Ongoing linky parties: Motivation Monday and Fabulously Frugal Thursdays.
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Certain parts of the year are busy with birthday celebrations for our family – spring & fall. Our usual routine has been to make a big deal about the birthday boy or girl on their birthday with a dinner and dessert of their choosing. My husband and I take them out to lunch, too, either on the day if it’s a weekend or the closest weekend to their birthday. The special lunch gives us a chance to spend time together with the birthday boy/girl which we normally don’t have.
Since we haven’t been able to afford birthday parties at special places for my children’s classes, our usual routine has been to have a big family party and invite a few close friends. We usually have the party on a Saturday afternoon/evening starting around 3 p.m.with dinner served at 5 p.m. My husband cooks most of the dinner while I handle the decorating, set up, shopping, and food prep. Usually family members bring something to help with the food, either an appetizer or a side dish. A few times, I’ve had help with the dessert, though I prefer to handle that myself.
Birthday Themes
Since my daughter’s birthday is December and my middle 2 son’s birthdays are in September and October, their family birth celebrations revolve around Christmas and Halloween. For my daughter, I’ve been using the Nutcracker theme which I can then incorporate into my Christmas decorating. The Nutcracker ballet is a favorite tradition for me, and I’ve started taking my children to see each Christmas as long as I can find affordable tickets.
To do a Nutcracker theme which flows into Christmas, I use real candy and candy ornaments that I’ve found at Walmart. I’ve also found that sparkly ribbon and tulle are inexpensive ways of creating a girly, frothy atmosphere without spending too much. The first time I did the Nutcracker, I focused on the elements found in the ballet like the soldiers and the mice. The next time, I focused more on the winter wonderland.
Since fall is a favorite time, and Halloween is one of our favorite holidays to decorate for, it’s been easy for me to do a Halloween-themed party for my middle boys. I’ve had a learning curve with the size of the cake however. The Wilton half sheet cake pan
For the decorations, I use the fall decorations I put up during Labor Day weekend and add in some Halloween ones. I found some cute filler decorations for jars on clearance at Pier One a few years ago. I also have a large piece of Halloween fabric which has served as a tablecloth. Target has had some Halloween party decorations which go well with my other ones. I usually stick to jack o’lanterns with a few scary black cats thrown in here and there, and of course, candy corn. Black and white ribbon ties everything together.
Next week I’ll share how I save money on party supplies.
How do you handle birthday celebrations for your kids?
Thrifty Thursday Rewind
I am excited to announce that I am joining with A Momma and the Boys Living on a Budget’s Thrifty Thursday Rewind every Thursday here at A Life in Balance! Posts linked here or at A Momma and the Boys will show up on both blogs.
- Link up an old money saving idea post (we want to give love to some of your older posts).
- No giveaways or deals posts.
- Recipes are allowed, but share how it is thrifty!
- A link back is nice, but not required.
- Visit the other links and share a comment.
Because I love meeting new people and sharing, this post is linked to:
Taking a Time Out Thursday, Simple Lives, DIY Thrifty Thursday, Thrifty Thursday
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the Nutcracker theme idea! My first born will be 4 October 3oth. I usually try to keep his birthday separate from Halloween though. I made a Happy Birthday sign out of felt that we reuse each year and I always make the cake. We also keep it simple with family, especially since he is still young. My second born son is turning 1 a couple weeks before x-mas. I wonder how we will celebrate his b-day… Holidays are so busy as it is! Thanks for the post with these great ideas.
Organic Eco Baby recently posted..Do You Know What is in Your Laundry Detergent?
I’ve loved doing the Nutcracker theme because it isn’t just about Christmas. It’s an easy one to do at other times of the year especially if you have a child who loves ballet.
Love the theme idea! My kids are still little, so we have only had house parties so far.
Thanks for the linky! Linking up now.
Charise @ I Thought I Knew Mama recently posted..7 Green and Natural Gifts for a Two Year Old
What a fun linky idea! I will be adding this to my list of weekly link ups
Our baby just turned one and we had a small, low key celebration but these ideas will be helpful for future birthdays!
annie @ montanasolarcreations recently posted..Women in Hunting Series Part 2: Why You Should Hunt and Wild Harvest Your Own Meat
Such great ideas!! My son was born on Halloween and every year I try to encorage him to have a party with a Halloween or fall theme and so far I just have not been able to convince him because he wants to keep his birthday seperate from Halloween – which I can understand. I absolutely love all of your ideas and I am loving the idea of the Nutcracker party. I may even try having a small scale of that as a playdate this December with my daughter’s friends!
Kelly, if you google Like Merchant Ships, she did the Nutcracker party for her daughter which is where I got the idea from. I’ve also found lots of great ideas on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alifeinbalance_/christmas/
I love the idea of a Nutcracker party – so fun! Thanks so much for sharing at Mom On Timeout! Hope to see you back tonight!
-Trish
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