Birthday Traditions: Three Fun

We have always cherished our family birthday traditions, and they seem to be even more important since we have been spending so much time at home (you know…2020/2021 and such). In the past, one of our birthday traditions was a trip to Disneyland in lieu of a birthday party. The kids love that tradition, but since Disneyland is temporarily closed, we added a few other celebrations that are going to be here to stay.

First, let me say that I am a big fan of simple birthdays. Simple birthdays with sheet cake at a pizza joint are some of my favorite memories. Also, I have learned that I want to spend time with the birthday girl or boy and not be prepping things the day of his/her birthday. These three traditions we incorporated into our birthday celebrations won’t take you away from spending time with your little one as long as you plan it out ahead of time.

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Balloon Garland

The night before one of the kid’s birthdays, I stay up and make a balloon garland to surprise him/her with in the morning (now they know this happens but the theme/colors are a surprise). Recently, we started getting the other kiddo involved by staying up to help. It gives the non-birthday kid an important role in making the birthday child’s day special and helps cut down on jealousy. Plus, I love one-on-one time!

This birthday tradition does not cost as much as you would think if you do it yourself. You can find balloon garland kits online—this one is my favorite because of the variety in sizes. I recently purchased this one and then added these fun disco balloons. A balloon pump is a must-have if you are going to create these garlands. I have had this electric balloon pump for almost 9 years!

Birthday Cake Waffles

At the beginning of quarantine, I purchased this Mickey Mouse waffle maker. It makes waffles just like you would get at a Disney resort! The kids wanted confetti waffles and I was able to make them some using a gluten-free cake mix (you can use a regular cake mix too!).

Here is what you need:

• 1 box white cake mix
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup oil
• Sprinkles (up to you how much to use!)
• Oil/butter to grease waffle iron

Mix everything together and pour in your waffle iron. Enjoy! These are so very good and taste exactly like birthday cake! I think we need to extend this one beyond our birthday traditions.

Birthday Number Charcuterie Board

We always celebrate birthdays with their number in balloons or signs (I am 40 now so I think we should stop that for me, mmmkay?). The kids love it. When I saw Fig & Honey’s Instagram posts featuring a birthday number charcuterie box, I wanted to try to make one for the kids. If you are local to the Denver area definitely support them by ordering one!

I ordered a paper mâché number from our local craft store and used a knife to cut it open. You can check out this Instagram post to see how. The box was filled with kid-friendly meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits and snacks.