honeydew / 7687 posts
@turkeylurkey: what about yard games? like bags, badminton, bocce
@kml636: that is so cute!!
@travelgirl1: I think that sounds tasty! I will probably do pulled pork sandwiches... everything will have to be crock-pottable. Family is all driving from an hour+ away so I feel like I need to serve a full meal!
@lindseykaye: We have only adults coming so I think I'm skipping the favors - but I'm sure everyone would be happy with cookies!
cantaloupe / 6630 posts
@lindseykaye: I think we will do photos, we only did newborn ones and haven't done any since so we'd like to mark the occasion and have some fun ones. I'm just toying with whether to have outdoor or studio shots...
cantaloupe / 6630 posts
@turkeylurkey: I love, love, LOVE your theme! It will be so pretty and lovely!
cantaloupe / 6630 posts
@kml636: Ha ha, steal away - we can compare ideas! I thought about the sugar cookie thing too - I was going to do 'A' and '1' shapes.
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
Ordered invites finally!! The space is pretty modern and industrial so we are heading in that direction over the original vintage hot air balloon thing. With that in mind, here is what I ordered:
kiwi / 541 posts
Wow all of you started buying things... made me feel behind so I ordered a few things today.
@DillonLion: Cute invite
@travelgirl1: Thanks! I'm hoping to save a bit with using Christmas decorations I already have.
@scg00387: Good suggestions. Thanks
honeydew / 7687 posts
@DillonLion: super cute! i love modern, round balloons (though i've never seen any in person)
pear / 1616 posts
you guys are so ahead of me as far as planning. love the invites everyone! i think we're going with this one since we're still going with the sprinkles theme. still figuring out where we want to do this, our house might be too small cuz dh's family is huge. as far as the other details like decor and food, i have no idea yet.
pear / 1616 posts
@lindseykaye: omg your menu sounds awesome.
@turkeylurkey: the decorating sugar cookies idea sounds great! for adults too!!
are you guys doing anything birthday related for your 1 year shoot? we're still deciding if we're going to do it, but if we do i was thinking of doing the cake smash during it just to get some good pics! and maybe get one of those 1 year chalkboards. i just have a lot of ideas in my head but can't seem to commit to getting anything started!
kiwi / 541 posts
@kodybear: Like that invite. As for the pictures I'm torn. I'm for sure doing a smash cake. But since it is so close to Christmas I'd like to go ahead and do Christmas family photo too. Last year we did his newborn photos as a Christmas theme and used his announcement as our Family Christmas card. We took normal newborn photos too with black backdrop etc. So that we would have some non-Christmas ones. It is just so darn expensive!!
pear / 1616 posts
@turkeylurkey: yah! we're still on the fence about pictures. the cheapest package for photos is $500 for the photogs we like. we don't get professional pics done like ever tho (last time was wedding/engagement 6 years ago!) so it'd be nice to have some new nice photos. ack decisions.
pomegranate / 3225 posts
@DillonLion: @kodybear: I love them! So cute!
@kodybear: @turkeylurkey: I'm doing photos with a custom chalkboard I got on etsy before her actual party.... but I have a photographer friend who is doing them for us. I spent so much on her newborn photos I'm glad to get a freebie!
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
Her invites arrived! Yay. We ordered 65...which means our invite list is nearly double that since each invite is for a couple/family. Don't anticipate that many showing up but I hope we have a good turn out!
kiwi / 541 posts
@DillonLion: Ha... glad I'm not the only one with such a large list of invites! I did manage to cut it down to 88 people. I think for sure 15 won't come.
I ordered some of the party supplies last week from Oriental Trading. Bought his smash cake outfit on Etsy. Also, bought the printable downloads of the banner, cupcake toppers etc on Etsy. Sent the files to the printer yesterday and should have them next week. Not looking forward to cutting all of it out. But will be really cute when done. I still need to order invites. Just not sure on what time. Right now E's nap time is around 2or 3 pm. I'm hoping that he changes between now and then. Ha who am I kidding???
pear / 1616 posts
@DillonLion: crazzyyy. i think we'll probably invite that many too but it just sounds like a lot! DH's family by itself is like 30 people. he claims not all will go but most of his family lives in town, and its thanksgiving weekend... so i'm pretty sure most will come.
@turkeylurkey: i'm still deciding on time too. i just feel like if its too late in the afternoon it'll be too dark! so maybe 11-2 for us... dh wants people to just hang out all day tho (thats usually how his family parties go.. ) but i don't want ppl around ALLL day haha so we're still figuring it out too
i think i might wait to make the invites. we scheduled the 1 year shoot for early october so i think i'm going to wait for the photos to make the invites. the party is the end of nov anyway so i think people will have like a month to rsvp. so now i think i'm going to do one of those chalkboard picture invites.
honeydew / 7687 posts
If anyone is using prints as an invite, or printing weekly photos - free prints today! http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/103464/walgreens-photo---25-4x6-photo-prints
pear / 1992 posts
@scg00387: oooh thanks! I'm going to print monthly photos and an assortment of our favorites to sprinkle around on tables and put up. And I usually use Walgreens
We're sending out our invites tomorrow! Eeek!
persimmon / 1161 posts
Our invites went out a couple days ago and our friends have already started to receive them! Eek! This is really happening. Also, his party is four weeks from today.
kiwi / 541 posts
@ChelseaRose: Oh my! Eeek is right!
I have bought most of the decorations. Got the invites yesterday and will start working on them next week. I've scheduled his 1year photos for next week. Ordered a smash cake and balloons for it. The DH thinks that I'm silly for wanting photos but I keep telling him this will be it on the photos for quite some time.
pear / 1616 posts
@turkeylurkey: we just did the "1 year" photos yesterday! i also had to convince DH to do them. he said, "couldn't we just ask your siblings to take pictures of us with a DSLR?"... i convinced him tho. i said the last time we did it was for our wedding 6 years ago! so we did it and i'm excited to see them!
nothing new with birthday planning! i'm getting lazy and/or procrastinating with it. once we get the pictures back i'll probably kick it into high gear..
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
All invites are addressed. Waiting until a little closer to the party date to drop them in the mail.
They did 'school' pictures at daycare and i had thrm do some of the pics in her birthday dress. ghetto? Going to order prints to put on display at the party
persimmon / 1161 posts
I just decided recently to do one year photos because we never did newborn ones. I'm undecided if my husband and I will be in the pics or not, but at least we will have great ones of our son. I found a photographer that a few friends have used and their pics are great. Her rates are reasonable for a professional photographer considering that you get printing rights to the photos (you get a CD of about 20 photos). There's another local photographer that is pretty popular and does great work, but her prices don't include printing rights and I've heard that it is really expensive to get them.
kiwi / 541 posts
We did newborn photos but we all looked terrible! Baby was really swollen and I was still huge! I'm glad we did them though. I think that' why DH is not wanting to do the 1 year photos! But I scheduled them anyway LOL! It will just be baby in them this time because to do the whole family plus his pics alone will be quite expensive! I just don't understand why they charge so much! They mark up the printed photos way too much! So I agree find one that can give you the rights on a cd. Print them yourself!
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
Just did our family photo shoot yesterday on A's 11 month ($250 for an hour session, him alone, and including us, with rights to dvd of about 30-40 edited images) so that we'd have pics ready for display at his party! We're also thinking of hiring her to photo the party if we like our pics.
My friend designed these for us... no real theme. Just balloons, and the yellow/green/blue color theme because I have korean towers (decor) that i'd made for his 100 day celebration that we're reusing. Going to send them out this week... and then the final preparations commence!
pear / 1992 posts
@mrsjyw: @DillonLion: You guys! Too cute!!
Love the invites, love the photos!
I am freaking out just a little because Ellie's party is TWO WEEKS from tomorrow. Two. Weeks.
We have a lot of things I still want to do in our new house before we host everyone, but I am so excited!! Time to really get on making those paper flowers for the decorations. Gah!
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
finished a wannabe chalkboard sign and sent out invites.
$#!T is getting real mamas.
our babes are going to be one!? WTWHATTTTTTTTTT
pear / 1992 posts
@ChelseaRose: AHHH. Are you the first to have a party?! So exciting - can't wait to see how it goes. I know all these babies will be showered with love and have so much fun!
pomegranate / 3411 posts
i haven't joined this thread before, but i wanted to chime in with the excitement as my LO turns one in november as well!!!! my planning is underway. not doing anything too fancy, but i decided to go with a Lion King theme to match his nursery. and i am a little obsessed with the lion king
i am in the process of ordering a cake - my one big splurge. and i bought themed decorations. next stop i need to plan food and activities.
what food is everyone serving that is baby-friendly?
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
@californiadreams: welcome! We will have juice/milk boxes for the kids. C eats regular people food so I dont think I am getting any baby food. Maybe a few pouches if parents want to give those.
I think we will just do trays of sandwiches, fruit/veggies, and chips/dip
pomegranate / 3411 posts
@DillonLion: LO also eats regular food. i guess by baby-friendly, i meant healthy, no choking hazards. stuff everyone will want to feed their babes. i am think fruit and yogurt for sure.also cheese cubes and veggies. not sure what else yet!
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
@californiadreams: ah okay. My LO will be the youngest one at her party by far, so that is why i am less worried about that stuff
pomegranate / 3411 posts
@DillonLion: i've got a couple of babies his age and younger coming. the rest are adults and toddlers though. i figured it might be easier to serve food that everyone can eat though.
eta: maybe i am overthinking it though because the party is only a couple of hours long! lol
pear / 1992 posts
@californiadreams: Welcome! Cute Lion King theme
We're serving BBQ and sides for the adults but we'll also have sandwich cut-outs made with pb&j or humus for littler ones as a 'main' and then I figured they can have parts or bits of the rest of the food as well (things like succotash, mac and cheese, baked beans, cornbread, fruit tray, etc.
She is also going to be the youngest baby at her own party and there will only be 2 others who are around a year. The rest of the kids in attendance are at least 3 and there are only a handful of them, too.
@DillonLion: good idea about getting juice boxes and milk boxes. I figured we would get some milk but the boxes seem SO much easier!
pomelo / 5789 posts
We have a "first fiesta" theme, so we are having a taco bar, with rice and beans, etc
pear / 1992 posts
@ChelseaRose: How was the party?! I hope it all was smooth sailing, little stress for mama, and lots of fun for baby (or big kid?!). So very exciting
So, I am gearing up to do the final list of things and start REALLY preparing for the party this weekend. My list is ridiculous but it calms my nerves.
Sad news though, my mom can't come She, my dad and grandma were going to drive down from TN on Wednesday and stay until Monday (I saw my mom last over the 4th of July, and my dad last before xmas of last year when Ellie was born). Turns out my grandma isn't doing so well and they don't want to travel so far from home with her. My dad will still be coming (so happy to see my Daddy, for real) but only for 2 days. I know it is crushing my mom not to be able to attend. I'm trying to be positive about it but I am still really sad. I miss her (them) and have been looking forward to this for so long.
And on an even more selfish note, I now have no help for the food prep and decorating for the party. My mom and I were going to work on things together Thursday and Friday and now it's all me. DH will be working on our yard and any other house stuff that needs finishing up, but holy shit I would have planned a different party had I known I would be going-it alone.
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