1st Birthday Party! The story of a DIY Rainbow Theme Smashcake Party!

For a baby, learning to smash happens somewhere between learning to roll over and sitting up, and it seems to be a natural part of a baby’s development. My youngest son, Dixon, is certainly a testament to this as he has refined his smashing ability so much so that even the Hulk would be impressed. He’s been honing his smashing technique for months now with anything he can get near to, including (but certainly not limited to) ALL food, plush toys, blocks, trains, cars, and even his occasionally surprised older brother. So, for those unfamiliar with the tradition of celebrating your little guy's 1^st birthday with a smash cake this might seem a little on the savage side, but heck, it's a lot of fun to watch your kid rain down destruction on such a pretty cake (if you’re looking for an awesome bakery that makes beautiful and delicious, but also smashable, cakes then check out Celena’s Bakery). The good news is all that destruction did come with several delicious fistfuls of cake and icing, so not all was lost in the wake of the smash.

Throwing a party for a one-year-old is no easy task – especially when you are blessed to have enough family and friends to fill the lower bowl of the Air Canada Center. Our older son’s birthday is in August which allows us to use our large backyard which can handle big groups. However, a backyard party in January just doesn't carry the same luster… look out for the brown and yellow snow (we have a dog, don’t worry, we let our kids use the potty)! So where to turn? If you are like me, you have a wife who is full of ideas and endless inspiration… or really, Pinspiration -- thanks, Pinterest! So we decided to rent some space at a local community center, Tansley Woods, knowing it would be much better to move the chaos off-site from our home. We planned a rainbow theme complete with menu and décor, and then marshaled all kinds of help (lots and lots of it!) from our family to make it all happen!

Back to Pinterest - it’s like a Sarlacc Pit for DIY, it’s never-ending and it will take a thousand years to digest all the content on there! Despite the serious possibility of Pinterest Fails (I am generally wary of my wife's sometimes overzealous Pinterest project plans...), we nailed down some projects which totally rocked. From a homemade cake smashing outfit (crafty wife!), to rainbow colored hummus and salsa, to a rainbow balloon arch and rainbow photo banner, we nailed it all. Check out some photos from the day:

Boom goes the cake! - Check out the "homemade" shirt! Iron on rainbow "1" and handmade bowtie - under $10!

Cake... before the destruction.

 

 

Delicious cupcakes! Thanks Celena's Bakery!

                                                                      
In the end, when the cake was smashed and the sugar high wore off, we ended up with two exhausted kids, an exhausted mom and dad, and a day full of great memories! That's always what makes the insanity worth it in the end, isn't it?


Check out the links for some menu ideas:
Rainbow Salsa
Colored Hummus
Antipasto Skewers