that we can use for years to come.

We're making a guess what age board with pics.

We will also play who knows DD best and maybe have a scrabble tournament.

I am putting together a couple of prizes.

I'm (supposed) to be making DD's party dress. I've got 2 nice springy prints to choose from.

For food;

I'm doing a big vegan feast filled with foods DD enjoys.

Roasted veggies, Rice pilaf, BBQ tofu steaks or some kabobs.

Hummus, guac, salsa, chips.

DH is making veggie sushi rolls

Either green tea with citrus or our standard party drink, hibiscus tea and guava punch. 

I'm making a couple varieties of cupcakes.

We're just going to hang, have fun and love up on DD!

[whozeyermamma]

I'm planning a small brunch type thing. (We've got a few months to plan - DS turns 1 in June.) Quiche, potatoes, salad, mimosas, bloody marys, bagels, lox and fixins.

The big thing I'm trying to figure out - DS was a surprise home birth so I'd like to do something special about the living room floor where he was born. Maybe just take some pictures of him on the floor there? I dunno. What do you guys think?

I love the crown you linked to, Cecilia's mom! So cute!

We also have this great series of photos from when DD was turning 1 - where she was feeding US cake. Prolly get something like that again.

[cocoanib]

Originally Posted by whozeyermamma 

I'm planning a small brunch type thing. (We've got a few months to plan - DS turns 1 in June.) Quiche, potatoes, salad, mimosas, bloody marys, bagels, lox and fixins.

The big thing I'm trying to figure out - DS was a surprise home birth so I'd like to do something special about the living room floor where he was born. Maybe just take some pictures of him on the floor there? I dunno. What do you guys think?

I love the crown you linked to, Cecilia's mom! So cute!

We also have this great series of photos from when DD was turning 1 - where she was feeding US cake. Prolly get something like that again.

Pictures of the area with him and all of you is a good idea. Is it hardwood? Would you want to paint something there? A mandala would be really beautiful over the area!
 

[mommariffic]

DS won't have his first birthday until June and we will just be coming back from our woods-retreat : ) 

He will have his felt birthday crown, and birthday ring (not that he will get it just yet, but DD will and she'll be joyful for him) and we will have a summery meal outside. BBQ? Delicious cakes? Who knows yet, it will be weather according, but probably something along those lines...small, just family and close friends 

[Knitting Mama]

Our party is getting bigger and bigger. It's going to be outside at a park, thankfully, so I don't have to worry about what to do with all those people. But we just have too many close people and a ton of family in town to leave anyone out.

[LittleBirdy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whozeyermamma 

The big thing I'm trying to figure out - DS was a surprise home birth so I'd like to do something special about the living room floor where he was born. Maybe just take some pictures of him on the floor there? I dunno. What do you guys think?

DS was a homebirth too - he was born in the dining room (in a birth tub).  This is my favorite picture from the birth:

I plan on putting his high chair in roughly the same spot, with him facing the same way I was during labor, to eat his cake.  I'll take the pictures from the same angle that this one was taken from.  I think that would be kind of neat!  Maybe you could have your LO eat his cake in the living room right where he was born?

[whozeyermamma]

Cute ideas! Thanks!

We do have hardwood floors and I was thinking of having DH burn or carve something small on the spot. I think we will take pictures. We didn't get a lot from the birth b/c it was so fast we barely had time to think. But here it is!

love your photo, little birdy - you look so happy!