Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Ana's 8th Mermaids and Unicorns Birthday Party

 I wasn't going to let my daughters birthday be marred by the pandemic. I knew she wouldn't have many people over, so I wanted to make sure I poured as much love into as I could. I determined that I was going to plan out some fantastic surprises for her. And here they are for inspiration in making your mermaids' day. 

Every princess needs a crown! 

The first project I undertook was 4 days ahead of her birthday. I saw an idea on Pinterest from Disney for making adorable mermaid crowns. I added my own twist to it as I knew both girls would want to have unicorns incorporated in them. Creating a portal to the fun.

For the doorway, I decided to create this and make her entrance to a house fully decorated just that much more magical! All you need are streamers and tape. 

Decorating as though everyone is showing up!

I hung decorations everywhere for her. Even if her friends and other family won't be here, we can still make it look like a true party. This day is hers. And she should feel like that. When she entered the rest of the house, I wanted her excitement to raise to the roof. I wish the table cloth had been thicker, but I added gems and pearls to make it better.

Breakfast should always start the day, but more so today!

We tell our kids to start the day right. To enjoy a good breakfast. So making her something special for that day is important. There were these pancakes for breakfast. Perfect way for a princess to energize!

Let the hunt begin!

And then I had set up the scavenger hunt to find all the gifts! Okay not all. I left the larger ones to be opened later in the day. I took some little ones my mom had sent her and used those in the scavenger hunt. My daughter loves mystery packs of just about anything. And that is what I wrapped up. I wrote out little clue cards as well as a letter of introduction. I didn't want anyone but her going around, finding surprises. 

Let's play BINGO! 

A party is way more fun with games. So I found this free printable unicorn bingo game that I laminated so that we can use it again later. This gave her and her siblings some fun before her party. In addition, they won prizes! Pokemon and Yugi-Oh cards, glow sticks, whatever we had in our 'Chore Store'. 

What's for dinner?

She got to choose her dinner. And homemade pizza was that choice. I made it just the way she likes it! And after dinner comes.... 

CAKE!

Last, but certainly not the least, was cake and ice cream with her Nona and aunt. They came to celebrate with us. 

If you need more ideas, I have a bunch! 

I can't do everything, but that doesn't stop me from creating a Pinterest board just for the Mermaid Party ideas. Who knows if she or her sister will want another? So if you need more ideas, check it out! 

Behind the scenes look....

My husband likes to tease that I'm an overachiever. I can't just do a little thing. Apparently, when I do something, I go all out. And it looks like a mess until completion!

Friday, July 31, 2020

Celebrating Birthdays During the Pandemic

This year feels over without ever truly getting started. Ever since Covid-19 took over, nothing has seemed "normal" to say the least. Outages in stores, wearing masks, being confined at home, closures of businesses and buildings - it has been a roller coaster! But now we have big choices to make. Choices on birthday celebrations. To do, or not  to do, lists. Obviously, there won't be parties. Okay, most likely... We can't have anyone over. Even if someone wanted to, my husband works closely with the public. So closely, that in less than 2 weeks time, there had been at least 6 cases announced on the overnight crew alone at his store. No one who fears getting sick wants to be around us.

So how do I make these birthdays special?

I've been prodding around Pinterest. After all, I know I'm not the only parent with this question. On the Nextdoor.com website, I've seen local moms asking strangers to send birthday cards or drive by in a parade during a certain time frame on the day. The neighbor across from us had a police PR car come by, followed by folks from around town in a parade! It was great just watching the turnout. Fantastic ideas! But I wanted to see what else is being done. I have 3 kids celebrating their birthdays before Christmas this year. The way things look right now, there won't be much celebrating going on for the rest of this year - nothing with extended family and most friends at least. Even school was talking about staying virtual, or not at all, until at least September 8th. So glad they revised that to begin in person and online August 24th! My son might actually be able to have a real party...
I have a son turning 12, a daughter turning 8 and the youngest is turning 4. I want their days to be special, even if it is just us. I don't want the memory of this years birthday being simply that it was during a pandemic.

What plans have I come up with?

The oldest daughter comes first in just two weeks. She has been wanting a unicorn mermaid party. First things first - I saw a great idea for starting her special day right. When she wakes up that morning, I will have decorated as though there was a party coming. I'm thinking about having my husband get her a balloon to hang from her bed. Or even putting a bunch of balloons in front of her door so that when she opens it, they spill out around her!
Well, maybe not... in case her little sister opens the door before she does... In which case I found this idea instead!
Breakfast will be pancakes that are decked out with whipped topping and strawberry syrup. I found a new recipe I wanted to try out just for her.
She will decide what we have for dinner that day too. And then we will eat on plates from the Dollar Tree, as I picked up some mermaid ones that are perfect for her theme. Next is a mermaid cake, followed by presents! Or maybe I will let her open gifts before dinner... We shall see what the day looks like closer to that time. One idea that stands out, though, is to have a scavenger hunt, of a sort. With clues that lead her from one birthday treasure to another. My mother has already sent gifts and I was thinking that wrapping each one individually and having my daughter find them would be something fun just for her.
Dollar Tree finds that could be helpful if you need the same theme.
Then comes my son.

He is turning 12. Pre-teens are coming on strong with this one. He's actually showing darker hair above his upper lip! I'm in so much trouble...
He had wanted another gaming style party. Being that his birthday is in October, he might actually have a chance at having friends over. IF the pandemic craziness winds down. If not, I have a couple ideas percolating already.
His day will start much like his sisters. But I'm thinking that he will spend a good majority of it playing video games. I'll have to find a cool gamer cake - or come up with my own design. But I think I will reach out and get anyone who is willing, to write a card to him. In the cards, I'm going to ask that everyone write out a piece of advice. Something for him to grow on. I think we will also do a printable Bingo I found here.

Last, but not least...

We have the toddler. This little darling is turning 4 already! And her dreams of unicorns dancing around her birthday are often told to me. That, and her desire for more mermaid toys. Her birthday is dangerously close to Thanksgiving. Plenty of time to hope things clear up, but if not, plenty of time to plan. We don't really enjoy combining her birthday with Thanksgiving dinner. She doesn't want us calling her our "Little Butterball Baby". And who can blame her?! So, I am planning to have her unicorns stationed all around the house for her special day. I'm going to decorate with mermaids and unicorns. She's going to have special pancakes too. Her day can stay simple. She's only 4. And so long as she can open presents, she's a happy girl! Oh and, lest I forget, her unicorn cake that Daddy found at work... If you haven't seen these new ones yet, they are awesome!
Even if they do have Red40 and other artificial coloring. (But that is for another blog post.) She has been reminding us that she wants the unicorn cake nearly every week now.
Dollar Tree finds that could be helpful for your unicorn lovers.

So what about you? In what ways are you making the kid (or kids) in your life have special birthdays when parties aren't acceptable? I'd love to hear your ideas, so leave me a comment below! And be sure to check out my Pinterest board. I have party ideas of all kinds at the ready! Including pandemic ideas.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

In the Blink of An Eye...

My oldest child turned 10 this past week. Want to talk about feeling old? Where did the years go?! He's a video gamer making mostly A's and B's (only a C in Math - takes after me...). He's like the Energizer Bunny on crack - can't sit still for long and the mouth doesn't seem to ever get tired. But through it all, I'm quite proud of him. Which is why I had no problem trying to make a birthday party he'd remember. He chose the Pokemon theme. 
We sent out invitations using these great printables. Couldn't invite too many people on our budget, but he did have his best friends! Pinterest had so many awesome ideas though. I had to create a board just for them.

My husband helped me make a Pikachu cake. 
And I printed out these card templates so that the kids could "create" their own Pokemon cards that I then laminated. It was a great party! 
He got things he had wished for and then wrote thank you cards to everyone who had given him something. He's a kid who can often get self centered, but I'm instilling the reminders to be thankful of those who love and care about you as well as others you may not know. 
We also visited a friends shop and helped them set up for their Halloween Bash. The kids loved it!

10 years has passed so quickly. Can't wait to see how the coming years turn out!

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Putting it All Together!

My Party Pack arrived from House Party! Super happy to finally have all the fun gear together for the Sweetest Game Day party.
Tying that in with my sons parties. Time to get it all together and ready. They sent me a Snickers football, a mini Foosball table game and some bottle cozies!
I decorated the cozies and picked up some cream soda...I also got some Skittles and made little Rainbow Seed packs to send home with the kids.

It turned into so much fun! 
I also had fun piecing together my table decoration - the Pea Shooter. What do you think of it? 
I had to add beans inside the bottom of the cup as it would fall over otherwise. 
And then I made little candy goodie bags for him to take to class and give away, using mini Snickers, Milky Way and Musketeers bars. I think he will have a great birthday this year. There is more than one way to celebrate with such great snacks as Snickers, Skittles and M&M's! 
I also used some on his cake. Had trouble getting it out the pans. Lesson learned - white chocolate chips in a strawberry cake taste great, but stick to non-stick, greased pans like white on rice... So I went from this: 
To this:
Then this:
And finished with this!
Woo! I feel quite accomplished.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

30 Never Looked so Good

To be honest, I was ready to forget my birthday. We are on a tight budget. My older three kids would not be home with us. And my husband was in the middle of his work week. Plus, it falls on a Sunday. The day I try to catch up on everything before the school week floods in again. Yes, I got a little down on myself about all this. And I even argued with my husband on the pointlessness about having a birthday party when you are as old as I am. But I have come to learn a couple things from this past week. Some things I think that Moms in particular need to be reminded of.

Just because we are Moms, doesn't mean we should skip celebrating ourselves. My Mother pointed out that I am to be an example to my girls. What example am I showing? That when you become a Mom, you give up on doing nice things for yourself? 

Or how about the idea that once you reach a certain age, no one should bother being happy for your special day? Whether you are 5, 21, 30 or 99+, you should always celebrate the day you were born. Each of us should be reminded that we were, and still are, loved on that day. More so, perhaps, than any other day of the year. It is after all, our day. Reflect on the past year and what you have accomplished while holding to the joy that you have a new year ahead to do even more!

If someone wants to do something nice for you, let them. I argued with my husband on this. After all we are on a tight budget. But, after realizing that he really wanted to do something, I caved. Sure, we can't do some of the things I would really want to do, but he at least made me cupcakes. We had them with the kids and a neighbor.
My kids were glad to have cake of course. And I got to use some of my Star Wars decorations for them.
We went out to dinner thanks to my Mother-in-law. Texas Steakhouse was quite hospitable. And the food was delicious! I was glad not to have to clean up the mess. For all those who freak out at turning 30, you are overreacting. Its as good, if not better, than turning 20. Plus, I can legally drink and not worry about being carded. Enjoy it. One day at a time.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

This First Year!

Time certainly flies by. Especially when you have children. You lose track of the hours every day. Then your days go by and you question what you have done all week. Suddenly, a month has passed by, followed by another. And here I am, facing a whole year. You see, my youngest daughter is turning a year on the 19th of this month. Almost a year ago, I was in labor. Thinking I could not do it. Thinking I would fail during childbirth. My husband was my stronghold. He kept telling me how great I was doing. How I was doing it. Just hold a little longer. Childbirth is excruciatingly painful. I went into labor naturally, the night before I was scheduled to be induced anyhow. But, my little bugger still didn't want to come out on her own. It was as though she was putting her arms and legs out to the sides to hold herself in. No matter how hard or long I pushed. No matter how much they upped the dosage of the medicine meant to evict her, she was not coming out. 


Part of me panicked. I had three older children. And I wondered if I could do this. Four kids is a lot these days. I mean, I'm the oldest of 10, but it was different growing up that way. I wasn't the one raising them. I have had a lot of love and support to help though. Family and friends both have been there for us. And here we are, celebrating all those times past. 
She doesn't walk, but she doesn't let that slow her down. She can crawl, pull up and climb stairs. She climbs into my cabinets (after removing their contents). She dances when she hears music that she likes. She loves to get into anything and everything, so we have to take away and hide it all. Thanks to her, I have cleared some of the clutter zones. I had no choice. She loves all things tech-related. Controllers, remotes, phones, computers, TVs, tablets... all of it! Which is great. Her dad is an engineering student. Computers and electronics are his area of expertise. My future nerd might become an engineer after daddy's own heart. 
I might be a stay at home mom, but I am by no means lazy. I do occasional work as an Editor and typist on the side. TV binge watching or being idle don't happen unless I'm too sick, tired or in pain to move. My days are rarely spent on the couch. I have too much else to do. And most of it involves her. 
This week, my Monday was drastically bringing me down. Mondays are a busy day for me. I barely keep up with my days, but Mondays I know what I have laid out for me. I start with laundry. I clean the kitchen (if its not already done). I vacuum if needed, upstairs and down. I catch up with comments on the blog. I decide on what new posts I need to get done during the week. All this, while balancing a very active little girl. She goes where she can, gets into whatever she can reach, and has moments of Mommy Envy. Those moments are when she wants to be held and see what I am doing. I normally keep up with these things without losing my mind. I'll be tired by 5, but its a job I'm equipped for. This past Monday, however, was a little more stressful. She was sick. Stuffy, runny nose, congestion - just plain miserable. Top that with me starting my period for the month... My head hurt. My back hurt. And I was tired before I rolled out of bed. I didn't feel like doing anything. And then, there was the response I was getting from posting a GoFundMe campaign. My husband and I had talked about it. And we figured we had nothing left to lose, so why not try? But then some questions came my way. Some thoughts were tossed into my mind. And, I doubted. As my husband pointed out, I feel wrong taking because I'm a Giver. Its my "gift" (spiritual, for those who know them). I feel worthless, pathetic, lost even, when I'm having to ask for assistance instead of give it. It just isn't me. So I bombarded him with my concerns. I told him the thoughts that were tearing me apart. As usual, he had the answers that I needed to hear. The words that reassured me that I was not anywhere near what I thought of myself at that moment. And he came home with something special to remind me that he still thought I deserved and was better. 


It has made this week go by so much better. I am focused. I am driven. I am ready to embrace the next days challenges. And I'm looking forward to celebrating my baby turning 1! We plan to spend this weekend with my in-laws. We will have an early Thanksgiving Day dinner, followed by birthday cake. My kids are all growing up. And seeing her be a year old, is a huge reminder that I need to slow down a little more. I need to remember this. We all do. Life flies by, when you stop paying attention. Don't ever forget that. Don't lose time, while speeding through it.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

7 wonderful years so far

This past weekend was my little man, Allen's, 7th birthday.
Time flies! He has grown taller than his older brother. He is also sharp-witted and mathematically inclined. So, I'm one proud mama. We took him to Main Event. For the past couple weeks (weekends), we have been trapped at home. Everyone had some kind of ailment. My oldest son had severe allergies, Allen had pneumonia, my older girl had a perforated ear drum and allergies, and the baby was showing signs of congestion for unknown reasons. I had something that ended up in allergies. And my fiancé also had his allergies flare up. We were miserable. I missed work. All the kids missed some school. It was quite the time. So this past weekend, my fiancé and I decided that we had had enough of being trapped indoors. It was time to venture outside while we were feeling a bit more on the mend. We had some friends join in and got a small cake to share. Everyone ate and played and had a great time. He had all kinds of Lego and Minecraft gifts to love. It was wonderful. And it made me so happy. They are growing up so quickly. I want to treasure the moments while I can. Before I know it, they will be grown and gone.
When we got home, we had these little gemstone kits I got on clearance at Target a while back.
 
You chip away until you find your "gem".
Some of them are supposed to be real and valuable. Like one that I opened had what is supposed to be an actual diamond.
It was so much fun for all of us. And the smiles we all shared will be memories I keep in my heart. Happy Birthday, little man. Mommy loves you!

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Diamond Candles review

I've posted about Diamond Candles before. Well, when I posted about their 50-70% off sale (which is still happening) I went ahead and ordered some of them for Christmas gifts. I grabbed one for myself though to try out the scent and do my own review. I promise its completely by my choice and I was not asked by Diamond Candles to do this, nor was it hosted by them.
Shipping was really quick too. Took only a week to get all my candles. Each one was securely packed to avoid breakage during shipping. Now is the perfect time to order. You can catch the deals, discounts and promos. On top of that, there isn't a huge rush as there will be later in the year when everyone is ordering Christmas gifts at the same time. 
The candle I decided to write my review on was the It's a Girl candle
As soon as you open it, the smell flows into the room. No lighting required! It's a fresh mixture of powder and floral. 
I burned it for about 3+ hours before I got to the ring part.
And it was quite fun pulling it out.

I suggest you wear gloves though so your hands don't get waxed. And definitely give it time to cool before attempting to open the foil packaging. The ring will be in a small baggie wrapped in foil.
Though the wax might still get through the foil. 
The ring also comes with a Diamond Candles reveal, which mine showed being worth $10. 

Diamond Candles has many options to choose from and you can do advanced searches. So one reader asked if they had floral scents. They do! Just click on the Floral option off to the left of the screen to see those options. 
Sign up to receive their emails and you can be updated with every new sale or promotion they have going on. Now is a good time to watch those sales if you plan on getting them to give as gifts! Right now, their Labor Day sale is still active with BOGO free. Just use the code BOGO16 at checkout.