When we started to think about what to do for the Tomato’s first birthday, we talked about keeping it simple and tried to figure out how much we could do on our own before we looked to buying new items or prepared foods. Below you will find the details of what we did (I was remiss in taking photos of the items without folks in the pictures that day), but the short list is:
1) Design and locally print your own invitations.
2) Research the best main course deal at the restaurants that you love and frequent.
3) Figure out what foods you can buy premade to save time and what you can make to save costs.
4) Buy as many organic and ingredients as possible to keep the food healthy and pesticide free. It’s not just good for the baby, but for everyone and the planet.
5) If your farmer’s market is still operating, buy seasonal flowers and support local farmers and businesses that make an impact.
6) Support the little local party store and not the big box party places for balloons.
7) Buy biodegradable disposable plates and utensils.
8) Use linens for your tables instead of buying disposable tablecloths.
9) Use family manpower and general craftiness to highlight your garden as the backdrop and paint banners instead of buying a disposable one at the store.
We are lucky to have a big backyard, so hosting the party at our house was a no-brainer. We also lucked out with the weather that turned sunny after many rainy days in our area. As we planned the event, we discussed keeping costs down and the first area in which we were able to do this was with the invitation.
Initially, as I trolled through Etsy and looked at other online invitation options, I was a little taken aback by the costs. I don’t know why it surprised me, as we have done holiday cards and birth announcements through similar venues before, but maybe I was expecting more than I should have. After realizing that $50-100 invitations were not part of our budget, my DH took to Photoshop. After a couple of days of tinkering with a great photo of Tomato and refining the word and color choices, we had a stunning invitation, about which we have received many compliments, and we were able to print it through our local camera shop for $9 total. Throw in a box of plain white envelopes and we reduced our costs on the invitation by over half. You’ll have to take my word on how good it looked, since we don’t share pics of Tomato on here, but believe me, it was worth the couple of tinkering hours to make our own.
So, we conquered part of the “being crafty and homemade” category with the invitation and set about planning the menu. We researched the cost of getting some sandwich platters, but the local place would have cost us over $400 just for sandwiches for 40 attendees. “I think not,” escaped my mouth like lightening and we checked out our favorite pizza spot. Tutti Toscani has the most authentically Italian pizza that we have found locally and the Tomato, DH and I dine there or do take out at least once a week. The restaurant is courteous, has delicious food, which Tomato has been hungrily eating, and maintains their own vegetable and herb garden just off of their terrace. They are making great strides in the area for keeping their customers aware of great and local foods. We ordered about 10 pizzas through them and cut our main course costs by over half of the sandwich shop. We ended up with delicious pizza with yummy ingredients and no nitrates in the lunchmeat that we almost ate.
 |
| Gorgeous table top dahlias from Muth Family Farms |
In thinking of sides, we discussed what we could make at home on the day of the party and what we could score at Whole Foods. Potato salad, pre-cut fruit (a good simple time saver when hosting your own party), and guacamole were all easily found and prepared in house at Whole Foods. I also grabbed as many organic ingredients as possible for a 7 layer dip, antipasto plate of mozzarella, olives, prosciutto and tomatoes, hummus with celery and carrots (from our own garden) and the birthday cake. I strolled down to our local farmer’s market the day before the event and bought gorgeous organic flowers from Muth Family Farms. Mary Ellen has gotten to know Tomato and I this summer, as we purchase flowers from her weekly, and her beautiful flowers and caring nature keep bringing us back. Her family also runs an organic farm and CSA, where we score divine strawberries each spring.
Our market also just added a group called Respond, Inc., which brings baked goods each week. Thank goodness for these guys since we have been missing a good bakery at the market for the majority of the summer. Respond, Inc. is a non-profit organization in Camden, which provides job training for area homeless people in an effort to help them improve their situations and lives. The folks are friendly and man, can they bake. We bought two focaccia breads and some chocolate chip cookies. I’ve also become a bit obssessed with their homemade kalamata olive taponade. Buy it and put it on grilled cheese. You will thank me later. Yum!
In the final food preparations, I decided that I wanted to make Tomato’s birthday cake. I followed the recipe for the Applesauce Spice Cake and Whipped Cream Frosting on WholesomeBabyFood.com and it was met with rave reviews. I knew that she had eaten all of the ingredients prior with no allergic reactions, I bought all of the ingredients in organic options and I have the great memory that I made her first cake for her. It actually turned out to not only be the first cake that I made for the Tomato, but my first foray into cake making period, hence the slightly lopsided top layer in the picture below. But, hey, doesn’t that make it all the more charming.
When it came to thinking of decorations, we wanted to keep it simple and not have a lot of trash to throw out later. If we’re going to talk the talk about keeping the planet as trash free as possible, then Tomato needs to watch us walk the walk. So, we bought the flowers from Muth at the market and borrowed folding table and chairs from my parents, DH’s parents and my sister. These were set up alongside of the picnic table that DH built last year and a picnic table that my BIL dropped off. We needed seating for 40, and my mom even bartered some adorable toys leftover from my baby shower for some teak benches from a friend who was cleaning out her mom’s backyard.I already have ideas about how to repaint the benches a vibrant red and yellow to really pop in the backyard, but that’s for another post. To serve the food on the tables, we bought biodegrable plates, bowls, cups and utensils from Whole Foods and Wegmans.
 |
| We used Terraware brand utensils |
 |
| Ultra Green Cups |
 |
| Stalkmarket bowls and plates |
For tablecloths, we used all of my Nana’s linens instead of buying disposable ones at the party store and we only bought three Mylar balloons (Mylar balloons are safest as latex balloons are a choking hazard for kids) and the number 1 candle at the local mom and pop party shop, Westmont Party, which has been in business since I was a kid. The final touch for the tables was to anchor the linens down with the butternut squashes and pumpkins that we picked from the garden. We had 4 and 15 of each respectively. Simple, homegrown and very little trash.
 |
| Homegrown sugar pumpkins and Waltham butternut squashes |
So, with a little planning, I think we executed a low-impact party. We kept our costs down, fed our family and friends yummy organic and local foods either made by us or in support of sustainable practices and good causes, didn’t throw away a lot of things and had an intimate and happy event right in our own backyard. Overall, we had a fun and successful first birthday party, and I hope these tips can help you to have future successful parties!
{ 0 comments… add one now }