When planning our baby boy’s first birthday party I had two criteria: It couldn’t interfere with nap time and it couldn’t turn me into a maniac. I don’t think my poor husband could’ve handled a no-sleep Chief and a type-A wife suffering from a self-induced panic attack.
The day before Chief turned one, we turned our backyard into a pool-side Sweets & Treats party! By keeping the food simple, I was able to prep everything the day before, making party day completely stress free! I was inspired by a birthday party I saw on 100layercake.com, and knew it would be an easy theme to replicate in our backyard. We decided on a build your own ice cream sundae bar with lots of fun toppings and an array of cookies and brownies from Dara Marie’s. Food prep couldn’t have been easier!
We used a piece of bead board as a backdrop for the main food table. I bought 4 embroidery hoops, and my very talented, florist of a sister-in-law wired some greenery around the sides. She also did the lettering on the chalkboards.
The food and drinks were easy! We scooped the ice cream in advance and served it in iced galvanized troughs so guests could easily grab their favorite flavor. The toppings were placed in different jars, bowls, and ramekins that made for easy pickin’.
I ordered tea and lemonade from Chick-fil-A and made sure we had plenty of cold, bottled water.
The gift table, which later turned into the cake table, was decorated with a striped runner, recycled tassel garland (my hostesses used it at my baby shower), and a felt letter board.
Framing his high-chair was a “Watch Me Grow” board with some of my favorite pictures from every month of our little man’s first year of life.
I rented natural wood garden chairs for the guest tables and I’m so glad I did! They looked much more casual than the traditional white wedding garden chairs I was contemplating.
Again, sister-in-law comin’ in clutch with the flowers…
Chief loved his cake! I baked the cake the weekend before and put it in the freezer until the day before his party. I gave it a day to thaw in the refrigerator and finished it off the morning of his party. The cake topper couldn’t have been easier! I cut it out of a piece of cardstock, painted it silver, and glued a popsicle stick to the back.
We still haven’t given him sugar and I wasn’t about to start with a 6″ cake that he was going to dive into face first! I used a grain-free, dairy-free, applesauce cupcake recipe from Detoxinista with a coconut cream frosting. The frosting recipe is just the cream from a can of full-fat coconut milk and a little maple syrup to taste. Easy!
Chief was such a ham when it came time for cake. He would sway from side to side, his mouth opened wide, then in one big swoop he would come up with a bite of cake! It was hilarious! He kept his hands clean until the very end.
I think he would’ve eaten the whole thing if we would have let him.
And that’s it! Our Chief had the best time, and the party was a breeze! I’m so grateful for family and friends who helped me prep, played with Chief while I decorated a cake, and stayed late to help clean-up. It takes a village.
Here are links to all things party!
Main table:
- Beadboard
- Embroidery hoops: I used (2) 18″ and (2) 12″
- Florals: Forth & Floral
- Striped fabric
- Galvanized tubs
- Balloons: Party Galaxy
- Wooden trays: similar here
- 3 tier tray: borrowed, but similar here
- Ice cream cups
- Wooden spoons
- Napkins
- Ball jar: similar here
Drink Table:
- Stainless steel tub: borrowed, but similar here
- Plastic drink dispenser: borrowed, but similar here
- Glass drink dispenser
- Napkins
- Paper Straws
Gift/Cake Table/High Chair:
- Felt letter board
- Tassels: Similar here
Guest Tables:
- Runners
- Chairs: Marianne’s Rentals in OKC
- Florals: Forth & Floral
Leave a Reply