Journee’s First Birthday

Hey guys! I can’t believe it, but Journee is 1! I swear I just had her though. It’s crazy how fast the time goes. I honestly didn’t plan on doing much of anything at first. I thought I wouldn’t be able to do things how I really wanted to without spending a ton of money. You see tons of posts and Pinterest boards of these extravagant birthday parties, and it can be overwhelming. I know that Journee won’t remember her first birthday party, but it was important for me to celebrate the miracle baby that she is! So I figured out how to do it my way without it the huge costs.  So let me share some of my tips!

Skip the theme                                                          So in the beginning I was all about a donut theme. The decorations were so cute! My favorite was the “Donut Turn One” birthday banner. Cute! Once I started to price all of this, I realized how expensive this was going to be. Once you have a theme, everything has to match that! It was just too much. I decided to pick a few colors and stick with that.  It’s a lot easier and cheaper to go this route.

Get crafty!                                                                 

I know that the idea of making your own decorations can seem intimidating and very time consuming, but it is totally worth it! Youtube was my best friend. I made everything including the backdrop, the monthly birthday frame, and the birthday banner.  Each of those cost no more than $10 for supplies. For me, adding these personal touches was my gift to her. I like that when she’s older I can show her all the work I did to show my love!

Check out Dollar Tree

This place is a must! I’m always amazed at all the stuff you can get here.  A lot of the supplies I used for the decorations were from here as well as the plates, napkins, utensils, and cups. Every store is different too. I checked out two different locations near me, and found that one was definitely better than the other. All the other supplies were from Hobby Lobby and Michaels, where I was able to use coupons on all my purchases.

Ask for help

I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a lot of things I needed for the party from family members. Before I purchased anything, I asked around first. I was pleasantly surprised by how much stuff I was able to borrow. You never know until you ask!

Have the party midday                                           

By having the party midday, you can get away with serving snacks only versus a meal. I kept the food simple.  Along with the cupcakes and cookies that I made myself, we had chips and salsa, cheese and crackers, fruit, and some baby-friendly snacks. It was perfect for a 2 o’clock party.

Shop consignment for a birthday outfit   

When I mentioned to my Husband that Journee was going to need two outfits for her birthday, he just rolled his eyes and walked away.  Ha! I really wanted to have an outfit for her photoshoot (which was a week before the party), and another outfit for the actual party. So I checked out my go-to spot, Once Upon A Child and found two outfits for $13. Even Hubs couldn’t be mad at that price!

Listen, the first birthday comes with a lot of different emotions. Not only is your baby hitting a big milestone, but you survived your first year of parenting. So however you decide to celebrate that, enjoy it!