This weekend we hosted our son’s first birthday party. Thnx Pinterest for all of the amazing ideas that helped make his party a very special day!
Inspiration
Check out my First Birthday Board and Entertaining Board for even more inspiration and ideas
Loved:
- Giant Balloons – so fun for kids and adults! I ordered mine from Shop Sweet Lulu where a variety of colors are available (including polka dot). I also found out that our local Everything Party carries a small selection of these 36” balloons. Note: they are VERY large so it was easier (and cheaper) to rent a helium tank vs. having them filled at the store
- Cinnamon bun waffles – simple and so tasty – they were the first to go!
- Birthday Banner – I saw lots of great banners on Pinterest & Etsy but decided to make my own. I bought a variety of different scrapbooking paper in different shades and textures of blue and green. Then I cut each letter individually and strung them together using sparkly ribbon. The banner was pretty heavy so I tied loops in both ends and hung on 3M removable hooks.
- Loot Bags – I didn’t get a picture, but I made customized loot bags for each of the kids. I used the left over scraps of the sparkly paper from the banner and cut circles, wrote the birthday guest’s name on the circle and glued each to a plain blue paper loot bags. They were simple but looked pretty all on a table together
Learned:
- Bacon on a Stick – this was a hit, although it seems like it would be simple to make I was a bit tricky. I did a trial run in the oven and then whole house smelled for days. I finally decided to do it on the BBQ in a disposable tin pan. It turned out pretty well but was a bit crunchy. My advice, do it on the BBQ the day before but watch it very closely – then you can just warm it in the oven before serving.
- Mini Mac & Cheese – I tried the recipe that originally inspired me to make these – it was too rich for my palate (and especially for a one year olds). Instead I simply made a creamy Mac & Cheese recipe and added an egg to keep it together. I mixed the Mac & Cheese and tasted it to make sure I liked it – then added the egg right before putting the mixture in muffin tins to cook. I also made this the night before put them in a casserole dish after they had cooled and then heated them up before serving – they kept their shape just fine.
- Pictures – I need to take more pictures and improve my photography skills! Will be spending more time on my Photo Inspiration Board
- There is never enough time – I had hoped to have lots and lots of balloons, but it turns out they are harder than expected to blow up & tie. I could have gotten stressed or upset but instead we just blew them up the next day and delivered them to friends!
Thnx:
- Thnx to all of our family and friends who really made the day special. Decorations and food are fun but the real memories come from all of the great people who we were able to spend the day with. I can’t wait to watch all of the kids grow up together for years to come!
If you liked this post, check out:
Chalkboard Box Car
Toddler Art
Thnx Pinterest 