Hey mates, Courtney right here!

I can hardly imagine it, however my son Forrest is formally one 12 months outdated! Time actually does fly—it seems like simply yesterday we have been introducing him right here on the weblog. We celebrated with a candy little party at our home, surrounded by a few of his favourite folks. It was the right option to mark his first 12 months, and I needed to share just a few photographs and concepts from the celebration with you right this moment!

We saved the occasion easy and laid-back (I’ve seen fairly the frilly first birthday events on-line recently!), however I nonetheless had a lot enjoyable including particular touches. A Easy Gathering…if you’ll. 😉 The occasion was heat, cozy and homey. It felt to me like candy, healthful childhood magic and will likely be an exquisite reminiscence to look again on.

I additionally bought impressed to make just a few easy crafts and produce a few of my Pinterest pins to life, so I’ll be sharing these, together with the recipes I used for his smash cake and a scrumptious sugar cookie recipe, on this put up!

I didn’t have a selected “theme” for the occasion; as a substitute, I centered on including little particulars that will make Forrest smile when he noticed them. He’s at all times been one to note the tiniest particulars, is delighted by animals, and has a foolish humorousness. So I included whimsical touches all through, protecting his favourite issues in thoughts!

Listed below are twelve 1st party concepts and particulars from our celebration:

1. A Particular Celebration Hat

I had a sense he wouldn’t be a fan of really sporting this lovable birthday hat, nevertheless it was too cute to withstand shopping for. Seems he certainly completely hated it the second I put it on him, haha! But it surely was very cute nonetheless and will likely be a particular memento.

2. Stuffed Animals in Celebration Hats

I had noticed this concept Pinterest and knew it was an absolute MUST for the occasion! I knew Forrest would suppose it was so foolish to see his favourite animal mates in attendance at his occasion sporting their occasion hats. I made the hats myself with craft paper I had available.

There are many tutorials on-line, however I simply lower the paper right into a semi-circle with slightly notch on the high, then shaped it right into a cone and taped it collectively. I added huge pom-poms on high with scorching glue and tied on some baker’s twine to safe them. I additionally puff-painted little white dots onto the strong paper hats only for enjoyable!

In fact his little wooden animals wanted pom-pom occasion hats too! These mini hats introduced me numerous pleasure.

3. DIY Celebration Picks + Cupcake Gildings:

To personalize the store-bought cupcakes and add some enjoyable to the snack desk, I created my very own occasion picks utilizing Canva! I designed just a few sheets of watercolor animals with occasion hats, together with a sheet of his photographs, additionally sporting occasion hats. After printing and reducing all the things out, I hot-glued them to toothpicks for the cupcakes and occasion meals, and to longer skewers for his smash cake.

For an additional contact of animal enjoyable, I tucked a Dealer Joe’s animal cracker into every cupcake.

This cupcake equipment with animal occasion picks is lovable if you wish to purchase some pre made!

4. Month Milestone Banners

I printed out all of Forrest’s month-to-month photographs (plus just a few periodic ones I took of him in the identical chair) to create a celebration banner. We punched small holes within the photographs with a mini gap punch and strung them alongside baker’s twine. Seeing the development all laid out like this was so candy!

In case you do that, I’d advocate printing on cardstock or having actual photographs printed (we simply did common printer paper for ease which wasn’t as hardy, nevertheless it did the trick!).

5. Picture + Video Slideshow on the TV

I knew I needed to print some photos of Forrest to show across the occasion, however with the 1000’s of photographs I’ve taken over the previous 12 months, narrowing them down felt inconceivable! I printed a few of my absolute favorites, however my husband had the nice concept to create a slideshow with much more photographs. Canva got here to the rescue once more—it has so many templates the place you’ll be able to simply add photographs and movies. We streamed it to the TV by my pc, and it performed on a loop all through the occasion. It was such a enjoyable contact for friends to get pleasure from and see candy moments from Forrest’s first 12 months.

6. A Festive Smash Cake

I made this wholesome smash cake recipe and used greek yogurt because the “Frosting”. I completed it off with this gold “one” candle, just a few of my printouts on skewers, and a pom-pom on a skewer as a result of it simply felt enjoyable. 🙂

Do you suppose he favored the cake? Ha! He completely loved it. I attempted it too, it was fairly yummy particularly for being so wholesome! It saved properly as leftovers over the subsequent day or so, too.

7. Who Is aware of the One Yr Previous Finest

I made this sheet (as soon as once more, with Canva) with some trivia questions on Forrest. We didn’t make it an official sport, extra only a enjoyable dialog starter, however you possibly can completely make it a celebration sport with prizes if you happen to needed to!

8. Sugar Cookie Celebration Favors

I stumbled upon this lovable bunny formed cookie stamper and that was all it took to persuade me I needed to make bunny cookies for this occasion. We had some clear deal with luggage and ‘from Forrest’ stickers left over from after we hosted a child bathe for Forrest final 12 months (I made bear formed royal iced cookies as occasion favors!), so it was a great alternative to make use of them and ship friends house with a deal with!

I used this sugar cookie recipe, and this royal icing recipe.

I’ll say–I did begin to query my resolution to make these cookies as I used to be icing them late into the evening the night earlier than his occasion…possibly bought a bit carried away there hahaha nevertheless it was nonetheless enjoyable. 🙂

9. Whimsical Bunting

I introduced this cute cloth bunting down from his room for a festive element to hold behind his excessive chair. I additionally put up slightly Forrest pennant a really candy Instagram follower despatched us earlier than he was born!

I’ve shared a tour of Forrest’s room on the weblog right here.

10. A Scrumptious Unfold of Snacks & Treats

Is any occasion full with no desk stuffed with snacks? Shout out to Dealer Joe’s for offering a lot of the deliciousness across the desk. The Peanut Butter Caramel Coated Popcorn was a really yummy new-to-me discovery…would advocate!

11. Easy Bouquets

I picked up this easy bouquet from Dealer Joe’s for our kitchen—I at all times get pleasure from their flowers. Additional festive with that cute birthday boy peeking out of it!

12. Prompt Digicam

I had our prompt digital camera out on the occasion to take photographs. Whereas I really like the comfort and high quality of cellphone photographs, there’s one thing actually particular concerning the photographs we seize with this digital camera. We used it for our marriage ceremony Polaroid visitor e book, our child bathe, and for particular recollections all through Forrest’s first 12 months. I’ll cherish these photographs without end!

My grandma bought us this valuable child reminiscence e book (above) that I’ve been loving filling out every month. These self-adhesive kraft paper picture corners have made it really easy to stay my Polaroids in.

My sister Kylee and her daughter Lila took the prepare up from Portland to be on the occasion, which was so particular! They even wore matching striped fits (the cutest!!!). Forrest and Lila are solely 5 months aside so it will likely be very candy to have a good time their birthdays collectively annually.

Lila helped Forrest open just a few of his favourite presents together with this lovable bike and this play tunnel.

It was an exquisite time celebrating our boy!

Observe me on Instagram right here, I like to share bits of my life and residential in tales!

Under are just a few of the sources from the occasion or comparable objects if you happen to’re internet hosting a celebration too: