Lily's 1st Birthday Party
Lily's 1st birthday party was a huge success! It wouldn't have been possible without my mom and her friends who happen to live really close to us here in California.
We borrowed so many things from people! Coolers, tables, tablecloths, a balloon pump... Originally I wanted Adam to make a wood balloon arch stand so we could place the arch around Lily for the cake smash, but it would have been too chaotic worrying about that the day of when we already had so many things to transport and set up. We opted for small bunches of balloons on the tables instead which worked out just fine. My mom made that magic happen!
We ordered Chipotle catering which I highly recommend. So easy and really nice not having to worry at all about food when there's already a lot of decorations to prep and keep track of. My dad read online that cucumbers were supposed to help keep bees away, so we placed cucumber slices on the tables but they didn't really help unfortuantely. I found it interesting that they kept the cake and cupcakes alone but would not stay away from the chicken and beans! Big fans of protein I guess?? That was the only bummer - otherwise I'd say it worked out really well.
The theme was "First trip around the sun," which I saw on Pinterest and fell in love with. I ordered the party invites template on Etsy, as well as the cupcake toppers and poster board. I edited the templates online and then had them printed at FedEx and Shutterfly. I found the matching banner and some sun tablecloths on Amazon and there was also a matching kit that came with balloons, a banner, her "One" birthday crown, and a few other things we ended up not using.
Her dress was from Etsy as well. I was so worried it wouldn't fit, but it did! If she was any bigger it would have been too tight in the chest, so we got lucky. I was pretty happy with it and thought it matched the sun theme of her party perfectly! Her long socks were a last minute purchase from Amazon. She has eczema (which is why her eyes are a bit red in these photos) and tends to scratch the backs of her knees and ankles, so I wanted something long enough to prevent her from doing that.
I guess I used Etsy a lot for this party because her cake topper was also from Etsy, haha. I wanted something simple and on the small side for the top of her cake. I think it turned out great! Adam actually made her cake the morning of her party because the one I made the night before was a total disaster. I used some recipe that was egg and wheat-free but it was just gross. He ran to Whole Foods and got a gluten-free cake mix and purchased egg replacer (Lily is allergic to eggs) and it worked perfectly! I loved the yellow color of the cake; very fitting. The frosting was yogurt, cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. She seemed to love it! I also made vegan cupcakes for guests but they were pretty awful, haha. My apologies to anyone who ate one! I usually love to bake but I struck out twice for her party somehow. Oh well!
This birthday hat has been in Adam's family since the boys were little. There are photos of them at age 2, 5, 9, 16, 30, etc. wearing this same hat! The staples have been replaced a few times, haha. My mother-in-law brought it with them from Seattle the last time they visited so we could have it for Lily's birthday. It was super cute seeing her wear it!
She was in such a good mood for her party, I was pretty relieved! I was worried she'd be super overwhelmed with everyone watching her, but she didn't seem to mind at all. Adam helped her unwrap all of her gifts. I can't believe how much stuff she got! We didn't want to make an Amazon wishlist or anything like that since we feel like she already has everything she needs, but I understand people feel obligated to bring something since it's a birthday party after all. When people asked, I just told them she loves dogs, water, books, and anything she can inspect closely! It was fun seeing what people picked out for her.
While she definitely loved everything, I think she lit up the most unwrapping this vacuum. It's pretty cute. It makes vacuum sounds and lights up and sings about cleaning, haha. She dances whenever the songs play.
Overall, I'd say it was a really fun day for our little baby. She already has a few friends in Santa Cruz and a community of people we've met here who love her dearly. We feel pretty lucky. I'm also happy my parents could make it! It wouldn't have been the same without them. I can't believe we have a one-year-old! It has been such a joy watching her grow this past year. I love her so much it hurts!
As always, thanks for reading, xo