There were two very special birthdays in our family in January, as both Little Miss M and Little Miss H turned one year old! No, they’re not twins; they’re cousins who were born exactly two weeks apart. Yes, January 2015 was quite an eventful month!

The girls had two very different but equally special  birthday celebrations. Little Miss M had a low-key but very happy party for the immediate family, including thorough smooshing of her birthday cupcake, to the delight of her older sisters. Little Miss H’s Mom and Dad decided to splash out on a bigger party for her. (Can you tell which is the third and which is the firstborn child?)

I have to hand it to my daughter, Jennifer: she really knows how to throw a party! Lucky for Little Miss H that Nana wasn’t in charge, as my birthday parties, like this one and this one, tend to be lower key and, I have to say, not as much fun! Jenn decided on a carnival theme for the party, inspired by Little Miss H’s favourite book, M Is for Monkey (I think it’s out of print now). I thought those of you looking for birthday ideas for the special little ones in your life would appreciate a closer look at the party.

Jenn went all out with carnival decor: banners, pendants, serving ware, party hats and horns, and most impressively, the food. Her weeks of planning and preparation paid off; everything was so fun and festive, and it really did feel like a carnival celebration. There were even quite a few little monkeys running around (otherwise known as a passel of cousins)!

One of the things that impressed me so much about Jenn’s efforts is that most of the food was simply assembled, yet striking in appearance and taste. She baked ice cream cone cupcakes with big swirls of sprinkle-adorned frosting — they were a huge hit with the kids — and she also made chocolate-covered liquorice sticks. There was a powdered donut ring toss, colourful paper cones holding two types of peanuts, two different popcorns in striped takeaway boxes, and a swirly big top birthday cake from a local baker. Of course, there were also fruit and vegetable trays plus cheese and crackers for those with more grown-up (and definitely less exciting) palates.

As you can see from the pictures, this was a fun and bright party. Little Miss H’s entire family was invited and it was a wonderful way to celebrate this lovely little person’s special day.