Gracie's first birthday is fast approaching. I haven't a clue on what to do. Should I have a party at home with a few kids or just hubby and I. Gymboree and McDonalds have also been suggested. I am stumped. A party at home would be ok BUT we will have all of our Christmas decorations up and that may be a little risky with a bunch of small fries running around. I think McDonalds is for older kids. Gymboree may be the solution depending on what the cost would be. Sooooo anyone that has some suggestions please send them my way. Thanks in advance. Smooches
9 comments:
i think the first birthday is more about the parents and creating perhaps at least one family ritual. i also think BIG when i think of first birthdays, it is in fact quite a celebration and accomplishment. in terms of where, i'd say somewhere family friendly that mom and dad could enjoy or maybe a picnic at a park or something ... you could
Do you guys have the "little gym" chains? For me, I like parties at home for babies. Family, balloons or chinese laterns with a pretty cake is a good idea for Gracie's first birthday. I'm sentimental.
I really like cakes like that...I just ordered a similar one for my grown tail-couldn't wait for my baby. I said it was practice.
OMG.............Gracie will be one soon........time does fly...I agree with all that nice x-mas stuff you had up last year, the little fries could cause some serious problems........I would agree w/Stacy, being it is still nice in Texas, a nice park party would be nice, you invite a few kids and their parents and have it in a park........It is cheapter than the other places you mentioned. I think 1st birhtdays are a big deal, I mean all b-days are big deals, but what I enjoyed most when I got older and looked back on the my pics, was the fact my mom baked us cakes each year, even though they were lop sided with crazy looking icing on them, but to her it was such an honor to make our bithday cakes, and being we had a huge family we never had to worry about inviting freinds, so nice quiet b-day w/you, hubby, and Graice, w/a home made b-day cake would also be nice and appreciated by her in the yrs to come. Make sure you take lots of pics, whihc I know I don't have to tell you that.... and wear your b day hats, and some blowers w/balloons. Just my opinion.
good luck brain storming
Celeste
Time has gone by! I can not believe that Gracie will be 1!
I just promised you that I would post my suggestions:
I love birthday celebrations for little people. My early birthdays were filled with family members, and close friends of the family with hats, cake, punch, cookies, chips, and ice cream. Of course lots of pictures and simple games and good conversation. It is a significant birthday and it is really for the parents. The babies really do not understand whats going on. I really love edible art cakes as well!
I am our Home Owners Association Social Chair, so I love doing events, especially for kids. I am trying to keep the economy in mind and be budget mindful as well.
I have two suggestions:
1.) If you want to have something besides the three of you, then see if you can rent out your neighborhood clubhouse and decorate the clubhouse in the theme colors of your choice with balloons and streamers. You can keep it simple or invite as many as you want, depending on the capacity of the clubhouse.
These is some things that we have done that are fabulous, personal and keepsakes.
You can do water bottles with custom labels there with the theme colors, date, and even a picture. I can give you the information or my husband can design them for you, email them to you and you can get them printed. They are fabulous and a great hit! We have also done them for baby showers and bridal showers that I have helped with.
You can do a custom invitation as well with the theme colors and information to your liking, with simple balloons and decorations.
You can get clear party bags with the theme ribbons and and have a custom label on them. This would be their favor bag to take home as well.
These are all budget mindful things, but also unique and personal once you come up with what you want.
You can also get very inexpensive canvis totes on line and have the birthday girls picture and or birthday information screen printed on the little totes for a reasonable price or you can use puff art pens and do them yourself! I have done this for pediatric clients in the past and it only takes a few minutes with the paint pens and you can customize each bag. The totes can be given as favors to put snacks, candy or educational books in for the children attending. Oriental Trading has cheap totes and there are a few places on line that have them as well with other neat gifts and bags. The totes are something that the littles ones can use after Gracie's party.
Suggestion 2.)
Invite a small amount of people and if you all have an aquarium, children's museum and have the function there if possible. Many people have their parties at the Children's Museum here and it is limited to a short period and the kids get light food and have things that they can play with as well. This has been popular for the past two years. When the party is over, its over! Everyone goes home and you can go home to a clean home. I know that you are very particular about your home as well.
You can always do the gymboree gym as well to keep the kids busy. I guess its a personal opinion.
If anything, I would have a unique birthday cake and if you can find a photographer that can do a little story book for you with the bound pages from the party-photo journalism style. That will be such an awesome keepsake! I had this style book for our wedding and it is wonderful to have.
We had one for the last baby shower that I helped with this past spring. The photographers were there and they did these mini custom photo books for the expectant mom to keep of all the pics that they took at the shower. Pictures are priceless. Those are the two things that I would definitely have!
Let me know what you think! Hit me on the hip!
Kristy
I forgot to tell you to invest in purchasing or subscribing to Martha Stewarts Kids magazine. She has excellent and affordable ideas for birthday parties and celebrations that are unique and budget friendly. I think that price is 12.00 a year and it comes out quarterly. I need to renew my subscription.
That seems too fast. I don't have any great first birthday ideas but I love that cake.
Well ... you already know my suggestion. When they are this young I think small is best (& honestly cheaper -- get away with that part as long as you can 'cause once they're older & into teen years you won't even believe how much you'll be looking at spending). Anyhoo ... I love the idea of the 3 of you spending the day at the park, taking lots of pics, party hats & a mini cake for our girl to enjoy sticking her hands in & getting icing all over herself (or cupcakes). Remember too that Santa will arrive soon so you'll want to hold back some for that in the area of expense. Regardless of what you choose she'll be happy.
pnf
I second the comment that whatever you pick, she will enjoy it. Personally, If I weren't going to have a party at home, I think I would choose a park. Somewhere with shade, a playground and a covered pavilion. The good thing is that you can actually hear yourself talk at a park, as opposed to being inside with a bunch of kids :) By the way, I love Family Fun magazine for birthday party and cake ideas, plus games and crafts. That is where I got the idea for my son's castle cake. And that was a little lopsided. I was just praying the graham cracker towers wouldn't fall off before he blew out the candles.
For a 1st birthday party, I think it's so special to keep it small and intimate. Please remember that Gracie is too young to grasp the idea of it being her birthday, so the celebration is really for the adults in honor of her. IMO, a nice cake, some simple decorations, your hubby and a handful of relatives is special enough. The last thing you want that day is for Gracie to be overwhelmed by too much activity and too many people fussing over her. You'll have plenty of time for the big expensive parties later on! I've read that the number of children invited to a birthday party should be consistent with the birthday child's age. When Addison turned two, we invited two of her playmates, their parents, and a few close relatives to our home. We took plenty of pictures, had simple foods, and a nice cake. A good time was had by all!
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