I'll admit I am a reformed Pinterest mom. Nothing made me more giddy than my kids' birthdays rolling around and getting to work on the perfect party theme complete with personalized favors, finger foods with cute names to match the theme, and of course a fancy homemade cake. They were into Frozen that year? No problem, I can make a 3-D Elsa cake complete with an aqua rosette dress made out of frosting. Your thing is Legos? I'll just mold some chocolate into Lego people and bricks, no big deal. But somewhere (probably after that 3rd baby was born!), I decided the parties were becoming too much. Too much stress to make it as great as the year before, too much time taken away with planning, too many gifts to find a place for at the end of the party! I realized a more minimalist lifestyle was the key to our family being happier.
When my husband and I started dating, we decided that for our birthdays, instead of gifts, we would do small trips. I can still smell the smoke of the fire burning in the chimney and feel the crisp air on my face as we sat outside enjoying the glorious view of the Tennessee mountains on our first trip together for my birthday. I can still smell the salty ocean air of the Gulf of Mexico for his birthday trip that year. You see, experiences like these are etched into our memories and last a lifetime, and that's exactly what I want for my children. I want for them to look back on their childhoods and think about the wonderful moments we shared together as a family.
I was so thrilled when my middle son said he'd rather go on a family adventure this year for his birthday. You see, as a Florida native, he's only ever seen a few snow flurries in his life, so his biggest wish was to see a lot of snow. So we drove up to the mountains of North Carolina and took him on a winter adventure filled with snow tubing and sledding. I have no doubt this memory will stay with him for life. I can't wait to experience more fun things with my family.
Now of course a trip is not always in the budget every year for every kid, so here are a few ideas to create experiences while on a budget. If the kids' birthdays are close at all, you could bundle the trip and make it a "family birthday adventure." Keeping the location close allows you to only spend a weekend and easily drive instead of paying for flights. There are also plenty of fun things to do locally. Go for the day (or buy a pass) for the local zoo, aquarium or children's museum. Go to an age-appropriate play or concert. For the more adventurous, indoor rock climbing or zip-lining. There are so many ways to create special memories with your family. And hey, you don't even have to give up making the fancy homemade cakes...I know I didn't. Some traditions are worth keeping!
