I’m Singing….SALE-A-BRATION Time COME ON!
When my oldest child’s first birthday rolled around, I thought that bigger meant better! We rented out one side of an indoor recreational play facility, invited all the children in our lives and spent way too much money! I have never seen so much pizza in my life then or since… Now that I think about it, her biggest party is one that she doesn’t even remember. Birthday celebrations can put a dent in your monthly budget before you know it. However, it’s important to step back and assess, who is this party for? The Children or The Parents? Moreover, what monster am I creating? You do know that in 12 months you will find yourself trying to outdo last year’s event. Also, if you have more than one child, like we do, there’s also the dynamic that the kids are ‘keeping score.’ What’s most important is to create meaningful memories that your child feels that they are a part of…even in the planning stages. The funnest celebrations we’ve had have been at home with our family, friends and extended family. We ask our kids, what theme do you want? It challenges them to be creative. They feel empowered and are proud of the event. One year Princess, who’s now nine, said, “I want a Venus and Serena Party!” We bought her a tennis outfit and printed out pictures that were online of Venus and Serena, color coordinated plates and balloons and it was fabulous fun. We took two large candle holders we owned, taped a long span of paper towels between them and created a mini indoor tennis court in our living room. We used real tennis rackets and balloons as the tennis ball(so nothing would get broken;). My youngest girl, Paris, who’s now seven, wanted a Michael Jackson party. We all had a white glove and did a craft project of putting glitter all over our white glove. After that, we all danced and watched the movie ‘This is It!’ with our one white glove on. It didn’t cost alot, but it was UNforgettable! It’s not in the money you shell out, it’s in the meaning you put in!
Invest collective creativity on birthdays and save the big bucks for their college days!