Is it even a 1st birthday without a cake smash? Before you jump in, here are my 10 tips for an epic 1st birthday cake smash so that goes well and is fun for everyone!
Way before Sadie turned 1 I saw these 1st birthday cake smashes popping up all over the place and I knew we would do one for her birthday! It was a lot of fun and something I would highly recommend - the photos are so cute and are definitely something we will love looking back on!
We did learn a bit along the way, so here are the 10 tips to help you create an epic 1st birthday cake smash for your little one!
1. Choose the right cake. I opted for a banana cake with cream cheese icing - both sugar free because I am that mum. Sadie hasn't had a lot of sugar so I didn't want her bouncing off the walls. Also, she loves these banana oatmeal muffins so I figured she would actually enjoy eating the cake - she did! The cake was nice and soft - easy to smush and I used plenty of frosting. I also had a conversation with my sister about the colour of the frosting beforehand. We decided that bright coloured frosting would look better smashed everywhere but in the end I opted for a lighter colour that matched the bunting flags!
2. Pick a cute outfit. I re-used Sadie's party outfit. I got the onesie custom printed from Hallo Brody, a NZ company who were amazing to deal with! If the idea of washing cake off an outfit doesn't appeal and it's warm enough, let them go naked!
3. Set up the area - setting up outside would be perfect but as Sadie's birthday is in the middle of winter, I picked a nice light spot in our house, put a large sheet on the floor and cleared the area around it.
4. Decorate - keep it simple! You want the baby and the cake to be the focus so just go with a few balloons or some bunting flags on the wall.
5. Pick the right day and time - you know your baby best. Are they grumpy after their nap? Are they better with a small group? We opted not to do it on the day of her party, and that was a great call - she's not a big crowd person so it would have been a disaster! When we did it, there were only 4 of us and she hadn't been well the week leading up to it so even that was a bit much for her. I tried again a couple of days later with just the 2 of us and it was so much better.
6. Be ready for a mess...everywhere! Especially if your babe is walking. Sadie was happy sitting still for about 2 minutes, then she grabbed a handful of cake and took off! I was pretty well following her around with a damp cloth, wiping frosting off everything!
7. Have the camera ready and charged. The last thing you want is to be all set up and then have the battery on your camera or phone go flat!
8. Don't be in a hurry. Set aside plenty of time. Your baby might not be interested to start with and like anything, it will be way more stressful if you feel like you are on a timer. Make it an activity and let them play for a while!
9. Don't be afraid to get in there yourself. Even better, if you have older kids, let them at it too! Sometimes that is all the encouragement the baby will need!
10. Have fun! What is more fun than letting a 1 year old loose on a cake? Nothing! Embrace the mess and make it a fun experience.
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