Lilah in ONEderland

Bond & Grace Founder Jacqueline Bond reflects on the first year of motherhood and drops all the details on the perfect One-derland birthday party.

They say “The Days are Long, but the Years are Short” or “Time goes by so fast!” I think I can say on behalf of all new mom’s out there that the first year with your first child does not feel short or fast. 

During my first year as a mom, I had an array of emotions. I finally understood the infinite love that parents often speak about, but I also felt the deep fear of something going wrong. It was sometimes debilitating. There was of course joy felt in the small moments like Lilah holding my hand, but there was also frustration at things that I probably shouldn’t have felt frustrated about (I blame that on lack of sleep). In between those emotions there was the laughter when Lilah blew her first bubbles, the anxiety when she had a fever for the first time, the sadness when I yearned for the old me, the pride when I found the new me, the stress of launching a business and trying to be a present parent and wife, and the pure happiness when she said “mama” for the first time. It has not been a short year, but this year has been the most impactful one of my life. So yes, we celebrated our daughter’s 1st birthday this month, but to be honest, I was celebrating the fact that I made it through each one of those 365 days.

If you’re a mom in the thick of it right now, know that you aren’t alone. The range of feelings that are good, bad, and ugly are normal and valid. The other moms you see on social media who are “doing it all” and make it look easy - aren’t. It’s all a highlight reel. Even the birthday recap and details that I’m about to share with you will look like a wonderful, dreamy wonderland. And it WAS wonderful! A memory I will never forget. It was also a day with a one-year-old that cried at her party, and we had to put down for a nap while the other babies played on without her. It was a day where she had too much cake and her stomach hurt. It was a day where she had bug bites all over her legs from being outside in the grass. It was a day where we were surrounded by family and friends which was fun, but also stressful. Point is: Be proud of what you are doing, because you are enough. If you decide for your kid’s first birthday that you will make them pancakes and turn on Paw Patrol so you can get some quiet time for yourself, fabulous! That’s a perfect way to celebrate your one year achievement. Whether it’s a quiet day with your kid or a ONEderland themed party with 45+ guests, YOU DO YOU. And most importantly, congratulations!

I will stop rambling on now and get to the good stuff: I wanted to write this blog post in the hope it would take some of the work out of planning for a future caregiver who loves the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland theme. I am not an influencer. I was not paid to write this, nor was I asked to promote these brands. I just like sharing the good stuff! Hopefully it helps. 

Soldier Cards

My favorite chapters in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the croquet tournament with the Queen of Hearts. I knew I wanted the large soldier cards lined up on my drive way to welcome guests as they entered. I found these perfect large foamboard hand-painted cards on Etsy. I thought they were adorable, came in sets of two, already made to put into the ground, and were great quality. Not only are they a perfect way to get guests in the Wonderland mood, but they doubled as a wicket for croquet! 

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The party was held during brunch hours from 11-1pm.  If you’re a parent of small babies you know we have a very small window before that afternoon nap is required, and I think that amount of time was perfect for a kid’s bday party. We served brunch food: Cucumber and Egg salad tea sandwiches, croquettes, tomato and basil mini quiches, the cheshire cat’s favorite salmon supper (basically just a filet of salmon), fresh fruit cups and vegetable crudités for the kids, and assorted cheeses. 

The one piece of direction I gave the caterer was the Melon Ice Pops. With all the dietary restrictions with gluten and dairy these days, I wanted to ensure all kids had a dessert option in case they couldn’t have cake. The fruit ice pops were a huge hit, and I plan on offering these healthy, fun desserts at future events. It also helped cool everyone down. In addition, we served Raspberry Heart Linzer Cookies in honor of the Queen and the most delicious Petit Fours I’ve ever had. 

The caterer also had the brilliant idea to serve “EAT ME” macaroon cookies in vanilla and lemon flavors as well as DRINK ME mini espresso martini shooters. I have never received so many compliments on a specialty drink before.

My Dress: Cecille Bahnsen

My Dress: My dress was an old Cecille Bahnsen dress from her 2021 collection. I never really knew where to wear it because it was so poofy. I love a good puffed sleeve, but this dress took puff to an entirely new level. It ended up being the perfect compliment to Lilah’s blue dress. I paired it with blue accessories including a Jennifer Behr headband and whimsical shoes by Sarah Flint.

Alice Wants to Grow Books

I couldn’t have a literary party without books! I found the Alice version of My First Books which comes with a cushioned cover and plastic pages so that babies (mainly my child) didn’t eat them. We are learning. I originally found them on Bookshop.org and thought they were the perfect takeaway. I tied the book in a light blue bow. The quote, “I often believe 6 impossible things before breakfast” is what originally inspired me to choose the theme Lilah in ONEderland.

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I did not believe it was possible to love her this much or this deeply.

Happy birthday Lilah. I love you.

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