Last year, I had so much fun planning Miss H’s rainbow first birthday party! Of course I spent far too much time with planning, crafting décor, making the cakes, etc. It was worth every single minute, but wow I was wiped out at the end of it all!
This year, we’re going for a bit of a more laid back approach. Partly because I just don’t have the energy to go all out. And partly because I know that I don’t need to go wild and crazy each year for her to have a fun, wonderful celebration. She’s just so excited about the day: she talks about her “happy birthday,” sings her own version of the happy birthday song to everyone, and is looking forward to having balloons at her party! So I know I won’t have to work very hard to give Miss H a day she will enjoy and remember.
Because April is still a bit chilly in Chicago, we are opting for an “indoor picnic party.” I like the idea of a casual, fun picnic for Miss H, just set inside our home!
To set the tone, I found these fabulous invites from Etsy seller Boo and Lou Design. We modified the language a bit on ours to reflect that the “picnic” will be inside.
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Once the theme was settled upon and we’d found our invite, I of course hit upon the most fantastic cake via The Partiologist!
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Now, I can’t guarantee that my cake will be as perfect as the one pictured, but I’m pretty excited to make it! I made Miss H’s cake and smash cake last year, so I feel like I’m up for the challenge.
I’m also hoping to carry on the picnic theme with other delicious food: some mini pies, pulled pork (or some other sandwich), fruit skewers, guacamole, pasta salad, etc.
Searching high and low for some red and white checkered material that I could use as a “picnic blanket,” but not wanting to spend a fortune, I was thrilled when I found an inexpensive tablecloth on Amazon that was made of fabric (instead of plastic or vinyl).
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For $15 I assumed the worst, but ordered two anyway. I was pleasantly surprised when the fabric was soft, the stitching was perfect, and the color was great! For the size, it was much cheaper to purchase these than buy fabric by the yard. I plan on covering up the rug in our living room with one (assuming I can tuck the ends under well enough to ensure it’s not a tripping hazard) and then use the other on our dining room table.
For the kids at the party, I’m putting together fun little treat baskets filled with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and play dough. I thought it would be super cute to put everything in little picnic baskets, but that was far to expensive! Instead I found some awesome berry baskets from Etsy sellers the Berry Girls!
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Everything else is going to be laid back, fun, and simple. And I know Miss H is going to love it! I can’t wait to share party pictures after the big day.
Since we’re still fine-tuning our menu, what is your favorite picnic food?
blogger / persimmon / 1225 posts
sounds like so much fun! What a great birthday party theme!
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
So cute! As for food, I think sandwiches wrapped in wax paper would be fun and easy.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
potato salad, i have an obsession with it!
apricot / 457 posts
I loved your cake last year! I can’t wait to see what your cake this year!
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
We love indoor picnics in general – I am sure it will be so cute as a party theme!!
blogger / nectarine / 2600 posts
Thats such a cute idea. I love it except my intense fear of ants…yes even the cartoon ones scare me. Drake would be all over this he loves picnics, or what he calls picnics which is any meal outside really
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
So cute! Hot dogs!
persimmon / 1026 posts
We did a picnic party theme for my son’s first birthday last year! We mixed prints with gingham and somethings with polka dots and used the primary colors plus accents of orange and green. I made a cake that looked like a hamburger and cupcakes that looked like sunflowers (oreos for the center with yellow piped frosting leaves). We had slow cooker mac & cheese, zucchini cheese bake, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, fruit salad, pasta salad, and potato salad for sides. I also made ants on a log. We had WAY too much food and it took a lot of prep but I loved the picnic theme! We found gingham printed paper plates at Target last year and most other decorations at Christmas Tree Shops. All the guests signed the Berenstain Bear’s Picnic book.
guest
How funny! I just ordered picnic birthday party invites for my son’s first birthday in June. We are doing a hot dog bar for food, chips, watermelon, ants on a log, and that’s all I have planned so far, besides cupcakes that I’ll wrap with gingham wrappers. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
guest
Thank you so much for the shout out of my ants on a log cake. I know you’ll have so much fun with your birthday picnic!
blogger / nectarine / 2687 posts
This is an adorable theme! I love that cake!
olive / 64 posts
Deviled eggs!!! What a cute party theme! I can’t wait to see pictures. We are having a milk and cookies party for our 2 year old in May. I love parties!
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
Oh my gosh… what an adorable theme! I love it! This reminds me that I need to get cracking on the parties here… Eek!
And, favorite picnic food?? Coleslaw!
nectarine / 2210 posts
This looks adorable! When I think of picnics in general, I would say I think of watermelon and bbq chicken. Except when I think of the picnic I used to go on growing up, there was a lot more of cheese and sausages with potato chips!