Below are my top 10 tips for throwing a fun and relaxed first birthday party at home:
1. Plan the party for for after nap time
When it comes to your little one's party make sure you plan it around their usual naptime. With our boys we made sure to have the party start half an hour to an hour after their usual naptime finished, so that they wouldnt get too tired and be upset during their party.2. Don't forget the bib
This is essential for when it comes to eating the party food or the cake if you don't want their birthday outfit to get totally covered. You can buy birthday-themed bibs online for a few pounds if you want to get something special.3. Ask someone else to make the cake (or buy one from the supermarket)
Unless making your little ones first birthday cake is something you absolutely want to do, then don't put the pressure on yourself. For our little boy first birthdays my mother-in-law and sister-in-law kindly offered to make the cakes for us and for the boys following birthdays we've always bought them from the supermarket. If you would like something a bit more personalised then a lot of supermarkets offer a personalisation service if you book enough in advance.4. Go for a small, simple buffet spread and accept help if it's offered.
When it comes to the party food, aim for a mix of a few snacks suitable for your little one and any other children who are coming and also some food for the adults too. But don't try and take on too much with it - a small buffet is more than enough. Start preparing the food an hour or so before the party is due to start and if anyone offers to help you with it, then kindly accept the help so that you get to enjoy more of the day.5. Take photos (and be in them too)
Your little one will only turn one once so make sure you get someone to capture some photos for you or make sure that you take your own. Also try to be in some of them - it can be easy to be busy hosting and then only realize afterwards that you weren't in any of the photographs that were taken.6. Get a cute first birthday outfit for your little one
A first birthday is a big milestone and I personally loved getting my boys something a bit special to wear on their big days. It doesn't have to be something super expensive, you can find the most adorable dresses and little shirts for one year olds these days and if you're looking for some then you can pick up the prettiest baby tights and accessories from Condor Childrenswear UK who recently came to the media's attention when Prince George was pictured wearing their classic navy baby knee length socks in official pictures released by the palace.7. Keep it simple - don't force it
Remember that to your little one, it's probably just a bit of a normal day to them. They'll likely be more interested in the wrapping paper than the presents, they might not be interested in the cake and they could become overwhelmed with all that's going on. So just relax and keep it simple and don't try and force anything too much.8. Keep the guest list small
It can be easy to want to invite all of your family and friends, but in my opinion we've always found it nice to keep it quite cosy and small, especially if you haven't got a huge house. That way, with less people to cater for and look after, you can get to enjoy more of the day yourself.9. Use paper plates and plastic cutlery so you don't need to wash up afterwards
This is something we always tend to do if we host parties at ours so that there's very little washing up to do afterwards. Hosting parties can be knackering and so after everyone goes home, the less cleaning up to do the better!But ultimately of course it's all about enjoying the special day and celebrating the little person that you made and are raising. <3
Thank you for reading. Alex xo
