1st Birthday Party

Did anyone else begin planning their child's first birthday party months in advance?  I never thought I'd be that person, but once March rolled around I began to feel as though I was falling behind on planning.  My daughter's birthday is in June.  June(!)  That's almost four months from March.  Oh boy.

Most people believe first birthday parties are really more for the parents than they are the child.  Odds are the kid won't remember who was there, what she got, or what the theme is.  But does that stop us?  Heck no!  And I don't know about you but after carrying her for nine months, going without sleep, leaving my career, and figuring out how to be a mom I think I deserve to share in a party!  My husband has also given up a lot, so party for him too!  Luckily, we willingly made these sacrifices and we couldn't be happier we did.  Every sleepless, fussy night and day were worth the little mini-me that happily wobbles around our house spreading joy wherever she goes. I cannot believe how fast this year has passed.  And how much has changed from a year ago - mentally, physically, socially, and every other -ally there is.  

I decided to commemorate all this change and progress with a Garden Party.  My challenge was to plan this on a budget since we only have one income right now.  Browse Pinterest for just a few minutes to see the amazing first birthday parties other parents have thrown for their little ones and it's hard not to feel outdone or that your love is somehow conveyed by how coordinated, cute and how diy your party is.  It looks more like a set for a photo shoot than a baby's birthday party.  Unfortunately this realization did not stop me from pinning my little heart out - tiered ombre ruffle cakes, homemade cookies with those little edible pearls in the shape of flowers and butterflies, an explosion of flowers in antique vases, and furniture that belongs in the house out on the lawn delicately and perfectly distressed (in the correct color scheme of course).  

{Her party dress}

How am I going to do this I wondered?  Well for those of you looking for advice and ideas I will share with you what I did so perhaps your life becomes a little eensy bit easier.  

I had to pick and choose what I was willing to diy, what was just plain unnecessary and what was out of budget.  I wanted it to be a shabby chic, elegant garden party.  Did I mention this is for a one year old?  I know babies are rarely elegant.  They're more like the Michelin man covered in food.  

I wanted to diy a few things but I didn't want to be overwhelmed.  I'm not crafty so taking on too much would have been a total mistake.  

My first project was to order a bunch of photo prints of my daughter's first year and make them into the shape of a number one.  I had a coupon code from Snapfish for 300 prints at a penny each so it was perfect.  I cut a piece of oaktag into the shape of a one and then pasted the pics onto it in that shape. 

Narrowing them down....

  

I got some clothespins and clothesline and hung the rest of the pics around the yard for everyone to see how much she's grown and changed over the past year.  (It's amazing to see!)  Snapfish is also where I got the invitations for the party (which I also had a coupon code for, yay!).

I did half a diy project for the party favors.  Since a one year old doesn't really have friends yet, the only kids at the party were her cousins.  I decided it would be nice to give each kid a terra cotta pot filled and seeds to grow their own marigolds.  I got the mini pots from Lowes for $0.97 and bought some stickers from Michael's so I could put each child's name on his or her pot.  More about these later...

Almost ready

My last diy was to make signs inspired by ones I saw on Pinterest.  It took FOREVER but I'm really happy with the way they turned out.  I used MS Word for all my signs, specifically the Word Art feature.  Having a picture to model mine off of made it much easier to do.  Like I said, I'm not crafty.  So I cheated a little bit by using Pinterest.  Shh. I won't tell if you don't.  ;)

DIY is great and all, but what's a party without food, right? That's one of the most important parts! I decided finger foods served buffet style would be easiest and cheapest.  Pop the warmed food into sternos and let people pick all day.  As for apps I make a killer healthy salsa that is super easy and tasty, served with Tostitos.  Chop up some fresh tomatoes, combine with canned corn, red onion, parsley and italian dressing.  It goes great with lime flavored Tostitos but not everyone is a fan, so for the party I stuck to plain chips.  I made ants and butterflies on a log for the kids. Take celery stalks, fill with peanut butter and top with raisins to make 'ants.' For the butterflies do the same thing but add two mini twisted pretzels on either side of each raisin to create the butterfly's wings.  It's a hit with the kids every time.  (Note** Just be sure no one has a peanut allergy before you go making and serving them!!  Substitute hummus for pb if necessary)

The main dishes were chicken fingers and pulled pork sliders with corn on the cob, a green salad with veggies and chick peas, and sweet potato fries as the sides.  The chicken fingers and pulled pork were pre-cooked so I could save time and energy.  All I had to do was heat it up.  So easy.  I purchased all of the food from Costco to save some dough because the guest list was about 35 (we have a big Irish family). 

In our family there are no start or end times to parties.  You come when you want and leave when you want.  This is great for quality family fun time, but makes it difficult to plan a party.  You never know who  will be there, who will be hungry when or how many meals you will be responsible for feeding them.  This is normal to me so I planned on serving snacks throughout the day - since I'm sure this party will last well into dinner and after.  I made extra apps and used those to serve later as snacks, but in addition I had a candy jar that I filled with goldfish.  To add a little fun, the kids used a mini shovel to serve themselves into plastic cups.  The kids loved it!

Now for the crowning glory of every birthday party. Dessert.  I figured I should actually cook some of the food so I picked the thing that would be the most fun to make - cupcakes.  Instead of the ruffled, pink ombre cake I really wanted to get, I thought cupcakes would be just as fun but cheaper.  And way less messy.  Then I don't have to cringe at the exorbitant amount of money I spent on a cake as my daughter  smears it all over her face, body, and anything else within her reach.  A cupcake is cheap, one serving size and always tasty!  

A freezing cold glass of milk is a necessary accompaniment to cake of any kind, so a glass of milk it is.  Have you seen Pinterest?  A glass isn't good enough (scoff).  I saved Starbucks Frappuccino glasses, took off the stickers, and washed them.  I re-purposed them for the kids' milk and served them with these adorable retro straws I found on sale at Sur la Table.  I also made fruit skewers in the color of the rainbow (idea totally stolen from Pinterest).  A healthy option to make us feel better about the cupcakes.  

For the decor I wanted all pastel.  I saw Party City was offering 15% off your order so I went nuts.  I bought tons of fluffy paper balls in pink, white, lavender and blue.  Floral tablecloths, napkins, plates and cups really tied everything together and made it look more planned and coordinated than it really was. To save a little money I ordered plates and cups in a matching pink because printed plates cost more.  It also broke it up so it wasn't too 'matchy matchy' because I really hate when things match too much.  Is that crazy?  Does anyone else feel that way?

I usually hate party favors.  Most of the time it's just junk you don't want that the host felt obligated to provide because you took the time and effort to attend their party.  This is especially true for weddings.  Kids parties are a bit easier but still challenging if the kids vary greatly in age.  I found myself in this very scenario and eventually got a great idea.  Mini flower pots so the kids can grow their own flowers.  I chose marigolds since they are almost kill-proof.  And if mom happens to become responsible for my party favor she can pop them in her garden to keep the pests away.  I bought stickers from Michael's to place the kids' names on the pots so there would be no confusion or fighting.  I got the same pots and same seeds for that very reason.  There will be no 'She got the red one!' or 'He got the better dirt' here!  

Dirt and kids are great together, but not in the car on the way home from a party.  I put the dirt in a plastic baggie and placed it in the pot with the packet of seeds on top.  That way if it happened to tip over there wouldn't be dirt all over the car, or the kids, or mom.  Or all three!  Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I thought this party favor could teach them a little bit about responsibility and nature.  My hope is that they water it, watch it grow and feel proud of themselves for having accomplished something great.  

All in all the party was a success.  My daughter enjoyed herself and we loved watching her officially turn one.  I wish we could do this year all over again but at the same time I can't wait for what's to come and who she's going to be.  No matter what, we love her and this party was simply a celebration of that love.  

They're even more fun the day after!

We enjoyed some fun in the sun, some food and games, but most importantly we celebrated our first daughter's birthday with those closest to us.  And that my friends, is worth a glass of champagne!  Cheers and Happy Birthday, AB :)

"Oooo, more people came to celebrate!"

Soul Body, New Body

You guys, I have found a new workout I love!  I have about 5 pounds of baby weight left to lose and A LOT of toning left to do.  My gym was offering a new class called Soul Body Barre which combines moves from ballet, pilates and yoga.  Who doesn't want the body of a dancer or yoga teacher??  Yes, please.

Despite an overwhelming sense of nervousness I signed up for the 6pm class.  I was the second one there and sat in anticipation as the class filled up quickly.  'Am I going to be able to do this? I haven't worked out in a while.  These girls are all much younger and fitter than I am' these thoughts streamed through my mind with each successive participant that walked through the door. 

I am happy to say that once the workout started all of those thoughts vanished.  But not for the reason you might think like believing in myself or a compliment from a stranger.  You know when a workout is so hard you can't think of anything but 'How am I going to make it through this, just keep going'?  Well that is definitely this workout.  

Staci began class with a warm up that had me sweating and panting for breath. What did I get myself INTO?? I thought.  But hey, I want a dancer's body.  Gotta wok for it right?  Right.  A bunch of squats, planks, using sliding disks for lunges and mountain climbers, and then we were ready to begin the workout. 

Water break? Breathing break? You'll find none of those here.  Once the workout starts it doesn't stop until 60minutes  later.  I felt my legs becoming sore before I even walked out of class.  If that's not a sign of a workout that provides results I don't know what is.  All the movements are very small, and work those muscles we didn't even know we had.  They are the supporting, smaller fiber muscles that really make the difference in the way you look.  Judging by the looks of Staci and her assistant this is the only workout I'd need to get in shape.  

I know you're curious just what I got myself into so here's a link to watch Staci and her team in action.  http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=CjdVGULxjL0

We did a lot of squeezing and pulsing and lifting of legs and butts.  Burning and crunching and lifting and holding.  'Now pulse. Up an inch down an inch she says' as my hamstring cramps and my standing leg shakes.  

The first half of class focuses on arms and abs.  This is no joke.  We are squatting and curling.  We are 'serving the platter,' we are doing push-ups and tricep  extensions.  I can't even remember the other exercises.  I think I went into an exhaustion coma and my mind blocked out the pain.

There was still half the class to go.  We moved quickly from one exercise to another with no break in between and Staci happily bounced around the room, talking and correcting, all the while performing the same exercises we were doing.  That woman is in shape! We moved to the barre and began lifting our legs working on hips, butt and legs.  Burning doesn't even begin to describe the pain.  And all I can think about is how I am going to make it past one more rep.  But I do.  And I feel energized and exhilarated afterward. 

 I've done something positive for myself - my mind and my body.  And that my friends, is worth a glass of champagne.  Don't forget to hydrate, that class is a killer!