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 fiancé.  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.

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.

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. 

No 1st Birthday Parties in this House

8 Reason why to move the first birthday out of the house.

Having a party at home is more economical then at a banquet hall. However, it doesn't always make sense to have some parties in a house.   First birthday parties are such wonderful occasions. Unlike other birthday parties, they are usually large gatherings and require extra planning and money. Here are 8 practical reasons why having a 1st birthday at an alternate location makes sense.

1. Food preparation: Hosts around the world ask themselves this question,” What do I serve the 40-60 coming to the party?” Most of us have not had a reason to cook for a large group, or prepare a large amount of food. Should I cater the party, or cook a meal? If you chose to cater, it is costly.  If you cook the meal, do you have time for all the work that’s involved? Do you have the space and equipment to do it efficiently?
2. Parking space: Some hosts will hire a valet service that will park the cars around the neighborhood. Others will leave it up to their guests to fend for themselves and drive around the neighborhood until they find parking. However, when you invite 35 or more people to a party, figure that at least one half of them will need to find a parking spot. Can your neighborhood handle the extra parking?
3. Rubbing shoulders with Uncle Bob: An intimate setting is nice, but when large numbers of people are moving around, it is no longer intimate, but confining. Where are all your guests going to sit?  Will they need to sit to eat? Will they be able to take-part in all the activities?
4. Cleaning the house: Having a one-year-old in the house is a lot of work, and having to clean it from top to bottom is a lot more work. The advantage of having a party at another location . . . it's already clean.
5. A house is cozy, but is it the right atmosphere? If you are looking to create an atmosphere that “wows” the guest, most homes don’t have that oomph. Banquet halls and restaurants create an atmosphere that most houses just cannot achieve.
6. I’m not an octopus: Trying to be a host, parent and server at a party is impossible. Have the event at a banquet hall or restaurant and you have help to serve, clean, and assist you with all your party needs.
7. No clean up: Unlike having a party at home, once the party is over, you leave. No cleaning, no worrying about putting food away.  Just gather your stuff and walk out the door.
8. Will you leave already! Every family has that one person who has no place to go and wants to spend the entire evening sitting, watching TV, playing video games, or just hanging out. As much as you enjoy that person's company, it’s been a long day. All you want to do is relax in your own home and that means......all party guests must leave.

Disaster at Babies 1st Birthday Party

Birthday cake on the floor, family members show up late, and restaurant over books the room, birthday child is extra cranky, and the parents have the flu.  First birthdays have become a stressful event for parents with many things they just cannot micromanage.

The pressure to plan the perfect party with all the trimmings has increased over the years.  For over 27-years I have been entertaining at 1^st birthday parties and have talked with a lot of stressed out parents.  All guests want is good food, drink and cake.  If the décor is cute and the baby is dress adobe, you’re halfway to having a successful birthday party.

Don’t let the things you can’t control stress you out. Things you can control don’t micromanage. The purpose of the 1^st birthday is to celebrate your child’s 1^st year of life.  Sit back, relax and enjoy this day.  The child only has one 1^st birthday and before you know it, their 21.

About the Author- Magical Balloon-dude Dale is a professional kids entertainer who has been entertaining at 1st birthday parties for decades and has seen it all.  He is now sharing his experiences with his readers. 

Keeping it Clean at Baby's First Birthday Party

The fun of a 1^st birthday party is watching the guest of honor smash a birthday cake into their face, hair, and clothing. Cameras are flashing; family is laughing, all while the baby is reaching for another handful of cake. The audience cheers on the baby to get messier and the more they do it the happier the crowd.

Have you noticed that everyone wants to hold the baby except when the baby has a diaper full or has birthday cake frosting from head to toe? Dads magically disappear with some project that prevents them for baby cleanup.  Therefore, it all falls on mom to do the dirty work. Moms now have to struggle to clean the baby, but also keep themselves from getting dirty doing it.

Moms, have a change of clothes ready - you are going to get dirty cleaning up that bundle of joy.  Kids squirm, faucets splash, cake frosting gets everywhere and just the confines of a bathroom makes cleanup a difficult task.

Mothers plan a head and have extra clothing for the baby, but often forget about themselves.  Prepare to have a second shirt or outfit ready for you. This way both mother and child will look their best for the remainder of the party.

About the Author- Magical Balloon-dude Dale is a professional kids entertainer who has been entertaining at 1st birthday parties for decades and has seen it all.  He is now sharing his experiences with his readers.

Understanding What’s Involved with a First Birthday Party

First birthday parties are a family event and expect everyone to be there on time and camp out until it’s all over. Yes, that’s right. Unlike other birthday parties where people come late and leave early, 1st birthday parties are a family event. People who’ve not seen the birthday child for months want to participate in the event. Parents who have older children like to relive their past and can’t wait to see the birthday child covered in birthday cake. Aunts, Uncles, cousins and friends all bring gifts from practical to outrageous toys that take an engineering degree to assemble. So with that said, here are some tips to help you get through the 1st birthday party.

Tips to help you Survive the 1st Birthday Party

1. Have a change of clothes for you and the birthday child. Remember part of the 1st birthday party tradition is a smash cake. This means the child will be covered from head to toe in cake and somebody, you – is going to have to clean them up. Which, if you like most parents, will get cake on themselves too.
2. If the party is at a hall, bring two cars. It’s going to happen, proud family members are going to buy presents that are large. Are they going to fit into the car – probably not? You’re going to have a car seat in one car and relying on people to help you hall presents back is not allows reliable, so best to plan ahead and take two cars.
3. Hire a photographer – their experience in capturing the moment is priceless and will give you picture that family and friends will claimer to see. It’s a cost, but in the long run, you will be happy that you did.
4. Tin Snips – What? Have you seen how they package kids toys nowadays? They have industrial plastic tie straps that the average household scissors strain to cut through. Use tin snips and cut right through the box and tie straps.
5. Nap time is critical to babies; make sure the birthday child takes a nap. If you have to wake them up 1 hour earlier than normal, make them crawl around the house or just play with them that extra 20-minutes in the morning to tire them out just enough for them to want to take a nap. A 30-minute nap will make a world of a difference. You want a happy birthday child, so make sure they take a nap.

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