Comments on: Out of the Box Birthdays http://frugalhacks.com/2008/02/27/out-of-the-box-birthdays/ Good stewardship in action. How do you do it? Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:10:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: AnneMarieZ http://frugalhacks.com/2008/02/27/out-of-the-box-birthdays/comment-page-1/#comment-1714 AnneMarieZ Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:48:08 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=502#comment-1714 for a first birthday it's a big thing here but mostly to say thanks to all those who helped us with things throughout the first year. As for a gift for the wee one we ask people to make a scrapbook page with thier photo of them and their family and what THEY wish for our baby. Since the baby can't make a wish on thier own our family and close friends get to make a wish.. a healthy life, a world full of flowers... whatever... I get photos of families I might not have in the scrapbook for whatever reason and no money is spent since they can come over and use my stash :) It doesn't take anything but time... as far as dinner.. it's what the birthday girl/boy wishes.. and for cakes- on the real birthday it's a round cake- any flavor- but we use a birthday cake plate my father used as a boy. When we have the cousin get together it is as creative as the kiddo wishes.. ladybug, princess, treasure chest, polly pocket pool side.. they are suprised and I love to play with the food! lol! for a first birthday it’s a big thing here but mostly to say thanks to all those who helped us with things throughout the first year. As for a gift for the wee one we ask people to make a scrapbook page with thier photo of them and their family and what THEY wish for our baby. Since the baby can’t make a wish on thier own our family and close friends get to make a wish.. a healthy life, a world full of flowers… whatever… I get photos of families I might not have in the scrapbook for whatever reason and no money is spent since they can come over and use my stash :) It doesn’t take anything but time…

as far as dinner.. it’s what the birthday girl/boy wishes.. and for cakes- on the real birthday it’s a round cake- any flavor- but we use a birthday cake plate my father used as a boy. When we have the cousin get together it is as creative as the kiddo wishes.. ladybug, princess, treasure chest, polly pocket pool side.. they are suprised and I love to play with the food! lol!

]]> By: Need A Nap2 http://frugalhacks.com/2008/02/27/out-of-the-box-birthdays/comment-page-1/#comment-1713 Need A Nap2 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:59:18 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=502#comment-1713 For the 5th birthday, the child gets to go with Daddy for dinner and a movie and to Chuck-E-Cheese (they could eat at CEC but it would increase the cost). For child #1 this was the first real movie (infancy excluded) and first real time to CEC!! :) For the 6th birthday, we threw a party. But low-key of hamburgers/hot dogs at a park. Our first try got rained out :( but the second try was at a brand new park and went great. We tried to make it a "family gathering" and less of a child-emphasis party. I think everyone had a great time. Several $1 store trips helped with decorations and take-home gift (inflatable ball). Not sure where we'll take it from here (we have a few months). :) For the 5th birthday, the child gets to go with Daddy for dinner and a movie and to Chuck-E-Cheese (they could eat at CEC but it would increase the cost). For child #1 this was the first real movie (infancy excluded) and first real time to CEC!! :)

For the 6th birthday, we threw a party. But low-key of hamburgers/hot dogs at a park. Our first try got rained out :( but the second try was at a brand new park and went great. We tried to make it a “family gathering” and less of a child-emphasis party. I think everyone had a great time. Several $1 store trips helped with decorations and take-home gift (inflatable ball).

Not sure where we’ll take it from here (we have a few months). :)

]]> By: Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks&Me http://frugalhacks.com/2008/02/27/out-of-the-box-birthdays/comment-page-1/#comment-1711 Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks&Me Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:48:42 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=502#comment-1711 Both my kids were born near Christmas so birthdays could be especially challenging. When we had the funds, we let them choose a (reasonable) restaurant. Other years they got to choose their favorite homecooked meal. We only had birthday parties with guests on "special" birthdays. They both got to choose what birthday was the "big one" where they were able to have friends over. My daughter had a big party when she turned sixteen and we went someplace "very nice" when she turned twenty-one where she also brought a special guy (who soon became her fiance). My son's big party happened when he (finally) became a teenager. :) Both my kids were born near Christmas so birthdays could be especially challenging.

When we had the funds, we let them choose a (reasonable) restaurant. Other years they got to choose their favorite homecooked meal.

We only had birthday parties with guests on “special” birthdays. They both got to choose what birthday was the “big one” where they were able to have friends over.

My daughter had a big party when she turned sixteen and we went someplace “very nice” when she turned twenty-one where she also brought a special guy (who soon became her fiance).

My son’s big party happened when he (finally) became a teenager. :)

]]> By: AnnMarie http://frugalhacks.com/2008/02/27/out-of-the-box-birthdays/comment-page-1/#comment-1710 AnnMarie Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:23:31 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=502#comment-1710 My daughter is only 3. We haven't had a birthday party for her yet. Why bother when they won't remember it anyway? My husband is an Eagles (football) fan, and wanted to give her an outfit/jersey to wear each year when they watch TV together. So that's what we've done each year and called it her birthday gift from us (it comes months early, too, so that she can wear it from the first day of the season). So it's something we'd buy anyway, turned into a b-day gift. We're only going to have one party for her--this is from my Mom's family where there were 14 kids. They could only afford to have one party per kid! Mom continued that with us (just two of us) and let me tell you--I remember my birthday party! (I was also allowed to have them as a teen--but I had to do the work, and would just invite some friends to hang out and bake a cake together.) The birthday person does, however, get to choose dinner on their day. As a kid, it was "what Mom would cook" but we tend to go out to eat now. Either way makes it special. My daughter is only 3. We haven’t had a birthday party for her yet. Why bother when they won’t remember it anyway? My husband is an Eagles (football) fan, and wanted to give her an outfit/jersey to wear each year when they watch TV together. So that’s what we’ve done each year and called it her birthday gift from us (it comes months early, too, so that she can wear it from the first day of the season). So it’s something we’d buy anyway, turned into a b-day gift.

We’re only going to have one party for her–this is from my Mom’s family where there were 14 kids. They could only afford to have one party per kid! Mom continued that with us (just two of us) and let me tell you–I remember my birthday party! (I was also allowed to have them as a teen–but I had to do the work, and would just invite some friends to hang out and bake a cake together.) The birthday person does, however, get to choose dinner on their day. As a kid, it was “what Mom would cook” but we tend to go out to eat now. Either way makes it special.

]]> By: MerchantShips http://frugalhacks.com/2008/02/27/out-of-the-box-birthdays/comment-page-1/#comment-1709 MerchantShips Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:22:59 +0000 http://frugalhacks.com/?p=502#comment-1709 We're on the same wavelength today! I just posted some photos of Andrew's birthday table. We keep birthdays low key, party wise, but I like to pamper the birthday person from dawn to dusk--food,decorations, gifts gathered throughout the year. I also like to cut out paper numbers of their age and stick them all over the house, inside the car, etc. It's kind of a fun way to recognize that they are a different number now! We’re on the same wavelength today! I just posted some photos of Andrew’s birthday table.

We keep birthdays low key, party wise, but I like to pamper the birthday person from dawn to dusk–food,decorations, gifts gathered throughout the year.

I also like to cut out paper numbers of their age and stick them all over the house, inside the car, etc. It’s kind of a fun way to recognize that they are a different number now!

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