1 Yr. Old Birthday Party - Saint Clair Shores,MI

Haha thats too funny. My daughter won't be 1 until September but already I've been thinking about the big day! I think just a party with friends and family is good. My problem is I have a apartment and there is not enough room for everyone. Good luck with everything and keep us updated as to what you decide to do!

For a One year olds birthday its for the adults and not the baby. At my daughters first b-day I had famliy and friends of the family over. If my friends had little ones they came and I had stuff for them to do, but at 1yr they don't do a lot, esp if they're not walking. My daughter did LOVE all the kids and the adults around, but again, its not really for the birthday girl. I mean you do have to let them get messy with a cake and let everyone take pics. Well good luck!

Hi H.!

Just do what makes you smile!! All she is going to care about is that her mommy is there with her!

Best Of Mothering-
Michelle - Mother of 4

I have been to huge (over the top 1st B-Day Partys and small ones). You need to do what feels right for you. Your daughter won't remember the party but she can look back at pictures. Have your theme be whatever she seems to like at the moment. If you are inviting a lot of other kids you could try to gear games and other events around them. But remember make sure to have fun and enjoy every minute of the day.

A.

Hi H.!

Today is my son's first birthday and we had his party last Sunday. What we did was ordered a 6-foot sub from Buscemi's, a half-sheet cake from Kroger (they have the best frosting!) plus a little cake for Alex, and got four 12 packs of Faygo and some munchies. We didn't do anything special for decorations (except for the Winnie the Pooh cake), just the three mylar balloons we got for him. We (I) opened his gifts first, then ate the sub, then did the cake and EVERYONE had an awesome time! It didn't matter about decorations, what character was on the plates and napkins, none of that. We had 30+ people rolling on the floor laughing watching my son "eat" his cake! That's really all that matters, H. - getting together with the people you love to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event with your sweet little baby. : ) Best of luck to you. I'm sure whatever you decide you'll have a blast!

L.

I think it's best to keep it simple. I have twins who are almost 5 and a 15 month old. We threw a huge party for the twins when they turned 1 and they slept through most of it. I learned my lesson and the second time around we had a small get together of close family with cake and ice cream and that was it. He was much happier than the twins had been and I wasn't overwhelmed.

Hi H.!

How exciting! My son's 1st b-day was last August, and I can't believe how much time has flown by already--he's already 19 months now!!

You are definitely right about your little girl not remembering her 1st b-day party. She's definitely not going to care about what kind of decorations she has or what type of cake she has. But as for everyone else having such huge expectations...don't you worry about them!!! YOU are the one who has to deal with cleaning your house (if you have the party there), and the expense of the food, decorations, cake, etc, so whatever you want to do for a celebration is completely up to you (and your wallet!)

What I did for my son was this: I went to a discount party store and got the cute little plates with matching napkins, cups, etc, and other matching decorations. I also ordered a very large cake from Kroger (the theme was Madigasar), and I got one very small cake just for my son to dig his own hands into. If you want to do something similar, I would recommend the Kroger cakes to anyone,as it tasted really good, were very decently priced, and they did a wonderful job decorating else having such huge expectations...don't you worry about them!!! YOU are the one who has to deal with cleaning your house (if you have the party there), and the expense of the food, decorations, cake, etc, so whatever you want to do for a celebration is completely up to you (and your wallet!)

What I did for my son was this: I went to a discount party store and got the cute little plates with matching napkins, cups, etc, and other matching decorations. I also ordered a very large cake from Kroger (the theme was Madigasar), and I got one very small cake just for my son to dig his own hands into. If you want to do something similar, I would recommend the Kroger cakes to anyone,as it tasted really good and they did a wonderful job decorating it. But if you want to save money and bake your own cake (or even have a friend or family member do it for you), then do that! Oh and trust me: not a single person today could tell you what was on those paper plates I bought or the kind of decorations I had, so if you'd rather save money and buy plain old white paper plates and the fewest decorations imaginable (like just a few balloons), nobody is going to care!

We also ordered pizza and breadsticks and salad for dinner for everyone as well. Originally, to save money, I was NOT going to serve dinner and have the party around 1pm (and just word the invitations as saying "cake and ice cream will be served.") But I ended up changing the time of the party to 4:00 because I was inviting a ton of friends with kids (ages 4 and under) and most of them took naps earlier in the afternoon. So I figured I'd have to provide some sort of dinner if the party would be going on that late! If you decide to have your party during lunch or dinner, you can always ask people to bring a dish. You don't even have to ask all of your guests, just a few close friends/relatives if you want.

Oh, and speaking of guests...do not feel you have to invite everybody and their brother. Depending on where you have the party (space availability) and how much you want to spend, only invite those you truly want there and do not worry about hurting people's feelings.

May is such a nice time of year--if you don't want the party at your house, consider having it at a local playground (one that has a pavilion in case it ends up raining.) That would save you so much time from having to clean the house, I'm thinking about doing that for my son's 2nd b-day! And then there are always places like Chuck E Cheese's or Little Caesar's Playland (I have heard Little Caesar's in Madison Heights is cheaper than Chuck E Cheese.) Oh, and the zoo! That always seemed like a really cool place to have a b-day party! I know they do have them there!

If you're going to have any other kids at the party, you might wanna give them goody bags. Some people give them to kids on their way home, but I gave them to the kids right away so they could entertain themselves. I just got everything at the discount party store and the dollar store. Depending on the age of the child, you can give things like little bouncy balls, stickers, pencils and notepads, individual snacks (like Teddy Grahams or Animal Crakers, etc), and just stuff like that. I actually had 2 infants at my son's party, so I gave them things like jars of baby food (fruit), fruit puffs, and sippy cups. But again, don't feel you have to provide goody bags, it's just something to think about.

I have a friend who never does cakes for her son's parties...while he did get his own little cake for his 1st b-day, everyone else got (and continues to get) individual cupcakes.

My son ate his cake in his high chair, but someone told me for her own daughter's 1st b-day, she put her daughter in a small baby pool right inside the living room (with no water in it). She then put the baby in the pool with the cake and let her really go to town!! No matter what, be prepared to throw your daughter in the tub right after and have a change of clothes handy. It may not be necessary, but it most likely will be!

After all this rambling on, I hope I was able to give you at least one idea that is helpful!! One thing is for sure...you are going to be sooo proud of your baby girl on her birthday!! And THAT is something she will appreciate more than the cake, decorations, and presents she gets! Good luck!

Keep it small - family and a few close friends. If weather allows, plan for barbecue. If not, try a deli tray. The more you can prep in advance, the better. Forget about making a cake, just order one (COSTCO has a great cake and inexpensive). Everytime I tried to follow a magazine idea for a homemade birthday cake it was a disaster (they neglect to tell you that you need a crew of 10 behind the scenes to help). At this age it is more for you than her. If you have a favorite color that you associate with her, run with that. Get a birthday crown at a party store or dress-up aisle at local retailer to have her wear that day and on every birthday. (My mother actually bought me a tiara - like a bridal tiara, that I still have 44 years later. You can get one just like the bridal tiaras but for 1/8th cost at a fabric store with a coupon or online prom supply distributors.) Get a blank journal and set out for guests to write a wish for her for upcoming year - use that same journal each year. So fun to track what people say year to year. We decided to be creative with the invitation and actually bought a Cheerios container for each family to send along with the paper invitation noting that someone had a token in their container (a colored Cheerio) to be redeemed at the party for a prize - a large box of Cheerios with movie rental coupons attached. Check out Party411 for 1st birthday ideas, too.

Good Luck and Happy Birthday to your little one.

Plan the party to be 2 hours long and during a time when she's not napping. Because I tried to plan around my large extended family and not around my daughter's schedule, the poor girl cried the whole time and it was super stressful. A close friend of mine had her daughter's first birthday party at her tiny house from 1-3pm on a Saturday in February and was able to stay on schedule and get all the presents opened and cake served and it worked out BEAUTIFULLY. Just make sure you keep things moving because no one thinks about how stressful this is for you as the mom who is planning it. Good luck!

We just went with a small intimate gathering at home. We did decorate with a theme, sort of. We decoarted in a patriotic manner. Red, white, and blue streamers and balloons. And I made a flag cake. I mean, he's not going to remember a theme. But, I thought that he'd like the bright colors. And he did. He especially loves the mylar red, white, and blue fighter jet balloon we gave him. My only word of advice, if you opt to give your baby a balloon, make sure the ribbon is super short, so it isn't long enough to get around her neck. Better safe than sorry. But my son played with his for days after the party...sometimes more enthusiastically that the new toys.lol

I invited about 30 people to my 1st daughter's birthday party, assuming half of them wouldn't come, well everyone came! It was a little chaotic but fun. I would suggest that you keep it close family and friends and easy food/cake. The pictures are priceless and fun to put in the baby book. We did Sesame Street for her first, nothing cuter than Elmo.
Have fun with it, it'll be a success regardless!
J.

I say that you be the one to decide what you think would be the best way to celebrate. Lots of people feel they have to "keep up with the Jones'" if you know what I mean. But it sounds to me like you already know that you would feel more comfortable having something small and inexpensive. Which is exactly what I am going to do for my sons first birthday coming up the end of May. I am not sending out invitations or going to a pizza place. I am going to make my sons a personal experience by seeing what the weather is like and probably a week before I will invite close friends and family for a barbecue at the park or just have a few people over to the house for a barbecue depending on the weather. And I will allow my son to have a personal cake of his own to smash and play with (I cant wait) and then a seperate cake for everyone else and just have a nice family BBQ...I am going to save the big birthday parties for when he is older and can choose what he would like to do and can appreciate it. Good luck to yah and remember dont let others pressure you do to something you dont feel comfortable with.

I had my sons birthday party at a local park which he also born in may and it turned out pretty well i would just suggest to not having a lot of people ( which at my sons there was too many lol) because at that young age its to much and can be overwhelming we just had a few balloons and a sign that said first birthday and just ate sandwichs ect.. ( summer food ) but just remember to have a selection of foods a 1 year old can eat such as watermelon mac salad things like that because it is for them .... i know they dont remember but youll have pics for memories.. good luck and hope it turns out well

HELLO H., I COULDN'T WAIT TILL MY SON'S 1ST BIRTHDAY, IT HAD TO BE PERFECT, EVEN TOUGH HE DOESN'T REMEMBER.. IHAD IT AT A LOCAL BEACH , THE KIDS RUN CRAZY, WE BARBQUED HOTDOGS AND HAMBURGERS, HAD ICE CREAM AND CAKE.. IT WAS GREAT.. THE KIDS RAN AROUND PLAYED ON THE TOT LOT IT WAS GREAT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE BEST THING TO DO... I HOPE HER BIRTHDAY TURNS OUT GREAT. GOOD LUCK

Hi, for all of my kids first birthday I just had a party with close family and friends at home. They all have spring/summer birthdays so we did burgers and dogs on the grill and I had my mother and mother in law bring salads and veggie tray. I made really cute cakes that I picked off Kraftfoods.com It was a lot of fun and the pictures are great. I also had games for the older kids like "pin the tail on the donkey" and a pinjata(sorry, bad spelling I think?). For drinks I did punch and tea. What ever you decide don't out do yourself. I have found that everyone always expects bigger and better the next year so save some fun stuff for when she's old enough to enjoy it too. Have FUN!

Sometimes it seems like a 1st Birthday is an excuse to have a big party for the adults! he he- I remember when my daughter turned 1. EVERYBODY was asking about when the party was gonna be and where. We decided to have it at our house since we had just bought a new home and it was almost an acre so we had plenty of room. It ended up being a huge bash with a keg of beer, volleyball, and a baby pool for the kids. It was a great time, but I coudn't believe how late everyone stayed.. Good Luck with your planning.

Forget about everyone elses expectation. This is about your little girl. I hope you will video tape the party so she can view it when she grows up. Her first birthday will be a milestone for the parents and then later for her. One of the best things I've learned is to bake a small 3 inch cake just for her. Sometimes a child may need to be encouraged to dive in but it is so much fun for everyone. I bought the pans at Kroger's. Ballons are a lot of fun but be sure she doesn't get a hold of one. There have been cases in emergency rooms where children have inhaled latex from gloves inflated for a child to play with and the child couldn't be saved. This hospital had a trama unit with physicians on the spot. I'm an RN so I know that this isn't just a tale. Let older children take the ballons home with them as party favour. Those that are invited should be advised not to give her a ballon as a gift. Have fun and don't try to keep up with the Jone's. I love giving party favours to the other children which need to be age appropriate and are best given after the birthday girl has opened her gifts. This is helpful for getting the children to focus on their own present and off of the gifts your daughter has just received. Best of luck.

Think about who will be the most excited about her birthday...you, your husband, your parents, other family and close family friends. Have a casual dinner party on Sunday afternoon and decorate your house with her favorite character. Sing 'Happy Birthday', have cake and ice cream, blow out the candles and take lots of pictures. It's more your day than hers at this point so do what you want to do not what you think you're expected to do.. Have Fun!!

My advice would be don't worry about other people's expectations. She's YOUR daughter. If you want to have a celebration I'd keep it short and not to crazy. She's still very little and SO much stimulation will probably send her into a melt down. Of course you love her and are thrilled she's now a year old but that doesn't mean you have to go wild like some do. She won't remember it and it's for HER not everyone else. Of course take pictures to show her when she's older! Have fun!

Our 1 year birthday party is on March 18th! We're having lots of family and cousins (around 30) I'm making Annabelle a gigantic cupcake, and cupcakes for all the guests. We're having it at my parents' home (its much bigger). I'm not planning anything like games, because a one year old is entertainment enough. So we'll do cake, presents, and sandwiches. Just plain family fun. I got a cute sign for the yard, purple plates, cups, napkins, a cute "birthday girl" hat from the party store, and "1 year" centerpiece that matches the napkins.
Don't get crazy with all the "stuff" because the most important part is the messy chocolate face, and the hugs from loved ones!
Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!!!

My daughter turned one in January & we did a party for her at the YMCA. We had like 17 kids with their parents. They set up their kids gym with tons of toys & mats for the kids to play on, along with tables & chairs for eating & presents. After some gym time, presents, cake, etc., people could swim if they wanted, or they could leave. Everyone afterwards said that they had so much fun & their kids slept for like 3 hours. We had a hawaiian theme & asked people to dress in their hawaiian attire & bring their suits & towels. It was a blast!!! We also handed out luas to those that didn't dress up.
Good luck, anything you come up with will be memorable - remember to take lots of pictures!!

When my daughter turned 1 I was going to go all out but then I realized she would not remember it so why spend all the money for her not to remember it. I had family and friends over and it was very nice not anything big or exciting but nice. That's all it needs to be. Get lots of pic of her with her cake they are very cute to have. My daughter had red frosting from head to toe. Just do it how you think will be good.

We didn't make a big deal out of my sons first birthday. We knew that he wouldn't remember it. We just had his grandparents and other close realatives come for diner and cake. We got the pictures of him eating his cake and opening his presents. No big deal and certainly no big party. This year he will be 3 and we plan on having a party for him. Pizza Galaxy is most likely the place. He is understanding a little bit more now what a birthday is, so we thought that it is time to give him a party.

my daughter turned 1 in december. I planned the party for 4 pm -right after her afternoon nap. I suggest planning around yur daughters naps... A tired babyis a cranky baby. I kept the party short 2 hours. and only invited about 10 people which was plenty. pizza and cake and ice cream.. Try not to overwhelm the little one... we didnt do games or anything.. it was very simple..