Looking for Ideas for Inexpensive 1St Birthday Party in near North Chicago Area

I had my daughter's party at Pompei Bakery on Taylor St. The pizza party is the most inexpensive menu option and it's really alot of food. I believe they did not charge for kids under 5 and kids 5-12 were half price. I consider myself really picky and I thought the room was fantastic and the staff was great. They're online at www.pompeipizza.com

Otherwise, I second the idea of the park district. You can do alot with that, especially with a fall theme.

Yea! Your baby is 1! That's such an exciting and important milestone. You've done great work and should be proud of your accomplishments as a family. Adjusting to a new person in the house and all that comes with the sweet bundle is no small feat and I'm not surprised you want to celebrate! It's worthy of celebration!

A great way to keep costs down though is to not have a "party". Your guest list is overwhelmingly large for a first birthday. Even if "everyone else is doing it" you don't have to. I suggest inviting your closest friend or family over for pizza, getting cute little 1st birthday stuff and make sure you take lots of pictures.

I had a big 1st b-day party for my first and felt ridiculous later. It was such a waste of time and money. For my second we had just a few friends (3 families) over and it was so much better. You want to be able to concentrate on your kid and with that many people you're going to really have trouble.

If you do insist on doing it up large I suggest calling the local park district facilities. They'll usually rent out rooms which are kid friendly. Or try a tot park and do an outdoor fall party. Make sure your guests know it's outdoors though.

Whenever you're under pressure or stress, take a deep breath and SIMPLIFY.

And trust me - there will be plenty of occasions for parties in the future. Ones they'll actually remember.

Good luck!

Check your local park district or a close one. They usually rent rooms or evn the gym for parties for a few hours.

If you live in a high rise, use the party room. If you don't, ask a friend if you can use theirs.

Make cupcakes instead of a cake that you have to cut. This will save so much time and energy at the party it isn't even funny. Also, buy the cake mixes and frosting at Aldi. 79 cents for the cake mix and 99 cents for the frosting. I have been using their mixes for about 20 years now and people always rave about the taste. This will save a ton of money!

When you buy the paper goods, go to a dollar store, not a party store! Although it is tempting, just buy one or 2 of the party themed paper goods. For example, buy the party napkins and a couple of reusable party favors, like a few party tablecloths and centerpieces. This will set the mood for the party without breaking the bank. Don't buy stuff that will be thrown away and be sure to carefully pack away the stuff that is reusable. I have a door hanging that says "The Party's Here" that I have used for years. The trick is to make sure you tell your helpers to carefully put these reusable things away and not to just rip the door cover off the door and tear it. Walgreens has the cheapest paper plates around.

If you are buying party favors for the kids attending, buy them each one thing that will last. Forget the cute cheap plastic toys that mom will throw away as soon as they get stepped on.

Again, the dollar store is great for this. You can often find kids books or stuffed animals for a buck. If you buy the stuffed animals, be sure there are no eyes or noses that can be chewed off by the babys.