First Birthday in Danville Area

I don't really know of any places in Danville for a party but just wanted to share I can relate to the big 1st birthday party. When my twins turned one we had a big one at my in-laws house. We invited all the family & friends we had at the shower ( this time of course it included all of them incl the men) there were alot! Can't remember how many now. But now my kids are 7 & I look back & it wasn't that bad as it was only the 1st birthday - after that it was smaller & just immediate family. So if you can just hang in there for this one you won't have to do it like this again.

So - a thought now - what about having it at your in-laws or parents home? Do they have a bigger home to accomodate more people? I have to say a home is easier - my son had to take a nap during the party so we just put him down in a bedroom. It's ALOT of work to have it at the park - getting seating & transporting all the food. Usually there are older people so you really need to have seating for them.

Also - take your in-laws up on helping to pay if they want to help.. If I remember right my father in law made & bought a bunch of lasagnas & my mom in law made a huge salad & we had garlic bread. Not too much work & can be done alot in advance.

Hoepfully it works out & this will all be behind you soon.

It's your son's first bday, not your mil's. It's appropriate for her friends to come to your shower, but why would they want to come to a 1 year olds party. If you don't set limits now, it will only get worse. We have a large family and many friends and when our kids made their own friends through sports and school and playgroup their parties grew big enough and expensive enough to equal a wedding. I suggest a low key "family" dinner and cake at your house and a few friends with cake at the park. Kids are so much happier with less craziness and now is when you set the tone.

The children at the party will likely range in age, so you want an activity that will have wide appeal. I provide a fun hands-on, animal "stuff-n-fluff" activity that works great for a diverse group. It's called Noah's Ark Animal Workshop. I just brought the activity to a 1st birthday party and had 30 kids participate. There was even a 1 1/2 year old (helped by his mom) and a grandma who enjoyed making the animal for her grandson. Basically, you select your animal and clothing options beforehand, I bring all the materials to your party location, and lead the stuffing activity. As long as it's a dry, not too windy day, this activity works outdoors. I can offer reduced pricing for larger groups like it sounds as though you may have for this party. You can look over my service at www.planetfluff.net or give me a call at ###-###-####. Good luck!

A.
I have been there. First you really need to talk with your MIL to see if she wants her friends to be there, part of it sounds like you want to reciperacate to these people for coming to the shower. If that is the case and MIL has a big yard to host then have the party there. You are still the mom, My son was the 1st grandchild on both sides and I was so proud and happy to have him that I wanted to show him off to the world. In my case I had in laws that were divorced so it was touchy but we all got through it. For 1yr old party you really do not need entertainment, it is a celebration of life, so stop stressing soak up the love and enjoy. Each year as your son grows older it will be different, take lots of pictures for him to enjoy. Some of your MIL friends may become your friends to. No one knows what the future will bring, some of these people may not be around next year.
For parks Hap Magee is a good place or Osage
Good luck

You can rent different locations through the town of Danville that our great for a 1st birthday. My favorite is one of the buildings at Hap Magee. You have the benefit of being inside in case of bad weather, but it also boasts a cute front porch for people to socialize on and a grassy yard in the front of the building. The playground is a hop skip and a jump away for older children that want to play. For my childrens 1st birthday parties I always ordered sandwiches from Moruccis in WC or Dominicos in Danville and made several salads to serve with the sandwiches. A cute favor for a large group is to have the Danville Bakery make a #1 themed cookie for each guest or whatever your theme may be. Wrap it in a cellophane bag and tie with a bow and a cute tag thanking people for celebrating with you. If you do decide to have a big party this year make it clear to your family and friends that "we are having a big celebration for baby's 1st, but in the future we will be doing something on a much smaller scale with just grandparents and a few friends of the the child." Many parents follow the rule of only inviting as many children as the age of the birthday child. Hope these ideas help.