Xavi Turns One at Seussville!

I can't believe Xavi is one today. Our big, chubadubs baby boy who we call Spider Pig at home because he likes to crawl and climb everywhere, and whose hands are the stickiest (he can literally grasp a glass with one hand, no kidding), is officially a year old today. I'd spare you the sappy, sentimental bits, but I would just like to greet Xavi here a HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY! Heehee.

Whoever said "time flies" certainly knew what he was talking about. Because that's how it feels. One minute I'm pushing out Xavi, next thing I know, we're celebrating his first birthday. Which we did last weekend.

I shared photos on Instagram because I was so happy with how Xavi's party turned out. Many have been asking me about my suppliers, so I thought I'd do a quick post to share with you what Xavi's party was like. I'll do more thorough posts too, as these are just snippets of the party.

Background: I've been doing DIY parties for Berry and I did the same for Xavi too.  I planned Xavi's party myself, but this time, I was lucky enough to meet my friend Cathy Lim's sister-in-law, Michell Lao of Party Magic, who tastefully turned the Greenmeadows Clubhouse into Seussland!

Initially, I just wanted to order balloons from her, but as I told her about my theme, and she started sharing her vision with me, I found myself so excited with her ideas that I just let her do her thing, heehee.

The party invite was designed by Pat of The Candy Shop:

At the entrance, Michell set-up a Cat in The Hat balloon wall:

The stage was a great backdrop and looked like a page out of a Dr. Seuss story book. The kids loved having their photos taken here, sitting on the chairs. I used our own IKEA chairs:

Which was kind of like the ones in the Cat in The Hat book!

Michell was also inspired by the trees from The Lorax:

I loved the paper lanterns that Michell used, it made the Greenmeadows Clubhouse look very festive:

We had two types of centerpieces, which were either polka dot pails or these inverted felt Cat in The Hat hats handmade by Anne Mateo of Ant's Pocket.

The character cut-outs, as well as the Happy Birthday letter cut-outs on stage, were also from Pat of The Candy Shop:

My sisters Dianne and Nicole gamely wore the hats, haha. The big one was supposedly for Dada and the small one for Xavi, but the boys did not want to wear these, corny. Haha!

The Dessert/Candy Buffet aka Xavi's Sweet Treats were also set-up by Michell of Party Magic:

With baked treats by Joanne's Kitchen:

The actual cake was by Cat del Rosario of Tazzy Cakes:

Catering was by M Catering, and I arranged for an adult buffet as well as a kids buffet. The chocolate chip cookies and milk shots was the hands down hit for both kids and adults!

Apart from "real food", we also got corn dogs and cotton candy from Jeriz Food Carts, and fries from NYFD. Ice cream pops were courtesy of Nestle.

To keep the kids occupied before food was served and before "entertainment" started, Sarah Chan and Lala Tsai of Booths Republic set-up a Craft Camp...

...as well as personalized keychain and balloon souvenir booths, which were so cute! The guests loved this!

Rather than the usual entertainment, My Masterpiece Movement kept the kids entertained, with Cat in The Hat storytelling, games and music:

My brother Andrew was our official photographer for the day, but everybody got to bring home photos right there and then, thanks to Print Social's Live Instagram Printer. Pretty much, the party place was the studio, and anything our guests took a photo of using the hashtag #XavisFirstBirthday was uploaded, displayed live feed style on a TV set and printed automatically, right there and then:

All our guests loved Xavi's party, and I think, if you just go with suppliers I got, you would have an easy, stress-free party like we did! I promise more details and photos in upcoming posts! =)

One last photo by the balloon wall before it went pop! pop! pop!

It's a Breeze with My Masterpiece

In a perfect world, everything is like a scene out of a Ralph Lauren ad. Gorgeous family. Clean, crisp clothes. Not a strand of hair out of place. It's like they got everyone from wherever it was they were coming from - the boys from the polo field, the kids from the shore, the women from the tennis court, and quickly assembled themselves just outside their Hamptons home for a quick family photo. 

But the fact of the matter is, real life is nowhere near as perfect. There would be sweaty shirts, beer bellies, grass stains on the little boy's jeans, ice cream drips on the little girl's white dress. And at least one sullen-faced family member who hates having his/her photo taken. Haha.

Now getting a gorgeous family isn't that easy, especially if gorgeousness is not in the genes. Ahahaha. It's either you adopt some pretty darn good-looking kids and get them to marry good-looking partners so you get a gorgeous family in this lifetime or spend a fortune getting everyone's noses fixed. But man, how superficial is that? It's just like telling your kids not to play with paint, or roll in the grass so they don't get dirty. 

I think that's the point Breeze and My Masterpiece was trying to drive at when the SoMoms were invited to a fun day of yoga, art and swimming in Nuvali.

The kids & moms did yoga with Teacher Anna

The kids about to make a rainbow wheel with Teacher Kara

Berry how fun! Oh look, orange paint about to drip on your white pants! Ahaha! (read as nervous laughter)

The rainbow wheel, almost done

Berry & Gabbie inside the SoKids' masterpiece! Sige sa Mantsa!

Did the parents & kids have fun? You betcha!

"I want to go back, Mommy!" Berry told me on our way home. Well, our Nuvali activity was just a one day thing, but we will be seeing more of My Masterpiece. Apart from their ongoing activities for kids, they host kiddie parties and prepare activities for the young guests. In fact, we are getting My Masterpiece to host Xavi's 1st birthday party. Judging by how Berry became a big fan of yoga in a single session, I just know Teacher Anna & Teacher Kara could keep the kids highly entertained. You might want to consider them too for your own parties?

You know, when we got home that afternoon, all that Berry would talk about was the yoga poses she learned from Teacher Anna, and how very, very happy she was that she got to spread paint with her hands. Small pleasures that we can actually do at home, any time. Did I just say any time? 

Yes kids. Bring on the paint! Stomp on puddles! Roll in the mud! Swim in grape juice! Grab those Sharpies and draw on our bed sheets! But not on Frette and Pratesi sheets, honeys.

I was just joking about the sheets part. Smother us with stains! Experiential learning ba kamo? Sige lang ng sige!

*Uy, Yaya, itago na ang Sharpies!*