Life and Times of the Fireflies: Party in the Park

The new year signals so many things for so many people. It's the metaphorical new beginning and fresh start that makes one feel better about the days ahead. It's the start of a new academic year for the kids, and even they are excited about the clean slates and endless possibilities. It signifies another year older (and more grey hairs) for us adults...and also our kids, who seem to throw us with a multitude of ideas for themed parties as the year progresses, which only seems to increase in enthusiasm and vigour as their birthday approaches.

If you're like me, then you probably throw together a couple of ideas the week before said birthdays and wing the whole thing while keeping your fingers crossed and hoping for the best...But if you're like Moon, then you're probably fervently browsing Pinterest and planning the next birthday party the minute the last one has finished and the exhaustion begins to fade and the memory of the crazy dash to get things done is barely forgotten ;-) But one thing we both have in common though, is the need to do things ourselves, whether it's the cake or the décor, we lovingly create memories for our children to remember much as our mother has done for us.

So it was hardly surprising that for Aryana's first birthday, Moon was bouncing off ideas as soon as the shock of early motherhood had eased up; or that she was DIY'ing everything, from the party packs, invites, cake toppers...right through to the décor; you name it, she did it herself; and even sifted through a gazillion pictures for the absolutely adorable number 1 picture collage! Bar the cake, which I had the privilege of creating and bringing her vision to life :-)

There were a few things she was able to do on her computer with minimal effort. There's numerous websites with free templates you can use to personalise your invitations, cake toppers and even bottle labels to suit your theme and specific requirements. For the Hot Air Balloon prop she used one of her pretty storage baskets and only needed to add helium balloons to match her colour scheme, which resulted in the most beautiful pictures of her baby girl!

Even though hiring a party planner would probably be less stressful, the thing about DIY birthday parties (besides being more cost effective) is that every aspect is curated with the utmost of love! It's one of those memories that stand out, not because it was perfect, but because it was one of the most loving gestures a child has of their mother. It's the things we hold on to even as adults...and clearly, it's the things we also continue to do for our kids, just as Moon has done here for Aryana on her first birthday. Also, when you come from a big family like us, everyone is delegated a task to and contributes in some small way to make sure everything goes well.

Overall, I think Moon did a fantastic job in channelling her creative side! Although slightly stressed towards the end, she should be pretty chuffed with herself with the outcome. I totally think Moonbug Events can become an actual thing! And as Aryana gets older, it will be really special to include her in the whole process and create lasting memories with her mom <3

I think Aryana's Hot Air Balloon themed party in the park turned out quite fabulous in the end...despite the wind causing havoc with the balloons on the party boxes! It was a celebration with family and close friends, and in years to come, I hope she can look back at this post and these pics and know, that from the very beginning; she was surrounded by people who loved her dearly, and celebrated her presence from day 1!