I am still in shock that our little girl is already ONE.

On Saturday we celebrated her first birthday with friends and family. We knew that we wanted to keep things casual so we invited everyone over for an afternoon of backyard fun including burgers, beer and cupcakes!

Friday afternoon my parents and I went to Fairway to buy all the ingredients for everything we’d serve for lunch. The menu was simple and easy but a clear crowd pleaser based on how much everyone ate!

• Grilled sausages that were sliced into small bites and passed around as appetizers when people arrived
• Hot dogs & hamburgers with all the fixings (cheese, lettuce, tomato & condiments)
• Homemade coleslaw
• BBQ and Original Chips
• Fresh Fruit (Strawberries & Pineapple)
• Rose wine & beer

I ordered a few decorations from Party City the week of the party and then picked them up in the store Saturday morning.  It is easy to go down the first birthday rabbit hole online but I stayed strong and only ordered a few balloons, a banner for her high chair and some bright, polka dot cups, napkins, plates and a few disposable table cloths.  Thanks to their summer sale and a coupon I received in the mail, all of the décor was less than $30!

Instead of baking or ordering a cake, we decided to go the cupcake route. Our favorite, local bakery, Buttermilk Bake Shop, has delicious cupcakes that are moist and topped with butter cream frosting. They used colored frosting to make the cupcakes match the invitation and other polka dot décor. If you’re local, I highly recommend them as their prices were very reasonable and they were SO friendly and helpful!

The party started at 11:30 Saturday morning and, as expected, the first people to arrive were the people with children. The little ones loved playing with Katie’s new kitchen and water table. Their squeals and interactions were so fun to watch while we enjoyed cold beers and toasted to making it through the first year of parenthood.  Around noon Bo headed out to the grill to cook the burgers and hot dogs while everyone hung out in the backyard.

After everyone enjoyed lunch we sang Happy Birthday to Katie and discovered that our daughter definitely has our sweet tooth. She inspected the cupcake for a minute before flipping it over and sticking the entire thing in her mouth!

The entire afternoon was exactly what we wanted and such a success. While not all our family was able to make the trip up to Brooklyn for her birthday, it was so special having my aunt and uncle as well as mom and dad there with us. They were so helpful from helping with setup, cleanup and hosting our friends! My only regret from the day was not getting a picture of the three of us together – oops.