March 2018 Moms
fatstagnation
member
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1st Birthday Party Plans
fatstagnation
member
It's time to start planning! Some questions to start the discussion.
1. Location - home or other?
2. Professional cake or homemade?
3. Theme? Decorations?
4. anything else? I'm new to this.
1. Location - home or other?
2. Professional cake or homemade?
3. Theme? Decorations?
4. anything else? I'm new to this.
Re: 1st Birthday Party Plans
we made cupcakes but had it catered by a brick oven pizza company who made gourmet pizza -we didn’t really do a theme or favors.
For her birthday we’ll probably do pizza and cupcakes on the Friday or Saturday after with just my parents, 2 sisters, her godfather and aunt and my BF, her husband and 2 kids. Those are the most constant people in her life - so I’d like to keep it small. We’ll invite my in-laws but doubt they’ll make the drive.
Whatever we do itll be at home, no theme. Ill make a cake even though the professional ones always look so good!
If i decide to do a party how far in advance is appropriate for invitations?
2. Getting Ingles to make the cake. I practiced the cake this weekend from a Pinterest cake and it turned out horrible. It was WAY too sweet. The buttercream was good but runny and the cake tasted like straight sugar. So definitely buying it.
3. We're going to do dinosaur themed I think.
4. Large family = large party. I'd really like to just do my dad/brother and DH immediate family but that'll hurt feelings and I don't feel like hearing it. So we will have a party. @sgrn18 I'm sending an evite mid February and telling them to respond by March 1st. We're doing pizza and hotdogs and I'll probably ask people to bring any extra sides they want.
Her party will be at our house. I think both mine and my husband's parents wish we would do it elsewhere so we could invite more people, but I only want the people who are actively involved in her life. That's our immediate families, my aunt, my husband's grandma, and our best friends. Comes to about 17 people, which will be a tight fit, but it is what it is! We're doing a bagel brunch with a homemade cake at the end (from the box, nothing fancy!) and the theme will be Sesame Street.
@sgrn18 When it comes to invitations, we will just be texting our families tomorrow. They already want it to be a big to-do, and it felt like mailed invitations would just over-fuel their fires! I also 900% feel what you were saying with your husband. I can't tell you how many COUNTLESS times he's wanted to do something "to be fair" and I have to point out that he has no relationship with his extended family. If he wants to build one, I'm in! But "fair" is stupid sometimes.
@knuttyplus2 I love the sweet memento ideas you have! I had read the idea of setting up an email account for baby when I was pregnant, but never followed through. You and @shoretobe are making me want to change that! I also love the idea of college fund contributions as birthday gifts. My aunt asked if she could contribute to N's for a gift, and I very gratefully said yes. Now to convince everyone else that she doesn't need more toys...
I was thinking we'd have the party at our house. I love hosting so that's no big deal to me, but DH suggested he'd look into getting the room at the Italian Club where he's a member. I like the idea cause it would be easier, but it also feels less personal. I'll have to talk to him about it more, and soon.
@ashtuesday you have me wanting to do brunch instead! It'd be easier and cheaper.
@shoretobe I love that idea too! I have not so secretly been hoping someone would want to get N a season pass for Sesame Place as her birthday gift since I plan on taking her all the time over the summer!
We haven’t finalized anything yet. We’re teetering between doing a joint party because DD1 is turning four 15 days after the big ONE for DD2. But then we wanted it to be special and do it separately. Probably my MIL will be hosting a joint party for herself and DD1(only one day apart) so I think we’re leaning towards a small get together with cake and favors. My coworker runs a catering business on the side and they do the BEST cake pops I’ve ever had so we might do that. I will probably rent out the room at the theatre where I work (at no charge, yay employee perks). We don’t have a lot of friends here so it’ll probably just be my in laws, my brother, and a few close friends and coworkers.
My mom had wanted to host Nora's first birthday at her house: admittedly, she has a beautiful house with nothing but space and we have a cramped fixer upper, but we worked hard to make this house our own and we want to have our child's first birthday party at our own damn house. My mom accepted this fairly well. Then two or three weeks ago, she says, "I was out shopping today and passed a party supply store - I bought all the decorations for Nora's birthday party, I hope that's okay." My response was: "No, it's not okay, actually. We're hosting our child's first birthday, and we want to get her decorations." My mom: "Oh, but decorations are always so expensive, and they had all Sesame Street and I know that's what you wanted anyway." Me: "Thank you, I appreciate it, but we're going to buy the decorations ourselves."
Cut to today, when she shows up at my house with a giant bag of party supplies! What kills me is that I hate ever being disrespectful to my mom, but there are times when she does. not. listen. and then I'm left yelling and feeling guilty. This afternoon, every time I tried to politely say no to the party supplies, she found a new way to counter me. "Hold onto this just in case you don't find what you need." "Hold onto it in case you run out of paper goods and wind up needing extras." "Just keep it all in the basement and use it for the next baby then." "But look at how cute everything is!" "Here, just take these two things. Keep these two things." "Fine. I'll take it home, but I'm just going to bring it all back the day of the party." By the end, I was literally twitching and not speaking so nicely anymore. It frustrates me because I'm left feeling guilty when I want to say "JUST LISTEN TO WHAT I AM SAYING." I think in terms of Nora, and do I want Nora yelling at me when I'm trying to seemingly do something nice for her? No. But then again, as a parent, I don't want to ignore Nora's wishes and make her feel guilty about choices she makes for herself and her family.
Gah. This long-winded, over privileged rant brought to you by hormones, lack of sleep, and a stressful week!
Adding to the bday party problems my mom got mad that i didnt want to use thier house, she even offered to plan and pay for the whole thing. Which in her terms means that its HER party to invite whoever she pleases to show off what a "amazing" grandma she is(ive mentioned this but i want people who know LO there, not strangers).... i told her no at LEAST 5 times on the phone and she called me again to "offer". 🙄
Rereading my post a few days later makes me cringe - but I guess we all have those bratty days!
i think we are doing a hero’s and side kicks theme. We have tons of capes and masks so that makes it easy.
I will make a smash cake for Declan and another cake or cupcakes and another dessert. Half of the guests are gluten free so it’s easier for me to just make stuff.
I am thinking we will do salad and pizza but that’s not finalized I will have to ask my nephew if that’s ok.
I am mostly going to ask for clothes for him because he will probably be needing 18 month ones around then.
We are getting a new outdoor play set for everyones birthday this year.
Also, are you doing party favors? There may be 3 kids at V's bday party, but the rest will be adults.