You're Invited: Invitations for Pooka's 1st Birthday

Pooka's 1st Birthday is rapidly approaching so it is time to choose the invitations. I can't believe it has been a year already. I still strongly remember the feeling of her in my belly, the anticipation of her arrival, wondering what she was going to look like, and then holding her dear little body in my arms. Now I've got a toddling, babbling, 6 tooth sporting bundle of energy! So how do we announce this very special day celebrating Pooka's first year with us? There are tons of options out there!

Some of my favorite cards are from Paper Culture. I'm in love with the First Milestones Card. I mean what could exemplify the first year better than reminding you of all your wee ones exploits such as the first smile, crawling, and waving bye-bye. Want to share a photo with your prospective guests? Then how about the Dinosaur Photo Card for your little man. I'm totally hooked on ocean themed cards and am seriously considering the Whale Spout Card, good for a lady or fella. Or what about a woodland theme? Check out the sweet My Dear Card in gender specific or gender neutral colors. There are also bold and bright cards from the designers at Giggle, like the adorable Costume Party invitation.

There's also Tiny Prints with tons of choices for photo cards, and they tend to be a bit more economical too. I'm a fan of the Big One photo card for first birthdays, and the Undersea Adventure card with three photos. Looking for something more simple? Try the Simply Charming card with photo for your little lady. Not interested in having a photo on the card? Have a look at the vibrant pinks and purples of the Birthday Pop card in azalea.

We're also fans of the invitations on offer by Minted. Check out the gender neutral stylings of the Elephant Balloon Card in red or green. Having a tea party for your baby girl? Chose the elegant Tree Climbers invite in yellow, pink, or purple. Or how about the Orange Balloon invites for your little man with lots of cute vehicles driving across the bottom.

If you decide against the paper invite route there are plenty of great looking options out there besides tired ole' Evites. I'm obsessed with the fab designs at Pingg. Check out the 40's styling of the Tricycle invite! Pinng has also brought on board well known designers like Martha Stewart and Giggle. My favorites include Martha Stewart's Dinosaur Cupcake invites, and Giggle's Robots or Butterfly invites. For a more upscale email invite replete with virtual lined envelopes check out Paperless Post. The first 25 invites are free, but additional invites require a small fee. There are tons of choices, but my favorite is the Balloon Aminal card. You will have to register and log in to check them out.

With so many choices you may have to enlist dada or grandma to help you choose the right invite for this very special occasion. I think the best part of planning for Pooka's first birthday is remembering how much she has changed in the last 12 months!