Celebrating 35 AGAIN & AGAIN!

When you’re a mom the birthdays are more about the kids, but do you remember those party-til-you-drop types of nights spent celebrating another fabulous year?  As parents we know those type of all nighters no longer mix with kids rising at 6 AM. This year I found a way to really ring in my birthday with my kids, husband, neighbors and friends. After all, every mom is worth celebrating on her special day.

We all know how busy moms are and sometimes our birthdays can get a little overlooked. The truth is, we are scrambling to simply make the house run smoothly.  We are busy trying to make healthy dinners, manage our kids lives that are truly going in so many directions.  The list goes on for us moms from piles of homework to shuffling them to soccer, dance, Italian lessons etc.. If you have more than one kid to manage it’s a whole other level of being busy, but devoted moms don’t think twice about it.  We just do it!

Most moms enjoy putting their kids first because we know that our kids are impressionable. We strive to expose them to the best the world has to offer. However, when our birthday rolls around, we tend to put any plans to celebrate “us” on the back-burner.

In our family, everyone’s birthday is celebrated, including the dogs.  From booking the best and greatest venue for the kids, to making homemade cards, to baking cakes, wrapping great presents, birthdays in our home are packed with cake, candles and presents.  This past week I actually felt spoiled that I was able to celebrate my own birthday three times.  Here’s how I did it.

HAVE A GIRLS NIGHT

The first thing Bobby said to do was plan a girl’s night with some of my friends. I of course happily obliged at the notion. A handful of my mom friends filled a table at a local restaurant and we enjoyed celebrating December birthdays.

A NIGHT WITH THE NEIGHBORS

Home is having awesome neighbors, THAT COOK. We have hit the jackpot with our neighbors and the folks on our block, they have become our family away from home.  My neighbor Neil  has mastered making Sushi and each week you could find many of us sampling his expertise.  We are an extremely close knit group and on my birthday weekend we decided to co-host a party at their house and serve Bobby’s favorite, a Low Country Boil. Find the recipe here.  Many families from our block joined us to celebrate. It was an epic evening and I am so grateful we have this neighborhood family. I can’t forget to mention how the kids are a little tribe and love when we get together each week. Truly the sweetest thing.

A NIGHT OUT WITH MY FAMILY OF FIVE (& Aunt Lauren)

I love having a December birthday because when I want to relish in a family activity you can always count on a Christmas themed event. First, Bobby booked reservations in Little Italy at Ironside Fish and Oyster Bar. Bobby knows about the love affair I have with lobster, so he spoiled me with one that was two pounds. Lauren, (aka Aunt Lauren) celebrated with us and surprised me with the gift of babysitting one night and reservations at Juniper & Ivy.

After dinner we went to Petco Park to see their first Holiday Wonderland. It was quite magical for my kids to see all the light displays, and all the snow that was shipped in for kids to go tubing and throw snow-balls, and ride the polar express.  It was a magical birthday to say the least. I loved all three celebrations, but the day with my kids and watching the sparkle in their eyes as they played in the the snow, and visited Santa’s workshop makes another year older not so bad!  They truly have mastered how to keep their momma young!

What are you doing to make sure your birthday is planned out and not stuck on the soccer field?