Birthdays are such a fun reason to celebrate! From the time you are born until the time you graduate from college, it seems like birthday celebrations are thrown upon you from your family and friends, whether you care about celebrating or not.
However, once you take on the real world, you may not have a built in group of best friends and family that live in the same place as you, so birthdays can seem a little less celebratory. However, they do not have to be! I am here today to share some easy and fun ways to make sure birthdays remain special for you and your loved ones.
The title of this post says these tips are for girls, but that's just because I had my sister in mind when writing this post since we just recently celebrated her birthday. However, these tips can be used for everyone!
1. Talk it up- Everyone wants to know you are thinking about them and remember that their most special day of the year is coming up. Use the fact that they have a birthday coming up to text them or do something fun with them, and say it's because of their birthday. My sister and I went to the pool, and of course I said we were going up there for her birthday. She got a festive margarita, and we both got a beer and of course said cheers to your birthday before taking our first sips! We also went on a shopping trip with my mom that we called a birthday shopping spree. Identifying fun activities as birthday activities makes the birthday girl feel more special!
Lilly Wrap // Sandals // Sunglasses // Swimsuit
Ebie's Top // Ebie's Shorts // Ebie's Sandals // My Dress // My Mom's Dress // My Mom's Sandals
2. Go to a fun restaurant- Ok, so we did this every night for like 5 nights in a row. On Ebie's real birthday, we went to a Mexican restaurant for the grand finale. Mexican restaurants are always fun and festive places for birthday celebrations. Grab some margs and chips and guac, and you have quite the fiesta!
Ebie's shirt // Ebie's Shorts // Ebie's Shoes // Ebie's Crossbody Bag // My Mom's Dress // My Dress // My Shoes // My Earrings // My Crossbody Bag
3. Buy or make a birthday dessert- This is where things got a little rocky for poor Parker a few years ago. He gave me the amazing gift of a shopping spree in Atlanta the weekend before my birthday. So when the day of my birthday came around, I expected a little something to make the day festive. He quickly learned that a birthday dessert was in demand every single birthday. It can be as small as a cupcake or cookie. It's mainly the thought that counts. However, Parker learned from his mistake and now goes all out with a full on birthday cake. He wants to make me happy and in order for that to happen, I have to be clear with him about what I want. Which he now knows is some form of sweet birthday treat. :)
My mom made Ebie Gaga's Texas Chocolate Cake and bought her half a caramel cake. Ebie's boyfriend made her some pancake cupcakes. She was not lacking in the birthday dessert category.
4. Put up birthday decorations- These can be so affordable and make things so much more festive! I have collected several signs from Target and Walmart over the years and pull them out year after year. I actually brought them home to put up for Ebie's birthday! Bonus points for a birthday crown, pin, wine glass, or you are special today red plate. Or you could go with flowers or balloons, depending on the person. There are so many options!
You Are Special Today red plate (Our grandparents started this red plate birthday tradition, and my family has one too. When I was picking out our wedding gifts with gift card money at a store in Dothan, I discovered one of these and of course I had to get one so Parker and I can carry on this tradition! We always pull it out for everybody on their birthdays!)
5. Send a text, make a call, post on social media, mail a card- Sometimes physically being there for a loved one's birthday just isn't possible. You can still let her know you are thinking of her in many ways. Because I do not live in the same place as any of my friends, I have to go this route the majority of the time. Letting your friend know you are thinking about her by sending a text, making a phone call, posting on social media, and/or mailing a card can bring joy to her special day.
Feel free to share this post with people you think might need it! It took a little while for Parker to understand just how much I love to celebrate, but once I stopped expecting him to know how to do it on his own and spelled it out for him, he began going above and beyond my expectations! We can't always expect our loved ones (husbands and boyfriends in particular) to understand exactly what we are thinking. That is asking for disappointment. I have learned that they truly want to make us happy, but it is up to us to tell them exactly what we want in order for it to happen! Are you a big celebrator? What are some ways you celebrate your loved ones' birthdays??