Birthday cake - 
Cute outfit -
Presents -
Baby's BFF's.... 
The national lockdown has affected all of us. As social beings we are mentally programmed to interact and be with others. Events and celebrations are part and parcel of being human, and even more so when celebrating your little one's very 1st birthday! With this in mind, we've come up with a few ideas and tips to make your little one's first party fun, exciting and memorable for everyone.
Friends
Most one year old's don't have a lot of friends yet, but having a party on your own is really NO fun! So what are you to do during the national lockdown? The second best thing to real friends are baby's television friends. Barney, Teletubbies, Waybuloo and the likes can be the prefect substitute. If you have a printer at home, print and cut out these characters and seat them around your party table. It might seem a bit dumb to you, but your 12 month old baby will recognize them and love it! This way, he or she will have a familiar face around the table, together with those of Mommy, Daddy and the other siblings. If you are unable to print out these faces, try substituting the cardboard faces with baby's favorite toys. My little ones were especially fond of their safari themed animal Bumbo Suction Toys.
Family
With modern technology it is easier than ever to see and talk to family instantly. If you have a high speed internet connection download a video conferencing app like Skype to video chat with other family members. Even better, if you have a Go Pro or similar device, stream the party via this device to make your virtual guests feel as if they are there in the flesh.
Decor
Remember the days of paging through stacks of magazines to find information and pics for your school projects? Well, don't ever say it was a futile exercise! Now is the time to use that skill and search for pictures of baby's favorite fairy tale and television characters. Simply cut them out and stick onto some paper cups & plates, oros drinks and the likes. For a memorable birthday banner consider printing out some of baby's photos from birth to month 12 and create an impressive birthday timeline banner, with a cute note next to each photo.
Cake
Probably the most important 1st birthday item. How do we know? After more than 5000 parties done over the past 10 years, we have seen how little faces light up when you place a birthday cake in front of them. Although you can't currently go out and source a beautiful birthday cake, you can still make a delicious and colorful cake with just a few items from your pantry.
Easy microwave chocolate cake: (courtesy https://www.allrecipes.com/)
Recipe yields 2 servings
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
¼ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup milk
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
Step 1
Spray a medium microwave-safe bowl with non-stick spray and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk; blend together. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; blend into the mixture until smooth. Pour into greased bowl.
Step 2
Cover and cook in the microwave on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched. Since all microwaves cook differently, adjust the cooking time to accommodate your machine. To serve, let the cake cool five minutes, then cover the bowl with a plate and turn both bowl and plate upside down so the cake falls onto the plate.
Step 3
Decorate your cake with some Caramel Treat and Smarties if available.
Conclusion
Even though this is not an ideal situation it is important to realize that, as humans, we are also programmed to adapt to chance. We have done so for centuries and we will continue to do so for centuries more. Making the best of a bad situation is what we as South Africans do best. Good luck with your baby's 1st birthday during this lockdown period. We would like to end of with these wise words...
“When you cry and weep, when you are miserable, you are alone. When you celebrate, the whole existence participates with you. Only in celebration do we meet the ultimate, the eternal. Only in celebration do we go beyond the circle of birth and death."
