A baby's first birthday party is a big deal! While they won't remember it in years to come, they will grow up asking to see pictures of their first cake and will love hearing stories of who came to celebrate their first year. That's why I knew we had to have a special party for Blake's first birthday. We wanted her to have fun, and we wanted our closest friends and family to be there with us to wish her a happy birthday. 

Planning the Party

I started the planning phase about three months out from Blake's actual birthday. This included setting a day/time/location, picking a theme, deciding on a menu, and making an invite list. We decided on a Sesame Street theme because we know that Elmo is Blake's favorite! I then started searching Pinterest for decoration ideas and gathered supplies for decorations I could make ahead of time. I used Canva to make my own invitations and signs to hang up at the party. I wanted the party to be cute, but simple at the same time. I had a blast planning all the little details! Here are some of my favorite aspects of the party!

My Favorite Parts of the Party

1. The Sesame Street Character Fruit and Veggie Trays
I found this idea on Pinterest and it was SO EASY! I grabbed a few round serving trays at the dollar store, and got the fruits and veggies at our local produce store. I made my own fruit dip and ranch dip, then had a friend help make the trays into the shape of the Sesame Street characters! I loved that I could incorporate the theme into the food. This was one way that I was able to keep it simple, but still cute!

2. The Sesame Street Cookies
How cute are these Sesame Street cookies?! We ordered the cookies from a local bakery, Just A Little Something. We met the owner at a vendor event and fell in love with the taste of their sugar cookies. So we splurged! And it was totally worth it! The cookies were $1.25 each, but we kept the cost low on everything else, so paying a bit more for these adorable cookies was alright with us.

3. The Ribbon Highchair Banner
I wanted a way for the highchair to be decorated while Blake sat in it to eat her cake, but again, I wanted it to be simple. I made this ribbon highchair banner in about an hour. I just cut a ton of ribbon into different length strips, glued them onto one long strip of ribbon, and then tied the banner around her highchair. It turned out great, and Blake loved that the ribbon tickled her toes as she sat in her chair.

4. The Color Theme
While the overall theme was Sesame Street, I didn't want to go overboard by having Elmo and Cookie Monster on everything. So, I pulled the colors red, blue, yellow, and green from the Sesame Street characters and incorporated those into the decorations. My sisters decorated one wall with balloons and streamers that we used as the backdrop for her gift table, and it was behind her when she ate her cake. It also gave us the perfect backdrop for pictures!

5. Blake's Enjoyment
I can't go without saying how much Blake loved her party! I was worried that she wouldn't like having all the attention on her, but she absolutely loved it! She oohed and aahed as she opened every present, and ate her cake like a little lady. It was a day that we won't soon forget and we are thankful for our friends and family who came to celebrate Blake with us!

So what about you? What theme are you planning for your child's birthday? Share your birthday planning stories in the comments!