I met a group of moms at the park last week, and we quickly realized that all of our kids were turning one within a couple of days of one another. We joked about trying not to cry – while very much trying not to cry.
Why do first birthdays hit so hard?
Anyways. That’s the last I’m going to talk about crying, because this is a dinner party blog damn it. And while this isn’t exactly a dinner party, a lot of work went into what was a very fun night. So this week, we dive into my daughter’s first rodeo.
The Decor: Boots, Banners and Balloons
For this rodeo, my sister was kind enough to host it at her house. They have a beautiful home for hosting parties, and also have the benefit of not having children themselves yet. This means you can decorate for the party ahead of time without having to worry about any of the decorations being ripped down and chewed.
As the basis for the decorations, I ordered a party supplies kit from Amazon for $60. It came with the most supplies that I could find for the price. It did, however, say birthday boy on a lot of the items, and I couldn’t find a cowgirl equivalent. This didn’t sway me, and the writing was so small on it that I doubt anyone noticed. Or they wouldn’t have noticed if there weren’t post it notes with “girl” on top of them all.
Also featured were some of our favourite photos of her and her best rodeo toys. The Fisher-Price Pony is one of her favourites and inspired the entire theme. It runs over 100 dollars brand new, however, I found mine for twenty dollars at a thrift store. Out of all the children’s toys we have in our arsenal, this one has the catchiest songs. The one about having five horseshoes (four for me, and a lucky one just for you) got me especially.
The Menu: Chow Time
After spending some time browsing Pinterest, we devised a prized snack table. The highlights included cowboy caviar, and ginger molasses cookies sporting a chip and chocolate cowboy hat. The ginger molasses cookies are one of Claire Saffitz’s recipes, and they are one of the best cookies I’ve ever had. I’m shocked we have made this many posts without bringing her up yet. Her recipes can be intimidating, but she has really thorough videos that walk you through step by step.
The Games: Rodeo Ready
We formed teams and played three quick games throughout the afternoon. We had six teams total, so we moved through each station two at a time.
- Lasso Legends: Each team gets 10 chances to lasso the ponies with one point for successful shots. We used a hula hoop on a rope and her toy ponies.
- Hole Lotta Fun: Each team gets 10 chances to toss a bean bag into the hole. One point for each successful shot.
- Blind Behind: One person from each team tries to pin the tail on the donkey. The most accurate tail gets 2 points for their team. Repeat until everyone has had a turn.
I formed the teams ahead of time, but made adjustments as people arrived. One couple had their parked car hit just before they were about to leave, so they missed the party to go to the collision reporting centre dressed in their western gear.
In addition to the games, we had a costume contest. There was a prize for best costume for those over thirty and under thirty, to make sure our older crowd gets some love. We left out some scrap pieces of paper and a cowboy hat so everyone could cast their votes. Almost everyone has some plaid in their closet, so the costumes were pretty easy to put together.
I would highly recommend having someone else be in charge of keeping the flow of the day. One-year-olds can be unpredictable, especially around a big crowd of people who are trying to engage with them. I had my brother-in-law usher people around and explain the rules of the games. To make his job easier, I wrote out a rough schedule and the rules and gave it to him beforehand. Thanks to him, everything flowed well.
The Personalized Touches: Branded Just for Her
We left out the book “The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be” by Joanna Gaines for everyone to sign the inside. Although this book didn’t exactly fit the theme, I had the idea ever since the first time I read it to her.
We ordered a little cowboy romper from Amazon for our daughter’s costume. For our outfits, we did a pre-party photoshoot in her outfit and then used those pictures to make a t-shirt for my husband and I. I ordered them just a couple of days before off tshirtime.com. They were on the expensive side, especially with the rush-order shipping. This is something I will be doing for all future children’s first birthdays. The shirts came out so cute, and there is something very funny about holding your daughter while wearing a t-shirt with her face on it.
I pulled a few of her newborn outfits to hang up with her month-by-month pictures. They brought up some wonderful memories, but I managed to hold it together. If the song “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney had come on at any point, I would have lost it.
I made a photobook from our maternity photos and another of her first couple of days of life, and had those out as well for people to look through. Overall, I think it was a nice mix of rodeo-themed decor and sentimental personal pieces.
The Gifts: Fit for a Rodeo Queen
We asked our guests to leave the presents at the ranch, but “an RESP contribution is mighty fine if they are so inclined”. It does feel weird asking for money, especially when I know how much fun it is to shop for little clothes. Trust me, when you don’t have to spend half an hour after a party clipping off little tags and plastic holders from toys, you will feel better about it.
A Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a Canadian savings plan intended to save towards a child’s education after high school. This covers everything from trade schools to universities and can be used to cover costs related to post-secondary education, such as tuition, transportation, and rent. We opened her an account shortly after she was born and did lots of research on the best way to go about filling it up. Reddit was actually very helpful, specifically searching up “front loading RESP”.
We decided early on that we would request money instead of gifts, at least for now. When she can understand a bit more, we will reevaluate. Right now, she still prefers plastic water bottles eight out of ten times over other toys.
Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?
Overall, it was an amazing first rodeo. Although she won’t remember it, her first birthday felt like a celebration for all the friends and family who supported us this year. She has added so much joy to all of our lives just by existing. I hope that is something she never doubts.
