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The Big 1
In a lifetime you get a few milestone Birthdays. Although you might not remember your 1st, I’m pretty sure your parents most definitely do. This year has been a complete whirlwind, and hands down one of the best, and hardest years of our life. For that reason we wanted to celebrate Little Em’s 1st Birthday, and us surviving as parents in true style. But, What do you do for a 1 year old who has just returned from Coachella, and who’s raving career far exceeds mine when I was 18?
One of our favourite family events of the year was the FUN DMC NYE Family block party. With plenty of good vibes, and activities for the kids it was the perfect family event. Plus the soundtrack to a block party has a little bit of everything, so even the older guests find themselves toe tapping to a bit of Dre. With that in mind for our party inspo “Lil Em’s 1st Block Party” was born. A Facebook invite was sent out inviting family and friends to Brooklyn (on the Hill (aka my Mum’s garden in Langdon Hills)).
Ain’t No Party Like a Babies 1st Party
Planning a party is the fun bit. I don’t need much of an excuse to waste countless hours on Pinterest looking for inspiration. Party planning definitely runs in the family. So, enlisting the help of my super organised sister we set up a Pinterest board and got pinning. Using apps like Instagram, and Etsy as well as putting out a few recommendation posts on good ol Facebook we managed to throw a Block Party that the Big Poppa; Biggie Smalls would have been proud of.
In this post I’m going to tell you all about the companies, and items we used to throw Em the best party of his life (to date). Just in case some of you crazy lot actually don’t enjoy wasting hours browsing the net in a Pinterest worm hole. Seriously though, who doesn’t love Pinterest?
Personalise Your Party
You can’t have a child’s party without paper plates and party hats, and French Fancies of course. Personalised Parties are MVP’s when it comes to party ware. Whatever your theme they have party plates, and personalised gifts to match. We’re all about those little extras in our household so were loving the fact we could personalise the party ware, and go all out with those personalised touches.
If a Hip Hop party isn’t your bag, you can go on to Personalised Parties for plenty of party inspiration. The theme choices are endless; Mermaids, Unicorns, Science labs, Pirates, Jungle, Emojis, and one of my personal favourites – the ice cream theme. We knew the chances of Personalised Parties having a NY Block Party theme was slim, but on seeing the colourful Monsters Party theme, we had our a winner. Graffiti is a big part of a block party, and with Graffiti comes colour which the Monster Party pack has plenty of.
*For the sake of clarity, we were sent 2 Monster Party Packs for free to review. Please note that all comments below are our own and is our honest opinion.
I’m Friends With a Monster – What you get in Your Party Pack
Each Monster Party pack caters for 8 little monsters, and has 56 colourful items. You get 8 personalised plates, 8 Monster wraps & cups, 8 personalised monster party boxes, 8 monster party hats, 8 monster party masks, and 16 monster personalised food flags. Basically everything you need to throw an awesome monster mash.

Personalised Parties Monster Pack, and Emerson’s Graffiti inspired cake.
Assembly Line
Keeley likes to leave everything until the last minute. Don’t be like Keeley!
It can take up to 10 days for an order to be delivered. We literally got our packs the day before the party, so had to get some family on board to help with the assembly of some of the items.
The masks, and hats have pre punched holes, and come with elastic. Just make sure you measure the elastic prior to threading. I didn’t, and ended up making a load that even a child couldn’t get their bonce through. Also it may be an idea to have some tape on hand to fasten the hats, once you have put them together to stop them from unraveling.
The Party boxes, are super easy to put together. They may look like Japanese origami but all the flaps at the bottom are numbered. So folding them down in the correct order is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
The food flags came with cocktail sticks, so this job is definitely one for the adults. You get two designs, and 1 is personalised. Both sets of monsters were very cute, and the kids loved them. They were also practical in separating the Gluten free food, and decorating the cakes.

Pimp My “Monster” Cup
Now for the cups. Pete is rather proud of his handy work here. To give the cups that Hip Hop Roarsome flavour Pete drew for a gold sharpie and pimped up some of the monsters with gold chains, and hats. The wraps are then slid onto the paper cups (just like a Starbucks coffee sleeve), and voila you have a bunch of cups that fit your theme perfectly.
Party Packs for Dayz
We absolutely loved these party packs. Personalised Parties really have thought of everything you might need, and my inner Monica says, “it”s great to have everything matching”. Plus its a real time saver, planning a party and looking after a nearly 1 year old takes up a lot of time.
Their designs are fun, colourful and the quality is amazing. The plates are nice and thick, meaning you can really load it up with party food without the risk of it bending and dropping the lot.
The kids (and adults) loved the design, we got plenty of comments on the personalisation too. I’m already trying to work out when we can hold a unicorn themed shindig. I need to go old skool and send matching invitations rather than a Facebook invite.
Share the Love
Personalised Parties have very kindly given us 1 Personalised Party Pack to give away to our readers. Please go to our Social Media accounts for details of how how to enter, and Terms and Conditions.
All Gold Err thang
Is it even Hip Hop if its not dripping in Gold? The 90’s has been described as the golden era of Hip Hop, so with that I began the quest for all things Gold.
Out of my Bubble
Out of my Bubble is a party supplier, and total artist when it comes to balloons. We brought a gold letter foil balloon garland to let the party know that “Lil Em is 1″ Each letter was 16”, and filled with a straw so no helium tank required. No Joe Pasquale voices here. They are also resealable so can be used again and again. You can buy the balloons letter by letter, or choose from a selection of pre designed phrases. Once blown up you just slide on to the ribbon that is included, and it’s ready to hang.

Lil Em Is 1 Banner
In addition to totally awesome balloons you can buy an array of beautiful garlands, and party decor for every occasion. I’ve got my eye on a beautiful tassel garland for my Mum’s upcoming 60th. Yes, I’m already having Pinterest withdrawals, so on to the next project.
The Out of My Bubble Instagram page is also worth a look, the balloon displays are simply stunning.
Scarlet & Rose
Im a little bit obsessed when it comes to paper straws. Straws are fun! Kids love them, adults love them (is it true you get drunk quicker drinking through a straw?). Plus Emerson has totally nailed using one, so naturally we need straws for his party. Although, we’re not about to be contributing to the floating plastic island epidemic by using plastic straws.

All Gold Er Thing
Thats why we are huge fans of Scarlet & Rose. We’re all for choice, and Scarlet & Rose have a great selection of paper straws to fit any theme. You want Pink Flamingos? They have it! Stars & Stripes, or Rose Gold? They’re all over it. A nice selection of blingy Gold straws for “Lil Em’s 1st Bday”? check. Not only do they make your party look great, but you’re also doing your bit for the environment. Winning.
Hip Hop Hooray
When it comes to Birthday bunting ideas for a block party, it doesn’t get any better than Naughty by Natures classic tune “Hip Hop Hooray”. After a quick search on Etsy we came across Gift Bespoke who create cusomised party decorations. You can get personalised banners with plenty of choice of fonts, and colours as well as personalised confetti (note: for future parties when Emerson doesn’t want to eat everything in sight), and the most beautiful personalised gift tags.
We brought a custom Gold glitter 5″ Hip Hop Hooray banner, in a block font.

Hip Hop Hooray Birthday Banner & Show biz Gold Glitter Curtain
All That Glitters
Ok, so technically its not very street but a Glitter curtain does make a great party piece. This is especially true when it is Gold. For just over £5 we got a 2m by 2m shimmer curtain from Ebay that was perfect, for setting that party atmosphere.
From Burbs to the Bronx
Paint the Walls
To make my Mum’s house in suburbia that little more street, we brought a roll of Graffiti wall paper. It’s amazing what a bit of wallpaper can do to make a porch look more ghetto. It’s also a great alternative to a paper tablecloth, a little hack to that make that inevitable job of cleaning up that little bit easier.
Gram Life
Nothing brings party goers together like an impromptu photoshoot against a picture perfect photo wall. We found this bargain photo backdrop from Amazon. Measuring 1.5m by 2.1m, this colourful addition to our party was only £15. As we said before Graffiti is one of the back bones of Hip Hop, and this was a great party centrepiece. Not only was it fit for Instagram, but my Mum loved it so much that she wanted to keep it up permanently as a feature wall. Unfortunately for Mum we had to take it back, as we used it for Emerson’s cake smash.
Press Play
When we threw parties before Emerson was born, we only had to worry about decorations, and what cocktails we were going to make. Planning activities for kids is all new to us, especially when they range in ages. E isn’t quite ready for pass the parcel or musical chairs so we had to think about what entertainment to put on. Ball ponds and soft play are up there in the list of Emersons favourite things to do, along with eating daisies and cat biscuits which arn’t so party appropriate.
Mega Inflatables
Mega Inflatables are an inflatable hire company based in Essex. Who would have thought that there was so much choice when it comes to bouncy castles! We went for an inflatable Toddler zone, and Ball pond. The Toddler zone (which sounds pretty scary) meant that we didn’t have to worry about those adventurous babies escaping down the garden (and eating daisies). It came with plenty of shapes for the kids (and adults) to build and go nuts over, even in the rain.
Note to self when planning a garden party; have a back up plan. Inevitably when you plan a party that is centred around the garden in England, old mother nature is going to take a royal dump on your parade. The week before we saw the weather go from predicted glorious sunshine to showers the closer we got to the big day. Cue us going on a gazebo buying frenzy the day before. I don’t think I’ve heard the word gazebo mentioned so much. Thank goodness for Costco, and their bargain gazebo that stopped the toddler zone from being turned into a swimming pool.
Pinyatay
I have no idea where the thought “Lets get a piñata” come from, but once I had it there was no going back. The search for a Hip Hop appropriate piñata was on. Pinyatay was another amazing Etsy find. I messaged Kate and explained my vision. Kate is an absolute pro when it comes to piñata’s. She has created truly unique designs from Karl Lagerfield’s head, to the more risqué penis piñata. Guaranteed her designs are fun, colourful and her Instagram page is a total delight.
So what was our vision? A giant Boom Box, and wow did she get it. The Boom Box was perfect, and a good size ready to be filled with tat and sweets for the kids. I went on a Pound Store frenzy, and filled it up with toys, and sweets. The piñata was really well made, and came with a matching stick. It took the kids a good 5 minutes to get into it, and the excitement when it finally buckled was great entertainment for us adults. Maybe we should commission a Trump one?
Graffiti for Kids
Another Ebay find, was a set of Graffiti colouring books. We cut out the pages, laid out some pens and crayons and let the kids “Get Up”. It made a change to colouring in fluffy animals, and rainbows.
We did have plans to let them paint some real Graf. We brought wood, mini decorating suits, and protection masks but it was just too wet. So it was down to Pete to showcase his skills and do an Emerson piece in the back garden. Hopefully next year we can put those masks, and suits to good use as we’re sure the kids would have loved it.
Shop Our Look
No kids party is complete without goody bags. In addition to the Personalised Parties Monster Party Boxes, my talented sister Cheryl made some personalised bags. She runs Lilly Flow, which makes customised goodie bags, bespoke party sashes, and other sparkly favours.
You can check out more of her work and items over on her Lilly Flo Instagram page.
Jokerz Get Left Behind
We had Haribo, we had yo yo’s, and of course we had cake and cookies but the real gems of the goody bags had to be the crayonz by Jokerz Get Left Behind. JGLB sell the coolest crayonz, that are hand poured into custom moulds. Baby Jax is the inspiration behind the brand, his mum and dad set up the company for him as there is just nothing else like it.
His parents turned their passion for old school tattoos into crayonz. We love all things quirky, and these crayon designs are definitely that. You can get koi fish, comic book Punisher skulls, pirate coins and the best thing of all? They do party packs!! You can choose between 4 different designs, and each one comes with a colouring sheet (which is based on a tattoo flash card), and a sticker. We chose the chunky letter theme, which complemented our Graf themed party bags.
JGLB also very kindly sent the birthday boy a few extra crayonz. In line with Crayola’s advice the crayonz, shouldn’t be given to under 3’s, so we’re starting Emersons collection of bad ass crayons a little early. We really love supporting small businesses, especially ones like JGLB. They are such a wonderful gift idea!!

Colouring in, Block Party Style
Cake Cake Cake
We came across Rachel at The Family Cake Tree, after putting out a Facebook recommendations request. She made his Graffiti inspired cake complete with a tiny Emerson. Along with the cake, she made the tastiest vanilla and almond cookies that were in the shape of boom boxes, 1’s and Graffiti letter E’s (which went in the goody bags).

Em & Lil Cake Em in their matching T’s
It’s always good when the cake tastes as good as it looks, and this most certainly did. The level of detail that Rachel put into the cake was incredible, even down to matching Emerson’s T-shirt to the one he wore on the day. It didn’t take long for us to demolish the cake, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to eat Emerson. He is currently wrapped in tin foil, along with everything else that I’m hoarding from this 1st year.
Celebrate Everyday Like a Birthday
When it’s your party you have got to be dressed the freshest. It was a lot of fun planning Emerson’s outfit, we decided to come correct and have him channel that LL Cool J look. We found the very 90’s appropriate red Adidas Disney bucket hat, along with a classic red Adidas track jacket. We finished his look off with tiny shell toes and a customised Lana Nicole “ONE DMC” shirt.
Custom Tee’s
Emerson is lucky enough to be a brand rep for Lana Nicole Clothing. They create the most beautiful handmade and personalised children’s clothes and we’re huge fans! They made Emerson’s “C is for Coachella” romper, which was a hit with the Coachella ladies! So come his Birthday, Lana Nicole was our only choice for a Birthday Tee, or 3.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhjg09IB7G6/?taken-by=kittykatcox
We asked Annika and Alenska to help us create some original Hip Hop themed T-shirt designs. Between the 4 of us we came up with these: “Skywalking” for his birthday, “ONE DMC” for his party, and “If you don’t know, now you know” for his epic 1st Birthday Cake Smash shoot with Buds & Branches.

The 3 Custom Shirts by Lana Nicole Clothing
The quality of Lana Nicole Clothing is outstanding, and they have plenty of choice of colours, patterns and vinyl. Plus using code EMERSON10 will get you a cheeky 10% discount.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiiFy1ABvNw/?taken-by=kittykatcox
The Playlist
You have no idea how difficult it was to put a playlist together. Just when we thought we had found a radio edit for a hip hop banger that was just a bit too rude for a children party, we would then discover that some of the references were too near the mark, or the N word was used. After about 3 weeks of adding, listening, then re-adding we managed to get a nearly clean 4 hours. You can have a listen, and check our list over on Deezer.
That’s A Rap
So there we have it. Just like that Emerson is 1. Celebrating with Emerson’s friends and family, was the best way to honour such a cool little dude. Emerson was a total party animal and lapped up the cake and attention. 1st Birthdays only happen once, so if you want to go all out we say go for it. It doesn’t matter that he won’t remember it, what matters is that we have just made some amazing memories for us all to look back on.
How did you celebrate your child’s 1st Birthday? Did you theme it? We would love to hear your feedback. If you have any questions, or theme suggestions for his 2nd Birthday just drop them in the comments.
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Just like that, his first birthday was finished.
Wow…this is soooo fun! I love the theme and all of the wonderful ideas you shared. It looks like you had a fantastic party!
Thank you so much!! It was a lot of fun to plan !!
I love that you dressed your little one up as a TINY rapper! Cutest thing I’ve seen all day!
Thank you Emily, I’m partial to a bit of fancy dress haha!
This looks like it was one heck of a party! So awesome for your little and the memories are sure to last a lifetime for you! Thanks for the great birthday party ideas!
He had a great time!! I just need to get my act together and actually do a photo book! Glad you enjoyed it!
You guys are so cool. Great cake
Thank you so much !! It tasted so good !! We was terrible and ate most of it ourselves as didn’t want to cut it at the party haha!!
Someone is living their best life! Looks like it was an amazing g party! Love capturing moments like this of my littles, looking back on the memories is so special!
Looks like a fun party.
I’m curious to know what you plan for his 16th, 21, etc. It’s not going to be easy to top this one. They didn’t throw parties like that when I was growing up.
Happy first birthday! That first year always is over before you know it, even if the individual hours sometimes seem long. I enjoyed this post about all the planning you did, you clearly are a way more organized person than I will ever be 😀
Amazing thank you we will check it out for Emerson’s 2nd birthday that we are planning ?