As a former event planner, Lexie Horner had no shortage of ideas for her son’s first birthday party. “I love coming up with ideas for parties,” she says. “It’s a hobby.” Deciding on a theme, however, was a problem.
Fed up with her own indecision, Lexie called her mom, who casually mentioned that Lexie’s first birthday party had been balloon-themed. Jake loved balloons and Lexie liked the idea of giving a nod to her own childhood, so she took the idea and ran with it.
For months, the mom pored over the tiniest details, going above and beyond to ensure that every minute of Jake’s big day was memorable. “I wanted it to be something he would get to look back on in photos and remember,” she says. “We wanted everything to be catered to Jake.”
When the day of the party finally arrived, guests were wowed by a giant balloon sculpture greeting them from the driveway and oodles of balloons floating throughout the Horner home, but it was the small, thoughtful touches that made the most impact. Lexie poured love into every detail, turning her kitchen countertop into a makeshift photo mural of Jake’s first year and taping his monthly photos to balloons that bobbed throughout the family’s den. A small sign provided a snapshot of Jake’s basic stats. “Jake can dance, wave bye-bye, give high fives, take a step and give kisses!” it read.
Lexie also wanted to have “fun” food, so she set up a “Pop Bar.” The colorful smorgasbord tempted partygoers with everything from Pop Rocks to Tootsie Pops to Pop-Tarts. For party favors, Lexie ordered multicolored cake pops and bags of popcorn, which came with a tag that read, “Thanks for popping by. Love, Jake.”
The photo display and Pop Bar were both hits, but the highlight of the party was watching Jake devour his smash cake. Lexie says Jake sat in awe at first. After a bit of coaxing and a bite of icing, it was game over; the 1-year-old dug in. “He just had a ball,” Lexie says.
As for Mom and Dad, Lexie says they most enjoyed watching Jake enjoy himself. “I think I’ll look back and remember how much fun it was to watch a sweet baby boy turn 1,” she says. “Jason and I really enjoyed it, because we felt accomplished as parents that we made it through his first year. It’s been an amazing ride.”
Published February 2014
