I was asked to participate in the #HallmarkAtWalgreens campaign, sponsored by Walgreens. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.
Every child anticipates and looks forward to their birthday especially around the age of 4 when they truly understand what’s happening and it’s time to celebrate YOU!
They start counting the days, months and weeks the day after their birthday passes. There is something exciting that takes place within a child as they anticipate their birthday.
As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or friends it’s left up to us to cultivate that excitement and anticipation in a most celebrated way.
With my little one turning two this year…she didn’t fully understand until she got presents and we made a big deal about it!!!! I’m sure next year on her third birthday, more will make sense in her little world and the excitement will be a sheer joy and each year this joy will only grow for her! It will be fun as a mama to sit back and watch that excitement grow for her.
As children grow older their birthday becomes more real and vivid to them as they recollect memories of the previous birthday and anticipate adding another number to their years. We adults won’t want to relate to the part of adding an extra number to our years!!!
My nephew just turned five this past weekend and little Miss E and I got to help him celebrate this milestone in a very special way. The older I get the more I love the “experience” gifts. In reality we just get to slip away and spend time together. This is what will last and will be remembered more than the “gift”.
Miss E and I went to Walgreens and picked out an adorable Hallmark birthday card for her soon-to-be five year old cousin. Out of the huge selection I found it wise for me to choose two cards and let Miss E pick which one she thought he’d like! She of course chose the one with Hot Wheels™ cars all over it along with stickers to go with it. I think in the end she made a good choice! We wrote a special note letting him know how special he is to us and how much we love him…Miss E even had to “sign” it and make her drawings on the card, which truly make it extra special in the end.
What little guy doesn’t love cars and we loved the message – “Have an all out Birthday Blast!” – super fitting for this little 5 year old nephew/cousin of ours!
We then wrapped up his added gift and took him to our local bakery to pick out a cupcake. These two were adorable the whole afternoon. Holding hands, giggling, and just being best of buds. They chose the biggest, most iced and sprinkled cupcake they could see…I carried them to the park for a fun birthday snack and celebration date.
I find it’s the little things that make a big difference. Our birthday celebration experience didn’t have to be elaborate, it didn’t have to be a big fanfare…kids love the simple things in life. Seeing his face light up at the choice of cupcakes all the way to opening his “car” card to opening his gift…what a fun time we had. Each of these memories is priceless!
Here are a few ways we keep Birthday Celebrations Easy and Memorable:
- Gift them an experience where you get to go with them and spend time together.
- Give a meaningful Hallmark card with a hand written note!
- Show up on their birthday with a fun Hallmark card, balloons and a yummy treat.
- If you are celebrating with a party, keep it simple, all about them and what they like.
- Fix their favorite meal and celebrate by going around the table and everyone praises the birthday child for something they admire and love about them.
- Take pictures – take them to a fun place that they love to go, get dressed up and take their pictures.
- Celebrate with a Birthday Breakfast (or breakfast in bed!)
- Send them a Hallmark Birthday card each day for a week leading up to their big day.
- Let them skip out on their chores for their birthday.
- Get them involved, the older they get, in how they’d like to celebrate their day- they usually come up with fun ideas (and less of a fanfare than you think!)
Hi I’m Erin a Southern mama from South Mississippi, owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom a blog helping mom-tographers capture their kiddos and life, talking all things home, parenting and how we navigate through life. You will find me living life to the fullest with my mister (aka husband) and our little one year old, Miss Elle, in our 500+ sq foot cottage as we build our dream house on our two acres! We are blessed beyond measure, love to travel, involved in ministry at our church and in between all of that I run three successful businesses!Follow me at: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walgreens. The opinions and text are all mine.
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