Winter ONEderland | A Winter First Birthday Party

Saturday found us celebrating our youngest daughter’s first birthday.  First birthdays are always so bittersweet!  On one hand, you find yourself celebrating all the milestones and moments that made up the first year.  But on the other hand, you find yourself grasping for more time and a little sad to say goodbye to that meaningful first 12 months.  It’s always wonderful to watch your baby become more independent, yet we also cling to those moments when they let us cuddle a little longer before they squirm out of our arms.  All that being nostalgically said, having a January birthday means a winter first birthday party for our little one.  And nothing says winter better than snowflakes, cocoa and cupcakes.

This birthday was a couple months in the making, as I shopped and browsed for the perfect winter details to bring this party vision together.  I knew I wanted to incorporate a little snow, cocoa, snowflakes, and tiny coffee cups to bring the Winter ONEderland vision to life.  To recreate this party for your own little one, be sure to check out the source list located further into this post to see where I found each item.

As a birthday gift, my husband and I spent a lot of time thinking about what to get her.  First birthdays are so meaningful and we wanted to get her something special, as we did our first baby.  I fell in love with the idea of giving her a white rocking chair, as I had something similar when I was very young.  To say the least, she adores it.  And looks so big sitting in it by herself!

For a complete guide on how I photograph my baby girl’s first year, be sure to read The First Twelve.  And to learn how I document our everyday moments between milestones, be sure to read The Everyday Photograph.

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Winter ONEderland | A Winter First Birthday Party

Having quite a few young toddlers in attendance, I knew I wanted to keep the food simple.  We served popcorn and cupcakes, with cocoa and cocoa cups given as party favors to enjoy at home.  We created the cocoa jars and cups using some simple ribbon and snowflake punches that are linked below.

Winter ONEderland Party Source List

ONE balloons | purchased locally, can be found here

window frames | purchased locally, similar ones here

large white snowflakes | amazon

pale pink snowflakes | amazon

1 cake topper | purchased locally, similar one here

cocoa cups + lids | amazon

mason jars | amazon

circle punch for mason jar tops | amazon

large snowflake punch | amazon

small snowflake punch | purchased locally, can be found here

snowflake cupcake decor | amazon

white child rocking chair | amazon

birthday banner | amazon

table streamers | purchased locally, similar one here

gold party hats | purchased locally, similar idea here

small cupcake pedestal | purchased locally, similar one here

Our toddler loved singing “happy birthday” to her little sister multiple times on her actual birthday and sweetly insisted that it was her birthday too.  At two years old, it is rather confusing for only your sibling to receive presents, but she had fun helping her open gifts and sharing her new toys.  And really, in a way, it was her birthday too.  It was the day that she became a big sister!  To make her feel extra special, we gave her and her baby sister small ballerina dolls to celebrate her “big sister birthday.”  And to make the day extra special, the girls’ grandma came to visit and spend some very special time with us and the girls to celebrate!

All in all, her first winter first birthday party was everything I hoped it would be.  Sometimes all of the planning can be a little stressful, as I make sure I have all of the supplies and ensure all the details go together.  But once everything is set up and I hear laughter of little ones enjoying the party, I sigh in relief and silently whisper a prayer of thanks that everything turned out how I hoped.

To plan your winter first birthday party, be sure to shop the links above to help your party come together as smoothly as mine did!  And a word of advice, definitely opt for the cocoa jars!  Not only are they so adorable and exciting for the kids, but the kids love having their own miniature cups to enjoy it at home in.  Plus, you won’t have to worry about a hot cocoa mess with a large number of toddlers, but can simply say, “Enjoy this at your house!”  Smart momming!

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