Baby’s First Birthday! Under the Sea Theme Party

Yo, guys! Prym just turned one! I know I haven’t been posting lately. What with all the excitement and preparation leading up to her first birthday. I was irritable. I was anxious. I was overwhelmed. But overall, I was ecstatic knowing we all survived 365 days of poop, spit ups, and tantrums unscathed without that much sleep.

Remember when I told you in a separate blog post that I won’t be throwing Prym an extravagant first birthday party? If words could be eaten, I would have probably choked on them. Hear me out though. It was just a semi- grand party with adults as our primary guests. We didn’t really spend a fortune as you probably are thinking.

With all honesty, I was game on fulfilling the “low-key first birthday celebration thing” that I preached last year. However, my husband, who loves his first-born so much, was having none of it. We had the budget to throw something bigger, why deprive our daughter of that?

He was right. Prym was turning one; it’s a huge milestone not just for her, but also for us as a young couple. We deserved to celebrate! And we chose to celebrate it with our closest of friends!

That decision was sealed only a week before the party though. So, we had a mad dash organizing everything and had to DIY some decors to suit the budget.

Time was running out. I scoured Facebook for balloons suppliers in Cebu who offered different packages. The first one who responded to my inquiry was the one that I got.  I called the nearest catering service, with fingers crossed that they were still available on the weekend to accept our booking.

I must say Prym’s Under the Sea theme 1st birthday party was a success! Get ready for tons of photos. I’m sharing some details with all of you.

Can we just first talk about the dessert table? These desserts were gorgeous! Just look at the intricate details of these cakes. These impressive handiwork by KayDy Cakes were all Pinterest-worthy. I didn’t get their dessert buffet package though. Instead, I ordered items separately as I planned on setting up the dessert table myself.

I picked my order on the day of the event, as KayDy’s shop is just a few minutes away from our subdivision.  They are located at the Ground Floor of Limson Building, Lawaan 1, Talisay City, Cebu. Just right across Don Bosco Formation Center. Good thing there were three of us who claimed the order as the cakes came in 5 boxes.

The color motif for our Under the Sea themed first birthday party was a combination of lavender/ purple, teal, and pink. I did some shopping for the linens,  plates, paper lanterns, and cupcake holder. I used a shoe box, milk box, and an empty can of milk to give varying heights to the desserts. The purple cloth concealed these recycled items. We used pins and glue sticks to secure these items in place.

Thanks to my Photoshop prowess, I was able to design the bunting, tarpaulin/ backdrop, and dessert labels myself.

Oh, let’s also marvel at these whimsical balloons setup by 38 Balloons Street. I so love the balloon garland displayed on top of the dessert buffet. I initially didn’t think about giving my dessert table this look, but when I saw the Pinterest-style setup that 38 Balloons Street did to their previous clients, I knew it would be a perfect addition to my project. The best thing about their service was that I was able to customize their existing package, much to my delight.

(Photos of balloons grabbed from 38 Balloons Street Facebook page)

Isn’t Prym’s outfit absolutely adorable? We usually don’t dress Prym in super girly things. That’s probably why she’s always mistaken for a baby boy. But on her first birthday celebration, I dolled her up with this cute lavender & teal romper from Lazada Philippines. It took some time for the item to arrive as it was shipped from abroad. Her matching shoes from Pitter Pat was a gift from my mother.

Oh, and my inner and outer top were purchased from Emporium Cebu, Talisay branch. The shop houses online brands nationwide under one roof, so you could also shop offline.

You won’t find kiddos running around, laughing to their hearts’ content in Prym’s first birthday party. Instead, we had our adult friends as primary guests and games participants. I totally loved the saran wrap ball game, wherein players unwrap fun and exciting prizes as they play or totally go home without one.

Here’s how it works:

• The first person with the ball starts unwrapping while the person on their right rolls a pair of dice, trying to roll doubles.
• Once doubles are rolled, the ball is passed to the next player and the sequence begins again.
• The person with the ball does not stop unwrapping until the person to their right rolls doubles. This creates a wonderful suspense and urgency to the game!
• You get to keep the treasures you unwrap along the way!
• You can roll the dice to see who starts with the ball first!

I tell you, I had fun creating the ball using 2 boxes of cling wraps!

And here’s Prym, merrily nibbling a lechon (roasted pig) tail while the fun was going on.

She made an equally cute friend, too!

I can’t believe I’m now a mother to a toddler! How did this happen? Time flew so fast as I watched my precious daughter grew right before my eyes. The past year was a roller coaster ride, but it was totally worth it.

To my daughter on her First Birthday:

I didn’t ask God for anything but direction in my life. I guess He thought you’re the direction I needed. Now, I think so, too, no matter how surprised I was.

A year ago, at 2:30pm, I heard your first cry. I experienced great joy and other feelings words cannot describe. My Valentine’s day gift came a day early, and that gift came in a tiny 6 lbs bundle. That bundle had a red face, crying angrily for leaving her cramped cocoon and being let out into this world without her consent.

I am sorry baby girl, but now that you’re here, mommy’s going to work hard to give you the best of the world. You my daughter, have changed my life in the absolute best way possible.

I know God has a purpose for you, and He’ll use you to make amazing things happen. Know that you’re not alone. I’ll be here for you along the way.

Happy birthday, my love! I love you to the moon and back!

Comments

comments