Issac & Annabelle's Mickey & Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

OK, first things first. I’m  really sorry to have just disappeared  for so long without any updates but blame it all on the total madness in my life right now. The past month has been a roller coaster ride for me and my family in more ways than one.

Just to give you a quick update into my life over the last month, so you’ll understand & hopefully forgive me, Issac (Kochu) turned ONE, he then got chicken pox, I got promoted (yes, finally but more about that some other time!), my husband bought me a new car (I know, talk about awesome gifts!!), I’m learning how to drive (again!!), my Brother and family has relocated to Christchurch (YAY!!) and we just celebrated both Kochu and Annu’s (My niece) 1^st birthday. So now do you see why blogging dropped off my radar the last month? J

So, last weekend on September 8^th we celebrated Kochu’s and Annu’s 1^st Birthday. My brother and his family were moving to Christchurch this month and so we decided we wanted to celebrate the kids birthday’s together. It took me and my sis-in -law at least 2 weeks of planning to get everything organised and make sure it was just perfect for the kids. And I’m pleased to say it was. We did have a few hiccups along the way but I’m glad it all worked out well in the end.

Anyway, there were so many fun things I wanted to share about this party, so this post is a long time in coming!

We had SO much fun with this Mickey & Minnie Mouse theme!  Are you ready to {finally!} see the details??

Who hasn't had a Mickey/Minnie Mouse birthday party?!  This was my dilemma in planning this party.  We wanted to steer clear of the commercial Mickey/Minnie party gear and somehow reinvent this classic party.  It took some work and planning, but I think I was more excited on party day than Kochu or Annu! But then again both of them are far too young to understand the theme but we had fun planning and organising it anyway.

The reason we chose this theme was since there were two birthday angels we wanted a cute couple theme and I thought Mickey and Minnie fitted in perfectly.

Birthday Boy

Isn't he the cutest little Mouseketeer you've ever seen?! I had a hard time getting him to keep his ears on and I think this is the only picture we have of him with it on. I made the ears myself and they are pretty easy to do. I’ll put up a tutorial soon, in case anyone’s interested J

Birthday Girl

Annabelle looked absolutely adorable in her red & white polka dot dress and her Minnie Mouse headband. I wanted to make these for the girls as well with the ears and bow but we ran out of time and had to settle for these cute headbands with big bows. All the girls at the party got one each.

Invitations

Again I wanted to make my own but in between chicken pox and work and a house full of guests, handmade invitations were not an option. Instead I downloaded a template I found online here and customised it a bit to suit our theme.

Decorations

Our party was all about red, black, white and yellow with lots of polka-dots! I made the birthday banner to fit in with our Mickey & Minnie theme and I must say I’m darn proud of the end result J Watch this space for a tutorial on how to make your own Mickey/Minnie birthday banner.

There weren’t much decoration done throughout the hall. The reason being we got friends in to blow up all the balloons the night before but did not foresee two overly excited toddlers jumping on them and bursting most of them!

Food

Being the first b’day of our first-borns we went all out with the food. The birthday cake was a three tiered cake with the Mickey & Minnie theme. The bottom tier is double chocolate with Cookies 'n Cream buttercream then Cookies 'n Cream with Cookies 'n Cream buttercream then the top is double chocolate with chocolate buttercream!

We had samosas, spring rolls and dumplings as starters.

The mains were catered by Tandoori Palace and I must say they did an awesome job. We had Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks, Peas Pulao, Malai Kofta, Chilli Chicken and Butter Naan. YUM!!

Dessert was Chocolate & Hazelnut Ice-cream & Vanilla Ice-cream.

My sis-in-law & I made these yummy chocolate dipped treats-marshmallow pops & oreo cake pops and they were SO tasty!  And you can't go wrong with Oreos!  They were a hit!  (I first saw these here at the Hostess with the Mostess Blog.). I promise to put up a post about how to make these soon.

Entertainment

This was by far my favourite part of this party.  We wanted this to be kid friendly especially since it was  a party for the kids.  I read about how a friend of mine (Manju @ Manju’s Eating Delight’s) had a face painter at her son’s first birthday party recently and that got the wheels in my head rolling.

Enter Melanie Poppins! She is a children’s birthday party entertainer here in Christchurch. She was just awesome. The kids loved her and so did the adults! JJ

Melanie did face painting for our young guests and also for some of our older guests still young at heart! She made pirate sword balloons for the boys and flower corsages for the girls. She also had a very cute Harry the Lop Eared Rabbit out available for a cuddle while she did the face painting. Even Issac got a cute moustache!!

Melanie even hosted a Magic Show for the kids but I’m pretty sure the adults enjoyed it as well. And last but not the least she also played Pass the Parcel with the kids, while the parents started on the food, and made sure every child got a present.

The kids had a tons of fun! And I’d definitely recommend her without any hesitation what so ever.

Party favors

We sent home these gift bags with each child.  I filled up the bags with some Mickey/Minnie Mouse favors! Blue for boys and Red for the girls. I printed out the names of every kid at the party on a Mickey/Minnie mouse silhouette  and stuck them on the bags so I knew I hadn't missed out anyone and it also added a personalized touch to the bags.

The  Party Planners!

Whew. I absolutely love throwing parties.  But I think I need a week off now--or a vacation! 
What a fun party!  And both Issac & Annu enjoyed every minute, so it was all worth it! My next few posts will be DIY tutorials, so please do drop by sometime in the upcoming weeks and check them out. Till then, alvida!

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Stage 4 (10-12 months)

Your 10-12 Month old baby has probably found a few foods that are truly their favorite foods. At this point, chunkier "table foods" are a big part of his meals and he or she may not like those thinner purees anymore. With his independence growing, he may also begin to show preferences for certain foods and refuse to be spoon fed.

Take heart - while this stage of eating may be a bit frustrating, it won't last forever. Giving your baby the opportunity to choose the foods he/she wants to eat and how much he/she wants to eat is important; let your baby be your guide and try not to get frustrated. As long as you are offering a balanced diet of fruits, veggies and protein, he/she will be getting all the nutrition he/she needs!

GRAINS & SEEDS:
Any Type

FRUITS:
Berries  | Citrus

VEGETABLES:

Cucumbers | Spinach| Tomatoes

PROTEIN:

Whole eggs | Any fish

DAIRY: 

Whole milk as a drink after 12 months

Breast-fed babies may also be weaning now but remember, there is no reason to wean your breastfed baby until your baby is ready.

After 12 months, your baby is now ready to start trying out more of the adult type foods. If possible, let your baby join the family at mealtimes at the table and get him/her to have  whatever is being served to the rest of the family.

The fun has started and now you can pat yourself on the back and enjoy watching your little one devouring new tastes and flavors with gusto!

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Stage 3 (8-10months)

By now your baby may be eating 3 "meals" a day and possibly enjoying a snack or 2 in between. Don't fret if your baby is doing only one solid meal a day still. Just make sure you follow his hunger cues and slowky try and incorporate 3 meals into his day.

At this stage even though baby's milk is still important, it can take a backseat to his solid meals. You can offer your baby his solids first and then his milk. According to Plunket, at this stage a baby must get around 600ml of milk a day.

Foods acceptable at this stage:

GRAINS & SEEDS:
Amaranth | Barley | Buckwheat  | Flax  | Kamut  | Millet | Oats  | Pasta  | Quinoa  | Rice  | Wheat  | Wheat Germ  | Sesame

FRUITS:
Avocado  | Apricots | Apples | Bananas | Blueberries | Cantaloupe | Cherries | Cranberries | Dates | Figs | Grapes | Kiwi | Mangos | Nectarines | Papaya | Peaches | Pears | Persimmons | Plums | Prunes | Pumpkin

VEGETABLES:
Artichokes | Asparagus | Broccoli | Butternut Squash | Carrots | Cauliflower | Eggplant | Fennel | Green Beans | Leeks | Mushrooms | Onions | Parsnips | Peas | Peppers | Summer Squash | Sweet Potatoes | Zucchini

PROTEIN:
Beans/Legumes | Beef | Chicken | Egg Yolks (Whole Eggs) | Fish | Ham (natural) | Pork | Tofu | Turkey

DAIRY: 
Cottage Cheese | Colby | Edam| Cheddars | Ricotta | no soft cheeses like Brie or Bleu!

Spicing It Up a Bit!
You can start adding spices to your babies food now to give it a bit more flavor and variety. Don't go overboard and add as much as you would for an adult.  Start slow and one spice at a time maybe so that you can find out which ones your baby approves of and those they don't. The 4 day wait rule applies here as well.

I started adding spices to Issac's food almost halfway through Stage 2 and I can definitely say I noticed some improvement to his eating patterns!

Pretty soon your baby will be reaching out for whatever's on your plate, and that's when the real fun begins!! Until then, go on,be adventurous and mix and match different combos of fruit and veges and let your baby go wild on a culinary adventure like no other. J

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Stage 2 (6-8 months)

If your 6 month - 8 month old baby is just starting solids at this stage, start slowly, preparing a very small amount of whatever food you have chosen to begin with. Offer milk to your baby first and then offer your little one solids. It's important to remember that baby's milk continues to be more important than solids at this age - don't worry when baby won't eat more than a few bites.

Your baby might still prefer mushy pureed food, up until 7-8 months, but you can start experimenting with thicker textures. The idea is to make them like texture along with taste.

And this is where the fun really begins! It's really rewarding to discover and serve foods that your baby loves. And to see his look of contentment after a good meal! The fact that you've prepared it yourself means that you know it's fresh, and safe for your baby.

Here is a list of foods you can give your baby now. Continue mixing together foods you've already introduced without allergies or reactions.

Cereals & Grains :
Rice | Barley | Oats

Fruits :
Avocado | Apple | Apricots | Banana | Mango | Nectarines | Peaches | Pears | Plums | Prunes

Vegetables :
Sweet potatoes | Pumpkin | Butternut Squash | Carrots | Green Beans | Courgette | Peas | Parsnips

Protein :
Chicken | Tofu | Lentils | Chickpeas

Dairy:
Yogurt

The introduction of fruits and vegetables over the coming weeks have one unwelcome side effect, though. Your baby's stools will change in colour ... and in smell!!! But it's normal, so don't worry. If baby's stools seem a bit too firm, try avoiding apples and bananas - they can sometimes be constipating.

At the end of this first stage, you have successfully introduced baby's first foods. Your baby is now enjoying a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

WELL DONE! You can now give yourself a pat on the back.

The eating habits you've formed at this early stage will stay with your baby for a long time to come. By experiencing a wide variety of tastes now, your baby will be far less likely to become a fussy eater later on. And most importantly, you've got your baby off to a healthy, wholesome start.

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Stage 1 (4-6 months)

This has to be the most nerve wracking and scary stage for most parents. I know it was for me! Introducing solids is a a huge milestone that can seem really daunting at first, especially if your making your own baby foods.

This page should give you an idea about what foods you can start your babies on that are safe, healthy and nutritious. Remember there is no "set in stone", "right" way for starting solids. Follow your gut and also let your baby lead you.  You can be sure that your baby will make it absolutely clear if they like or dislike something!

Baby cereal and soft cooked thinly pureed fruits and veggies should be your baby's first solid food experiences. Experiment with single ingredients only and always follow the 4 day wait rule with introducing each new food. 

Rice and Oatmeal cereals are the least of the allergenic grains and thus most babies are started out with those cereals.  You don't HAVE to start with cereal -  feel free to try avocado instead or even banana.

Here are some examples of other first foods deemed safe as first foods for babies.

Cereals & Grains :

Rice | Barley | Oats | Raagi | Broken Wheat (Sooji Gothambu)

Fruits :

Apple | Banana | Avocado | Pear | Peaches | Apricot

Vegetables :

Carrot | Pumpkin | Peas | Sweet Potato

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