Levi turned one over a month ago, and since I can’t handle him getting any bigger, I’m taking some time to look back on all of his birthday party photos. When we found out we were expecting a little October baby, we were so excited. My favorite season just got more festive with a little boy to celebrate year after year.

Apple orchards are synonymous with the beginning of autumn for us, and I wanted to pay homage to the season in which we welcomed our baby boy. So, we celebrated our favorite one-year-old with an apple-orchard-themed party.

I’ve mentioned before that I often draw inspiration for my kids’ birthday parties from their interests, my interests, and the season. In this case, we wanted our guests to feel, taste, and enjoy the season. The freshly fallen sycamore leaves, the cool breeze, and drizzle (OK, we could’ve done without the drizzle) made for a quintessential autumn day. While we couldn’t control the weather, we were able to provide a seasonal spread for our guests.

Putting together a fall menu was one of my favorite parts of the planning. I went with a mix of homemade and store bought items, which helped balance the workload. Some of the homemade items included the mini chicken pot pies, a French apple tart, apple cider caramels, mulled spiced apple cider, caramel apples, and all of the royal iced cookies (nearly 100!). Thanks to Safeway for the cupcakes that we doctored up to look like apples and Trader Joes for the apple cider donuts and apples.

Friends and family gathered to wish Levi a happy 1st birthday, which meant the world to us. It’s fun for me and Hons, who takes all of these beautiful pictures, to creatively put together parties, but the best part is creating memories for our children and with our loved ones.