HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOGAN!!!!!

How did this happen??? My son is ONE! OhEmGee, that can't be so!! It seems like just a few seconds ago we were all like....

and then before I knew it THIS adorable guy is our current roommate:

I just couldn't be happier, or more in love. 

When your little superstar reaches such a milestone as his FIRST birthday, celebration is absolutely in order- and with a one-income-family over here, that meant fabulousness on a frugal budget, which is fast becoming my specialty! 

Thanks to Pinterest (your bff and absolute worst nightmare when planning an event) I did some really simple, inexpensive things that came out really pretty- and thanks to my favorite website EVER- ETSY.COM I  had some stunning invitations, a banner and little thank you tags printed up that really made it extra special!! 

We gathered at the park by our casa to celebrate in the summer sun.

Here's what we served:

Root beer pulled pork (crock pot)

Crock Pot Korean Shredded Beef

The two above couldn't be easier- and fabulous to make-ahead. I put both in disposable containers and bought like a million Kings Hawaiian rolls from Costco so people could make little sammies.

I made the Asian-inspired slaw too- you will find the recipe in the same link as the beef (I mixed it there at the park as suggested) and also made-ahead a greek yogurt slaw for the pork- my husbands creation, but we use this awesome jalapeno greek yogurt dip from Costco- here's what it looks like....

so if you don't know where to find it this recipe is not super helpful

- mix shredded cabbage (purple and green if you can, shredded carrots, then add a few spoonfuls of this amazing dip, squeeze the juice of one to two lemons (just keep mixing and tasting, we usually use one but this was to feed a grip of people so doubled it)- little salt, little fresh cracked pepper, toss, fridge for an hour or more and it's sooooo good!!! 

I also bought cheese tortellini at Costco- boiled it, cooled it- stuck it on pretty bamboo tooth-pick skewer things and served it with pesto in a bowl- awesome, beautiful, EASY vegetarian option!!

For our side dishes I couldn't resist the famous "rainbow of fruit on a stick" from Pinterest:

I used 1 whole pineapple, 1 cantaloupe, 2 containers of strawberries, 1 container of blueberries and a bunch each of purple and green grapes. This made nearly 50 skewers.

Also, for the vegetarian friends that came, I made a cous-cous salad:

Since this was for a large crowd- I made 4 cups of cous-cous- and let it cool. Then added in a handful of chopped Italian parsley, a large jar of kalamata olives (drained, and sliced), 2 containers of feta cheese from Trader Joes, 2 red bell peppers (chopped) and 1 small red onion (chopped)- then, I drizzled in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and squeezed a big fat lemon all over it- tossed it up and fridged it overnight.

We also set up general snacks, like Goldfish crackers and those awesome squeezie packets of fruit for the kiddos....

Is it necessary for me to mention there were cake pops?? DUH.

For the display I wrapped terra cotta pots (super cheap) in tissue paper & tied them with ribbon! EASY!

I also made the "Oreo Pops" which were really easy, AND contrary to what I found on the internet- I did not use double-stuff oreos I had bought a box of the regular ones at Costco and made them work! The trick was to separate the Oreo, getting all the frosting on one side- then dip the stick in candy melt press gently into frosting- glob on a bit MORE candy melt and gently press the other half back on- THEN, let them set up- let the candy melt dry for like 15 minutes before you try to dip them & decorate them. They worked out great!

Over all the party was just how this first year as a mother has been, lots of work, TONS of fun, messy, silly, laughing, dancing and togetherness. 

Happy Birthday my precious blessing, Logan. I love you SO MUCH!!!!!!! Thanks for an amazing first year- can't wait to see what the next one brings.....