I wanted to subtitle this post: How to Outsource an Entire Birthday Party because in essence, that’s what I did. I fretted about it for about a minute; after all, I can use scissors and glue and could probably have made pinwheels and decorations myself, but given that we just moved, have a new nanny, have had too many illnesses to count, have a stove with a finicky oven (meaning no way was I going to attempt a cake), etc., etc., it seemed wise to just buy everything. But — and here’s the catch — I didn’t want it to look like some pre-packed party from the party store. I wanted it to look creative and unique and just like I did it all myself, which many of the party  goers thought. Haha! Fooled them!

The Occasion: My son’s first birthday

The Location: Our temporary rental (while our house is being built). 2BR, teeny tiny, so we limited the guest list to 20.

The Theme: My son loves anything that spins so I came up with the idea to do pinwheels. I also wanted a “color story” and focused on orange and yellow with pops of red.

The Planning: I did nearly all my research online (surprise, surprise) and used Evernote to keep track. You can see my notebook here. There are all sorts of random pinwheel things I found, including pinwheel jewelry (I contemplated wearing some) and shirts for Hunter to wear. I’m a HUGE fan of Evernote and will tell you more about it next week for Tech Tuesday.

The Vendors:

• Email invitations: I contacted Ariana at Becoming-Mom, because she just opened an Etsy store and she designed some darling pinwheel invitations for me. (If you haven’t read her blog, yet, you should check it out. It’s one of my favorites.)
• Pinwheels, pendant banner (with pinwheels), pinwheel favor boxes: Twirlie Whirlies Etsy shop. She could not have been more pleasant and fun to work with. I picked four papers from her selections and she made pinwheel after pinwheel for me. They were “real” pinwheels, too (meaning they spin) and the pendant banner she made is SO cute that we’re putting it in Hunter’s room. The stuff was perfectly packaged and really, really cute.
• Photo banner (also with pinwheels!): This custom banner was made by MaryHadALittleParty’s Etsy shop. When it arrived and my husband saw all the photos of Hunter, he got very choked up and quietly asked me if there was a way we could preserve this for him some day. I emailed her pictures from each month of the last year and she picked the ones that worked best in her format. She stuck with yellow, orange and red circles and added some pinwheels to the end. Really sweet.
• Pinwheel repositionable wall decals: These were a stroke of luck: bright, colorful pinwheel wall decals from Flair4All. I also bought some alphabet decals from them to spell out things like “Happy Birthday.” These are all going in his room as decorations. (I figure even though we’re only here for six months, I can totally use a lot of this stuff to decorate his room!)
• Food/Cake: The cake was made by a local woman who works with a friend of mine, so I don’t have a link to share with you. I gave her very little direction beyond “pinwheels” and love what she came up with. The food came from SouperJenny’s, which if you’re here in Atlanta, you probably already know about. The only catch with the food is that the party was on Sunday and they aren’t open on Sunday so we had to pick it all up Saturday. Our fridge is WAY TOO SMALL so we had to drop it all off at a friend’s house. The same friend who knows the Cake Lady. Good friends.
• Lollipops, candy: I found all the candy at a local candy store and got the jars at the Container Store. If you don’t have a candy shop locally, Google “whirly” or “swirly” lollipops. Lots of folks sell them online. I also got the favor boxes at the Container Store.

The Result: My dad, sister-in-law and niece came in for the party which was soooo nice. My best friend, who is insanely busy with her own kids, was able to make it (we held the party on Sunday to work around her kids’ schedule), as were several other close friends. Hunter was a bit overwhelmed by all the people. He did NOT smash his cake. Just kind of looked at it like, “Huh? What am I supposed to do with this?” All in all, a fun time.

OK, enough talk. Time for some pictures!

Today’s post is a two-fer, meaning I’m including it in both the Works for Me Wednesday series AND the Wordless/Wordful Wednesday series. For more great Works-for-me-Wednesday tips, check out WeAreThatFamily. And for more great pictures, go to SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

OK, I’m thankful beyond words for the loves of my life: my husband, son, dad, sister, other family members and dear friends. I’m also thankful for goofy stuff like our favorite TV shows and the wonderful DVR that records them so we can watch after the munchkin is bed. I’m thankful I can get most of my holiday shopping done online, and that there are some wicked sales going on right now. (For a list, keep checking yesterday’s post, as I’m adding deals as I find them.)

I entered Hunter in the Parenting.com baby of the month contest. You may vote for him here if you like! I’d be oh so — what’s the word? — thankful!

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

Don’t forget to sign up for our free parenting webinar tonight with Amy McCready. Amy was recently featured in the New York Times. What’s she doing slumming on my blog, you ask? Why, she’s a friend of mine! I think you’ll find her advice spot on. Hope to “see” you tonight!

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

This day in history: the nation elected Barack Obama and my son was born. We like to joke that it was historic for two reasons!

I want to write how much I love my baby boy and how much he’s changed and improved our lives, but when I think about it, my eyes well up with tears and stupid cliches tumble forth. You know the ones. My heart burst open. A joy I never knew. More love than I could ever imagine. That sort of thing. Also, my son completes me. Not in a scary Tom Cruise kind of way (and Ladies, hasn’t Tommy seriously climbed aboard the Whacko Train?), but in a period-at-the-end-of-a-sentence completion kind of way.

At one year, he’s mostly smiles. He doesn’t tell us what he wants so much as he tells us what he doesn’t want. He’s cutting his molars so he’s shoving fingers in his mouth constantly (his fingers, not mine). We ask him to show us his happy face and he looks up (often at the camera I’m pointing in his face) and smiles. He still loves his Jumperoo but he’s getting too tall for it. His favorite books are the Karen Katz pop-up books and the finger puppet panda book. (He does try to eat my finger then.) He’s crazy about baths.

I’m trying to teach him the sign for “more” but he’s worked out his own sign: He opens his mouth as if to say, “Duh, I want more. Can’t you see?”. He knows what I mean when I ask if he wants “more” and he gives me this little half-smile when I show him how to do it. I know, Mom. I’ve got this. But I’m not going to do it just yet.

It’s the same smile he gives when I ask him for a kiss and he doesn’t want to give me one. Fortunately for me, he often does give me a kiss when I ask. His version of a kiss? Open mouth, tongue out, touching mommy’s lips with his tongue. Not a lick exactly – more of a tongue tap.

Occasionally, he gives me a kiss unprompted. He grabs my ears, pulls my face to his and kisses me. And beware: Cliche ahead! My heart melts. Every single time.

He has a great giggle. Don’t all babies have great giggles? And a great head of hair (taking after me on that one). He has his dad’s cleft chin and a hint of his dimples. Steel blue-gray eyes. Lots of teeth. Easy disposition.

HE’S ONE YEAR OLD TODAY! I look at him and I can’t stop smiling. Also, crying. How is it that love does that to you? We’re so happy for the love we have but so scared something will happen to it at the same time.

My friend, Bernadette, told me that at this age the days are long but the years are short. How true!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy. As your dad says to you every night, “grow big dreams, Dude.” Speaking of your dad, he is a great guy, a wonderful father who ADORES you, and a terrific husband. We’re very happy together and we love you!

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday series. (Only clearly today, I had a lot of words to go with my pics!) Check out more great pics at SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

I am trying to get back to my blog but “life” has been getting in the way. Funny thing since blogs are supposed to be about our lives. My little guy has a cold, which isn’t that big a deal but he’s also cutting molars and apparently, that adds up to a CHILD WHO WAS HYPER UNTIL MIDNIGHT AND THEN WOKE EVERY 45 MINUTES AFTER THAT SCREAMING AND POUNDING HIS FISTS.

I understand that slitting my wrists is not an appropriate response and might, in fact, be considered an over-reaction. I have no alcohol in the house and Advil is just plain boring.

I want — no, I need — chocolate chip cookies but the oven in our rental house DOESN’T WORK right and the cookies I tried to bake the other night were flat and mushy.

So I’m having a cookie crisis and I have a sick baby. Oh and we still don’t have heat in the master bathroom. But we’re supposed to break ground today or tomorrow so it’s all good. Right? Right?

Right.

I’ll be back soon, I promise. In the meantime, here’s my munchkin, posing for the camera. Isn’t he going to make the cutest Ewok for Halloween? The snot-dripping, sneezing, but still smiling Ewok.

I like to participate in the Wordless Wednesday posts, where bloggers post fun pics and share with other bloggers. I’m going to count this as a WW post, OK? Check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

We moved last weekend. I’ve never moved with a baby before, which definitely made it more challenging! But also lots of fun. See?

Sorry the 2nd shot is so washed out; I took it with my cell phone. I just love the expression on his face so much, I’m overlooking the photography flaws!

And this last shot is from our hotel room (We’ve been in a hotel because the gas company can’t hook us up till today; no heat or hot water in 36 degree weather? No way!). He loved looking down at the cars.

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

Last week, we took the baby to Callaway Gardens . He hung out with Daddy while I had a speaking engagement. Here he is plopped on the floor at a restaurant, having a good ol’ time being the cute, smiling, happy baby that he is.

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

Three yeas ago today, Christopher and I were married on the banks of the Chattahoochee River here in Atlanta. It was one of those perfect, rare humidity-free days, sunny and in the 70′s. He teared up as I made the way down the aisle. The youngest members of our bridal party — 3 years old, both of them — delighted everyone with their halting walks, stumbles (my nephew plopped down on his butt and popped right back up), skips and detours. We had two ceremonies: an American one and a Persian one. We danced a Foxtrot to “Fever.” We had cedar smoked salmon with apple pie for dessert. Champagne and pomegranate martinis flowed. I cried and smiled and pinched myself and floated through the evening.

I love you, Honey. You are my dream come true.

All images were taken by the wonderful Alan Weiner of the WeddingBureau. Wedding invitations and event paperie by my good friend, Kemba, of KembaCelebrations.

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

While you’re here, don’t forget to check out our giveaway. You could win a $75 Zutano shopping spree! (My little munchkin is wearing Zutano in the above pics.) Deadline is midnight tonight!

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

This was taken at the end of June and is still one of my favorite pics of the two of them together. The baby is wearing an outfit by CachCach Kids. I dressed my husband, too, but don’t recall the brand! haha

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

Have you ever tried Wordle.net? It’s a free site that lets you paste any text in a box, play around with it and create word clouds. Change the colors, the layout, the font — and Worldle will “randomize” it. Words that are repeated often in your text will show up larger in the Wordle art that you create. Here’s an example I did using the lyrics to “You are My Sunshine.” It’s a lot of fun to play around with. Have a favorite nursery rhyme? Song? Poem or passage from a book? All would make great Worldles!

Once you get your Worldle looking the way you like, simply print it, frame it and hang it. Voila! A Mommy Masterpiece!

Don’t want to make your own? Download these free black and white animal prints. Soooo cute! I have six of them framed in my nursery.

This is part of the Works for Me Wednesday series. More great tips at WeAreThatFamily.

Don’t forget to enter this week’s giveaway. Deadline is tonight at midnight PST. And come back tomorrow for our final contest of the month. Psst, someone told me the prize has something to do with my favorite baby clothes . . . starts with a “Z.”

When one of my friends first saw this picture of my nephew, she asked, “How did your sister get false eyelashes on that boy?”

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

Summer’s almost over. . . one last time for the memory bank, my little guy enjoying his time in the splash pool. . .

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

I wanna be just like you when I grow up!

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.

Doesn’t my bare bottom make my eyes look even bluer?

Looking for more great photos? Grab a cup of tea or coffee and check out these sites that host more Wordless Wednesday entries: SevenClownCircus, 5MinutesforMom, and WordlessWednesday.