More Ben birthday

[vernacular_life]

No Gifts:  -Finalized the "don't bring a gift,bring a donation to charity" thing.  After much back and forth, I've settled on Sarah's House, a local shelter for homeless women/men/children in our county.  I thought about sending stuff for Afghani and Iraqi kids, but kept going back to the statement that Charity begins at home.  In talking to the Sarah's house people, I learned that they have a "birthday closet" where the staff and parents pick things out to give to kids who are living there on their birthdays.  Love that idea.     Don't know what Judd and I will get him - no wagon, play kitchen, or anything.  Maybe a bigger outdoor toy, some musical instruments,  or a something from the Back to Basics website/catalog.  We're going to try to minimize the gifts until he gets older!

Decorations:  -Not doing a 'theme' party, but instead basing thing on color and spheres/circles.  Getting a bunch of japanese paper lanterns to hang on the porch in royal blue/light blue/tangerine/teal green.  Will get some balloons the day of to have on the front of the house and around the backyard.  I'm going to print off pics of him by the month for a birthday banner type thing to have hanging on the porch.  Clear plastic plates & cutlery (have my parents bring)

Invites:  Mocked up one in photoshop that I liked from somewhere and will either have 4 x 6 prints made or print them myself, then attach to precut cardstock that I'll pick up at Michaels. Expect that I'll have about 12 invites, so not enough to have professional printed up. 

Food:  sandwiches and salads.  Crossant sandwitch tray or 2  from Costco.  I'll make a big bowl of Texas Caviar because its pretty and Ben loves everything in there. Maybe some hummus.  need to look through appitizer recipies for tasty things that I can have listed to tell people if they ask if they can bring something. 

Drinks:   Beer, Wine, Jones Sodas in 'birthday colors' (blue lemonade, tangerine, green apple), water

Cake:  Ordering one from Costco, and I'll decorate it like this, but with the blue/green/yellow colors of the paper lanterns.   Don't know about a smash cake...maybe I'll just give him a piece of the cake and let him have his way with it.  WILL have ice cream, beacuse we're an Ice Cream Family.

Favors:  Doubt we'll do anything, but maybe m&m's?  or punching balloons?  or bubbles?  (I like these bubbles, but not as easter bunnies!!) Suggestions welcome!! (I grew up with these bubble bears....but not for $6 each)

Games/Activities:  nothing planned.....but I think the kids will be entertained with bubbles and balloons, and the adults entertained with beer and wine. 

Comments

[sarahnj2007.livejournal.com]

I like your charity plan, especially the name of the charity ;)

One thing I'd say is if you put balloons outdoors, the mylar ones are great. Everytime I've bought regular ones from the party stores they pop not long after I've tied them to the fence. It's like the blowing wind has invisible stick pins in it and takes them out in a pop, pop, pop even before the kids arrive.

[vernacular-life.livejournal.com]

We're copying a friend of mine who did the charity thing for her son's birthday (she did Toys for Tots) so I'm not original in that idea! Ben really doesn't have THAT many toys, but I hate having junk laying around that he won't use, not to mention that our house isn't huge. When the Sarah's house people told me about the Birthday Closet, I thought it was too perfect!

And good tip about the balloons. Hadn't thought/known about that!

[snowzilla.livejournal.com]

I love the charity idea. We had a very small party for Avery, so only two gifts, but had it been larger, that's exactly something that we would have felt good about doing.

[vernacular-life.livejournal.com]

I'd love to be able to continue the tradition when he gets older, but know that its going to be hard, esp when Ben goes to other kids parties who get gobs and gobs of stuff (or, goes to see my brother and his kid!)

[onelargecat.livejournal.com]

I don't remember if you have mentioned this before, and even if you haven't you may have already thought of it, but Jeff's cousins told us their plan for their (yet unborn kid): They're going to have a rule that whenever the kid gets a new toy, he/she has to choose one of his old toys to give away. I'm not sure really at what age you could start that, but it's an interesting idea anyway.

[ee-chick.livejournal.com]

I love your party planning. :)

[vernacular-life.livejournal.com]

its a sickness, I tell ya! I plan so much to make things look casually impulsive that its silly.

signed, the girl who counted out glass bubbles for her wedding centerpieces

[tinksdust.livejournal.com]

Great plans! I hope that people are receptive to the charity idea. Have you been getting any feedback from friends and family or haven't you mentioned the idea to anyone?

[spacedcowgirl.livejournal.com]

for Hilary's first birthday party the favor was a tiny framed picture of her. I mean it was all grandparents and other relatives, so it worked. I love your plans btw, and plan to steal that cake idea for calvin's big 1 :)