I still remember my eggs being too salty for breakfast the morning I was induced. It’s unbelievable how quickly the past year has gone by. The first six months were rough. Learning how to breastfeed, battling the isolation and loneliness that comes with being a first time mom, and the constant struggle of figuring how to do stuff with the ongoing ‘advice’ of literally everyone around me. Then, Covid happened. And thus, my husband and I spent the past six months raising our baby in a pandemic. And I could not feel more blessed. Blessed for the health and safety of my family and friends, blessed for the ability to co-parent full time with my husband, and blessed for the opportunity to witness our baby grow in front of our eyes.

So today we’re not just celebrating Yusra’s milestones as a one year old. We’re celebrating all of our milestones.

Oftentimes, parents are quick to throw over the top first birthday parties with large garlands and expensive backdrops without having their child in mind. I used Yusra’s personality as inspiration when putting everything together; bright, fun, and ‘easy’. This balloon backdrop, which I orginally found on Pinterest after a long and grueling search was perfect! It was unique but super easy to put together. The balloons, although not the same colours, were found at party city. Everything else was stuff I had at home. We were adamant on being outdoors to enjoy the long weekend sunshine so requiring the least amount of items made bringing everything to life a lot easier than expected. The balloons had their well deserved moment against all the greenery.

Yusra’s smash cake was inspired by the romper she was wearing. I knew she had to be wearing white. However, after hours of searching for the perfect outfit that would arrive in time, I finally found something on Facebook Marketplace (yay for thrift finds!). I wanted a pop of colour, besides the balloons, against all the white. This is where the ombre peach design came in. The smash cake was made by my best friend and talented baker, Cakeular. The banana cake with berry filling covered in vanilla icing was not only a favourite for the birthday girl, but the crowd as well. It was also the first time Yusra had sugar!

The cake topper was a last minute addition Cakeular and I rushed to order as the balloon toppers I planned to use did not fit the theme. And my baby’s first birthday had to be perfect. It might have been just another day at the park for her, but to me, the smash cake is always for the pictures. Or as I like to call it, perfected memories. So, I needed the cake topper to avoid mediocre photographs and you know, disappointing my first born child when she looks back at her baby albums. Luckily, Perri Prints was able to make the topper the same day as we ordered it. You can find her merchandise here!

And thus, everything came together. Yusra, did an excellent job with the smashing – with a little help from her mama due to her dainty nature. She went head first into the cake and has not stopped eating as such since. One thing no one tells you about cake smashes is the amount of laundry that you have to do afterwards. You heard it here first, folks.

A special thank you to everyone who was able to make it on such last minute notice. After much debating back and forth on whether to do something just the three of us or with all our loved ones, we decided the latter. Because the past year would have been impossible without our friends and family. They weren’t kidding when they said it takes a village to raise a child. Here’s to many more 🙂