Hailey's Disney World Themed First Birthday Party

Last month, we celebrated sweet Hailey’s first birthday! It seems like just yesterday she was born and my greatest adventure began. But now she’s already a person with a tiny personality and my very best friend. I wanted her first birthday party to be something simple but memorable, and hopefully something where she would have fun! As I had shared last month, we did a Disney World themed party, mostly because I LOVE Disney! This theme was a little bit challenging but I relied on the color scheme to keep it all cohesive- as usual! 

Here are some more details about the party plus some planning tips if you’re interested in throwing a Disney World party of your own! I’ll provide sources for everything I had as well, so you can copy and paste this party for yourself!

*This post contains affiliate links

This party was different than most others because I had help! My SIL and sister stayed over the night before to help me set up. We mostly cleaned, prepared a few decorations and chatted over a glass of wine. However, that was a nice change over the usual pre-party prep where I’m running around the house setting up, baking, or trying to finish a project. Sometimes simultaneously! It was also super helpful to discuss the plan the night before so that the next day, I didn’t have to explain things as I was hurriedly trying to set up. I’ve realized my brain gets overloaded during times of pressure, and trying to explain what I need help with takes twice as long as doing it myself. Mostly because I can’t find the words! I’m not perfect, even though I may appear to be sometimes. Anyone who’s come to a party I’ve thrown can attest to that, hah! 

For more info about planning a party, I’ve got a whole series! You can learn more about how to plan a party in 10 steps, my favorite places for supplies, and 5 easy steps for party setup.

We bought a tent! Since this was the third large party we threw in our yard, I figured we should probably have the supplies we need. In the past, John’s amazing cousin has lent us tents, tables and chairs. He’d pack up his pickup truck and come early to help us set up, driving hours each way and staying until the end of the event to clean up too. We’ve appreciated it SO much but it seemed like a good time to get some supplies of our own. So, we got this great pop-up event tent on amazon plus 2 sets of these white folding chairs. We already had several of these folding tables that we got from family, bar height tables and a folding indoor/outdoor serving cart so now we are ready for any party that comes our way! 

For the food, we kept it simple with pizza. I orginally planned to print out a Pizza Planet logo for it, but that went out the window. I totally forgot, and pre-kids Cathy would probably have done it during the party, scrambling to find the right size logo and print out 3 copies until it was just right. After-kids Cathy said oh well. The little things in life add up and I’m trying to be less of a perfectionist these days!

The hit of the party was the inflatable pool filled with balls! I knew I wanted to do a ball pit, but I kinda went back and forth on whether it was worth the money or not. We already had the pool and used it all summer long, but I knew I’d need a lot of balls to fill it. In the end, I’m SO glad I got it! The kids loved them and it was so cute to see everyone playing together. Hailey especially loved it! I originally wanted to get pink balls but picked this set for future kids that may end up being boys! It just seemed better for long term, plus I thought these colors were still pretty cute- a slight change from the regular rainbow! For reference, I purchased 1200 balls for a 3-person pool. 

I loved the dress we got for Hailey for her party! I orginally wanted a Disney themed dress (for both of us) but they were too big. So, I went back to the drawing board and ordered a few options including a Cinderella dress, a Minnie dress, and this sweet pink tulle dress. I loved the layers, so I picked this one! It also came with the cutest hat that we used for her cake smash session and for wearing during the party!

Speaking of cake smash, we ended up doing an impromptu cake smash during the party! I went to BJs to get some cakes for the party and saw a small one. I figured I’d get it because Hailey went wild during her cake smash photoshoot and I was a little nervous she’d do it again during the party. I don’t mind eating her smashed up cake, but others might! She turned out to be very well behaved with her cake but her cake smash session was so cute that I ended up letting her have another. After all, you only turn one once! She went wild and everyone loved it. We got some great photos and videos, including her feeding John some cake. When I asked for some, she gave me side eye. 

We did the cake smash in front of this awesome It’s A Small World backdrop that I rush ordered from Etsy. I was originally planning to get it printed myself but then decided against it. The seller was SO nice and responsive, and I ended up getting the background just in time for the party! I plan to put it up in either Hailey’s room or a future playroom someday. It’s also got a great memory attached to it now!

On the invitation (which I made myself on Canva), I told people to feel free to Disneybound. Since I love dressing for a theme, I went with a Minnie Mouse vibe unintentionally! I usually wear Minnie ears at Disney World, so that was a given. I had bought a T-shirt for the party but I ended up disliking the way it looked with my tutu skirt. I headed back up to my closet for an alternative and decided on a sparkly tank. As I was turning to leave the closet, I saw my pink bow boots and knew I HAD to wear them! And thus, a golden princess Minnie Disneybound was born. PS- This is my husband “being happy”

Other people were just as creative in the outfit dept. We had a lot of Snow Whites, Minnie Mouses, and even 2 dwarves! A friend of mine dressed up as the white rabbit from Alice In Wonderland which was pretty awesome! She had ears, a vest and everything. I love when people dress up with me. I’m always looking for an excuse!

Overall, the party was super fun and casual which is exactly what I wanted. Gone are the days where I can’t enjoy the party because I am so concerned with everything being perfect, and fretting over the things that didn’t get done. Nowadays, I’m happy if the decor is cute and the bathroom is clean! 

Sources:

Setup: event tent. white folding chairs. these folding tables. bar height tables. folding indoor/outdoor serving cart. Ball Pit Balls.

Decor: It’s a Small World Backdrop. Carousel. Pastel Fans and Paper Poms. Striped Fans. Once Upon A Time Banner. Tablecloth. Princess Kit. Gold Minnie Ears. Black Ears.

Tableware: Napkins. Napkins. Castle Cupcake Stand. Pink and Gold Cups.

Hailey’s outfit: pink tulle dress.

My outfit: tutu skirt. Gold Minnie Ears. Pink Boots (similar). Sparkly Tank Top.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures from Hailey’s birthday party! What do you think of a Disney World theme for a party? I can definitely see SO many more ways to make it big if you wanted to! Let me know in the comments below.

Hailey's Birth Story

I had big plans and expectations for how Hailey was going to be born. They always say that a birth plan isn’t something you can really depend on and that’s 100% right. I kinda feel like all my plans and ideas went out the window, and I’m starting to become ok with that. Everything worked out perfectly, even if it wasn’t as I expected it to be. Hailey is healthy and I am too. We are both alive and unharmed. That’s all you can really ask for! 

The Beginning

Almost 2 weeks before she was born, John and I went to BJs to get groceries. I started having contractions and I thought for sure she was coming today. But, they turned out to be Braxton Hicks and went away. Then almost a week before she was born, I had painful contractions but those didn’t go anywhere either. I was starting to get frustrated and confused.

After these 2 false alarms with contractions that led to nothing, I was starting to get cranky about baby’s (lack of) arrival. After the first false alarm I was thinking, holy crap- I’m not ready for this! But, then I started to get excited. With every additional day (and false contraction) I started to get more and more impatient. 

On September 27, I woke up at 4am with the beginning stages of labor, but at this point I was unsure what was real and what wasn’t. This felt a little different than the other times, but I wasn’t willing to bet on it. My husband went to work (he leaves around 5am) and I went back to sleep. I kept having contractions while I was asleep (the pain kinda made its way into my dreams!) and they finally woke me up around 7am. 

I monitored my contractions all day, but they still weren’t regular. Strong contractions came and went, sometimes every 15 minutes and sometimes nothing for a half hour or more. I really felt like today was going to the the day, so I got a manicure to try and relax. I luckily had an OB appointment at 1pm, so I told her my symptoms and she checked to see if I was dilated. I was 3-4 cm dilated, and she said normally she would have sent me to hospital at this point if contractions had been regular! She didn’t seem too convinced that I would be having this baby today so I went home confused once again. 

John got home around 3:30pm, and my contractions started to get more regular. I was hungry at this point, so we went to McDonald’s and called the family to let them know I was probably going into labor. We stayed home for a while but by 7pm my contractions were 5 minutes apart (or less!), so we went to hospital. Everyone met us there and we were in the waiting room a while. I finally got admitted, they checked me out in an exam room, and determined that the contractions had slowed down to 5-7 minutes apart. They gave me 2 options- go back home to wait it out, or down to the lobby to walk around for an hour or two. I decided to go home so I could at least be comfortable (it could’ve been more than an hour or two!) and we ended up bringing my MIL and sister back with us. My parents went back to their house to rest for a bit. It was probably around 10-11pm at this point and everyone was tired. 

The 20-minute drive home was full of contractions, which came every 5-7 minutes pretty strong. Everyone was hungry so we hit the McDonald’s drive-thru, and the contractions were so intense that I made everyone be quiet while they were happening. It was so hard to go through the pain with everyone chit chatting and asking me questions, and I felt like I had a hang over! Everything seemed loud, I was nauseous and the smell of the food wasn’t helping. We got home and I took a shower, where I had my husband hang out in the bathroom with me and time the contractions. They were super strong and a minute apart. We got a little worried, so we sat down on the couch and they were 2-3 mins apart. I knew they would make me lay in bed at the hospital so I practiced getting through the contractions while laying on the couch. I somehow slept through the less than 5 minute break between contractions. John kept reminding me to breathe through contractions, since I tended to hold my breath. I wasn’t in a rush to get back to the hospital and possibly sent home again, so we stayed home to about 2 am then headed back to the hospital.

Natural vs Epidural 

I really wanted a natural birth. John and I had both decided it would be best for me and the baby. I was worried about the epidural slowing contractions, then needing pitocin to speed up the contractions, then eventually needing a C-section. I knew a few people that ended up on this route and I didn’t want that for us. 

When I got to hospital, I was 4-5 cm dilated. Then an hour later only 5 cm dilated. Around 4am, after being in labor 24 hours and awake almost a whole day, John convinced me to get an epidural and I’m so glad I did. I was terrified of the epidural (um, it’s a needle in your SPINE!) but my contractions were hurting in my back. I figured at least this way, the stabbing pain would only be for a few minutes as they were doing the epidural then go away, vs labor going on who knows how long. After I got the epidural, I felt immediately calm. We finally were able to get a few hours of sleep around 6am. At 9am, visiting hours began and our moms and my dad came into the room. My sister had stayed at my house and doesn’t drive, so my aunt gave her a ride to the hospital and stayed with us for a little while too.

At this point, my contractions had slowed down again, so they gave me pitocin to speed them up. Despite the epidural taking away the pain, I was totally weak and out of it. I hadn’t eaten in so long but luckily I was able to get some apple juice and jello, which honestly gave me some strength. If I wanted ice chips, I couldn’t even say it- I would pinch my fingers together and my husband would hand me the cup. People were asking me questions and I wasn’t even answering. I didn’t have the strength to listen, process it, form a response and speak it. I talk SO much and the fact that I couldn’t say a word just showed how tired I was. 

Around 2pm, the doctors finally told me I was about 9.5 cm dilated and would be pushing soon. It was such a relief because things felt like they had stalled, but the pitocin was finally helping. They also showed me the magic blue button that you can press to get a boost of the epidural, which ended up being a lifesaver since the pain was getting more intense. I couldn’t really feel most of the pain from the contractions, but there was still some happening and I was so exhausted I couldn’t handle anything

. 

The Birth:

The nurses came in and determined that I was ready to start pushing soon. I was fully dilated and baby was in position. They asked John if he wanted to see her head and he said no, but I made him take a peek. The first thing he said was “wow, she has a lot of hair!”  Luckily Hailey was right in position, so it only took a few pushes to get her out. John said it was about 20 minutes but to me it felt like only 5! The epidural was still pretty strong, so I didn’t really feel anything. As soon I started pushing she was already making her way out, so I figured hey I guess I’m doing something right!

First Few Moments

As soon as Hailey was born, she started crying. It was such an amazing thing to hear, and I immediately started crying too! Our family was right outside the door and my sister recorded her first cries, so we’ll always have that video. They cleaned her up a bit and handed her to me and I was staring at this foreign creature, really confused. They say some women feel an immediate connection to their baby, while others need some time to bond. Despite feeling so connected to her in the womb, I was definitely more in the “who are you” category! We couldn’t even get a good 3D scan of her, only sonograms. And I was staring at her trying to figure out who she looked like, but she didn’t really look like anyone. I couldn’t really grasp the concept that that tiny little human wiggling around inside me was finally out in the world!

the doctors cleaned me up and I got a few stitches while we decided her name and then she gave us the (middle) finger for the very first time! It was so funny and I tried to have John get a picture, but then I had to push the placenta out so we didn’t capture it. Darn!

We decided we wanted to spend a little time just the 3 of us before letting the troops back in. This was perfect because I had decided while I was waiting to deliver that I wanted a smoothie. I was parched, exhausted and starving. A smoothie commercial had come on and it was exactly what I needed. So I half-joked that no one could see the baby unless they brought me a smoothie. And let me tell you, that smoothie was one of the best things I have ever had in my life. I literally passed my child off to anyone that would take her so that I could enjoy my smoothie. At one point I had to put it down for a photo, and I started asking for it again. And they thought I wanted the baby so they were ready to hand her to me. Nope- I wanted the smoothie! Labor is so tough guys. I swear I’m not a monster! It’s just that after 24 hours without eating and being in that much pain, I really needed some fuel. I mean…. I think this photo says it all.

The Name

John and I had decided early on that we didn’t want to tell anyone the baby names we were considering. We really wanted to decide on our own, without people influencing our decision or criticizing our choices. We both liked the name Hailey, and John suggested using my sister’s name, Irini (pronounced ee-ree-nee), for a middle name. I’m really close to my sister and she’s going to baptize the baby and be an important part of her life, so John thought it would be a very fitting middle name for her. It was soooo sweet that I couldn’t resist. When we told her the name, she got adorably awkward about it. She told me that when she got home she cried because she felt so honored that we named our baby after her. 

The Next Few Days

We stayed at the hospital another couple of days, and we had tons of visitors! Everyone wanted to see the baby. Although it was a bit exhausting, it was nice to see everyone so happy to meet the baby. Plus, they made the time pass by faster AND they brought us food! I was getting hospital meals which were ok, but John wasn’t. It was nice to get some tasty food and sweet treats when people came to see her, especially after a tough labor and sleepless nights with the baby.

We are so in love with our beautiful little Hailey. I spend most of the day holding her, and we all have enough pictures of her to start a gallery haha. I can’t believe my first pregnancy is over, but I am so happy to have my little girl! If you’re interested in postpartum tips and advice, stay tuned. I have a whole series coming up since I learned SO much in these past few weeks!

*Special thanks to my sister Irini for taking these pictures of us at the hospital! I really wanted to hire a photographer but it wasn’t in the budget, so I really appreciate having these photos from the day :)

Hey Girl: Ryan Gosling Gender Reveal

This just in: we are having a GIRL!!!! Holy poop you guys, I am seriously shocked. I was CONVINCED we were having a boy, but I also knew I was going to be wrong. I told John many times "I think it's a boy, but I also think they're gonna tell me it's a girl and I'm gonna be wrong." But I was so sure baby was a boy I made them double check. Hah! Nope... she's a girl! Hilarious, because I’ve had two dreams about the baby’s gender and both times it was a girl. And both times I asked the person who told me in the dream “are you sure?!” I really thought the baby was a boy! 

Now, let's talk about this quirky gender reveal! My friend at work was on vacation and wanted a fun "gender reveal" after my appointment so I searched for "girl" on my memes keyboard (my favorite add-on, by the way!) and Ryan Gosling came up. So, I thought that was pretty funny and I sent it to her. She loved it, so when it came to telling everyone at work, I made these delicious cookies (in pink, of course!), and added a picture of Ryan Gosling next to them. And that my friends is where I got this genius idea for a party!

This theme is absolutely perfect for a gender reveal where at least one person knows what the gender is (especially the mom) but I also think it would make a FANTASTIC baby shower theme!! At that point everyone knows the gender anyway, so it wouldn't ruin the element of surprise. It's definitely never been done before, so your friends won't be bored of the same old, same old!

*Note: This post contains affiliate links

Free Printables!

I created some unique printables for this party (inspired by these awesome invites!) that you can easily download and print to decorate, invite people, etc. The best part is that they're totally FREE! Not many things you can say are free these days, but this would actually be a super affordable baby shower. To get the free printables, just fill out the form below!

The Party Setup

Let's talk about this super easy setup! I gathered up alllll the pink items I had around my house to make this an affordable party. I used some leftover plates from New Year's Eve, as well as some super cheap frames I had on hand. These were from Walmart but you could honestly use any frames from around your house to save money, or buy super cheap ones and give them out as favors. I know I have Ryan Gosling's photo up in my office now! I mean, he's wearing a suit so it's super inspirational for success, right?

I bought a pack of white card stock and used it for all the printables. I made the small circles 1" and the large ones 2" so you can use paper punches to quickly and easily cut these out! I have this and this paper punch and they worked perfectly. Then, I used a paper cutter to cut out the invites and other straight-edge things so they were nice and neat. Although it may seem like a silly expense, I've used this paper cutter countless times. I guarantee that if you own it, you'll find tons of uses for it! 

For the place settings, I kept it super duper simple with black and white striped napkins and a printed postcard on top. People can tape this postcard up in their house, take pics with it at the party, or just recycle it afterwards. Easy peasy! To create the cupcake picks, all you need are those paper punches I mentioned above and a toothpick. You can either tape it on, or glue it. You can make it single-sided or double-sided. You can also arrange them in a line with skewer sticks for a cake topper, or add them to drink stirrers or straws like I did. They'd also make great embellishments for a favor box or with a tiny hole punched into them as a gift tag for favor bags!

Part of the fun of the "hey girl" quote is what comes after it. I had a little fun and created a letter board message about my sweet little daughter. Honestly can't even believe I can say that! I'm going to have a daughter. Pardon me while I go wipe away these tears... 

Affordable cupcake stands are super easy too! I had these plastic cupcake stands left over from my ornament making party and I turned them upside down to hold these tiny cupcakes. Btw- these are store-bought cupcakes. I scraped off the frosting and piped on my own tinted store-bought frosting! It took a couple of tries and they clearly aren't perfect, but honestly they did the trick. I just recommend getting some new cupcake liners to go over the old ones, because they do kinda separate off the cupcake for some reason. These mini pink "stands" are actually just paper baking cups that I've had forever and never used. They were too big for these teeny little cupcakes, but they were great as stands!

Now, let's talk about those cookies! The recipe uses cake mix, so they're super soft and fluffy. I made them for work and everyone was raving about how good and different they were. Best of all, they're super cheap and easy to make! I just used store-bought white cake mix and pink food coloring. I piled them up on top of a cake stand that, again, was left over from a blog post!

For another easy decor piece, I used my lightbox sign and added a sonogram of my tiny girl. I know some people find sonograms weird and creepy (um, ok...) but I think that when it's your child it's the most amazing thing. Like... she has the cutest up-turned nose and you can even see her teeny little heart! Pure magic.

To decorate the area above the table, I placed a bunch of paper fans I had laying around. I really thought I had more pink ones than I did, but most of them were a dark hot pink since they were for Halloween and Christmas posts. Had I realized, I probably would have ordered a set of pastel fans to have a nicely mis-matched set!

Either way, I’m so excited to finally know more about this little baby and to buy some baby clothes. Now that I know, I can’t wait to get started on the nursery and some fun DIY projects for baby! Plus endless matching “mommy and me” outfits.

Don't forget to download your printables and create your own Ryan Gosling themed gender reveal or baby shower! It felt very "teenage stalker obsessed with a celebrity" as I was creating the party setup, but it's so much fun. 

So, what do you think about this idea for a gender reveal or baby shower? Now I want to do a whole bunch of amazing, uniquely-themed baby showers. What weird theme would you do? Or is this JUST what you were looking for? Let me know in the comments below!