…it's my birthday too, yeah! Or at least, that's how the song goes. Actually, yesterday WAS my birthday and I was able to spend it in my favorite way: at home, surrounded by my wonderful family. The weather took a break from storminess, and after attending church meetings; we headed back home for a great meal, fun conversation, and time with those I love—the BEST birthday gift ever! My older children made a delicious dinner with all the fixins! Salmon, salad, brown rice, and birthday cake—yum my favorite dinner! Thanks Ashley and Jared.
Just last week, we repeated yet another fun birthday tradition: taking the leadership of Close To My Heart to Cheesecake Factory. We hold this annual outing every year close to my birthday, but it's really a celebration of EVERYONE'S birthday on the team (you can start singing, "They say it's your birthday, it's my birthday, too" here). Everyone chooses a favorite meal and it's fun to see what they pick: juicy burgers, sizzling fajitas, light salads…Kristine's just happy to have everlasting refills on diet Coke! I tried the seared ahi tuna salad this year and it was delicious.
Then, just a few days later, we held our annual employee appreciation breakfast—another "near birthday tradition." Every employee of the company is invited to join us for hot pancakes—cooked up by grillmaster David Lynton, of course!--with choices of sausage or bacon or both, strawberries and orange juice, all served by the management team of Close To My Heart. Every employee also receives a small gift from the company and a big gift of time together to relax, eat, and celebrate. I truly believe Close To My Heart employees are the greatest people on earth, and it is a wonderful day when I get to tell them so—one at a time!
These are just a few of the fun traditions I look forward to each year that make celebrating a birthday a real joy. And because I believe birthdays are a great chance to give, not just to get, I'll declare this your honorary birthday and 10 lucky readers can choose their gift! Simply post a comment sharing YOUR FAVORITE BIRTHDAY TRADITION—it can be something you love to eat, a place you love to go, a song you simply must sing, an activity you enjoying doing—whatever makes your birthday complete! I'll be choosing 10 winners at random next week, and you can each choose a stamp set of your choice from the Spring/Summer Idea Book as your special un-birthday present!
Until then, celebrate every day like it's your special day—because when you're with people you love, it IS!
Looks like you've had a great time of celebrating! Happy birthday beautiful lady! My fave birthday tradition is when I get to attend the Great Amer Scrapbook Conv and shop 'til I drop with my buddies. It's held every year during my birthday week! In fact, I'm already looking forward to the 1st weekend of June-yeah me!
ReplyDeleteWe take my grandson to my brothers restaurant each year on his birthday. This will be #15. It is great to see the growth in him each year as I take the pictures. He was the reason I started scrapbooking, all those years ago and I haven't regretted one day of recording our family memories. Thank you for the greatest products, how tos and inspiration! May the Lord continue to bless you just as you bless all of us. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY a little late. Vicki Emmerson
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!! My birthday tradition is to go to dinner, usually mexican, and then have cake with my husband and 2 boys!!! Yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! You're an amazing lady and I know that you'll have many Blessings this year. Our tradition is hanging the Birthday banners in the dinning room and decorating the cake to fit the individuals personality or pie in my Mom's case. Just being together is the best present,but new scrap supplies make it even better!
ReplyDeleteWell would you believe, but my birthday is tomorrow! My birthday tradition also includes my daughter's because her birthday is on the 31st. We always go to Jessica's favorite restaurant - Miyabi's. After the meal, we both get up to do the chicken dance! Sharing my birthday with Jessica, my son Matthew, and my husband Jamie is the best birthday present!
ReplyDeleteSome of our family members aren't real fans of cake, so depending on whose birthday is being celebrated, we may have brownies (with pecans), cherry pie or Texas sheet cake...but regardless of the dessert, there must be plenty of ice cream to go around! We also love going out for Mexican and spending time with the family or receiving calls all day long when they're out of state.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a wonderful birthday. Thank you for sharing your talents with each of us!
Happy Birthday Jeanette!! When my husband and I were dating we went to a garage sale. I found a glass cake plate that I loved and he bought it for me. He paid maybe $2 at the most. Well that was more than 29 years ago and that plate has been the cake plate for all three of my children plus my husband and myself all these years. At least 5 cakes a year for 29 years equals 145 birthday celebrations! That plate is so precious to me. Thanks for reading. PS. I saw a plate just like mine in an antique shop and they valued that one at $35. Yea!! I have had great memories with mine and now it's a more valuable cake plate. Win Win
ReplyDeleteHaPpY BirThDaY to you Jeanette! Like you, my birthday isn't complete without the Beatles "they say it's your Birthday" song. My very good friend of over 20 years, Laura, calls me every year on my birthday and sings this to me. To some this may not seem like a special thing, but she has faithfully sang this to me over the years as a military spouse herself (no matter where they were living) and as a military spouse no matter where we are living or what time zone I am in! I'll never forget her singing it to me on my 40th. I was still recovering from cancer/chemo and was not feeling like celebrating until I she brightened my day with her song and I was reminded of just how lucky I was to be celebrating yet another Birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday a day late!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite way to spend my birthday is with family - it can be any where and doing anything, just as long as we are together.
Cindy L.
well happybirthday. we always do brownies on my birthday. i just started liking cake but i still love my birthday brownies
ReplyDeleteOur family tradition is pretty simple: a little shopping with birthday money & dinner at the birthday girl's favorite restaurant. I'm usually lucky and have great summer movies out for my birthday--an extra birthday treat!
ReplyDelete~Kelly M.
Happy Birthday! My birthday is next week and I'm looking forward to celebrating with my family. As long as I'm with them & have cake or marionberry pie, I'm a happy girl :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, Happy Birthday! What a great way to celebrate your special day. A friend shared your blog with me, and I am So glad she did! Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you! Mine is next month. My favorite birthday tradition is celebrating with my entire extended family. We'll have a homemade dinner at the home of one of my sisters, then cake, ice cream, presents and pictures - super fun!!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated Birthday! My birthday is 3 days before my youngest nephews birthday, so we always have a combo dinner together. The celebration is usually focused on him since he just turned 7, but my mom always makes sure I get a little cake for me (usually 6 inches across at most). I don't expect a birthday cake anymore, but it is nice that mom always makes sure her kids get their own cake!
ReplyDeleteOh, our family has several great traditions for birthdays...
ReplyDeleteThe ugly ceramic fish that has been passed from family member to family member on birthdays. It got down to just my "Papa" and me, but he has been gone since 1976 - I still have it.
The "family birthday candle" which saves on all those boxes of candles!
And now, our dog has taken to singing along to the Happy Birthday song - hooooowwwwwlllll!
Happy Birthday, Jeanette and I think all you CTMH folks are hot cakes!
Happy Birthday - what fun celebrations! One 'tradition' I remember from growing up was going school clothes shopping since my b-day was always right before school started. I hope to start and keep some fun traditions with my kids. One thing we started but never kept up with was my mom made a b-day tablecloth and guests at the party would sign their name, but that only lasted for my first two kids ;-P
ReplyDeleteMy husbands birthday is in August. He isn't too keen on cake so I make his all-time-favorite dessert, key lime pie, instead of cake.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday,
Happy Birthday!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my birthday...or birth-month as I like to call it! I want to celebrate all month long! It's always a race in my family to be the first to call and wish the other a Happy Birthday. My dad was usually the first to get me....However, this year will be different, as I lost my dad unexpectedly in Dec. I am never to old to celebrate the life God blessed me with!!
ReplyDeleteI was born on Albert Einstein's 100th birthday. On my 16th birthday, I went with my parents to the movie I.Q., a fictionalization involving Einstein. Ever since then, my family and I watch I.Q. on my birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeanette! My oldest son loves ice cream, so the tradition for his birthday (which was just two days before you!) is for me to make him a home made ice cream pie. He loves it & it is so easy (but I don't let on about that!). Thanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeanette! No matter whose birthday it is, the kids pile into our bed first thing in the morning, and we open presents there :o) Hope to see you in Toronto in a couple of weeks!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you and thanks for sharing it with all of us!! My birthday is in November, right around the time it starts getting real cold in Michigan. My favorite birthday was 2 years ago when I turned 40 and my family went on vacation to Florida. It was warm and beautiful on the beach and just really nice to relax and have fun. When I was a kid I always wished I had a summer birthday and that year it felt like my wish came true.
ReplyDeleteI lie in bed with my eyes held tight until I hear my little ones come running in. It's hard to keep from smiling as they giggle and hush each other. Daddy gets them to "quietly" wake me up. All of them wish me a happy birthday complete with lite candles in my breakfast. When they were babies it was a store bought muffin, as they have grown so does breakfast. Seeing their happy faces filled with excitement and love is the best gift I could ever dream of. It doesn't matter what else goes on that day "Happy Birdtay Momma-ie" is the best part.
ReplyDeleteI love birthdays with my grandchildren. They get so excited to open their presents. One year though, I hosted an 80th surprise birthday party for my Daddy. He was so surprised and everyone seemed to have a great time. He did not live to see another birthday so I was always glad I did this before we lost him.
ReplyDeleteOur favorite birthday tradition: not cake, but a different favorite dessert. My kids enjoy picking a different dessert every year for their birthday treats! Cake is reserved for parties. They get very creative!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette. I love birthday cake and birthday cake ice cream (actual flavor from our HEB grocery store).
ReplyDeleteSpending time with my husband and two daughters is treat enough.
ReplyDeleteWell, my birthday is this Thursday and my fave tradition is a somewhat selfish one. I don't like anyone making a fuss over me so I take the day off from work (or several days like this week) and hide from everyone. I like the day alone, with a quiet dinner with just my sweetie.
ReplyDeleteEvery year I've been lucky enough to always spend it with my family......the cake and icecream is always the icing on the top! Last year since my kids are getting a little older they were able to make me some construction paper and crayon cards.....precious!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeanette! Mine was last week. We always celebrate by going to the Mandarin restaurant (a huge Chinese buffet).
ReplyDeleteHope to see you in Toronto in a few weeks!
Alyson Mayo
Jeanette, my birthday is tomorrow! I didn't realize that our birthdays are so close together. :) My favorite birthday tradition is going out to eat for birthday dinners. It's such a nice change from the hustle and bustle of every day.
ReplyDeleteCTMH has the best employees because it's the best company!
What a great way to celebrate your birthday, Jeanette! It's wonderful that you were able to spend time with all of your family and friends. That is certainly a favorite gift of mine, as well!
ReplyDeleteAs far as birthday traditions are concerned, I'm actually a New Years Eve baby. :) My family and I always make dinner reservations a week or two in advance. Then, we either go to our favorite Italian restaurant (Maggiano's) or a local Mexican eatery. Afterward, we come home, play some sort of card or board game, and then watch the NY ball drop.
We do the same routine every year. It's one of my favorites and it always makes my birthday feel special!
Happy Birthday, Jeanette! I enjoy a special dinner with my family -- my beloved MIL started a tradition of tacos for the birthday honoree, and we've continued that tradition in our own home. So, every year, I get to celebrate with my MIL's yummy taco recipe -- no one makes them like she did!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeanette! The way you spent your birthday is exactly the way we love to spend ours! My kids, their spouses and our grandkids come over on THE day and we have a simple supper and after dishes are done, we get cake! I love spending the time with our blessings and I am esp. thankful for them on MY day. Another favourite tradition is to have a special birthday tea at my girlfriends' house with all the best china and crystal - a real ladies treat! The best gift I could receive is- just being able to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had such a nice b-day celebration! My hubby normally takes the kids out (daughter 10, son 4) to shop for b-day supplies. My daughter thinks its very important for all of us to celebrate every year. My husband is military, and with all the deployments he has missed my b-day every other year for the past 6 years. I now take my kids out for a pre-birthday party shopping trip - and of act surprised when they set up the things I purchased for them to use - lol!
ReplyDeleteSherette Cline*
Happy belated birthday! I love birthdays! We have some great birthday traditions; the honored guest gets to choose what we're having for dinner and we go all out with fancy dishes and a special cake. I love it when all the family is together!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is a facial...just to wash those years away!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is in July right around the 4th, so ice cream cake is always a must at my birthday and usually a date with my hubby.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading your Birthday Celebrations!! My Birthday is around or on Thanksgiving and we usually spend the weekend in our pj's watching all my favorite movies and eating all kinds of fun foods. It is my favorite day not because it's about me it's my favorite because I spend it doing nothing and relaxing with my sweet family!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!
My favorit part of my birthday is I don't have to frost the angle food cake because I hate frosting and I just want the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed your day!
Love having a nice quite dinner at home with my loved ones! Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! :) We celebrate our birthdays by picking out a nice restaurant for dinner followed by cake and ice cream!
ReplyDeleteWell, happy birthday, Jeannette! My favourite birthday tradition is making my own, decadent, elaborate birthday cake. It's the one time each year I really pull out all the stops and ignore the calorie count!
ReplyDeleteI cannot think of any birthday traditions I have. However I do have kind of a funny birthday story.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I are almost 3 yrs apart to the day. My birthday is two days before his. I like to say I was the best birthday gift he ever got! My mom brought me home from the hospital on his birthday!
Happy Birthday Jeanette!
Wow! Happy Birthday Jeanette! Love CTMH! You are one fabulous lady. My birthday tradition? If i can help it we ge to make a Chocolate turtle cake yumo! and go out to dinner. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette! Money has gotten tight over the years but we always get together at the birthday person's house for coffee and cake (we used to have dinner). The sisters and sisters-in-laws always hand make the cards (we all scrap and go to classes together too) and we just enjoy each other's company. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
ReplyDeleteSince my birthday in near Christmas Dec 20th we try to always go sledding. It is supper fun and it gets us all out of the house for a couple of hours. Most of the time our sledding turns into a snowball fight but it is all fun in the snow. But I wish it would stop snowing now. Hannah Hepworth
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition was my phone call from my Dad. He was mostly an absentee father, but he never forgot to call me on my birthday and reminesce (sp?) about the day I was born. He passed away in 2009 and I really miss that.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeanette! I hope you had a wonderful, happy day.
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is November 28th so it is always near Thanksgiving. That means that I always get to spend my birthday with family. As each year passes that time grows more and more precious to me. Thanks for sharing your birthday with us.
ReplyDeleteHappy, Happy Birthday, Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteBirthday traditions are great! As I get older it's been less about the gifts and more about the sentimental things. I absolutely love the homemade cards from my kids, especially the ones that say "You're the best Mom in the world!" What could be better? Well of course, the ice cream cake comes in a close second!!!
Happy belated Birthday! My mother-in-law likes to host birthday dinners for her sons and their spouses' birthdays, so it has become a tradition.
ReplyDeleteBirthdays for me mean sharing lemon cake or angel food cake with a chocolate whip cream frosting with my family! Yuummmy good.
ReplyDeleteWe have raspberry white chocolate bundt cake for my birthday... It is to DIE for!
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me say that I knew I loved Kristine for a reason - bottomless Diet Coke is what I live for!
ReplyDeleteOur birthday tradition here is that the birthday person gets their gift ON their birthday, regardless of day of week or when their party is. They also get to choose what's for dinner on their birthday, or choose a restaurant for the nearest weekend.
March must be a fabulous month for birthdays. My hubby's and baby's with five days straight of family birthdays! Anyways one of my favorite traditions (silly) started with my parents wrapping our birthday gifts in towels and pillowcases or whatever my mom could find. My growing little family has followed the tradition. Hey it makes it easy for the kids to wrap and is so "green" lol, plus it just makes me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI make it a Birthday Week!! The whole week of my birthday I do something special just for me. I'm a single mom of 3 so I look forward to pampering myself!!!:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your birthday traditions!
ReplyDeleteAfter having 2 children, my favorite birthday tradition is being allowed to sleep in, and then breakfast in bed. :)
Happy belated birthday! My birthday is 3 days before Christmas, so we are usually visiting family for the holidays. We go out to dinner, drive around looking at the Christmas lights, and then go home and have dessert - usually leftover cake from my son's birthday, whose birthday is 5 days before mine!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you!!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the celebration photos that you share! And how wonderful that you do the breakfast! (I remember seeing the posts from last year!)
The 'must do' traditions that I have brought to my family from when I was growing up is that 1. you don't have to do any chores on your birthday. 2. You get to pick any dinner that you want!
We of course, have the birthday cake and ice cream too, but those two are the 'musts' that we have every year!
Happy Birthday to you and all the employees at Close To My Heart! This company has to be absolutely THE BEST company to work for - I want to move to Utah!! Birthday celebrations are all about family and our tradition is that we all get together and have dinner...either at the restaurant of choice or at home. The celebrant gets to choose what will be for dinner and what type of birthday cake they want!
ReplyDeleteWe have a crazy IKEA Birthday cake hat that the special person wears. The kids crack up when its an adults' turn, and we remember what its like to have some silly birthday fun
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette!!
ReplyDeleteI love to celebrate my birthday by spending my day with my daddy, I was blessed to be born on his 20th birthday. And no matter what we do I just like to celebrate our special bond and day together!
Happy Birthday! In our family they are fun at any age, and it looks like it is with your family as well.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday memory is easy - my birthday is Ma 4th, my sister May 7th, she is a year older than me. I always had to "wait" until her birthday so we could celebrate together. Hated that as a kid. When I grew up and moved out - I got to celebrate my birthday - ON MY BIRTHDAY. I thought it would be so cool. Turns out - I missed sharing the day with my sister whom I love dearly. We've celebrated together ever since.
Like a lot of people, our family tradition for birthdays is that the birthday person gets to choose the meal--including dessert. My mom makes delicious homemade frosting (when one's in the mood for "regular" birthday cake), but since she makes the most AMAZING chocolate cheesecake, that's usually my choice! (And my dad is a master on the grill with steaks . . . thank goodness my birthday is in the summer!) :) Wow, now I'm really hungry for Dad's steak and Mom's chocolate cheesecake . . . . and just generally spending time with my family . . .
ReplyDeleteMy mom had a special birthday cake book we could choose our cake out of and now I have the book & my kids get to choose their cake from it.
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is one day before my late mother's birthday. So I always ask my children to help by picking the Plumeria flowers on my birthday so I can string them into a lei and put it on my mother's grave on her birthday. Having lived my entire life in Hawaii, it is a very meaningful tradition to me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful celebration! Looks like you know how to throw a fabulous party! :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is going out to dinner with my husband and children! The kids are always so excited to sing "Happy Birthday" to me and have me open their handmade gifts. It's so much fun to enjoy my birthday through the eyes of my little ones!
My birthday is on Sunday! My favorite birthday tradition is chocolate cake with lots of chocolate frosting. Mmmm, I can taste it now...
ReplyDeleteFirst of all Happy Birthday to you! My tradition for my birthday is my cake! It's a 3 level chocolate cake with a mocha-whipped cream filling. Top it with chocolate icing and nuts and call it a day! I've had the same cake since I was a teenager and I can't imagine a year without it! It may not be the healthiest but I have 364 other days to worry about it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is spending time with friends. There are about 5 of us that all have birthdays in August and we all get together to celebrate everyone's birthday. Fun! Fun!
ReplyDeleteOur family tradition is the birthday cake! No matter what else we do for the special day, there is always a birthday cake involved! Now that my daughter is a little older, many times it is a special cake that she helps to bake and decorate!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette! We also have a family dinner for each birthday in our family. We have done this since we were little. The birthday person gets to choose where they want to have dinner and we all meet there. My sister and I always chose Red Lobster! We still do every once in a while. For the last few years seems its been Mexican. Now in my own home I wake up to kisses from my two boys and they sing Happy Birthday to me! It is the best present I could get in the world!! Happy Birhtday to you and all the wonderful employees of CTMH throughout the year!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Our tradition is a family dinner. Be it eating in or going out is up to the birthday person. Either way, it's always special to be together.
ReplyDeleteOver the past several years, The Great American Scrapbook Convention has landed during the week of my birthday. So, my firends and I get together and shop and crop and just have a fun time hanging out. My favorite people and my favorite hobby, what could be better? Happy Belated Birthday Jeanette
ReplyDeleteI have been LUCKY enough to be at the beach for the past five years for my birthday in September. We have had a long weekend from school these past few years and rented a beach house from a friend to spend four or five glorious days at the beach. Nothing better! :)
ReplyDeleteThis may sound silly, but every year I look forward to the birthday card that my dad will send me. He grew up on an Iowa farm and he is not one for flowery speech. He is not one that tells you how he feels or how he feels about you, but I know that he loves me dearly. Every birthday he spends hours at the store until he finds just the right card. I have kept almost all of them and now have quite a large collection. I treasure each one and the lovely words that he writes inside. Carolyn S
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great birthday. My favorite birthday tradition is picking (if we go out to eat) where the family birthday dinner will be. It's always fun to see where we are going to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteBecause birthdays happen any day of the week and we usually don't celebrate until Sunday afternoons, I make sure to call each family member on the exact date and sing a solo on the phone. They usually laugh and it brightens their day as my voice is not so good. But this year my 3 year old granddaughter giggled all the while I sang and as soon as I finished said, "Again!" I guess she really enjoyed my singing as I had to repeat this song 3 different times for her. I guess I really made her day!(which is exactly the purpose)
ReplyDeleteIce cream cake!!!!! Yum!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette! My birthday tradition is unlimited craft time, of course ;) Also a meal made by my family.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday tradition is easy - well let me rephrase that - OUR birthday tradition is that my twin sister and I spend it together with our kids. The question pops up every year. What are we doing for OUR birthday. Even when I'm around others and she's not we both always refer to it as our birthday. :)
On my birthday I thank my Mom for giving birth to me and for being such a great mother. It is not just my day, it is her day too!
ReplyDeleteAwwwwww...Happy Birthday Jeanette (a little "fashionably late")!!! You share a birthday with my 11-yr old! It looks like you had a FABULOUS day!
ReplyDeleteI love that My husband and children treat me to dinner and do all the cleanup! I usually get handmade cards from all 6 of them and the laughter at the table is the BEST!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday tradition includes my brother! We are born 3 years apart to the day almost - I am the 3rd of April and he is the 2nd. (I really believed I got him for my birthday!) We have always shared this day together, and now that we have our own families we still make the point to share the day. This weekend we are sharing the day again!!!
The birthday person gets to choose their favorite meal - either eating out or in. Usually it's steak on the grill with other goodies to go with it. We are more of a Chocolate Cheesecake Pie kind of family rather than cake - and we enjoy that special tradition!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeannette! I totally agree that the best way to spend your birthday is with the ones you love. Our family has a birthday tradition as well - we eat at a restaurant chosen by the person having a birthday, then back home for cake and presents. It is always fun to see everyone's restaurant choice and how our sons' tastes have changed over the years.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I love that every year my wonderful husband makes me a very yummy breakfast. He usually knows just what to get me, and when he doesn't I usually have a CTMH list ready for him. My favorite part is dinner at my favorite place in town. They give you free fried ice cream on your birthday.
ReplyDeleteHappy, happy Birthday!!! My birthday is in March also! We celebrated it with a meal that everyone helps to prepare of my favorite foods, (or whatever I am in the mood for) and a cake with ice cream. Since our family is getting so much bigger with adult children and grandchildren, we always do it at one of our homes. Family is so very special to me and being with them whenever I can is the greatest gift I can ever receive! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! My favorite birthday tradition is eating at Outback Steakhouse - I have Celiac disease, so there aren't many place I can safely go out to eat, so this is always a favorite! My sister also has Celiac, so for ALL family birthdays, we go to Outback! It is our favorite birthday tradition! Thank you for the chance to win! Love CTMH!
ReplyDeleteWow. I have read through some of the comments left here, and there are so many touching stories. You have such wonderful customers and consultants...just gotta say that. Love the pic's you shared from the pancake breakfast and birthday events. Looks like everyone really enjoys them. Happy belated Birthday to you!
ReplyDeleteSince my wedding almost 6 years ago, we started a tradition of going out to dinner, just the 2 of us, and a movie afterwards. It's a tradition that we've stuck to since, no matter what else is going on in our lives...it's date night, and Grandma comes to watch the kids. It's not about the gifts, it's about being made to feel special once in a while...not just a wife or a mother, employee, whatever, but someone special for a day.
Thanks for letting us share our stories. :)
My Birthday is 11-22-60 which happened to fall on my Dad's birthday 11-22-33. Some of my favorite memories were sitting on my Dad's lap deciding what kind of Birthday cake we wanted that year. My Dad is no longer here, but I still have the memories of all the Birthdays that we shared together--I always felt so lucky and SPECIAL to have had that bond with him.
ReplyDeleteMy fovorite thing to do on my birthday is to have a family BBQ. Nothing beats spending time with the ones I love.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ways I like to spend my birthday is in Tahoe with all my scrapping frinds, on our yearly team retreat
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is at the end of May, so for years my kids have always called our town Memorial Day parade, "Mom's parade". The kids are always in the parade for girl scouts, softball, or band, so I get to sit back, relax and watch them go by. What better annual gift than a parade that feels like it is just for you, but that you can celebrate with the whole town?
ReplyDeleteNo real yearly traditions, but I do have some favorite birthday memories. Some of them include birthdays spent with thousands of CTMH friends at Conventions when they were held in June! What a great way to celebrate! This year my day falls on Father's Day again, as it did the year I was born. No plans yet, but I'm sure it will include family, fun and cake!
ReplyDeleteP.S. In case you didn't see all the Facebook greetings yesterday....Happy Birthday dear Jeanette, Happy Birthday to you!
ReplyDeleteHappy, Happy Birthday to you!!! My favorite tradition started just a year ago when my 'baby' turned 4. We always have a party for him. But he gets another special day to make all the choices... all meals & all activities. He loved it last year & is already making plans for his day this May!
ReplyDeleteBirthdays are a wonderful way to celebrate how wonderful someone is and how much they mean to you! It is an opportunity to be as mushy and sentimental or as fun-loving as you want! And, I've been known to I take full advantage of it!!! My favorite tradition is a homemade card with a real handwritten sentiment. Sometimes its simple "you mean everything to me" or front and back silly (maybe even a little embarrassing -- hehe) memories about why I love them so darn much. Everyone appreciates them and saves the cards long after the celebration ends. When I turned 49 and holding, I actually asked my husband and kids (ages 15 & 18) to make their own cards for me. After much whining about "are you sure that's what you want" and "be careful of what you wish for"...I did get the best birthday gifts ever....3 handmade cards with handwritten sentiments. Gosh, it feels so good to have your loved returned three fold!!! LisaP23322
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! My favorite tradition started on my 18th birthday when my now husband got me the game Mall Madness for my birthday. That was something I had wanted since I was a young teenager, but my mother refused to get me because she claimed it promoted materialistic values. So since my husband bought it for me, he agreed to play it once a year on my birthday, so that's now our tradition, and my 30th birthday will be this year. I've even gotten friends involved if they're with me on my birthday.
ReplyDeleteOur tradition is the birthday person gets to pick out their special meal. For my birthday it's means that I don't cook for the day.
ReplyDeleteBarb K Tinley Park, IL
My husband and I plan a vacation every September and my birthday is usually during that week - which means I get a whole week of being spoiled and celebrating!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! :D
ReplyDeletemy favorite b-day tradition is going out to eat - since we rarely do it otherwise - AND not having to do dishes!
One of our birthday traditions is to get our "birthday plate" (thanks to Karen Pederson for that idea) and the birthday person gets the plate. They pick what they want made for the meal and then we write the date on the back of the plate. The back is really getting filled up and it's fun to see the back and relive some of the memories!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeanette! What a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday falls in late November so every few years I get to celebrate it on Thanksgiving Day! That happens to be my favorite holiday since it remains uncomercialized and focused on giving thanks to God. It also has all my favorite foods. As a kid I loved it since the entire family gathered together for Thanksgiving. Now I live far from "home" and miss gathering with my extended family, but am spoiled by my husband and kids!
Teresa
I have two traditions. The first is from my childhood - I have to have a confetti cake! The second has been taking place since I became a Close to my Heart consultant. It is my annual "It's my birthday, but you get the gifts" celebration where when my customers get in touch with my on my birthday, place an order and win a prize! I'm trying to figure out how to do it this year since my birthday falls on Easter Sunday! I'm thinking a birthday WEEKEND celebration for my customers!
ReplyDeleteI love going to my favorite Mexican restaurant with my family. It's always a fun time full of laughter.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you!!
just being with my family! really...they are my gift and a reminder of why I am really here. My most favorite birthday and this has since become a tradition is my hubby takes my kids to family dollar or the dollar tree to buy me a gift. they each get $5.00 to spend (i have 4 kids) it is SOO fun to see what they come up with that reminds them of me. My favorite was the very first time they did this, My oldest son gave me new hot pad with chickens (i hate chickens!! lol) but he loved them and I did need hot pads! lol, my second child, daughter gave me hot pink sparkly flip flops with sparkles she was soo excited and sad at the same time because "they didn't come in her size too.." lol....my 3r child is also daughter and she gave me a pair of scissors and tape...because "mom you like to cut!" and my baby gave me ankle socks and chocolate (socks dad picked out and chocolate baby who was 2 picked out!) I loved every gift!!! and they really thought about each gift they gave me! it was perfect! Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteLove reading your blogs! It inspires me to keep crafting. "My Birthday Celebration tradition." My birthday is VERY close to Mother's day so my mother and I celebrate mother hood and my birthday in one LONG weekend at the beach. We vacation on the Oregon coast and because it is razor clam season we "go" claming. Them we come back to the condo and make fritters....mmmmm cannot wait till May.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition for our family is making a homeade cake and having the kids decorate it.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette! I'm so glad you enjoyed your day. What a wonderful family you have!
ReplyDeleteOur birthday traditions involve always having the kids' parties at our home. Since they are both in the summertime, we usually grill out and have the party in the backyard where they can swim and play on the swingset. Love planning my kids' parties and then I love scrapbooking the memories!
Heather
Happy Birthday, Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is having my Mom's lasagna and birthday cake, while surrounded by my entire family. It makes for a very special day!
Glad you had a grand bday, we were so grateful for the good weather because we blessed our son that day and were able to send the kiddles out back afterward. yay for such blessings as good weather on important days ;)
ReplyDeleteFor bdays we always go out to eat at the birthday person's place of choice, as long as the restaurant sings to the bday person. So far ruby river is a favorite because they make you wear a big ole foam cowboy hat and texas roadhouse because they make you it on a sawhorse, ha!
~C
It's just not my birthday without all-I-can-eat French Toast at Kneaders and a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Cake! Birthdays are ALL ABOUT THE FOOD :)
ReplyDeleteBirthdays are so much fun! We get to pick where we want to eat or what we want to eat. Cake, ice cream, and the family all together.
ReplyDeleteI celebrate with any family that is nearby. Since my children are scattered around the world, it is usually my son's family who lives nearby. It is always special when some of my other children and grandchildren can also be present. Family makes it special no matter what we do to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you! (Mine was earlier this month - I feel so honored to be born in the same month as you - an amazing woman.) I love going out to eat for my birthday with my family to my absolute favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory. I love their menu because they have everything (the Fried Mac- N-Cheese appetizer is amazing) and I absolutely love Cheesecake (plain with strawberries on top is my choice).
ReplyDeleteI have to add that I am so jealous of the people that work at the cooporate office. It is so clear that you show them how much you appreciate them and that is rare in a company owner. I think it is so wonderful that you show them often just how much they mean to you. I want to work there.
I always get a Peanut Buster Parfait from DQ on my birthday! It's my treat to me! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeannette, from a former CTMH consultant! :)
P.S. I hope your day was as wonderful and filled with kindness, love and compassion as you are!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is shopping in Montreal on boxing day and bringing my husband with me to spoil me and carry the bags!!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and son cook me whatever I ask for and treat me like a queen for the day! I don't have to do dishes, clean or do any other chores. I can scrapbook, play games and just enjoy the day with my wonderful family!
ReplyDeleteBirthday candles that re-light until the room is filled with smoke and someone grabs a cup of water to extinguish the candles. The kids groan everytime but I love it!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is going out for dinner with the kids and my husband. I love the break from cooking :)
ReplyDeleteSharon L.
My birthday tradition is shared with my twin sister Crystal. Each year our mother cooks up a Thanksgiving feast for us and all of our family. We look forward to it each year!
ReplyDeleteMy mom will make your favorite meal. Yumm! Happy Birthday Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteMy husband always gets me a new pair of sneakers for my birthday. It started one year when he asked what I wanted/needed. I needed sneakers, then every year, my sneakers need replaced. Thanks for a chance to win .
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!! We celebrate every birthday with an ice cream cake with extra chocolate crunch in the middle. Gotta love that chocolate and spending time with loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI am so blessed to share my birth month with my mother and grandmother. Every year we would celebrate December birthdays. It has been 15 years since we have been able to share the celebration with my grandmother. The blessing of celebrating the last 15 years of birthdays with my mother has doubled with the knowledge that my grandmother was able to meet her twin great-granddaughters.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a great birthday. Happy Belated Birthday! My birthday tradition (going on about 6 years) is making my own birthday cake! I love experimenting with different cakes and icings!
ReplyDeleteAs I was growing up, I looked forward to a call from my grandmother every birthday morning. She just lived around the corner so I saw her regularly, but I still waited by the phone before school every birthday morning. She continued the tradition when I went to college and beyond...she also started the same tradition for my son after he was born.
ReplyDeleteFor most of my adult years, I have requested lobster every year on my birthday. The husbands that I have had (that makes it sound like there have been so many, lol) have contributed but they didn't stand the test of time so I have to continue the tradition myself. I love seafood but I don't normally get lobster, I save that for my birthday treat. LOVE IT!!! (just a couple of months away, yum!)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! My favorite birthday tradition is to spend the day with my family and friends. My birthday is on New Year's Eve so we always have some type of get-together that involves appetizer dinner (my favorite kind!) and lots of fun.
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday, Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question... Growing up, I loved getting to pick whatever I wanted to eat for dinner. Now as a parent, I really enjoy making each of my kids their own themed birthday cake. It's fun to get creative and surprise them with a special cake on their special day.
It sounds like you had a great birthday. A favorite birthday tradition at our house is to open presents the very first thing in the morning, before breakfast, or anything. I started it when my children were little so they would know it was a special day, and now we all do it. We also have a nice dinner in the evening, and enjoy our time together.
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is November 21st, and our wedding anniversary is November 27th. One or the other is always right around Thanksgiving. A tradition that we haven't been able to keep lately, was going to Disneyland, as my husband & I are both kids at heart. My family always gathers at the birthday person's favorite restuarant (mexican for me). It is a fun loud boisterious time with our loved ones.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a wonderful birthday! A favorite tradition I like to celebrate around my birthday is to make a dark chocolate cake with 7 minute frosting covered in coconut. Garnished with strawberries. My mom first made this for me on my 18th birthday and made it for me every year for many years. She is now in her mid-80s and I make the cake now. She is still active, but we don't get to be together as much now...she married and moved farther away! :)
ReplyDeleteMy birthday tradition was started years ago by my mother. She always had a family party for her four kids with their favorite foods and birthday cake of their choice. After my mom's death, my oldest sister keeps this tradition alive in her honor. My favorite cake is homemade strawberry with vanilla bean ice cream. Yum! Many Happy Birthdays!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you :)
ReplyDeleteThis year I'm turning a number I just don't want to admit, so I've decided to start turning 34 again and again and again! :) I'm glad you're only as old as you feel. I love knowing that my husband has been listening to me and paying attention to what I love for the month prior to my birthday -- and he always surprises me with the perfect gift! My daughters are old enough to keep a secret and it's so fun seeing them learn about the joy of giving.
Thank you for being so generous. I love CTMH!!!
Raising our Seven Children were hard times for us so,,,My Favorite Birthday tradition is, when our children were young we took the Birthday Child out for supper to a restaurant of his or her choice, What a special treat that was, since they didn't get to eat out much. it also give us as Parents to spend some one on one time with the Birthday kid.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Jeanette! You know how to celebrate in style. Reminds me of my friend, Laurie, who celebrates her birthday month. My favorite tradition as a kid was that my mom would fix me a special dinner for my birthday. As an adult, she has surprised me with a couple different birthday trips! I'm one lucky girl and she is one awesome mommy!!!
ReplyDeleteAmy Ulen
Happy Birthday Jeanette! I love everything you have done with CTMH. You are a wonderful and kind person. And now on to my favorite birthday tradition. For the last 5 years I have had the best birthday tradition, I share it with one of my wonderful daughters. Sharing a birthday with her is such a wonderful gift from God. Every time we celebrate our birthday it is another gift from God that she is here with me for one more year.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Davis
Alaska
Our birthday tradition is supposed to be a surprise but of course we know it's going to happen so it really isn't! On the morning of the person's birthday, the rest of the family sneaks into their room before they wake up and surrounds the bed with helium filled balloons. Then we sneak back out. It's always fun to wake up to that sight! Our family also makes birthdays a week-long event so we celebrate several times in a row!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette! So glad you got to spend yours with your family; that IS always the best tradition! My birthday is on New Year's Eve and when I was young I didn't always get my choice of activity; so my tradition is that my family will do whatever I want to do! Of course, it's always the best when I get to spend it with my hubby and kids, whatever we do.
ReplyDeleteWith our family the birtday person chooses a favorite restaurant to eat and we all go there for a meal. This way we all get treated and no one has to clean the house. Our favorite places let us use their party rooms.
ReplyDeleteHaving birthday cake for breakfast and spending the day with my family. I have a summer birthday so doing something outside is my favorite thing, such as lunch in the park, an outdoor concert, or taking a bike ride.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite birthday traditions is decorating our kids' birthday cakes. We simply make Grandma's homemade crazy cake, frost it, then decorate it with M&M's. The kids get to choose how we decorate it. My girls are huge fans of Toy Story, so this year for one of our girls' 3rd birthday, my husband made a "Jessie doll" with M&M's. It was really cute and the look on my daughter's face was priceless!!!
ReplyDeleteMy kids always wake me up on my b-day and sing happy Birthday to me...so sweet! My birthday is next Wednesday and I am already looking forward to their little voices!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy, Happy Birthday to you,Jeanette! I too, just celebrated my 40th birthday last week. Usually I spend it with my family at my parents house. My mom always makes me fun cakes. One year it was a pink Barbie, another year it was a big pink 3 layered pig cake. Anything pink was always the theme. The last few years my parents have wintered in Myrtle Beach & I haven't spent my birthday with them. I miss that but will see them in a few week to celebrate it with them as well as my mom's 81st birthday!!!V~Fage
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette! I love spending birthdays with family too (not just my immediate but my extended family; CTMH is part of that category). My husbands side of the family is all about mint chocolate chip ice cream (a luxury when they were growing up). For me, my birthday falls on Mother's Day every few years. I used to hate letting all the moms open their gifts before my own. However, now that I am a mom I don't have to wait. My children's smiles are the biggest gift.
ReplyDeleteCarrie Miller
In our family, we go out to eat at the birthday person's favorite restaurant and then have cake and presents at home afterwards. Sometimes, the celebration isn't until after the actual birthday date, but it is a time to actually get together as a family and spend time together, which we don't get a chance to do very often.
ReplyDeleteDinner out with the family, for each of our birthdays. Of course, the birthday "boy" or "girl" gets to pick the restaurant! - Carol S
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday tradition is to carve pumpkins. My birthday is the day before Halloween and so it has always been our pumpkin carving day. After pumpkins are done, we celebrate with cake!
What a wonderful way to really celebrate those we have been "gifted" with by God!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday thing is the wacky off tune wonderfully sung message my niece and nephew leave for me on the answering machine at home. I save them year after year! In fact I even saved one on the my voice recorder so I can have it forever!
my very favorite breakfast in the whole world is french toast...but not any old french toast...only my mom makes it a special way just for me on my birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jeanette! I love CTMH - I've been away from it for a few years as my family has grown and now, thanks to a dear friend and consultant, I'm stamping and scrapping again! yay!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love the tradition we have at our house-when it's birthday time for my children we go online to find cute fun birthday cakes ideas, then I take my birthday child shopping for the candy and decorating items needed to make the cake, and we all make the cake together. It doesn't always look professionally decorated (OK it never does lol:), but we sure have lots of fun together!
What a great way to celebrate with those you love and hold dear! It's small blessings like these that mean the most in our lives!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday tradition is also having dinner with my family! My husband, my three children (9, 9, and 11) all get invited every year to my Mom's house where she cooks my favorite childhood meal--fried chicken tenders with mashed potatoes! We live in the south and my mama was raised to COOK! I have never found anyone who can fry up chicken tenders like she can. (No nutritional value chart either!) It is one of the few times a year that I splurge and have a great southern meal!
We love to eat out on our birthdays,and since I am a twin, it is twice as nice! Not only do I share my birthday with my twin, Joy Nagel, also a CTMH consultant, I also share my birthday, May 1, with my father-in-law and a sister-in-law! Birthdays are sooo fun!
ReplyDeleteJill Kaale
My favorite part of my birthday is receiving flowers from my husband, and most importantly, reading the wonderful card he chooses. He must spend lots of time at the card racks to find just the right verse
ReplyDeletewhich is always just perfect!
Helena Voss
Happy Birthday! Since my youngest daughter was 5 she has tried to make birthdays special for everyone. She spends hours hiding in my scrapbook room making decorations, posters, and cards. The morning of our birthday my daughter wakes up early to decorate the house and greets us with her card when we wake up. We love every minute of it. Anything else is just icing on the cake.
ReplyDeleteI have the most awesome husband in the world. He knows how much I love cards. So sometimes he uses my stuff to make a card for me. This year he bought a card but replaced the inside page with a poem he wrote! I didn't even realize it till he pointed it out. (the poem had my name in it!) lol. Anticipating what he will do each year is my favourite tradition!
ReplyDeleteI have a tradition that I do for my Husband for his birthday. He loves the zoo, so each year we find a new zoo within a few hours or make of weekend of it so he can wander and take pictures of the animals.
ReplyDeleteEach year I love to see what my mom comes up with for my birthday. She is the greatest mom on earth and never lets me down. From planning a girls night full of playing cards to a nice dinner out, to a home cooked meal she always makes me feel special on my birthday and for that I am very thankful. I just hope that I make her feel as special on her birthday and all through our the year.
ReplyDeleteBirthdays are funnest when I try something new that I've always wanted to do. Breaking my wrist roller blading, sailing, hiking Timpanogos and so many more bucket list things are experienced not always by choice.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a wonderful birthday, Jeanette! Because my birthday is three days after Christmas, my mother always made sure I had a birthday cake and dinner just like my siblings. As a child, I always got to select the kind of cake and what I wanted her to make for my birthday dinner. Now, as an adult, I get to select the restaurant where my husband takes me out to dinner.
ReplyDeleteIn our family the birthday superstar gets to decide on their favorite meal for dinner. We also have a compliment plate which is a special dinner plate and the "owner" gets to hear nice compliments from everyone else during the meal.
ReplyDeleteSome great birthday traditions you have! Birthday cake, flavor of choice. Sometimes it's cheesecake. Then dinner meal of their choice
ReplyDeleteI like letting my kids pick their favorite dinner and dessert. One always picks a yellow cake with homemade carmel frosting, one picks keylime pie, and one picks cheesecake. I also trace their handprints for their scrapbooks and fill in information about them for that year in the fingers and palms. Things like: height/weight, favorite color, favorite food, best friend, favorite subject, favorite movie/tv show, etc.
ReplyDeleteTanya
Oh, my oh, my, what a celebration! Happy Birthday to all! I would love a chance to win some CTMH stamps! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to everyone! There is nothing more wonderful on my birthday than to savor a german sweet chocolate cake made from scratch by my mother (and now, my 10-year-old daughter)!!! I was dieting this year, so I neatly cut it into pieces and froze them...I look forward to a piece for every 10 lbs I lose!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is getting to celebrate lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory with my twin brother. We missed a few years while he was serving in the US Navy, but now that he lives closer, we don't miss it! As a mom, I always do a "photo shoot" of my kids, then a birthday interview of their favorite things and goals. I love to look back at their answers...
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was little, a friend gave us a "Celebrate" plate from Pampered chef...It's a lovely bold blue plate with the words "Celebrate...It's Your Day" around it. Every year my son gets to pick what he would like to have for birthday supper/dessert...separate from his birthday party/pizza/cake with friends.The plate came with a little booklet to record occasions and the meal. It has been fun to look back at some of the menu choices...DS has always been a great eater, not finicky like a few of his friends. When he was 5, we had mussels and garlic bread and Caesar salad. At 14, we just had Chinese! Now that I am thinking about it, I think I seriously need to scrap this plate!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteMy Birthday tradition is celebrating with friends & family. We usually have a BBQ as my birthday is in July & my wonderful husband does all the cooking!
Happy Birthday to You, it's my birthday too yeah. Actually, my birthday was March 24th. I turned the BIG 40 this year. My favorite birthday celebration this year was attending Karen's leadershare in Las Vegas on the 19th. It was my first Close to My Heart event. I had such a good time meeting everyone and learning new stuff. Thanks for a great birthday event!
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Penny Crabtree
Happy Happy Birthday my sweet beautiful Jeanette! Sounds like it was a fun week for all! Hugs to your ever growing family and the CTMH crew! See you all soon at Disney! We'll continue the party there!
ReplyDeleteA very happy (belated) birthday to you! Our tradition is to gather around the birthday cake, turn out the lights after the candles are all aglow and sing Happy Birthday To You at the top of our lungs! The kids usually add a few phrases at the end of each verse and everyone has a good laugh. These are such happy and special memories-more pages for the scrapbooks!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a bright and healthy year.
Sue Rodriguez
Ever since my children have been able to speak our birthday tradition has been a family dinner of your choice or resteraunt of your choice. This is a family only day (mom, dad, siblings,and sometimes grandparents). The whole day is about the birthday person. they get to choose television shows or outings or whatever it is they want to do. Sometimes we do a birthday party on a date near their birthday. It really makes the birthday person feel like they are the most important person in our family. We all like to feel important every once in while
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy Birthday Jeanette! What a fabulous way to celebrate with everyone close to you. My biggest birthday celebration is BALLOONS BALLOONS BALLOONS! I started this on each child's first birthday, filled their room with balloons just before they were to wake up and it was so fun to hear the squeels and giggles when they woke up. And we still do it to this day! Thank you for sharing your birthday celebrations!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is actually on my childrens birthdays, I try to get a picture of the 2 of us together as I am usually the picture taker.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is to have all my family come over and sit outside, relaxing and soaking up some of the last of the seasons sun before fall starts to take over.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like best about birthdays is the fact that it is the one day of the year that we get to celebrate you, being you. Everybody's birthday is as unique and personal as they are, and most often it is someone near and dear to them who makes it so.
ReplyDeleteThe most enjoyable part of my day is a silly little tradition that a 4 year old little girl started several years ago. She must have loved how it made me smile and laugh, because she has continued it each yer since. It all started bright and early. I woke to a house that seemed oddly quiet - only to find my little munchkin sitting quietly and still on the living room couch. The moment she saw me a huge grin spread across her face and, swingiing her feet with the energy of a puppy wagging it's tail, she sprang into song - "Happy birthday to you, CHA, CHA, CHA!Happy birthday to you, CHA, CHA, CHA!"
I don't know what moves me more, the fact that she waited so patiently for heaven knows how long? (I'm not an early riser) Or the fact that I was so important she thought to make that her morning's assignment? Whatever it was, I hope dearly thet she never stops!
My daughter and I share a birthday tradition on her birthday each year. Because I was in labor 48 HOURS with her (and ended up with a c-section!), I teasingly start a "countdown" 2 days before her birthday. (20 years ago today at this time, I was going to the hospital . . . ended the first day of labor . . . was STILL in labor . . . wanted to go home . . . started to push . . .) She rolls her eyes, but when I chose to give her the gift of no countdown for her 21st birthday, she said she missed it. :) It's silly, but it's our connection.
ReplyDeleteHappy , Happy Birthday! We love to celebrate birthdays and holidays at our house. These are always a time that we all take time out of our crazy schedules to get together. No one ever misses the "milestones" of each other's lives. Plus everyone has their own special favorite cake that I bake for the special days and we all enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI put up our homemade birthday banner & get out the birthday hat (it looks like a birthday cake). Blow up lots of balloons & cook the birthday boy or girl's favorite meal complete with a cake of their choice! We all gather at our home & have the birthday dinner! Great family time for us all!
ReplyDeleteBirthdays are very special in our family so much that if you miss one you better have a pretty good reason why. But everyday is a birthday when our Lord allows us to wake up each morning. So, we celebrate each day that he gives us. This year, I am celebrating differently. Instead of giving me gifts, I am asking for donations to our Relay for Life team since I don't want to have to hear that a family member, friend, parent, or anyone else has Cancer. Besides, the American Cancer Society owns the right to the Happy Birthday song and we celebrate it everyday. Hope you had an awesome birthday!! You are a dynamic woman!!!
ReplyDeleteMarch is my birthday month, too! Happy Belated Birthday Jeanette! I celebrate my birthday with another family member; my sister's son was born on my birthday, so I always feel very special on that day. We make a favorite meal, have a special cake with ice cream and always try to do something fun that the whole family can participate in. It's always a fun-filled day full of laughter and love.
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday, Jeanette! My birthday is 4 days after Christmas and my parents always tried to make it special as I was growing up. The one thing that stuck over the years was the cake my mom always made for me. It's a delicious chocolate-y goodness that has no frosting. (I don't like icing) It's kind of a pain to make and takes a long time, but she still makes it for me every year on my birthday and now I have the extra blessing of being able to share it with my own family too.
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday Jeanette...I love the way you celebrate! Nothing better than celebrating your day with your family. When I was growing up it always seemed as though our family took our vacation during my birthday. I LOVED it as I always got to chose a restaurant at the shore to go to for my birthday dinner. And yes, my siblings were always jealous ;)
ReplyDeletedenise sanner
Happy B-Day Jeanette! My scrapbook holds many memories of my kids and my B-Day celebrations. In our family we have 4 June B-Days, my daughter-in-law's (the 19th), my son's (the 26th), my daughter's (the 28th), and mine (the 8th). My husband and I plan a big celebration in June...a barbecue with all the fixins. We invite my mom, my brothers and their families, my sister and her husband and various and sundry others. We always have little children and dogs all running and screaming and playing water games: squirt-guns, water balloons and wading pools. It is always a wonderful celebration (good food, good company, and good fun) of Family and Children!!
ReplyDeleteEveryone gets to decide what they want for their birthday dinner. Sometimes they want to go out for a resteraunt meal and sometimes they want me to cook a special meal for them : ) I usually choose to have dinner out and then come home to desert in our back yard. We live in Arizona, so even in November, the weather is usually nice!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite traditions was that my mother in law would always give the kids a birthday card filled with dollar bills according to the age of the child. Then she would give them that many "spankings" also. She was always so giving. She passed away this past December and is deeply missed.
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday, Jeanette!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite birthday tradition is the annual search for orange icing. When I was a kid, my mom made me a white cake with orange icing. Now she lives on the opposite coast and no longer makes my cake. So my kids and I have made it a scavenger hunt at every grocery store we shop to find orange icing. Even though my birthday is in the fall, we find ourselves searching all year long (since it is almost impossible to find). The search activity with my kids has become more fun for me than actually eating the cake.
My favorite tradition is to prepare the favorite meal for for the birthday boy ( my husband and son). My husband, like you Jeanette, asks for grilled Salmon. My son asks for something different every year. I never know what to expect from him. Me, I ask my husband to surprise me. When he's feeling industrious, he cook a delicious meal and when he wants to ensure a perfect meal, he takes me out. The best part about it is that we're all together!
ReplyDeleteThere is no better way to celebrate than just being with my family! Now that I am a Grandma, having the little ones around makes everyday special!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt's corny and we roll our eyes every time it happens, but my Mom calls when she thinks the birthday person is home and, as soon as she hears that person pn the other end of the phone, she sings "Happy Birthday to you" to whole way through. If she doesn't get you after a few tries she sings into the machine. I don;t ever remember her NOT doing this...and I'm 42 years old. She does it with my husband since we got engaged as well, same for my sister in law. It wouldn't be quite the same without this corny tradition of Moms, lol!
ReplyDelete~ Denise Ramo
Having a Birthday Week count-down is so much fun!! A card (hand-made of course) and a small little gift (my favorite is double-sided tape) waiting for you each day starting a week before your birthday. I love having a b-day week and I love preparing for my husband or daughter's b-day week!!
ReplyDeleteI like to "spoil" my kids and make them feel special on their birthday! They get to pick their favorite meal and I fix it- including dessert. So far this year the menu was breaded pork chops, baked potatoes and baby carrots with molasses cookies for one son and chicken alfredo,salad, bread sticks and blueberry pie for the other! I used to spend hours decorating cakes that I found out were not the favorites, so candles to blow out when we sing Happy Birthday work in cookies or pie also! Deb Butler
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, when my children were young and we didn't have much money (well, less than we do now), the most wonderful treat they could imagine was to have an ice cream cake for their birthdays... Now they're grown up and some have kids of their own, but we still order ice cream cakes for each birthday as part of the fun and to remember the many happy years we've enjoyed together. It doesn't take much money to have true happiness, it just takes love, family, and some special memories.
ReplyDelete