Our reality is vastly different from my big plans. At times I am very idealistic and the world we live in isn’t falling apart or melting away, our children aren’t nabbed by gross pedophiles, homelessness and hungry children don’t exist BUT that is not the world we live in and although I’d like to think we have a money tree or super deep pockets, we don’t. Our reality is we live on a tight budget, with little wiggle room. We have made choices that have led us to this budget and this reality. We make it work, but let me tell you I want my big visions to be our reality.
I have big plans, big visions. When I was pregnant with our team Green baby I envisioned all of our family waiting outside our delivery room with sweaty palms waiting for the big news from JPW, “IT’S A GIRL!!” Except that didn’t happen. Not even close. We made the decision to live far from family and only my mother was able or willing to make it there in time for the baby’s birth…and she stayed with us in the delivery and there were no cheers from the waiting room and family gathered around the nursery window, watching baby’s first sponge bath. Was it still an awesome moment? OF COURSE! But it wasn’t my vision. Will Ryann remember? Not a chance.
I’ve started planning Ryann’s 1st birthday party. I want to go all out. I want her to have a birthday outfit, fancy cupcakes, a smash cake, gorgeous-everyone-will-talk-about invites and matching thank you’s. But our reality is our budget. I want ALL of our family to attend, I want ALL of our friends to attend….but our reality is we live hundreds and hundreds of miles away from family and friends and I know it just won’t happen. As much as I want her 1st birthday party to be a big social event, with fancy white chairs under a big fancy white tent, her party isn’t for us. Will she remember who attended and what outfit she was wearing? Nope! Our reality is I can’t jet “home” to family and friends and throw her a gigantic birthday bash with customized cupcakes and banners and a fancy photographer. It’s not our reality.
Will I throw her the best 1st birthday I can? ABSOLUTELY! She’ll thank us later when we have money for her for college, rather than spending it on fancy outfits, cupcakes and expensive toys. Let’s face it…she won’t remember the pricey party, I’m certain she’ll be more interested in the boxes the gifts came in.
So what are some budget friendly things you’re doing to help with your BIG VISIONS? What I can I do myself vs. outsourcing? Where can I trim my spending for this big 1st birthday? I sense a virtual 1st birthday party, and I like the visions I have for that…stay tuned for details!
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I understand that a first bday party is a big deal, but I've never been one to have outlandish ideas for this party. They may not be one of a kind, but I'll find some cute invitations at Wal-Mart. And H will get a cute dress to wear – probably costing no more than 8 or 9 bucks. And we will just grill out, enjoy the company of the family and friends that can make the drive to where we live, and celebrate H's bday.
Hold out for major theme parties for when she can remember her birthdays. But here's an idea (sorry I just came up with it): make a memory book of her first year and have family and friends write letters to Ryann, and stick them in there. She wont remember the party, but she'll be able to enjoy the book forever.
Diane recently posted..Ten Things Tuesday- My Random Thoughts
Thank you for the reality check, and I love the idea of the letters. We're definitely doing a video montage and I'll put together a photo book of her first year.
LCW recently posted..My visions and plans vs Our reality
I know exactly how this is. We live hundreds of miles away from our family members and friends and it's so hard when they can't be there for big events.
For my Daughter's first birthday I made a video with pictures of her throughout the different months, and I sent it to everyone. They loved it.
Midgetkeeper recently posted..Let’s do this-
Sending the video to those who can't make it?!!? AWESOME IDEA!! Thanks!
LCW recently posted..My visions and plans vs Our reality
Can JPW put together some sort of invite that you could get printed on card stock?? It would be custom for y'all and made with Daddy's love.
For me, everyone think I was crazy for planning ahead, but I've been able to find good deals online for things that I would have paid more for in person. I am also making a lot, I'm making the banners, the favor tags, the cake pops, I'm baking the cupcakes and sophia's large cupcake. I am making most of the decoration to save money, and to make it more…her. I can send you links to making adorable banners…I looked around etsy at the stuff they make and in my head thought about how I could recreate it. I am even making her birthday outfit (maybe outfits just to have a back up plan because you.never.know what could happen or spill or whatever).
Alena recently posted..Twilight Lovers- this post isn’t for you
I'm definitely leaning towards designing the invites ourselves, that's the easy part. I'd love some links to birthday decor I can make myself. I'm crafty and can sew. I have until September, so if I start now I can grab stuff on clearance or have time to make it. It won't be a lot of people, so that's an additional savings too. thanks for any help!
LCW recently posted..My visions and plans vs Our reality
Ok, I totally did Eddie's bday party on a MAJOR budget! My hubs is laid off right now and I am the only income (teacher pay is NOT awesome). I wanted a HUGE party…with a live band and super awesome rock start stuff. Instead I did my best.
I ordered his invites from http://www.paperlicious.com/ very cute and very reasonable.
I ordered the favors for the kids at Oriental Trading Co (I think we paid like $10 for 3 different sets of 12 favors).
I got the table clothes, center pieces, banners, balloons etc at Party City all for under $100.
The cake and 24 cupcakes I got from Meijer (it's a local store like Walmart or Target, but with a bakery) for under $35.
The most expensive thing was that we decided to go with Jimmy Johns for the food because we valued easy over cost at that point.
I did the thank you cards through snapfish with a picture of him on the front wearing sunglasses.
Seriously, it was great. People had fun and Eddie won't remember. But it was still great.
This is my post about it: http://www.sluiternation.com/2010/06/first-of-man…
Oh, and I started buying stuff months ahead of time to help with budgeting. Sort of spread it out.
Ok, this comment got long. Hope it's helpful!
Katie recently posted..Letter to My Former Self
I have never really been able to see all the fuss about the first birthday. It really is more for the parents then the child because really, the one year old will only "remember" through pictures. I didn't throw a party for any of my kids until their 3rd birthday when they will actually have a chance to remember it.
We are on a tight budge too – only 1 income and some wiggle room but not a lot. I want my kids to have everything and the best of the best, but me being able to stay home with them IMO is the best of the best for them – even if that means forgoing an elaborate 1st birthday.
♥
Devan @ Accustomed C recently posted..Wordless- Cords- Tape and a Holter Monitor
I totally agree with dianne. Throw the big parties later to remember. Keep it small with close family and friends and no need for big presents because you know she will just love to play with the boxes anyways.
I love the idea of a video montage, we made one ourselves. Thats a great way to make a memory!
I stumbled across this website recently and it also has links to many others. I have found some really cute ideas that I may try to accomplish for my little Molly's first birthday, also in September. The site is: http://www.saraspartyperfect.com
Good luck! I'm sure you'll find something that works for you!
We did Joshua's first birthday on a major budget, too. And I'm not sad about it at all. My major expense was in food because we got a nugget tray from Chick-fil-a and I made homemade guacamole and avocados weren't in season. But I couponed for EVERYTHING else and got some awesome deals. If you need help with couponing, let me know.
As for decor, I opted to go with a few balloons from the Dollar Tree and a pre-made Happy Birthday banner, but I know that those can be made pretty inexpensively with markers/scrapbook paper and some ribbon and cute paper clips. If you're doing a video of her photos, you don't need to do a photo banner for decor. Just have the video playing in the background.
Also, there's a link on the Martha Stewart website to make tissue poms and Jilli Beanz Things blog just put one up this week, too. http://jillybeanzthingz.blogspot.com/2010/06/pom-… Tissue paper from the dollar tree and voila! Decor!
I bought table cloths from the Dollar Tree and cutlery/plates/napkins.
I bought my cake from a grocery store bakery (Publix, if you have one) because they included his smash cake. But, for the family party we had on his actual birthday, I made cupcakes and made his smash cake. I used all store-bought/box ingredients and it cost me less than $5. And they were cute.
For the invites and thank you's, I used vistaprint.com. I love them. I've always had great luck with them and their customer service. If JPW is going to design an invite, you can upload it there and print it pretty cheaply. Or catch Snapfish on a good deal and have them printed there for the cost of shipping.
Whew. Let me know if you want to chat about this more.
Miranda recently posted..Now that I have half a glass of wine in me
We had a teeny tiny bday party for our little man in which we spent zero money. (other than some snacks). Will i regret this? hmm. maybe. But honestly, I don't think I had a 1st bday bash and I have never once wondered, where are those 1st bday pictures?
My son turns 2 in August and we are going to have an actual party this year. He's actually interactive, he knows who his friends are, he plays and laughs and runs around. I just feel it's more of an appropriate age to justify spending $$ on a party. That's just me though!
Can you team up with other mommy friends and do a potluck? Then you return the favor at their kid's parties?
Grace at Arms Wide O recently posted..Letters to my former self
I know what you are saying about wanting to do these things, but being on a budget. Lindsey, you are so creative though, I am sure you can pull something so adorable together! Maybe we can send each other home made ideas via email, because Bailey's 1st b-day will be the end of October. We will be doing many things by hand, actually MOST things by hand. I plan on making invites, we are making the cupcakes (Barefoot Contessas recipe and a couple others), I am going to make the table centerpieces…etc. I am going to start by picking a theme and then try to go to town off that.
That is hard to to have friends and family around. Sorry
! I am sure that you can have a nice little party with the people you do have though 
. I know Bailey will not remember her 1st, but I also would like to have good memories celebrating the day she came into our lives!!
I know you will come up with something so beautiful on a budget – you are amazing like that. There are so many crafty ideas online, just may take some more time.
We just had our first birthday party yesterday! I definitely did it on the cheap. I did an Evite for the invitation because I know cutesy custom invites are all the rage on the interwebz, but I had to be honest with myself and admit that the main reason I wanted them was to have one to stick in her album. They would have just ended up in everyone else's trash cans, so no sense spending money there. I got a cheap white onesie and made an iron-on applique with the number 1 in a cute fabric. She wore that with a tutu I got at Old Navy for like nothing. I decorated with tissue pom poms from the Martha Stewart website, which cost around a dollar each to make and everybody thought they were awesome. I also made her a "Happy Birthday" sign by printing out each letter, mounting it on some pretty scrapbook paper, and stringing them together. I don't know if you have Publix where you live, but I got a beautiful cake in the shape of a number 1 and they included a smash cake for free since it was her first birthday. I plan to post pics of all this stuff on my blog, but haven't gotten around to it so check back in a day or two!
I totally understand how important that first birthday is. It's your first baby's first birthday! I paid the $15 for a cute little dress for her to wear and spent something like $30 on plates and a table cloth. The party favors were little baby food jars with some sand at the bottom and a tealight in it. I cut a strip of scrapbook paper I chose that matched the napkins' colors and wrote a little note of thanks from my daughter. I put a ribbon around the lip. I made a game for everyone to play – a fill in the blank about my girl and that was a lot of fun since most people were my close friends and family. I had a little memory book I made by folding together some white paper and the cover was a piece of the scrapbook paper. I asked everyone to write her a little note and I would give her the book on her 18th birthday. I did break down and get a couple of mylar balloons because I'm deathly allergic to latex, but I saved them after and put them in her baby book/box. The cake was the killer. I paid someone to make it. But I have to tell you, after that I grew a pair, spent lots of time online looking at cake ideas, then started making my cakes after that. She had a mommy-made ladybug for her second birthday (which tasted much better than the one I bought the year before) and my boy got a teddy bear cake for his first birthday. You'd be surprised what you can make with a round pan and cupcakes!
Anyway, will all the great ideas you have here, I bet you'll come up with something you'll never forget that will be very special.
As for me, we're in a much too small house, afraid to move, because we just have to save for the kids' college and our retirement.
I'm planning Mungee's 1st birthday party now as well. I really want 1st birthday cookies (just a little "1" shaped sugar cookie). An etsy seller has designer cookies for $33 for one dozen – outrageous! I'll attempt to make them myself.
Would it be improper to have a potluck 1st birthday party? I'm sure friends wouldn't mind helping out by bringing a dish.
I'm going to make a photo banner with the monthly pictures I've taken. I have some scrapbook paper that I'll use as the background. It's paper I already had, so no additional money spent there.
I like the idea of a photo montage or video to send to your relatives too!