Daughter's First Birthday

Simple is good especially on a tight budget. You really don't need decorations she won't care. Have the friends over for cake and ice cream it can be just as fun as something over the top.

Hi,
We kept ours as small as we could but considering both of us have several siblings who are married and have several kids of their own, even small was not really small. And we're tight financially too. So, I reserved a ramada at the park for two hours. We had a farm theme. I had a friend who took the Wilton class help me decorate a cake like a barn and then cupcakes like animals. I put out a checkered table cloth and toy barn as decorations. I gave a little farm animal finger puppet and stickers as party favors. My husband and I picked up fried chicken and all the other close family members brought side dishes. Nothing's cheap anymore but it was definately cheaper than and just as memorable as a lot of other things we could have done. I hope that whatever you decide to do will be a precious memory for you and way to honor your little one!

We had a beach party theme for my daughter's 1st birthday. We were on a very tight budget so we bought an inexpensive blow-up pool for the little kids (only kids under 5 were allowed in - we had a sprinkler going for the older kids). We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, and my mother in-law helped us by making salads (pasta salad, fruit salad, and potato salad (w/italian dressing instead of mayo so we didn't have to worry so much about spoilage)), plus we had chips and salsa. We had sodas and juice and water to drink. All the families brought their own beach blankets and beach chairs. We had beach balls and bubbles for the kids (okay, and the adults too) to play with. We had a boombox playing beach party music. It was pretty basic but all the kids enjoyed it. I made the cake - following a Woman's Day magazine recipe for decorating it (i.e. teddy grahams for beach goers, fruit striped gum for beach towel and surf boards, graham cracker crumbs for sand, mini umbrellas (the kind used in mixed drinks), of course lots of blue tinted frosting, and plain Goldfish crackers 'swimming' along on the sides of the cake). There were 8-10 kids(some were sibling groups), plus parents. It may sound like alot of people, but since we were out in the yard it didn't seem overcrowded.

Good luck and don't let yourself get stressed out - you want to have happy memories of the special day.

M.

For my son's 1st bday I made the cake. If you go to the Betty Crocker website, there are tons of fun cake ideas. I made my simple 9x13 cake into a really neat dinosaur. It was fun, more memories and cheaper than purchasing one. Have fun, but don't stress, take lots of pictures of whatever you do.

We did cake and presents at my daughter's first birthday. While we were setting up, we put her in a walker so she couldn't go into the street, etc. If you go somewhere for the party - just remember LOTS OF WIPES. Also, pick someone to be incharge of pictures. You will be too busy and crazy to get the cool shots.

My son just had his second birthday, and we had some friends over. He became WAY overstimulated by everything and everyone that was going on. Keeping it small is an awesome idea. Maybe you could have a special playdate where you bring cup cakes so that her friends are included.

My daughters was fairly simple. We had family and close friends over. I had received a free 1st b-day cake from Safeway so I got that for our daughter and baked one for the rest of us. She loved balloons so I had bought a cheap bag of balloons, blew them up and had them loose so the kids could play with them. When it was time for her to get her cake we put the high chair outside and let her go. It was simple yet fun and we took lots of pictures for her scrapbook!

Good luck with your party and just remember to have fun and enjoy the day!

I do agree with the smaller is better. Your little lady could get overwhelmed, as could all the other little kids. I once heard that you invite the amount of kids that your childs is years. 1 kiddo friend for your childs first birthday. Or two, but since you will have family there as well, don't push it. We went to a restaurant that had a fun playground in the back for the kids to play on, it took the pressure of entertaining and we didn't feel like we had to pay for everyones meal, actually, everyone pitched in and paid for ours. A fund idea in something I just read was setting up a little station where friends and family could decorate and write letters to your daughter for the future that she could read later on in life. Regardless, keeping it small is in the budget and even if you suggest family not to buy gifts, they probably will which means you don't have to. She is so young she doesn't need all the new fancy stuff. Pots and pans, and sticks and dirt will keep her satisfied. Have fun, congrats, good luck.
a

Everyone who has posted has such wonderful and creative ideas! Wow!
I take the budgeting a step further by not serving a meal at the party. It can be a budget zapper.
For my daughter's first birthday we had an icecream party. I laid out a sundae bar (less than $20 for everything) and baked cake mix inside of icecrean cones (mix as usual and pour about half way full in flat bottom cones). The guests could then frost their own "cake cones" and top their sundaes.
I made sure to mention it was a dessert party so everyone would not be expecting a meal.
If you scatter balloons around, blow some bubbles and let everyone play it is a party!
Don't overthink it...
God Bless you wonderful first year with your daughter!

We had a polka dot picnic for my daughter's first birthday and we kept it very simple. I bought pink and white polka dot helium balloons and tied them to the table. I decorated pink cups from the dollar store with white dot stickers from the office supply store. I also bought the pink styrofoam plates for $1 at the checkout at Walmart. I served pink jello, strawberry yogurt and peanut butter and jelly to the big kids (not my one year old-she liked the taco bar)

I set up a taco bar which ended up being a really cheap way to go. I made ground turkey and shredded chicken in the crock pot. I bought already shredded cheese and lettuce and cut up a few tomatoes. We, of course, had some chips and salsa and that was it. My MIL brought rice and beans. It really was simple and easy on me, but something different for the party goers.

We did it at the park, so I did not plan anything for entertainment. I did bring some bubbles, sidewalk chalk, frisbees and balls. I bought all of that at the dollar store. I sent home a helium balloon with each child for their party favor and a bubble container (wedding bubbles tied with a polka dot pink ribbon.)

We did cupcakes instead of a cake and she blew out the candle on a cupcake:)

Suggestion: My daughter just had her third birthday and instead of putting gobs of frosting on cupcakes and creating more work for me, I colored the white cake batter pink and purple. The cupcakes turned out so cute! I made them in a mini cupcake pan and the kids each got one:) Less sugar-YEAH!

This day, at her age, is probably more of a celebration for you than her. Be sure to make it a day you will enjoy as well! It was, afterall, the day YOU gave birth! :)

When my daughter's turned 1 yr. old I made them their own cake, they were in the shape of a bear sitting up,(wilton makes shaped cake pans). They can be decorated easily with little stars. When my girls saw the bear cakes in front of them they grabbed the cakes and squished them. The adults were glad to have a seperate cake, so everyone got a slice of cake and not a handful of cake! Hope it's a GREAT day for all of you!

I have 3 kids, a girl 5, and girl 3 (turning 4 in June) and a boy 10 months (also turning 1 in June). I can tell you from the first two kids experience they don't remember their 1st birhtdays, but they like to look at pictures and hear stories about them. So, for 1st birthdays keep it simple and more family oriented. Our 1st daughter we had a family BBQ with both sets of grandparents and one Uncle and his family that lived in the area. I got helium balloons and put them all over the house, then we grilled hamburgers, hotdogs and had potato salad. We opened presents and then did cake. Of course you have to give the birthday kid their own cake to demolish on their 1st bday. If you go to WalMart and buy a sheet cake and tell them it's for a 1st birthday they will give you a small 4 inch round cake for free for the birthday kid. Or you can make your own also.

For the 2nd girl's 1st bday, we invite the same, 3 grandparents, 2 aunts, 2 uncles, and 5 cousins over and had a pool party at the condo's pool. This time I made it mexican food, so I ordered a couple party trays from a local mexican reastaurant and also cooked up some frozen taquitos. We brought the baby's highchair down to the pool area and she sat in it to open presents and demolish her cake.

Not sure what we are doing for our son's 1st bday, but I was thinking that since 2 kids have June birthdays we'd invite the family over to a BBQ type party and make it for both of them, with the focus being on the baby, and then let the older girl (turning 4) have a small girly party (I'm thinking afternoon tea party and a craft project) with a couple of her friends.

Anyway, with family coming into town, if they ask what to get the baby for a present, maybe you can ask them to pitch in $25 or so for food in lieu of a present. At 1year old, babies are more interested in the boxs and wrapping paper than they are in the gifts. Also, try places like Party City for cute 1st bday plates, etc....They are usually pretty cheap. Good Luck and have a fun time. Make sure to enjoy the birthday yourself too, after all, it's a celebration of making it through the 1st year, not only for you baby, but for you and your family too! And take lots of pictures, the baby will be sure to love looking at them later on.