OS 1st birthday party ideas!

rosh12

I have posted a similar question on the special occasions board, but I feel like this is my MSE spiritual home and so I wanted see what all you lovely OS-ers thought! Sorry for the duplication!!!

Ahem!
So, the title says it all. Our little girl is one in 7 weeks :eek:

I am looking for ideas for moneysaving, OS birthday "do". So far I am making bunting. That's it for my inspiration! Please can you lovely folk help me? The issues I am struggling with are:

1) we really don't want to go overboard in terms of £££££ or party paraphernalia! We are very broke at the mo and will be for a few months, and as a general rule, like lots of people on here, we're trying to be sensible consumers for the sake of the planet too!

2) how can we keep all our "older" close family friend types happy... I think we almost need 2 parties- a fun one for our baby friends and something for all the older peeps (who are all lovely and special and should be part of the celebrations!) But 2 parties would be doubley expensive!

3) how to tackle the issue of too many presents (I know this sounds really presumptuous, but there's only so much Fisher Price / V Tech a little girl can handle!) People don't tend to ask us what dd wants, but based on her birth and Christmas they just turn up with gifts!

I think that's all.

I'd love to know any tips, ideas, lessons learnt...
THANK YOU!!! :beer:

Claire70_2

Hi there... My daughter is now 2 and we always have a party for her.


1. Just a few baloons. Kids love them and at 1 your little one wont really understand whats going on

2 I just have the one party and put some food on for the adults and a few bits for the kids... kids never eat much at partys anyway. A few buns and some little sandwiches and some of those little sausages is usually enough. For the adults use homemade pizza cut into squares and maybe some sausage rolls. (these can be bought quite cheaply if you arnt very good with pastry) and some crisps.

3 presents... well you could always say you are looking at getting her something big from one of the outlets so could you have vouchers for toys r us or that you would like to get her summer wardobe together but as the sizing is difficult could you have marks or mothercare or even tescos vouchers


You could put it on the invite then you dont get the difficult conversations to have

Hope this helps


Claire

ubamother

use old material/sheets for tablecloths to compliment the bunting?
the older group, I always find, enjoy traditional (i.e. homemade and cheaper) party food more than the kids! Nostalgia probably, and may just enjoy watching little ones that they don't have to look after. If you have outside space, a picnic can be cheap and fun, and gives people a chance to wander about a bit rather than hang over the kids feeling a bit lost. indoor picnics work well too

morwenna

ubamother wrote: »

use old material/sheets for tablecloths to compliment the bunting?
the older group, I always find, enjoy traditional (i.e. homemade and cheaper) party food more than the kids! Nostalgia probably, and may just enjoy watching little ones that they don't have to look after. If you have outside space, a picnic can be cheap and fun, and gives people a chance to wander about a bit rather than hang over the kids feeling a bit lost. indoor picnics work well too

Jelly & ice cream, sausage rolls and cheese & pineapple "hedgehogs" work well with the older types.
For the all important Birthday Cake - how about a Hedgehog? Choc sponge cooked in two sandwich tins, sandwiched with choc butter cream, halved and placed cut sides down. (So they are round sides up IYKWIM) Carve a nose at one end, cover with more choc butter cream, flicked up with the spoon, add choc button "spikes", eyes and a nose.

System

Hi, i have found with regards to older people a nice ham sandwich,cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake or what we found popular was rock cakes,easy cheap, quick to cook, i made mini ones and the kids love them too.

If you don't want to make a big cake,i made for dd's birthday lots of cupcakes put a special something on birthday girls cakes and on a nice fancy plate,make as many as you need,you can always top up plate or pop in bag to take home.

I brought some cellophane bags from ebay and tried each bag with a pretty ribbon and gave that to the kids with some sweets to take home.

Have a lovely day,they grow up quickly!

lil_me

Home made playdoh, completely edible and most littlies love it.

Invite people to bring their own food. If you end up catering a pasta, curry or chilli dish then handheld food for the little ones might work out cheapest.

On the invites ask for what you would prefer, if that is a donation into her child trust fund you could include the details etc.