Logan's First Birthday Fiesta

Just over two weeks ago we celebrated Logan's very first birthday! It was such a joy to be able to gather with our treasured family and friends and celebrate the life the Lord has given our little boy. After much planning, preparation and prayer, everything went off without a hitch
(even the rain couldn't ruin our fun!), and I hope we were able to show those who came just how much we love and appreciate them. A little backstory before I share all the fun details of this party - I pretty much started planning his party once I found out my due date. I loved the idea of a cute fiesta for baby, and the theme held so many possibilities, I was hooked. I started saving pins while pregnant (yes, Ian asked me so many times "Is this party for you or for Logan?" My answer was, "He can't throw his own party so I have to pull out all the stops for him!"). Logan ended up being born May 6th, and although my memory is a little foggy, I am pretty sure that I even mentioned this party during out hospital stay. I found inspiration on my ever faithful Pinterest boards, Mexican restaurants, and beautiful Olvera Street. I wanted every part of the party to feel authentic.

I am a huge lover of real, snail mail, birthday party invitations. I dabble in handlettering during my free time, so I wanted to hand draw the invitations. I wrote out the text and then water color painted the cactus. My uber talented mother in love helped me put them together in photoshop, and we printed them out at home. I got the envelopes from Paper Source, and they were the perfect peachy orange. I added balloon confetti to each invite as an extra fun surprise for those who opened them. It probably cost about $20 in total. Something about mailing invites always feels so thoughtful to me, and I was glad I did them this way. Plus, several kids from now I don't think I'll have as much time to watercolor during nap time, lol.

After sending out invitations, the first thing I planned was the menu! Mexican food works perfect for adults and kids alike, and the food was easy to prepare, since a lot of the prep could be done the day before! I didn't get as many pictures as I would have hoped to get, but that's okay!

 

I found Logan's little cactus shorts at Target! Ian picked up the little sandals at Olvera street, and I made his onesie using letters I bought at Hobby Lobby. I got mini party hats at Paper Source, but that was a definite no go on the day of the party. 

I made homemade Horchata and Jaimica for the drinks, and we had a small section of water bottles as well. Since it rained, we also set out a Mexican coffee station which was a big success! My parents had the horchata canister sitting in their garage, isn't it so perfect? 

People arrived and could much on chips, salsas, and guacamole. We set the rest of the food out just before lunchtime. My mother in law made these gorgeous fruit cups! They had papaya, mango, watermelon, pineapple and blood orange. We had Tajin for seasoning and lime wedges to squeeze on top. 

 

Our main meal was a taco bar! We had tortillas, shredded chicken, cubed ancho chili chicken and carne asada to choose from for the meats. Our sides and toppings were: beans, queso fresco and shredded cheddar cheeses, tomatoes, radishes, sour cream, lettuce, olives, jalapenos, grilled onions, and line wedges. I loved being able to incorporate real cacti onto the table as well! That plus cactus confetti and a few photos were the perfect centerpiece. Simple and small. I got small orange heart cut outs from paper source to label all the food. Labeling food at parties is something I swear by - it just makes it so much easier for everyone!

I wanted to keep the decorations simple and affordable, yet festive. I found these "UNO" balloons and streamers at Hobby Lobby,  We cut the streamers by hand and hung them on a banner. I ordered papel picado on Amazon, and it was the perfect addition to the room. This was the backdrop for the dining room, as well as where Logie ate his cake!

My favorite decor detail was this cactus garland. I saw one online for $65, and decided to try to make it myself. I found the felt and thread at Joann's. I made a stencil, and my mom helped me sew 15 of these bad boys. Total cost = $25. I am going to use them to make a mobile for Logan's room this summer.

I got the gold letters in a pack at Paper Source, and I love how this banner came out. 

A few things not pictured - I ordered a pinata in the shape of a potted cactus. It was adorable and the kids loved hitting it. I made cactus shaped sugar cookies and we decorated them with spirulina dyed icing and sprinkles.They were so cute, I am really sad I forgot to snap a picture. Also for dessert I picked up some coconut milk popsicles from Costco. It was cold so not too many people went that route.

Let's talk about Logan's cake. I literally searched for one whole year to find a recipe that I liked. I wanted something free of refined sugar and flour. This isn't part of his normal diet, so I wanted to save him from a tummy ache on his birthday. Enter this recipe - It is sweetened with date paste, and so so good! Logan loved his cake so much, after he got over crying because we sang him happy birthday. He cracks me up - he is a pretty neat eater, and pulled off small pieces of the cake to eat and got absolutely zero cake on himself. He even tried feeding his Abuela some too :).

I got this shirt in Mexico a few years ago, and finally had a good excuse to wear it!

Ian with our sweet honorary niece Avaleen. 

My best friend Ashley brought her three kiddos to help us celebrate! She had her oldest a few weeks after we met for the first time, and it is so fun to be moms together .

When I woke Logan up from his nap, he was a little intimidated by all the people that had suddenly appeared in the house! He saw all the kiddos playing in the tv room and wanted nothing more to do with me. It's so fun how much he loves other little ones, and I think this was the best part of his day.

Well, that's a wrap on his birthday party! I hope you find some inspiration for your little one's celebrations, too.

XO, B