birthday Archives - My Healthy, Happier Life

ashleyd / June 28, 2018

Katie’s First Birthday Party

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.

Follow:

ashleyd / December 2, 2014

Thirty-One You’re Looking Pretty Grand

I turned another year older yesterday, no longer thirty but now officially in my thirties. The life of an expat can sometimes be emotionally confusing. We are given the opportunity to live in a gorgeous country such as Switzerland and experience so much while at the same time, feel homesick. In the past year, I experienced things I would never have fathomed before embarking on this adventure with Bo. As Meghann and Derek learned this weekend, when staying with us, living here comes doesn’t come without a few bumps along the road. Regardless of those bumps, I am thankful for everything I experienced last year and for the amount I took from each experience.

Looking forward to this year, and my 31st birthday, Bo and my girlfriends asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday party and honestly, I had no idea. Last year Bo planned a huge birthday party complete with dinner and night of dancing. While that was a wonderful way to remind myself that the thirties can be just as fun as the twenties, it wasn’t the type celebration I wanted this year.

1421168_870487608849_675914658_o

Bo knows me better than I know myself sometimes. He planned an evening for just the two of us last night, which included some of my favorite things.

After work, we started the festivities at home with a small bottle of bubbly.

We listened to Christmas music while decorating our small, fresh Swiss Christmas tree.

We enjoyed a delicious, homemade dinner including his seared scallops, one of my favorite foods. We paired the meal with a bottle of Rombauer, my favorite special -occasion chardonnay, which we brought back from the US during our last visit.

We laughed for hours while watching Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I’m not sure how I never watched this movie in its entirety before last night.

We met new babies and caught up with friends and family via Facetime and phone.

Last but not least, I blew out the candles on a homemade cookie cake which Emily brought over.

Thirty-one, you’re looking pretty grand so far!

Follow:

ashleyd / December 5, 2011

Another Year Sexier

Last night I spent hours smiling, laughing, sipping, and eating with some amazing friends! I initially thought that hosting a holiday party next weekend and the Miami work travel would make things too hectic for a birthday party but I’m thankful that Bo convinced me otherwise!

We me the group at the Hurricane Club at 9pm for a dinner of tropical shared plates and fun rum punch drinks!

The first to arrive, we had just enough time to grab a fun drink at the bar. Bo started with a Manhattan and I went with my standby, vodka soda with a splash of cranberry. The fun and slightly kitschy decor immediately put us in a party mood!

011

For anyone who has yet to enjoy drinks or a meal at the Hurricane Club, the atmosphere is not the only amazing part. The owners really have mastered all three aspects of a restaurant experience: atmosphere, food, and drinks.

These pictures, while devoid of people, give you an idea of the decor and interior. The restaurant was packed last night, but at 5:30 this evening when I showed up to pick up my camera which had been left behind, it was completely empty.

Upon being seated, our party was ready to dive into the food and drinks!

We started with two Brazilian punch bowls and the Pupu appetizer platter.

The highlights of the platter were the tuna tartare cones, coconut shrimp, and the PB& Guava Jwith prosciutto and Thai basil.

After enjoying some sweet drinks and appetizers, we ordered a number of main dishes to share:

Honey-glazed baby back ribs
Bangkok chicken stir-fry
Filet mignon w/shiitake mushrooms
spice-crusted shrimp with coconut cream
scallops a la planch
Shanghai lobster noodles
steamed baby bok choy

The food was even more amazing than I remembered, especially the lobster noodles and the scallops!

No birthday celebration is complete without dessert, so our table shared two different desserts, the chocolate kill devil’s food cake and a peanut butter sandwich. The devil’s food cake was like an uptown, grown up version of a Little Debbie Swiss Roll.

After dinner the majority of the group ended up at Cibar where we enjoyed our version of bottle service, compliments of our fine gentleman escorts!

Needless to say, after a fun evening with lots of bubbly, I’ve spent the day in bed, on the couch, and in the kitchen baking. I didn’t shower until 5pm and have only left the apartment once all day. The lazy recovery day felt wonderful, complete with homemade pancakes, miniature red velvet cupcakes, and healthy Chinese dinner to complete the day!