If you're not throwing a BIG birthday party <come in>

DEBBIE33CASEY · March 2011

We did a big bday party for DD's first birthday. But we are not wanting to do that again for her second. If you are/did throw a small family bday (for first or second) tell me about it. Did you invite close friends, too? Did you do any activities? Meal? Regular cake? Do you even do a smash cake for a second birthday?

We're not able to do it on her actual birthday so we're doing it a little over a week later most likely. But I can't decide if we want to make a semi-big deal of it with just family on a weekend or do a dinner on a weekday. I have almost exactly a month to plan!

Violet's Mommy · March 2011

For DD's first birthday it wasn't "big" at all. She did get loads (too many) gifts, quite a few decorations, a big cake and smash cake, but it was just mainly for me lol and to take photos and show her later. There was only family there. We just watched her open/play with her gifts and play in her cake and take loads of pics.

This year will not be a huge event either. I don't know if you usually do a smash cake on the 2nd, but we will not. Probably do decorations..balloons, streamers and other Minnie things (Minnie Mouse theme) This year other than family I am inviting some of the neighborhood kids. I will probably not have any "games" planned but just let them play with DDs toys and/or outside, eat cake, maybe snacks. I guess that would pretty much sum it up.

MarMat · March 2011

we did a small party for DD's 1st. We were 9 people in total, no kids. Only grandparents, my sister and her BF.

I did all the decoration and we did have a theme: ducks, I made pasta with meatballs, salad and cupcakes.

I thought the invite struggle was over after the wedding, but ohh my... this is also tricky. We didn't invite more people because I wanted the 1st to be intimate, plus I think that DD will enjoy it more after 3, but we might invite some kids her age to make it more fun. I'm thinking of a coloring activity for next year, but we'll see.

DEBBIE33CASEY · March 2011

hijoi:
What's the definition of big? For his 1st birthday, we invited about 50 people. It was way too big. This year, we are mailing 10 invitations, but it totals about 30 people, including us. (my sisters have 4 children and 7 children so just their families is half the guest list!) We're doing burgers and hot dogs with chips and salads. We'll be playing outside in our backyard, and we'll have a pinata. We are fortunate that we have a school right across the street, so the kids can also go over there and run like the wind. If necessary, we will do musical chairs and hot potato for the older kids. If it rains, Nathaniel has a play room in the basement that all the kids can play in, and the adults can be in the family room next to it.

Big to me last year meant a party with a definite theme, party favors, 50ish guests, a venue (even if it was the park), planned activities, spending $ we don't have (lol). It was a big event for our family. And while it was a fun event to have for her first- i think it'd be way too big, like you said, for her second.

So I'm still trying to decide and brainstorm how much work/effort/$ to put into this next party and I want to get ideas on here

ryry1977 · March 2011

We did a big party for Cedrics 1st birthday, but are staying small for his 2nd. We are inviting our parents, my 3 siblings, DHs grandparents, also 3 family friends that have kids (I babysit 2 of these families kids). So I guess it isn't that small as I would of liked, probably 18 adults and 9 kids (including us). Not sure where we are doing the party at, if we will be in a new house or not by then. We will probably do lunch or dinner since it is a smaller party. If at home we would like everyone to stay for as long as they want and if it is somewhere else probably the local pizza place. Doubt that we will do games or anything like that since Cedric won't be too much into that yet, just running around with his cousins and friends will be enough. We plan on a regular cake and Cedric will just have a slice of it. Have fun!

Eiskonigin · March 2011

For DS' 1st birthday, we couldn't throw a big party at all. It was actually just me, him and DH. All our family and friends were in Missouri, whilst we are in NY. No one wants to make THAT two day drive. Lmao.

He did get a lot of presents though, and I baked him a cake to go with his monkey theme I had picked out, and several cupcakes that he could tear apart. And then of course, there were lots of monkies all over the place. Lol. We got a cute decor set online that fit his theme, and it was cheap and just made me feel better about the party not being what I had wanted for his first.

For his second birthday though, we are hoping to be back in Missouri, so it's going to be a LOT bigger.

dragon_chica · March 2011

DH's family don't do small. For her 1st we had 80 people. So this year we're doing it smaller and having about 50 people (but that's mainly children.) Since our house isn't equipped to hold that many people we're having it at a museum and doing a Very Hungry Caterpillar theme.

Edit: Forget to answer your questions. No on smash cake (I thought that was something significant for the 1st one.) Yes, to close friends. Doing mailed out invites, favors, decorations, and activities.

Kristinmo · March 2011

We did 2 parties for DS 1st birthday. The first was just us, my parents, MIL, SFIL, and my sister. We grilled burgers and had a cake and a smash cake.

A week later we were at FIL and SMIL's house (4 hours away). There were about 30 people there (all family)

kscarlett5683 · March 2011

Last year we had a huge party at our home, with a theme, cake, smash cake, decorations, etc....

This year, we haven't talked about it much, but we we probably invite friend and family and do a BBQ (like we did last time) but much smaller. It won't be as detailed as last year. I won't do a smash cake, probably not themed and decorated, etc..

I am, however, planning on a treat for her friends/classmates in day care. Don't know what it will be yet.

nndidiamaka · March 2011

We had a smallish (12 people) party for his first, but there was lots of food, a ball pit, smash cake, theme, decorations, decorations, etc. We don't have any family in the area, so it was all just good friends. We're doing even smaller for his second birthday. My parents are hoping to be in town (they live 3000 miles away), so it'll just be Curly, me, DH, and my parents. Maybe our best friends who have 1 little girl as well. We'll just have a family dinner and open some presents. Maybe a few balloons and streamers. I've never heard of having a smash cake for a 2nd birthday.

alli&pat · March 2011

We'll do the same for the 2nd birthday as we did for the 1st. We invited DS's grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins (so our parents and siblings). We also invited a few close friends who also had children. I think we invited 20people and 12 were able to make it. A few children and mostly adults.

We did a backyard cook out and cupcakes. We did have DS do a cupcake with everyone watching but won't do that this time around - just pass out cupcakes or slice cake and move on with day. We didn't do any formal activities - but we did have DS's pool set up in the backyard along with some outside toys and will do the same this year. We also didn't do favors or anything. Decorations were lowkey - just balloons, a birthday banner and a bright colored tablecloth. We didn't do a theme - just bright blues, greens, and yellow.

MarMat · March 2011

I did the banner with this template: banner templatre

and made ponpons, DD, loved them: paper-pom-poms tutorial

just picked three colors: (orange, yellow and cyan) and used stickers to decorate. got the design from etsy.

here's a pic from my siggy (a part of the ponpon is in the up left corner -did 4 in total)

GL!

oh, and I did this in two weeks.

1SwtWld · March 2011

We're doing a small party, but it will have a theme. We're inviting gianna's friends and parents, our immediate family, and a few of DH and my closest friends. I'll probably get party trays from Wegmans for the food. I don't want to deal with food during the party. We'll do a cake, but no smash cake. The party will be at our house, back yard area.

Aprilynn0206 · March 2011

We had a big party for DD's first birthday (family and lots of friends.) This year we will be having a small party.

I love to party plan but her birthday is less than a month after having DS so it's just not possible. We are inviting family and close friends. It will still amount to about 50 people *sigh*

SO- I am doing a bumblebee theme. IF the weather is nice we are renting a pavilion at a local park for only $35. We'll toss the grill in the back of our truck and cookout. There will be a swing set at the grove we rent for the kids to play on. I'll have goodie bags for the little kids, kites for the older little kids and corn hole for the adults.

If the weather sucks we're having his family over our house on her actual bday for cake and ice cream (minimal fuss) and then we'll have a second small party w/ my family at my Dads on the sunday after her bday. (My fam. is an hr. away and our house is not big enough for both families.)

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