Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Infographic 10 Reasons To Cater A Birthday Party

Please share with family, friends, caterers, and party planners.




Tuesday, November 12, 2013

All you need to know about the birthday cake and the mess it makes



Well let me just say that anything you serve is going to be messy.   Of course, it is going to be messy. 

You are letting a 1 year old loose on a cake that has frosting and chocolate and fruit.  It is going to be sticky and no one is going to want to handle the birthday child afterwards, not even you, except we are the mothers and it is mom’s job to do the dirty work.

Here are a couple of suggestions to help with the big mess.

  1. Cupcakes are a good alternative to a smash cake.  They are smaller and they get a taste of frosting before it gets in their hair. (In addition, any other crevice that you can imagine).
  2. I recommend NOT, I repeat NOT holding the child as they are eating their cake.  A friend of mine decided to hold her 1 year old while she was eating her smash cake.  Not a wise idea.  Not only did the child have frosting everywhere but also so did my friend.  We were at a restaurant and she did not think to bring a change of clothes for herself, so she was just as sticky as her daughter.
  3. Put the child in a high chair, while eating cake.  You want the birthday child to get the spotlight. Everyone will gather to watch him or her get messy.  I suggest putting them in the middle of the room , allowing pictures and video to be focused on the child and their first  birthday mess. 
  4. Have a change of clothes.  I know, “But this outfit is so cute”.  After the frosting has had a chance to harden and all the pictures have been taken, you are going to want to hose the birthday child down.  Bring 1 cute outfit to change into afterwards.  Please I beg you.  Bring an extra change of clothes. 
  5. If you are having the party at home, you have the advantage of throwing the happy baby in the tub.  We did this with our second child.  We had the party at home and it was great.  I just stripped him down and gave him a bath.  He smelled fresh and had that baby smell.
  6. Having the party at a restaurant, bring lots of wipes and a washcloth.   You will still have to strip the baby down and wipe them down.  However, if you happen to bring a washcloth and some soap you can give a quick bath in the bathroom at the restaurant.  My husband and I did not think of this until it was too late for the first child.  We were stuck using just water and the wipes and he smelled like frosting until we arrived home.  Oh well, we learn as we go I guess.
  7. Buy a cheap plastic table covering.  Doesn’t matter if you are at a banquet facility, restaurant, or at home, cover the floor.   The child can get as messy as they want, simply roll up the plastic tarp and discard.  The banquet and restaurant will greatly appreciate your efforts to keep their facility clean, and at home, you will have enough mess to clean up after the birthday party. You do not want to be washing  floors after the guest leave.
Hope these words of advice find their way to you.  Take it from a mom that learned from our families mistakes.  Do not get caught with frosting in your hair.

Have a frosting free day.

About the Author


Michelle Obrochta is a mother of two boys, a wife to a entertainer, and runs an balloon business. Planning is a passion of Michelle's, and is always quick to volunteer to help in planing an event, participate in a school function, or help make the event special. 

Friday, November 1, 2013

10 Reasons Why You Should Cater a Birthday Party

To cater or not to cater, that is the question? 


I was asked to give my reasons why I would cater a 1st birthday party?

Here's why I think catering is a good idea and why you should be giving it some serious consideration.

  1.  It is less time consuming then making all of that food.  I spend at least 2 days cooking different things for a party.  I am usually sick of the smell of the food and do not really eat that day because I have been picking for 2 days and am sick of the food. 
  2. No messes. After making all of the food then you have to clean up.  I have enough to clean up around the house itself.  I do not have time to clean up the kitchen 16 times a day after making all of that food.
  3. Where are you going to keep all of that food?  OK, so after you make all of this food for the party where are you going to keep it?  I only have one fridge and freezer so making a lot of food is a little tricky.   I do not have the room.
  4. You know it is going to taste good.  I got some cheesy potatoes one year from a catering company and I have loved them ever since.  Everyone loved them.  Usually if you are ordering from a catering company, they will let you taste the stuff you are going to order.  In addition, if you like it you know your company will like it too.  If you make it, it might not taste the same as you think it should.
  5. You get to spend more time with your guests.  Spending time in the kitchen is not fun.   The 1st birthday is more for the parent to show that they made it through that first year of life with a new person keeping them up and messing up their lives.  You want to actually talk to adults and maybe have a drink or two. 
  6. It gives you more time to do other things.  If you are like me, you are going to want to get specific decorations for the 1st birthday party theme.  I looked around and got a crown for my son’s first birthday party.  He was the prince and we were the king and queen.  I got to do the decorating for the party and not have to worry about if the food was going to burn on the stove or in the oven.
  7. It is more affordable then you think.  If you take a look at home much food you buy to make the food and then add in your valuable time and effort, it is cheaper.  You time is a valuable asset these days.  You have a 1 year old (and maybe more kids) running around getting into trouble.  You want to make sure you are spending time with them instead of making food for several days before the party. 
  8. You will not have to worry about not having enough or having too much left over.  Caters know how to make enough food for a certain amount of people.  I am not sure how they do it but I know they always make enough and we have maybe enough for 1 meal for the family.  Love not having so much food left over.
  9. They can help you with all utensils.  Have you ever forgotten plates or napkins or even forks for your party.  Well usually, when you cater in food they will ask you if you want the utensils and forks, napkins, plates and whatever else you can think of.  It helps when you are in the throes of everyday activities.
  10. It is just easier.  Not worrying about any of the things in the list above gives you the peace of mind that you are going to have a good party that people will be talking about for a long time.
About the Author

Michelle Obrochta is a mother of two boys, a wife to a balloon entertainer, and runs an online business. Planning is a passion of her's, and is always quick to volunteer to help plan an event, participate in a school function, or help make the event special.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

9 Valid Reasons Why to Use a Party Planner for a 1st Birthday Party


If you are considering hosting your child's 1st birthday party, give serious thought to hiring a professional planner to assist in the planning, implementation, production, and overseeing, so that your vision for this special event is fulfilled.

Event Planners or Party Planners specialize in overseeing events from start to finish. Individuals, corporations, marketing firms, and associations throughout the world use their expertise.

If you have been to, seen, or heard about an event that WOWs people, there is a good chance that there is a Party Planner behind the scene making sure everything runs smoothly.

Here are 9 valid reasons why you should consider hiring a Party Planner to help produce your child's 1st birthday party.


  1. Stress Reduction – Anything new is stressful and the self-imposed obsession to get your child's 1st birthday perfect can cause sleepless nights and conflicts with spouse and family, all adding tension to an event that is supposed to be joyful.  A professional Party Planner can reduce stress and oversee all the details, ensuring a successful event.
  2. Network of Professionals – The Party Planner's job is to secure the best talent possible.  Do not rely on a website boasting, slick advertisement, or special reduced pricing.  Use the Planner's network of professional resources.
  3. Experience – When your job and reputation is on the line, settling for okay is not an option.  Years of experience has taught these individuals the art of producing a successful party.
  4. Creates the Vision – You have a theme, an idea, and a specific way you want your child's 1st birthday party to be, and the benefit of working with a Party Planner is that you only need to explain it once.  Their job is to make your dream a reality.
  5. Negotiate Price - Professional buyers know a good price when they hear one and smell the bad deals before the ink dries on the contract. These are the individuals you want working for you when planning a 1st birthday party.
  6. Stays Within Budget – Making dreams come true is not cheap, but when you are forced to work within a budget and do not have the power to increase prices, you make things happen.  The benefit of a Planner is the final detachment.  He or she can make decisions based on needs, not wants, allowing the party to be spectacular and on budget.
  7. Professional Idea Machine – Pinterest.com is a great place for ideas, but when it comes to making it happen, it is just a website.  What you need in your corner is a person whose professional career is creating spectacular ambiance, not a crafter who takes pretty pictures and posts them on the Internet.
  8. Provides Freedom –Let the Party Planner do the mundane jobs. You are the CEO of this event and your responsibilities are just to say "Yes" or "No". The Party Planner does the grunt work and research. After all, as a parent, you have an infant, children, spouse, co-workers, and extended family members all seeking your attention. Free up your time and let the Party Planner do the work.
  9. Watching Your Back – Great people know they must rely on quality people to make sure an event runs correctly.  Watching your back is the Party Planner. Like a Vegas Floor Boss, they are monitoring for any problems and correcting them before you or your guests ever get a glimpse that a problem exists.

About the Author

Dale Obrochta is a professional entertainer that has participated in hundreds of 1st birthday parties and consistently works with Event Planners to insure the success of a party.  The knowledge shared has been gained from working with parents and Party Planners.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

DYI to a 1st Birthday Photo Shoot

I am the type of mom that likes to do crafty stuff.  For my sons 1st birthday party I wanted to make sure that everyone knew that he was the birthday boy.  I, of course, looked around on the internet for fun pictures.  I found one I thought was fun and put my spin on it.  This is what I did for my son's 1st birthday invite.


  1. I used two old sheets.  You need old sheets to do this because it gets messy.
  2. I positioned it so that  both sheets acted as one big backdrop.  I had some of it on the floor and some or most of it behind him.  I needed to have it held up by something so we used a couple of ladders.  Two utility clamps fastened it onto the ladder creating a vertical backdrop.
  3. I blew up some balloons for abeyance and lucky for me my husband has helium tank, but you can get helium balloons at your local party store.  I found blue balloons with the #1 and  happy birthday on them.  Balloons can be purchased at the local party supply store too.  I have seen them at  Wal-Mart or Target, just check by the birthday cards. Arrange the balloons at different levels around the backdrop. This formed the backdrop for my son picture.
  4. I added a spotlight to for more light in the room. It was not a professional spotlight, but an automotive spotlight that my husband had in the garage.  When taking digital picture you want make sure you have enough light in the room. Adding to much light will cause dark shadows, so play around with the lighting.
  5. I also bought a hat for him, it was a little something that I was going to have him wear for his party, but thought he looked cute in it.
  6. The most important thing, besides the birthday boy, was the cake.  It was a one tier cake I bought at the local grocery store.  You can make one, but for all of the effort necessary to have it look great, it's just easier to buy one.  I know it is a little cheaper to make it but time is money too.
Those are all of the things you will need to do the photo shoot.  Now, for the pictures.  We stripped him down to his diaper because, frankly, it was cuter. Also, I did not have to get more cake into his hair when I needed to take off his shirt. Something to remember at the birthday party.  It's cute to see them full of cake, but it just more mess later for me to clean up.

When he was down to the diaper, I plopped him onto the sheet and tried to get him to stay there until I brought the cake out.  He sat still because he had no idea what was going on.  When I put the cake in front of him there was no hesitation.  He dug right in.

Start taking pictures and don't stop.  I took so many pictures and I had a blast doing it.

By the time I was done taking pictures he was full of cake and needed to take a bath after. However, it was worth it.  Make sure that the bigger part of the sheet is covering the floor, because you DO NOT want cake frosting in the carpet. Unless your getting new carpet, which I wasn't.

Well that is how did my own DYI photo shoot.  I hope that this encourages you to do your own 1st birthday party invites.  It was fun for me an my husband and hopefully, it will be fun for you too.

I have an extra invitation set aside for my son when he gets engages, just to show his fiancĂ©.  Oh, what fun I will have showing off this picture and remembering the memories made that day.

About the Author
Michelle Obrochta, is wife and mother.  She managers and operations and online balloon supply store and work with her husbands balloon entertainment business.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

How to Plan A Child's First Birthday Party While Making It Special

Define what you're good at.  Can you cook, craft, bake, organize?  What skills do you bring to the party?

Define what others are good at doing.  My wife has informed me many times, "Honey, I need some balloon decorations, like super heroes." I'm a professional balloon entertainer, no big deal, but my wife would not ask her brother-in-law, the electrician, to make balloon figures.

Network with friends – This may be your first child, but the neighbor down the street is on their seventh child and has a lot of leftover birthday supplies / ideas.  Some of the best decorations are sitting in a closet just waiting to be used, or, better yet, find a new home.

Hire people – Do not expect family to be servers, or relatives to entertain a crowd.  Hire professionals who can make your event special, classy, and unique.

Delegate -  1st birthdays are special, and you will find many people in your family who would like to contribute to your child's special event. Aunts, uncles, and grandparents would be happy to help out on this special day if you ask them.

About the Author
Dale Obrochta is a professional entertainer who specializes in making larger groups of people laugh as one, while adding the personal touch making it extra special for the guest. Solve your entertainment needs like hundreds of other clients by contacting Dale. Its the right solution.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Infographic 1st Birthday

Having a fist birthday party can be overwhelming for new parents.  Share this 1st birthday party infographic with a new mom or dad and set them at eases.