can't keep mum being a MOM: To Party or not to Party

Two weeks have passed since we celebrated my youngest son's 1st birthday. A month prior, my sisters and I have been collaborating ideas, from the theme down to the food. Primarily, our consideration is the budget. As we all know, assessment of the budget is the initial step when organizing events and the like. After we have factored the maximum amount we would be shelling out, we, then started with the concept or theme. Why did we set a maximum? Knowing your budget, and setting a limit is essential to avoid unnecessary splurging. If you're planning a party with a tight budget, keep everything at a minimum. If you think you'll be starving for the next couple of days after your party, think twice. When I say minimum, factors to be considered are the number of guests, food to be served, decors, loot bags if necessary. Now let's head back to how ours was established.

So, we already have the theme, what's next? We had several inputs to tackle, here they are:

1. Venue, date and time- this has been cleared.

2. Do we have to invite attendees or guests?

We opted not to since we decided not to hold a grandiose party. Our family is a party in itself, anyway. Yes, it's my son's 1st birthday but will he be enjoying as much as the guests would? This is his party, not the guests, not ours. Since, this isn't my first time to have a 1 year old and for the previous parties I've had with my four other children, I have learned a lesson or two. Babies get tired. Obviously, if there's a big party with a lot of guests, the possibility of the baby not to be passed from one relative to another is slim. And at the end of the day, the baby mostly suffers. Second, I'll make sure he celebrates when he turns 3 years old, when he is able to walk, run and mingle with other kids and enjoy his own party.

Going back, #3 in the list is the food to be served. Having no guests is an advantage; we know what we want and we don't have to worry about the guests' preference.

I'll give you a rundown of the food and who paid for what, (just kidding)

Basically, we had everything in track and just have to double check maybe.

My son's birthday fell on a Thursday but we decided to have the party the Saturday following it, also to celebrate my older sister's birthday which was that Wednesday. I started with the decorations 2 days prior to the actual party. I also bought the candies and other sweets as I am in charge of the dessert buffet (create your own ice cream).

For the decorations, my older kids and I made banners/ lanterns. We used 2 shades of blue cartolina paper, white bond paper, brown and gray folders, strings and a Php.10 coin to make circles. I almost forgot, tons of patience is needed and snacks for my excited but impatient older kids slash helpers. For the table, I also used cartolina and plastic cover as I don't have a table cover. My son's baby blanket completed the over all look of the table.

The day that was Saturday a.ka. birthday party, I set up another table for the food (main). We had palabok, spaghetti, corndogs, siomai and lumpiang shanghai.

The dessert buffet table was filled with a variety of sweets. We have a total of 8 kids present including the celebrator. I told you, we are a party on our own. Given the number of kids and us, 4 adults, I got 3 tubs of ice cream in 3 different flavors-chocolate, mango and vanilla.

Also, we have a special cake for candle blowing and another one specially made for the cake smash, a much awaited part of the party.

It was not a traditional party but we are. The essence and the elements are all in us. We didn't have games, but we surely had fun which is the integral part of any party. We don't even have gifts, well, we have 1 but the birthday boy didn't even pay attention to it. He was so engrossed with the jelly and straws.

The cost of the whole celebration is minimal yet the fun and happiness is tantamount to that of a grand.

Moral: While it is true that anything is possible with faith, we cannot rely on faith to pay for the supplies, food and other expenses.

If you are really into holding big parties, SAVE UP!

Best of all, parties or no parties, fun can exist in even the smallest packages.

BREAKDOWN:

Cake from Conti's- Php 750.00

Homemade Cake and cupcakes- more or less Php500.00

Goldilocks food pack (spaghetti)- kindly check at Goldilocks

Pancit Palabok-good for 18, kindly check at Pancit ng taga Malabon

Homemade Corn dogs- more or less 300 , 1 kilo of PF TJ Hotdogs is Php180,

Blue lemonade-Php85.00/ 10 liter pack ( WonderBake, Fairview Terraces)

tube ice-Php35.00 (SM Supermarket)

3 tubs of 1.6L Ice cream- Php450.00 (SM Bonus 150/ tub)

Assorted candies( stik-o, cream choco, jelly sticks, jelly tubes, marshmallow, choco sprinkles, blue and pink sprinkles, white choco kisses, gummy worms, gummy drops, banana gummy, choco(m&m babies)- Php465.00 (SM Supermarket and Puregold)

utensils- a little over Php200.00 ( paper cups for ice cream, paper plates, paper cups for drinks, plastic plates, spoon and fork sets. (SM Supermarket)

decors- 150.00 (cartolina and folders, plastic cover, thumb tacks, strings, double adhesive tapes)

Now, do the Math.

I have nothing against fast food party packages, but I find them way too expensive and the time allotted is not enough.

With ours, the maximum is the maximum. No incidentals. In fact, we didn't even reach our maximum.

Here are our photos: