Happy Birthday on a Budget

October 11, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Family

Last Saturday was my daughter’s 1st birthday party. I was feeling guilty because we through a pretty extravagant party for my older daughter on her 1st but made the decision to make this a more ecomonical event. I was afraid that by spending less it would be less special. That one day our girls would compare pictures and and the younger would feel less important and less loved than her older sister.

Boy was I wrong! We spent a fraction by taking inventory and using things we already had including, believe it or not, left-over plates and napkins from the other 1st b-day 3 1/2 years ago!. I used Evite to send electronic invitations and collect RSVP’s. Instead of a big BBQ, we had light snacks and a special home-made cake. The theme was “Having a Ball” and we purchased a huge bag of balls from a consignment sale to fill a play tent (which was a Christmas present 2 years ago) for a make-shift ball pit. This was a huge hit with the toddlers in attendance!

In the end, everyone in fact did “have a ball” and we stayed on budget. And I have nothing to feel guilty about because both of my daughters are loved, regardless of the dollar figure spent on a party. This may seem trivial, but I’m sure most moms feel the weight of trying to keep everything “even” among siblings. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, love and thoughtfulness (not money or “being even”) outweighs everything else.

I hope you enjoy this video from the party!