1st Birthday parties!!

Amber - posted on 05/03/2010

Thank you everyone for the advice! I think I have a new best friend--The dollar store! LOL. Well hopefully I have some younger kids show up because all his cousins are between 6 and 18. Wish me luck for June 23rd.

Amber - posted on 05/03/2010

Thanks Christie! Oh and my sisters also married brothers but they were twins! So my niece and four nephews all look alike!

Katherine - posted on 04/24/2010

I kept mine small for my daughters sake. Just family and maybe a few close friends. The only thing I splurged on was the cake. IDK when his birthday is, but I collected for a few months so I had everything by the time her birthday came.

The dollar store is a great idea. Cheap, cute and fun things. Food wise keep it simple. Burgers and hot dogs. It is a 1yo party. I know people who have a banquet style party. Not necessary!! Just don't stress it does all fall together!!

Carolee - posted on 04/24/2010

The dollar store (where everything's $1... not Dollar General, where it tends to be a little more) is my best friend when it comes to birthdays! You can find almost anything there (at least you can at the ones around here). My son's birthday is in July, so we just had a big family picnic for his first birthday. We had just moved before his second birthday, so we just had the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close friends over for a BBQ.

Abbie - posted on 04/24/2010

I would keep it simple!! That doesn't mean you don't love the kid is just means you are being logical! I would plan like a 2 hour block of time for the party. We just did our 2 year olds from 10-12 and it was GREAT! You don't need to feed anyone a meal, we just did bagels & cream cheese ( cut in bite size) and then a fruit tray ( all which I did) Then juice and coffee. We did do a cake, but for his first birthday we did cupcakes, and no we didn't give him his own cake. The first few birthday parties are for the family more then the kids. So I would just do it very simple & short!!! I also don't believe in doing "party" gifts for the kids until they are older.

Christie - posted on 04/24/2010

Well, it really depends on a few things... is the birthday baby going to be pretty much the only kiddo? Or are there going to be several 1yr olds or almost 1?

When my little guy turned one, it was really just the family, which happend to include my nephews, one was almost 2 and the other was 6, then my niece who was 10. hahahahaha

We didn't know anyone else that had any kids close to ours age, so I went to places like Dollar Tree (everything is $1) and clearance stuff at wal-mart, K-mart and managed to get a ton of decorations for about 25 dollars(pooh and tigger even). Then we decided to grill hamburgers and hot dogs. So we bought the meat. then asked the rest of the family to bring certain dishes. Our family is unique because my Sister and I married brothers, lol, but anyway..there is 15 of us not counting kids. We just let the kids play and the Dad's chased them around and we all had way to much to eat. Then I made the cup cakes instead of buying them. It was much easier to let him get into his own cup cake rather than into a cake. hahahah (at least I thought so)
It worked out better to have it at home, because the kids played and played, and then we put the little guys down for naps and all of us big kids got to hang out.

I am not sure what to suggest if you want to have a party with lots of little ones.... I would still say have it at your home, if you have the room. if not maybe a park nearby? just keep it simple, at 1 they get overwhelmed so easy. At least mine did.

As far as Perfect...I tried to keep in mind that my son wouldn't even remember his 1st birthday party, but I always would, so I didn't want to be completely stressed out all day. I wanted to just be able to enjoy the moment! We only get one 1st birthday party! hahahahahaha Whatever you decide to do will be perfect because your his Mommy! That is what he will look back and think!
I hope some of this has been helpful.