To be honest, I didn’t have super high expectations this year for Ansley’s birthday party. Mostly because we just moved to a brand new town just 6 months before. I didn’t know if we would have our house ready or much less, if we would have even made enough friends to throw a party. So I said, let’s just do something small with a few friends and family.
I even had people ask if we were “going to go all out” for this birthday like last year’s party? Yes, I know FIRST birthdays are kind of a big deal, but shouldn’t every birthday be celebrated? Whether big or small, I wanted to celebrate my girl! It has been such a whirlwind of a year, but more than that, it’s been so fun to watch Ansley grow and change into the wild, energetic, inquisitive, loving child that she has become. Plus, at two, she has a bit more sense of what’s going on and could enjoy it even more than she probably did at her first birthday. LOL!
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Typically, I wouldn’t say I’m a procrastinator, but I did not start planning this party far in advance this year, that’s for sure! For her first birthday, I probably had the theme in my head for months before planning, but this year, I just had no idea. Literally up until the day I ordered the invitations, I was still between two different themes, “Two Wild” and “Moo, I’m Two”. I asked my family which one they thought, and they all said “Two Wild!” I mean, it’s just TWO fitting for this wild child, plus who doesn’t love leopard? haha!
Part of the reason, I loved the
“Moo, I’m Two” theme was because everything I saw on Pinterest was pink and so precious. I thought, maybe I could combine the two themes. That ended up not happening, but when it came to looking for invitations, I found some cute options that allowed me to tie in some of that pink and leopard together and a little less green and jungly (just because that is more my style and personality).
So, from there I started ordering all the things, starting with invitations! The invitations are always a good starting point for planning a party, since it can help set the theme and tone for the rest of the party decor.
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I thought these were perfect to go with the ideas I had in my head. This specific one was an editable download, so you can edit it yourself and then send it to print. I printed mine at a place called, Postnet, and it was super easy, plus they provided envelopes! You can also print at any local stores like Office Max, Staples, or a FedEx store.
After we got the invitations printed and mailed, I immediately started browsing on Etsy and Amazon for all the “Two Wild” decor. I had a pretty good idea of what I thought I might need based on what we got last year. (It helps me to make a list in my notes app of what I would like and then check everything off as I order, so I know what else is left to buy).
I started with the basics, like balloons, a balloon arch, table cloths, and even a banner. I originally ordered the brown tone table cloth (in the back), but then I decided I liked the lighter leopard, so I ordered those which I got in a 3 pack. I ended up keeping all of them, luckily, because we had 4 or 5 tables that needed to be covered! Since I ordered the lighter table cloths at the last minute, I decided to also order matching plates and napkins. Well, those unfortunately didn’t get here until right after the party ended! LOL! (Don’t wait til the last minute to order, even on Amazon). My mom saved the day and found some super cute alternatives for us. The matching leopard cups did arrive though! We also got these super cute leopard TWO letters for table decor that went so well with our theme!
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Since we wanted to make the party fairly simple, we decided to just grill a bunch of burgers and hot dogs right before the party started. Let’s be real, people usually expect food at parties, plus it was from 12-2pm, prime eating time! We got easy sides like chips, fruit, and potato salad and everything was a hit! We also added easy drinks like water bottles, iced tea, lemonade, and of course some adult beverages like Truly’s and beers!
Of course, we had to have a cake (which was from a local bakery), so I went ahead and ordered a fun gold, sparkly cake topper. Plus, we ordered cookies from Etsy, which is what we did last year too. They turned out AMAZING! Not only did they look amazing and go so well with our theme, but they tasted amazing too! Double Win!
peep the subtle leopard print on the pink “Ansley” cookies!
I also appreciated that the cookies were individually wrapped in cellophane for easy party favors, which was also great for sanitary purposes. Plus, on top of the cellophane wrap, they were also individually wrapped in bubble wrap to avoid any damage during the shipping process!
(Pictures & lighting don’t even do justice! She added the cutest subtle leopard print with some glitter too!)
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Our Ansley girl had the best day! Her family and friends spoiled her with so many gifts, and she had a blast opening them all.
(This sweet photo was taken early in the morning before the party started, but we couldn’t start her birthday without some precious birthday PJs! How cute are these? We get almost all of our jammies from Little Sleepies, so when they came out with these birthday pjs, I had to snag them! All of their pjs are super light weight and so soft. I’ve linked some of our favorites in the post below if you want to try them out. The zippies run big, but the two piece sets run true to size).
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All in all, we all had the most perfect day! I have to say, her first birthday was obviously so exciting just being the very first one, BUT this party made my mama heart SO happy! Two is such a fun age so far, and it was a joy to watch Ansley run and play and explore during her party!
Plus, taking some pressure off of myself to have a “perfect party” and having lowered my expectations made things even more enjoyable and less stressful!
(Shout out to this good looking, hard working dad, right here! He and his family helped so much, and we couldn’t have pulled it off without their help!)
If you are in this same phase or planning a party, I hope you find this helpful! Birthdays and party planning do not have to be stressful or dreadful (especially if you’re not the party planning type). It can be as easy as ordering a couple things and having some friends and family over to celebrate what matters most, and that’s another year of life!
