Help Me Plan Her Birthday

Even though I've been to literally hundreds of first birthday parties, I'm drawing a blank here.

My little one turns one in two weeks. It's been a rough year (she's had her share of medical problems) and I'd really like to make the milestone special -- and yes, I recognize that she'd be happy if we gave her a tissue box and let her go to town with emptying it all over my floor.

The challenges:
1) The party is going to be in the early evening (because of work challenges/conflicts).
2) It's going to be on Passover.
3) It's currently 23 degrees fahrenheit. I'm a spring-time birthday party "rookie". Everyone else has summer birthdays. We filled the kiddie pool, turned on the sprinkler, and made sure that the guest of honor didn't eat the sidewalk chalk. Seeing as how I can't find the sidewalk under the snow, I'm thinking my old-standby isn't going to work.
4) She has major allergies. No dairy allowed.

I'm not interested in the face painter & hostess routine.

Anyone have any cute ideas that don't break the bank?

Give her the box of Kleenex (the nice decorator box, it is her birthday!) and let her have some fun. And a big cardboard box... kids love those almost as much as cats do.

Happy birthday to your little missus! (My Stinkeroo turns two in May!) Does she have a favorite book? You pull a theme together from that, maybe. Color coordinated tableware and what not would be easy to find at any party supply store. Maybe you could find a few games to tie into the theme. For example, pin the Hat On The Cat or something like that. That's all I've got at the moment.

Plastic-ware I've got.

Activities for familes and friends are in short supply though.

Video tape guests' Birthday wishes for your young one. It may mean a lot to the child later in life and it will make guests feel like they are special. You can let them know beforehand so they can prepare or just spring it on them.

I give all the 1 year old birthdays I get invited to a box of Kleenex--they love it!

Are you looking for a theme or event activites?
Seriously for a 1 year old party it is mostly for the adults---

Give your little one--kleenex---a cupcake---and they are in 7th heaven.

You could have a little Photo area and every one can take your child and take a picture with her---

Or I went to a party where they had white t-shirts for a one year old and we all got one to decorate--that was fun--helped expand the closet and each time that person visited the child would wear their shirt--makes getting dressed easy!

I have a lot of ideas---swimming pool with packing peanuts inside (but would she eat them?)

If you are inviting a lot of babies have a crawling race---kids on one end of the room--parents on the other--GO!

Are you looking for a full blown party, or a small get together?

Another idea I love is for gifts---ask each couple/person to bring their favorite childrens book---if they can record themselves reading it--all the better!

I'ts been a long time since mine's 1rst, but by the experience I can tell what NOT to do:
* Less kids the better, invite only babies around her age and less than 5 so she can play with them and nobody gets bored and giving your hard time around the house.
*Short period time (less than 2 hours) babies get so tired and stressful after 1 hour of excitement.

*Don't do the face painting yourself. it is impossible to be the hosted and the face painter, babies want to touch everything on your kit (it is a big box full of surprises)

My great grand daughter turned one Jan 5th, all she wanted to do was run around everywhere! If the party is taking place at home then I say maybe get beach ball or nerf ball that she can chase around with her little guests. Also maybe a small play tent filled with toys like plastic bunnies and ducks since it's springtime might be fun. Bingo and uno for the adults. My daughter's birthday is March 30th, unless it was very cold I always did a backyard party with games like scavenger, musical chairs and hot potatoe except we would use water balloons...LOL!
Happy Birthday to your precious baby girl...enjoy celebrating her 1st birthday!!