Ariel turns ONE Under the Sea

Ariel. Little Mermaid. Made in Sweden. Sailor Dad.

So, the little princess turned one just before Christmas and I thought the perfect theme for her birthday bash was to have an Under The Sea party.

We kept it simple and cosy but nonetheless fun for the guests. By guests, I actually mean kids, because they are always the VVIPs of any party I host. Join me as I reminisce what took place on her big day, will you?

The event was held at Temasek Club, which is one of our frequented weekend hangouts. Since SAF officers are members of the club, that means that as family members, we get to enjoy the facilities too. Yippee! We had the party in De Happy Ark, which is a playhouse consisting of party function rooms, indoor playground and a play area for toddlers.


This was the welcome poster that greeted the guests at the door. You can tell I really like this caricature, right?

Ta-dah! Here comes the star of the day! All dressed in the DIY mermaid costume. I was so relieved that it was a perfect fit and she looked absolutely endearing and lovely in it.



Initially, I was afraid that she was going to have difficulty moving around and would slip and fall, then I realised that since the bottom green 'tail' was actually my blouse turned upside down, she could slip her legs into my 'sleeves' and continue to cruise along in comfort.



Well, it doesn't matter that her tail would looked distorted at times. She was still the most angelic and beautiful mermaid in my eyes that day.


The decoration was kept simple but customised, with a DIY Little Mermaid bunting that says "Ariel Is One" and bubbles on the wall that consisted of her photographs since the first day she came into the world. Never fails to strike a chord in a mum's heart on how fast her little baby has grown on this special day, don't you agree?


For the seating area, I placed sea creatures paper plates that we made ourselves for the kids and also used the DIY snow globe aquariums to add some atmosphere. I loved how all the colours came together and looked so vibrant!


The catered food was simple but delicious, my favourite being the crispy fried chicken. Coincidentally, 22 December also happened to be the Winter Solstice Festival (冬至) and therefore we couldn't resisting adding an extra homemade dish -  Tangyuan (汤圆).


I love these brightly coloured glutinuous rice balls which symbolize 圆圆满满, in other words reunion. On a day when the whole family got together to celebrate a joyous occasion, these were just the perfect dessert.


While waiting for the guests to arrive, the big sister decided to tuck in using one of her favourite animals as the plate - the crab!


For me, I thought the sting ray looked pretty cute. If you decide to make these for your party too, do make sure the eyes are properly secured because you don't want them to end up in your stomach. Or your guests'.


After the food, it was time for the highly anticipated games session! Ok, I think I probably was the most excited person around after completing my first piñata and thus was a chirpy game master.


The first game was a FISHING game which I made using printouts of animals, sticks for the rods, magnets, string and paper clips. Tutorial to come in Creativity 521.



While waiting for the other players, the sisters decided to have a warm up session first! Look, who says Ariel is too small to play in any game? With a little bit of help, she totally enjoyed yanking the fishes out of the 'water'.


Then it was time for the kids to have a FISH OFF! Two at a time, they competed to see who could catch the most number of fishes in a minute. Though Angel was not the champion, I must say she did a pretty good job! She was patient from start to end and was so delighted with her catch of the day that I was so glad I did this game. The winners got to walk away with water guns and sandcastle building tools and since there was just a handful of kids, isn't it a great thing that everyone won prizes?


The second game was of course the Piñata game which was the highlight of the day. The kids took turns to be blindfolded and attempt to break open the piñata. After much thought, I decided to make the piñata in the shape of a shark and even gave it a menacing expression, with blood on the teeth, in the hope that the kids would feel more motivated to hit it hard. More on the piñata to come in Creativity 521!


Surprisingly, I had thought that my seemingly fragile piñata would only withstand a few knocks but it ended up being strong enough to let each of them have a few turns. Ultimately, the kids took off the blindfold and it became a fun game of trying to hit the shark while the hubby, who was holding onto it from above, decided to sway it from side to side and made the kids squeal with laughter when they kept missing it. 


When all the goodies fell out, including candies, tidbits, stickers, toys and stationery, I exclaimed "Go! Go! Take what you like!" to the kids. To my pleasant surprise, my big girl took two candies, one in each hand, and came up to me saying "Mummy, I only want these two. This is enough for me." She didn't take the Hello Kitty ruler which I thought she would, nor did she try to snatch her favourite Cheezels away from her cousins. Even when I asked her if she was sure and attempted to give her more goodies, she shook her head and said "No need". That's my girl, to know that content is bliss in life. I hope she will always stay this way.


Since Christmas was around the corner, we decided to have a log cake for the cake cutting ceremony and feel the joy of the festive season. This was a strawberry flavoured log cake from Crystal Jade My Bread which was delectable and everyone seemed to love how it looked and tasted.

Of course, the snowman and Santa Claus fondant figurines were a big hit with the kids too. Angel also decided to eat the chocolate roof of the house and she said it was delicious. Oh, did the birthday girl eat some cake too? You bet. And she couldn't get enough of it bite after bite.



Time to sing the birthday song and make a wish! Well, I made a wish on her behalf but I hope it will come true for her. I sure hope she was a happy baby there and then, being surrounded by all the family members who love her so much.

Happy 1st Birthday, our Princess Ariel! Here's a big kiss from Mummy, Daddy and Jiejie. You know we love you more than words can say. May you grow up to be a cheerful, healthy, bubbly girl with a most beautiful heart.

Wait, the party is not over! Since it was such a beautiful day, we had to catch some sun and let the kids play outdoors. I bet you have never seen a mermaid on a swing, right?

It might be the little sister's big day but to see the big girl having just as much fun and to see them bonding like a pair of best buddies, that warmed my heart too.

Lastly, we have to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who came and helped to make the party a success. We appreciate all the love, gifts and are deeply grateful for the everlasting memories. I hope the smiley birthday girl helped to brighten up your day too!



Well well, don't you just love parties? Woohoo! Thanks for reading all about Ariel's big ONE!