Two Posts in One Day?! Have I lost my mind??

I know what you're thinking, I must be going crazy. Hillary posted twice in one day? The truth is, you're not crazy - I am. I had to take a quick shower (I had gym "yuck" on me) and now...I'm back.

ELOUISE IS ONE!!!!!!!!!!!

After you have a baby, everyone tells you to cherish each moment because the time truly flies by. But NO ONE can tell you how quickly it goes. There is truly no way of telling any parent. . . it is just something that each parent has to experience on their own. A true blessing. (Got a little teary eyed with that thought).

Okay, like I just posted in big, bold, pink letters....Elouise, our baby, is one. We had her birthday party on Sunday. It was so much fun. I actually found that I really really enjoyed planning, designing and decorating for the party. I ended up making all of the decor (except the chinese lanterns...thanks Hobby Lobby!) and the food. What a sense of accomplishment. We had food for an army and it turned out to be perfect. I got a recipe from a great friend for these "Roast Beef Party Sandwiches". Like most of my recipes, the ingredients look....interesting. Not the most intriguing blend, but throw them all together and WALA! They are delicious. I ended up tripling the recipe for these sandwiches and used the Hawaiian Sweet Dinner rolls instead of the Rainbo ones they suggested and they were perfect. I also cut out bread in the shape of hearts and made little heart shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kiddos. I discovered that although the party is for a one year old, the other children there may not be too keen with the adult-like sandwiches. When in doubt, opt for a childhood favorite. Not gonna lie - caught some adults (ahem...Daddy), eating some PBJ's too. No worries, I had plenty. Each slice of bread made one sandwich. Then I had animal crackers, pretzels, and grapes, too. I ended up ordering the cupcakes from Sam's (30 for $13...who can beat that??). I had tons of people asking where I got the cupcakes from because they were so good. Guilty secret...got em from Sam's. Delish! I made cupcake toppers for each cupcake, too. Just some added cuteness, I thought. Like I said, it may have been a one year old party, but the kids still need stuff to do. I bought sidewalk chalk, bubbles, play do, big bouncy balls, a ball pit, and balloons. Bring on the fun. The kids had a great time. (Throw on the Dallas Cowboys game inside for some male birthday party fun...).

All that being said, I discovered I love throwing parties. As long as I leave myself ample time to plan and prepare.......which I did. I may start planning for something else now! Yippee!