First Birthday Ideas for the Pinterest Challenged

First Birthday Ideas for the Pinterest Challenged

Erin Burt

 

I’m a busy mom, and I’m not great at throwing parties. So facing the daunting task of a first birthday party was stressful. I’m not a Pinterest mom, nor am I rich enough to employ a Pinterest mom to handle the party for me.

I sought to minimize stress and maximize my time and effort which resulted in, I think, a decent party for a reasonable amount of effort. 

Decorations
When it comes to decor, I am a big fan of Oriental Trading. You can find some great coupons and they’ve got pretty fast shipping and some decent decorations and party favors that are reasonably priced as well.

Choose a simple theme. We did a space theme for my girl’s birthday. Her birthday was the same week as the Great American Eclipse, where we were at totality for a very long time, so space fit well. We served Moon Pies and Milky Way candy, among other things. I also found some awesome inflatable rocket packs for the kids for $1 each. They were a huge hit and the parents loved their kids being able to burn off some energy!

This Alice in Wonderland theme would be great for a little girl, classy and easy to do well. Dinosaurs are very big this year, and there’s a dino party theme for your little guy! Be sure to check the sale section and see if there are any great deals there as well. 

Food
Go for something simple and stick to the theme. Remember, if you want to do lunch or supper, schedule your party during a meal time. If you want to avoid feeding everyone a meal, stick to the afternoon. But remember, you’ll probably be scheduling during nap times, and that’s always a challenge. Whatever you decide, choose food that isn’t super complicated and won’t take long to prepare. Costco and Sam’s Club are your friends! Don’t forget the smash cake! It’s a rite of passage, but it’s also a huge mess. Be sure to designate a friend or two ahead of time to take photos and videos so you can enjoy the moment (and clean up afterwards). 

At the end of the day, you and your family and friends are celebrating your precious little one hitting a big milestone. Your family has survived a crazy year of ups and downs, and your baby is growing and reaching new levels of independence. Pause. Take a moment to soak it all in. Don’t sweat about how fancy your party is, or whether or not it stacks up to Sarah’s party she threw last month. No one is thinking about Sarah’s party, you shouldn’t be either. You do you momma!

Jenny Ditch and her husband are pretty laid back parents who live in Illinois and don’t worry about whether or not their parties stack up, they’re just glad they pulled it off.

 

Leave a comment