Categories: Parenting

Cheap Parties: First Birthday Tips and Tricks

The first birthday is one of the most memorable for you and most forgettable for your child. Do you remember your first birthday? Yeah … neither do I. That being said, this is a birthday mostly for your memoirs. Let’s not waste our pocket book on this okay. After all, there are many more birthdays coming up where it will be more expensive than you ever dreamed a birthday could be. So, enjoy this first birthday because it will be the easiest, cleanest and quietest and cheapest one you will ever throw for your child.

First, it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl. The only difference that makes is in what colors you choose: blue or pink. At this age they don’t care much and most likely don’t know how to open up a present, unless they’ve had practice at Christmas. But, even then the chances are pretty slim they’re going to amaze you on this day. You want to enjoy this birthday with mostly family and maybe some friends.

That’s your first duty is to make the guest list. For this first birthday the guest list should be made a month in advance. People these days really need time to plan for things. Everyone’s lives are so busy. Make sure your guest list is going to create a relaxed atmosphere and not a stressful one. You’ll have enough to do and pictures to take. You don’t want to have to break up a heated argument between two people who are trying to decide which present the baby (most likely you) will open up first. Be picky. You can always have a more casual party another day for people who tend to get on your nerves. Make sure you send the invitations out a few days after making the list.

But, you don’t have to buy fancy invitations. Most people just email the date and time. But, if you are like me and enjoy making a memoir for everyone, there is a way to make cheap invitations. Get some cardboard paper and cut it into an envelope sized shape of your child’s favorite character, toy or color. Than attach some plain white paper to write the party information on. If you have a computer there’s even more you can do to make a cheap invitation look not so cheap. Take advantage of your kids craft stuff. If you have no other kids, hit Joann’s or Michael’s and shop the clearance stuff. Above all, the key to making cheap invitations is to get creative. Have fun and let your mind wander back to the innovative days of kindergarten. Another thing to do for the first birthday, especially if this is your first child, is to register at stores for things your child needs for the year ahead. Write the website and store name on the invitation so people know where to go. Make sure you register electronically so people don’t double up on the same gift.

Things to register for the second year would be clothing if it’s your first. If you don’t need clothes, think about baby dishes and diapers, wipes, sippy cups, bibs and toys. Asking for things you need as gifts for your child will save you a lot of money in the year to come. Try to keep the price range for the gifts you register for in the $20 range. That way you know everyone can afford it and if they can afford more they can get something else on the list. When you register, register for ten more items than there are people coming to the party. This gives everyone some options and the last person won’t be stuck with the most expensive item on the registry.

Invitations out? Check! Registered? Check, check! OK! Way to go! Now you have to decide how to entertain your guests. Are they bringing older kids? If so, consider some small kid crafts at a separate table. Joann’s and your local dollar store usually have things that are … $1! You can also pick up some goody bags and treats for the older kids at these stores. Also, check out www.orientaltradingcompany.com. If there are no older kids coming, you may just want to bring some baby toys out for all the kids to play with while the adults talk and oogle over your just-too-cute-for-words one year old child. This would be a good time to take a lot of pictures. Digital is best. That way you can email the pictures to your friends where their children or they are included in the shot. One nice thing that is so cheap and so easy, but very memorable, is to make a simple picture frame out of cardboard and construction paper. Decide which size picture you would print out for the frame. Make the frame to fit that size and add a one inch border all the way around. So, you should have a one inch frame that will fit your photo inside. Then add some construction paper to all sides of your frame to make it colorful and decorative. You may even want to cut out letters with construction paper and paste them to the front of the frame for the person you will give it to.

Once that is done, we move on to the cake and good eats. Most bakeries will give you a free cake just for the birthday child with the purchase of a birthday cake for everyone else. My rule of thumb when purchasing a cake for everyone is to assume that everyone will want seconds. Besides, if they don’t that just means more leftovers for you and yours. Ha, ha! In terms of food to snack on, try cooked carrot sticks and cheerios for the little ones. For the adults and older kids, just do some trail mix or veggies and dip. Healthy AND cheap. That doesn’t happen too often. Make sure you either buy paper plates and cups and a table cloth at the dollar store or use your own. Using your own is cheaper, but for a few dollars more the clean up is bearable after everyone leaves. Isn’t that something even nobler to aim for? Also, make sure you either have baby wipes or some clean rags on hand for after the kiddies are done eating. Believe me … I have done two first birthdays and am a few months from doing my third. You’re going to need the wipes or rags. Maybe both depending on how messy your kid and the other kids are.

You can always make your own cake, but it is good to splurge on the first one they’ll ever have. Making your own cake can be done though. The costly part is buying the supplies to make it. Of course, you can always buy the two boxes of cake mix and make one double decker cake with a big number one on it. The other option is to make cupcakes. This is a great option because it requires no cutting of anything. You simply put them on the plates and serve. One year I made ladybug decorated cupcakes. Parents.com and other parenting magazine websites have great party ideas and how-to instructions to make your own cakes and cupcakes and party favors. I highly recommend their site.

I know the tradition is to blow out the candle and open the presents while eating cake, but if you’re a realist, like me, it ain’t gonna happen. So get over the tradition and follow these instructions for the easiest way to get it all done with out the chaos. Let them open the presents first. That way you won’t have to worry about cleaning the cake off their bodies (that’s right, I said bodies) before they touch the new stuff. When it is time to eat cake strip each child, especially the birthday kid, down to the diapers and place them in highchairs with some sort of washable or disposable rug or tarp underneath them. Throwing isn’t an option … it’s a guarantee! Sit the birthday kid in their high chair (decorated of course for their special day), don’t bother with a bib (it won’t survive) and give him/her their very special cake for themselves. Grab your camera and let the fun begin and be documented (later to be used as blackmail – just kidding! – or am I?).

And now for the finale! It really is the most fun and you probably do it everyday – Clean up time! Are you excited? Well, you should be if you’re not because we made clean up really easy, remember? Hopefully, you can grab one or two people to help out with it before they leave. But, the clean up should be simple if you followed my tips. You may have to hose your child down after the cake, but that’s what it’s all about.

So, don’t ever feel like you have to go way overboard to celebrate the first birthday. The cameras, people and cake are really the most important thing to make sure you have for your child at their first birthday party. And if you do it right, you just might get a chance to sit back and watch the wonderful chaos unfold as your beautiful child turns one year old.