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Post by CoachTsWife on Aug 29, 2018 11:26:21 GMT -6
doodlemommy, wanna come plan our party??? Party planning and hosting things is just not in my wheelhouse. I dread them and don't really enjoy them very much.
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cythe
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Post by cythe on Aug 29, 2018 11:51:59 GMT -6
I'm spiraling on this right now. I've picked a theme and a location. Currently selecting which photos will go in the collage thingie. I feel a little silly just doing this for us.
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Post by doodlemommy on Aug 29, 2018 13:13:33 GMT -6
doodlemommy, wanna come plan our party??? Party planning and hosting things is just not in my wheelhouse. I dread them and don't really enjoy them very much. Umm I totally would haha! If you have a theme in mind I would totally find some easy ideas or something for you! This might sound weird...but I actually made the PDF invitation/thank you card etc files for a mom on DD’s BMB for her (for free), I love it and she did not have time to do what she wanted Hosting you’re on your own though 😋 |
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Post by CoachTsWife on Aug 29, 2018 13:32:03 GMT -6
doodlemommy , wanna come plan our party??? Party planning and hosting things is just not in my wheelhouse. I dread them and don't really enjoy them very much. Umm I totally would haha! If you have a theme in mind I would totally find some easy ideas or something for you! This might sound weird...but I actually made the PDF invitation/thank you card etc files for a mom on DD’s BMB for her (for free), I love it and she did not have time to do what she wanted Hosting you’re on your own though 😋 Oh, we don't really do themes - at least for the first couple birthdays. We had a loose Paw Patrol theme (PP cake and napkins) for DS1's 3rd birthday in July. What I want help with is the actual hosting, I guess. lol
For DS1's first birthday we invited our parents, our grandparents, and our siblings and their families, which is a lot of people to begin with. But we also invited some of our aunts, uncles, and cousins who we are close to and/or who lived close by. That was a lot of people in our smallish house. It was 98* in July so we couldn't have people go outside because it was blazing hot. Although our A/C couldn't keep up with a house full of people so it was hot inside as well. Ugh.
DH enjoys having family over and the kids love it, so it is fine. I just get anxiety about having enough food and hoping everyone has a good time and has a place to sit down (spoiler alert, there isn't enough seating for that many people in most homes).
I'm just going to order cupcakes and have snacky/appertizer type food, which helps limit my anxieties. I just, ugh, dread the whole ordeal.
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Post by doodlemommy on Aug 29, 2018 14:44:01 GMT -6
Umm I totally would haha! If you have a theme in mind I would totally find some easy ideas or something for you! This might sound weird...but I actually made the PDF invitation/thank you card etc files for a mom on DD’s BMB for her (for free), I love it and she did not have time to do what she wanted Hosting you’re on your own though 😋 Oh, we don't really do themes - at least for the first couple birthdays. We had a loose Paw Patrol theme (PP cake and napkins) for DS1's 3rd birthday in July. What I want help with is the actual hosting, I guess. lol
For DS1's first birthday we invited our parents, our grandparents, and our siblings and their families, which is a lot of people to begin with. But we also invited some of our aunts, uncles, and cousins who we are close to and/or who lived close by. That was a lot of people in our smallish house. It was 98* in July so we couldn't have people go outside because it was blazing hot. Although our A/C couldn't keep up with a house full of people so it was hot inside as well. Ugh.
DH enjoys having family over and the kids love it, so it is fine. I just get anxiety about having enough food and hoping everyone has a good time and has a place to sit down (spoiler alert, there isn't enough seating for that many people in most homes).
I'm just going to order cupcakes and have snacky/appertizer type food, which helps limit my anxieties. I just, ugh, dread the whole ordeal.
I get it! Hosting is so much work. I also do a lot of smaller snack like foods or easy meals. DD’s family party this year is at lunch time and we are doing crockpot enchiladas since it is right after church and they can cook while we are there For DD we did a big joint first birthday with friends and both sides of the family. It was easily 60+ people. But we were luckily and it was nice out (her birthday is early September) so people were inside and outside and it was great. Also did open house style so not everyone was here at once. DS will get a big joint party too but we aren’t as close with one friend group now as we were 3 years ago (DH’s high school friends) so the invite list is “only” 28 adults and 18 kids and 2 babies 😬 For DD now we keep it smaller. A friends party (her friends from church, really it’s our friends kids),this year we have 8 kids coming but that includes a couple little ones tagging along. Their parents stay and we all drink coffee while the kids run wild. Then we do a family party with my parents, sister and BIL, aunt and uncle and 2 cousins (and maybe their boyfriends). Aaaand, with DH’s family we celebrate birthdays once a month. So we host the September one. It’s just coffee and cake so that one is easy. |
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Aug 30, 2018 1:39:40 GMT -6
doodlemommy I think you are the hostess with the mostest! I wish I liked hosting and throwing parties, but like CoachTsWife - it stresses me out. It doesn’t help that birthday parties over here (in our circle) are huuuge affairs. Like mini-weddings almost...with paid entertainment, catering, 100 person guest lists, piñatas, OTT gift bags, professional photographers, tiered cakes...it’s crazy and I am getting stressed out just thinking about what we will do for DS1’s 4th birthday early next year. (The big parties all start once the kids turn 3). I’m going to enjoy keeping things minimal for LO until I have to swallow the big party bullet in 2 yrs). 😩
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Post by thatgirlrachel on Aug 30, 2018 6:03:21 GMT -6
Hi from the land of the lost. I just ordered DS's birthday invitations and cakes last week. We are doing a race car theme because the little stinker loves driving his cars (and water bottles, baby bottles, basically anything) across the floor while making the motor sound with his mouth. We'll do both sides of our family and our closest friends. We are doing pictures too, but the photographer wasn't available until mid-October so those will be a few weeks late. I'm fully aware that I'm going over the top for a first birthday - and I did the same thing for DD. But I just love birthdays. Life twins. I am 100% aware that I go over the top for my kids birthday parties, but that’s how I grew up too and I love it. DH and I just spent an evening building and painting Skye’s helicopter (from paw patrol) out of a cardboard box for DD’s party, and we still need to finish the details. She is going to love it Oh how fun! Please share pics when it's done! |
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Post by thatgirlrachel on Aug 30, 2018 6:08:23 GMT -6
I'm spiraling on this right now. I've picked a theme and a location. Currently selecting which photos will go in the collage thingie. I feel a little silly just doing this for us. Don't feel silly. Listen to the words you told me - it's the one day you can go all out celebrating your kid. Do as much or as little as you feel! |
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Post by CoachTsWife on Aug 30, 2018 8:05:24 GMT -6
doodlemommy I think you are the hostess with the mostest! I wish I liked hosting and throwing parties, but like CoachTsWife - it stresses me out. It doesn’t help that birthday parties over here (in our circle) are huuuge affairs. Like mini-weddings almost...with paid entertainment, catering, 100 person guest lists, piñatas, OTT gift bags, professional photographers, tiered cakes...it’s crazy and I am getting stressed out just thinking about what we will do for DS1’s 4th birthday early next year. (The big parties all start once the kids turn 3). I’m going to enjoy keeping things minimal for LO until I have to swallow the big party bullet in 2 yrs). 😩 OMGoodness that is crazy. DNW. |
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Post by doodlemommy on Aug 30, 2018 10:06:34 GMT -6
doodlemommy I think you are the hostess with the mostest! I wish I liked hosting and throwing parties, but like CoachTsWife - it stresses me out. It doesn’t help that birthday parties over here (in our circle) are huuuge affairs. Like mini-weddings almost...with paid entertainment, catering, 100 person guest lists, piñatas, OTT gift bags, professional photographers, tiered cakes...it’s crazy and I am getting stressed out just thinking about what we will do for DS1’s 4th birthday early next year. (The big parties all start once the kids turn 3). I’m going to enjoy keeping things minimal for LO until I have to swallow the big party bullet in 2 yrs). 😩 OMGoodness that is crazy. DNW. Ditto. I love parties and hosting and that is way too much, even for me! So glad that is not the expectation here 😳 we do big parties but I do all the cooking/baking and most of the decorating is made so it’s fairly inexpensive. That sounds $$$$$ and EVERY YEAR, yikes! All my sorries Taitai |
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Aug 31, 2018 3:36:40 GMT -6
doodlemommy CoachTsWife Yes - I HATE it. Remember Billy Madison and the ridiculous parties his dad would throw him for completing each grade? It’s like that. No joke - on party rented out a hotel ballroom, put in a MINI ROLLER COASTER and a bounce house!!!! Some poor dude in a dinosaur costume was walking around and doing back flips in it 😮, full buffet spread with like 20 different things....full bar...waiters, bartenders, passed appetizers....professional photographer with custom party backdrop.... all because their daughter was turning 3. WTAF. I’m over here freaking out about getting a tent, face painting, balloon guy, Thomas the Train cake, and a buffet of Thai food set up in our garden 😭😅😂. I just can’t. The plus side is that we have amazingly fun parties to go to with DS1 like 20 times a year, so that is great from a weekend entertainment perspective, plus we get to see our friends and socialize with them at the events. But when it comes time to plan my own party, I’m just like....ugh.....DREAD. Oh, and all the women are wearing Stella McCartney while I’m rocking my Banana Republic 🤣😂
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cythe
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Post by cythe on Aug 31, 2018 6:44:07 GMT -6
Taitai so, would you be like shamed forever if you just... didnt? Theres approximately a 0% chance I'd go THAT all out for a 3 year old. Maybe like a sweet 16 (adjust for age appropriate activities, altho lol to a bouncy house at 16)
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Aug 31, 2018 7:55:25 GMT -6
Taitai so, would you be like shamed forever if you just... didnt? Theres approximately a 0% chance I'd go THAT all out for a 3 year old. Maybe like a sweet 16 (adjust for age appropriate activities, altho lol to a bouncy house at 16) H and I have thought about this, and the compromise (for us) is to throw a party each year, but not have it be one of the really insane ones. We don’t go as nuts as others in our group, and for us - it’s like we’re resigned that this is out one big event of the year. Living the expat life, we’re fortunate that we can afford to do that once a year, AND we benefit from going to all of the other parties. It’s kind of like - we can’t go to all these parties, enjoy that social benefit, and then not throw one ourselves. People (unfortunately) keep track of that and if we didn’t throw a party, we’d probably have to decline RSVPs on the other parties we get invited to. That would negatively impact DS1 with his friends, since they all see each other at school and remember each other’s parties. It also wouldn’t really reflect well on H and I, since the other parents are our friends and constantly declining party invites would be interpreted that we don’t want to be good friends anymore. There is a lot of peer pressure and comparing/cultural indebtedness out here, which I don’t find to be nearly as overt or pervasive in the USA. So it’s just kind of something we’re forced to deal with in our social circle. Another example of how different things are out here - every.single.time we have a play date with anyone local, we have to get a gift or trinket to give to their kids. Like, something in the $10 - $20 range. This is if we go over there, or if they come over here. That is also in addition to bringing a little snack or food item when you go over to someone’s home. Which you must do every visit, no matter how well you know that person. Again - it’s just how things are over here (with our local friends...with other Americans or Europeans, the gift thing for play dates is not expected, just a food item.). Sigh. The one nice thing about the crazy birthday parties is that all of the toys/presents get donated to charities or orphanages, so at least it’s not just a total materialistic bonanza to spoil the kids. But yes - I wish it was more simple. Expat problems. |
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Post by thechickencoop on Sept 1, 2018 8:12:48 GMT -6
Omg Taitai I'm like.... 😳😳😳😳 reading those posts. Holy cow. I forget, and you don't have to answer, but did you relocate because of work? It's just me being nosy because the culture seems sooooo different (in good and bad ways!) |
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Sept 1, 2018 21:19:12 GMT -6
Omg Taitai I'm like.... 😳😳😳😳 reading those posts. Holy cow. I forget, and you don't have to answer, but did you relocate because of work? It's just me being nosy because the culture seems sooooo different (in good and bad ways!) We came out here for work - I’m in the finance sector. H works too, but he consults for his company back in the states and doesn’t work as much with the locals (or in the region) like I do. The local laws here prevent us from sending our kids to public schools (simply not allowed because we are foreigners), hence, we have to send DS1 to the international school, which is also attended by all the local high society types. That’s kind of how we got mixed up with our circle of friends...wasn’t really intentional. ETA - I should add that the party and gift giving thing is more of a local high-so type thing. There is a huge wealth disparity in this country and most locals would never be able to afford big parties or give $10-$20 gifts per play date. The average locals do have parties, but on a much more normal scale. We find the “average locals” to be more our style...but the society is so classist, almost caste-like, that average or lower-income locals are too uncomfortable being friends with us (because we’re westerners). Makes me very sad 😞 |
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Post by thechickencoop on Sept 2, 2018 7:51:18 GMT -6
Taitai ahhhhhh the school thing sort of makes sense but maaaaan that is just crazy. What a shame that it's frowned upon to make friends out of that social circle.
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mkrupar
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Post by mkrupar on Sept 2, 2018 17:46:23 GMT -6
It's common in Latin cultures to go all out for first birthdays. At one of my last hotels, I planned one for a family who rented a bouncy house, had Disney Characters, dancers, a balloon artist and face painting all set up in our ballroom.
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Sept 2, 2018 20:54:58 GMT -6
Taitai ahhhhhh the school thing sort of makes sense but maaaaan that is just crazy. What a shame that it's frowned upon to make friends out of that social circle. The classism here sucks, and it’s sooooo different from the USA. Like, we invite more normal families over or try to meet up with them at the park, and they feel so uncomfortable that they never meet up with us again ☹️. We’re close with our nanny’s family and the families of my employees, but I think that is because they’re used to us by now and finally feel they can be themselves. Public and international schools here starts at 3 yrs (for the sake of your kid, you can’t wait to enroll at 4 or 5 - they will be too far behind), so that’s another reason why we’re forced to deal with the big parties so early. It all starts happening way way too soon! mkrupar What you described sounds like a standard type of party over here. Our first one of the season is in 2 weeks and they are doing a Disney princess theme with costumed princess characters, castle bounce houses, and princess balloons/face painting. |
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Post by duskymonkey on Sept 4, 2018 11:22:30 GMT -6
OK. I think I can't deny it any longer. We're a month away and I think I'll have to do something since we did have a party for DS so it's only fair even though he won't remember it but it'll be fun for DS too since he loves loves birthday parties and cake! He's all about the cake and according to him his lil bro needs to have a train cake like his too.  Will share more later once I think about what to do plus speaking of lil fella .... he's awaken from his nap. Nearly 1 hour which is GREAT! SaveSave |
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Post by August Blooms on Sept 5, 2018 9:39:13 GMT -6
What is everyone doing for cakes? Buying?making? Cupcakes? Healthy? We still have no idea who, when or where for her party.
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Post by bootsorhearts1 on Sept 5, 2018 9:57:24 GMT -6
What is everyone doing for cakes? Buying?making? Cupcakes? Healthy? We still have no idea who, when or where for her party. We ordered a small cake from a local bakery because we needed something dairy free. It’s just a simple pink ombré swirl decoration. We got a mini companion smash cake too. We’re only expecting 8-10 adults and a handful of kids so not going all out. Our house is small and tough to do a location for 1st birthday. |
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Post by CoachTsWife on Sept 5, 2018 11:24:24 GMT -6
What is everyone doing for cakes? Buying?making? Cupcakes? Healthy? We still have no idea who, when or where for her party. I'm planning to order cupcakes for the guests, but I'll make a cupcake for LO without all the sugar. |
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Post by thechickencoop on Sept 5, 2018 15:21:15 GMT -6
What is everyone doing for cakes? Buying?making? Cupcakes? Healthy? We still have no idea who, when or where for her party. We're doing ice cream cake cuz we like it 🤷♀️ I'm going to either make or buy something small for a smash cake on his actual birthday. |
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cythe
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Post by cythe on Sept 5, 2018 19:02:58 GMT -6
What is everyone doing for cakes? Buying?making? Cupcakes? Healthy? We still have no idea who, when or where for her party. I'm doing a banana/maple syrup smash, undecided on the frosting right now. I am planning on making a sugar filled tasty cake for H, myself and our photographer/friend that may or may not match the smash. I enjoy decorating so I'm excited (but not terribly good ha). |
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rachydc
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Post by rachydc on Sept 5, 2018 19:54:29 GMT -6
What is everyone doing for cakes? Buying?making? Cupcakes? Healthy? We still have no idea who, when or where for her party. We planned our first Disney trip to be during DS’s First bday. He has a peanut and dairy allergy, I’m hoping I can just find a vegan cupcake somewhere for him? I’ve read about special allergy free cakes but they’re $$$$$. Yes, please charge me more for something out of my control. Ugh. If he had no allergies, he’d be getting a regular cake. |
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Sept 5, 2018 23:10:59 GMT -6
rachydc That is so hard with the cake. There are lots of places that make vegan cakes out here, as they are really popular with the Japanese for some reason. They aren’t expensive either! I hope you can find something good and tasty for your little guy. Since LO has a dairy intolerance, we’re going to get him a vegan cupcake from a local Japanese store. We’ll also get a normal cake for everyone else to eat - I think that one will be a rainbow cake! The one I like is sooo tasty (and pretty): 
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Post by duskymonkey on Sept 6, 2018 23:33:00 GMT -6
rachydc, so cool about Disney! I cannot wait to take both boys to Disney one day I was just at WF today and I saw they had a bunch of vegan cupcakes and cakes. Still pricey but likely not as pricey as a posh bakery. I have also pleasantly been surprised by their quality.
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Post by duskymonkey on Sept 6, 2018 23:41:22 GMT -6
Taitai, OMG! I didn;t know Chickalicious was a chain? There's one in East Village in nyc and I love going there for a late night dessert. They have awesome dessert selections. Such good memories back in the day with my buddies.
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Post by duskymonkey on Sept 6, 2018 23:55:32 GMT -6
Will be making a cake for certain.I like to do something else but I don't have time to putz around plus we do love my never fail cake so....might also be making a Guinness cake for hubs? I looked at the calendar yesterday and saw that the Saturday of baby's birthday week is hubs bday so 2 cakes? My mom's bday is the same day as baby's and I think we'll just get some cupcakes for that day. I am still trying to figure out when do have the party. He's awake from like 1130 - 3pm. We served lunch for DS' birthday. My sister and family and just another family with the same age as DS came so it was small. We'll have probably more people cos I was thinking of asking a couple of DS' friends and family and our neighbors. I just cant decide if I should serve lunch...I want to but I am not sure if I can handle all the food by myself and my freezer can't handle anymore food - I have a shelf almost full of milk, another packed with babies purees and now cubed up vegetables. I actually had to store a whole bunch of food I had made a week before at my neighbors. I could use another refrigerator. What to do?
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Taitai
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Post by Taitai on Sept 7, 2018 2:15:09 GMT -6
Taitai, OMG! I didn;t know Chickalicious was a chain? There's one in East Village in nyc and I love going there for a late night dessert. They have awesome dessert selections. Such good memories back in the day with my buddies. I know that Chickalicious in NYC very well. So, there’s one in NYC and one in Japan (Tokyo I think). The one here is franchised - so it’s not under management from the original Japanese chef who opened the NYC and Tokyo ones. However- the execution is pretty much the same, and it’s definitely my favorite bakery out here. Also - I’m convinced if you and I got together for a day of fun - we’d eat everything and love it all, because we have the same taste 🤣😀 |
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Will share more later once I think about what to do plus speaking of lil fella .... he's awaken from his nap. Nearly 1 hour which is GREAT!
