PLANNING A 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY - AND WHAT I LEARNT FROM IT

This post is coming to you a little late so I've had plenty of time to reflect: make that 6 months late! Oops! However I thought that passing on my experience of how planning a - completely inappropriate but lovely nonetheless - 1st birthday party panned out - and also share some pictures because I didn't get chance to at the time.

I attended a lot of 1st birthday parties last year and since I didn't have a baby shower or a Christening I decided to go ahead and celebrate Theo's 1st birthday big. But obviously, as birthdays of all ages do, it didn't exactly go to plan.

TRY AND KEEP IT TO A MINIMUM
Easier said than done! I know! However when you've got a tiny house and your child's birthday is on one of the most highly celebrated days of December it a little more difficult. So I hired out a hall, splashed out on a big softplay and decked the halls with as many balloons as I could afford. I lost my sanity making pom poms (the decoration sent by the devil incase you didn't know!) and stayed up until midnight the night before making mini pizzas and sandwiches. Just tone it down. Otherwise you'll find yourself eating birthday cake for a month after (not that I'm complaining really! It was yummy!)

EXPECT TO BE LET DOWN ON THE GUEST LIST
We originally started off with 30 odd adults and 12 kids attending. On the day only 10 adults and 2 children turned up. Some people bailed on the day due to illness and some didn't even both to let me know they weren't coming. It was actually heartbreaking. Obviously Theo was completely oblivious but for me, it was devastating. I couldn't cancel because I wouldn't get any money back so I had to pull up my big girl pants and soak in the embarrassment of having an atrociously huge hall and softplay for 3 children. Although, unless your childs birthday party is the day before NYE this probably won't happen to this extent however, people drop out, it's human nature.

THINK OF THE NAP TIMES
The most hilarious (and completely badly timed) moment of the party was when Theo fell asleep, an hour after the party started and had an hour and half's nap on the bouncy castle with a balloon attached to his arm. Certain guests who were only popping in were wanting to leave and 2 hours in we still hadn't done "the cake". More cake for us though!

ENJOY EVERY MINUTE!
Put other people in charge of doing things and enjoy every second with your not so little baby! I spent the whole time worrying if everyone was bored, trying to keep people entertained and hydrated when really I should of just been enjoying it with my boy. So forget about the let downs, the accidental naps, and the complete shame of having a huge party for a handful of people and just have fun!