RSS Feed

a December 5th, 2013

  1. The Birthday Excursion

    December 5, 2013 by admin

    IMG_0583

    As our kids grow, we quickly came to the conclusion that planning a big birthday party is a big pain.  The older the kids get, the higher the expectations for a huge event.  And the bigger the event, the larger the expense- and the headache.

    So we took a step back and asked ourselves: why do our kids want a party anyway?  Well, they want their birthday to be special.  They want it to be memorable. And they want to IMG_1072share their joy.  It was identifying these points that allowed us to switch gears.

    We can make a very special birthday without the big hassle and associated cost.

    Instead of planning a large house party, we now plan more intimate affairs: the birthday kid, siblings, and a few choice friends.  Then instead of a home party, we take this smaller group on an adventure that we hope they won’t soon forget.

    One year, we took Plum and her two besties to Build-A-Bear.  Each girl got an inexpensive (thanks to coupons and the points program) but awesome, bear to take home.   And another birthday, Plum and a dear friend got to experience the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM). Each girl came home with matching six foot long stuffed snakes and awesome memories of a fun filled day.

    This year, Bluey will take his two besties to MPM to explore, get a treat from the gift shop, and to have a yummy lunch out.

    Whether it is to a museum, a special park, a trip down the shore, or a skiing day-trip, you can pack a lot of fun into a lovely birthday excursion when you are adding just one or two good friends to the mix. And the memories of the adventure will hopefully last a lifetime.