My oldest daughter celebrated another trip around the sun and now I officially have a 12-year-old! We are as a rule, pretty low-key when it comes to celebrations and birthdays are no exception. However, turning 12 along with graduating from elementary school, called for a bit of pizazz but in an understated way.
Enter donuts! 🙂
Seriously, decorating with food is a no-brainer because there is not much to clean up or put away or even throw away, because it all gets eaten. My daughter loves donuts, and I thought a donut-themed birthday would be the perfect way to celebrate her and she gets to enjoy one of her favorite foods.
Instead of a big birthday cake, I made individual strawberry cupcakes and decorated them with frosting and sprinkles. I then placed a mini chocolate donut on top of each cupcake. I also had a separate plate of chocolate donuts as well. I made little donut flags and little “12” flags and placed those into each cupcake.
I only purchase tan colored wrapping paper for presents whether it is for birthdays or for Christmas and I then dress it up with bows and/or stickers. Themed wrapping paper usually gets wasted because it never fails, the next time you have to wrap a present for someone, all you have is Mickey Mouse wrapping paper and your recipient is not a 7-year-old but a grown adult. Much easier to keep neutral wrapping paper on hand and be prepared for any occasion.
I wrapped all of my daughter’s presents with the neutral wrapping paper and then decorated them with donut stickers. I then wrapped them in pink yarn. So cute and festive!
I put up “Happy Birthday” balloons and decorated the window behind it with pink and white crepe paper and that is pretty much it. And my daughter absolutely loved it!! She had the biggest smile and loved all the touches I had added, even though they were small in nature. She enjoyed the presents and cupcakes and donuts and said she thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the day of her birth.
I have never been an over-the-top birthday celebrator, nor have I ever gone into debt just to put on a showy celebration. In the end, they aren’t going to remember all the toys they received or gadgets or trinkets, but they will remember that you were there and that you made them feel special. That you love them unconditionally and are so thankful that they get to enjoy a day just for them.
Being intentional and minimal when it comes to birthdays while also being thoughtful can be a difficult line to walk if you let it but thinking outside the box and really getting creative about what you are trying to accomplish, comes with its own perks as well. If you are looking to tone down your children’s birthday celebrations going forward, cheers to that and also, look online for ideas and see how you can tailor them to fit your budget and your time. The internet is full of suggestions so take some time to find ones that could work for you and your wallet.
Don’t underestimate the power of homemade cupcakes and donuts and a few balloons. There is joy to be found in simplicity 🙂
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