A FEW THINGS WE DO TO MAKE BIRTHDAYS FEEL EXTRA SPECIAL W/OUT GOING “OVER THE TOP” // ...
there’s nothing wrong with going “over the top,” honestly and truly there isn’t. in whatever ways we can enjoy and celebrate one another here on earth, in my opinion, it’s never a miss.
for me, the challenge lies in the purity of how we live our everyday and the lesson we leave behind. the goal is to make sure my babies know they are seen and loved, held & grounded in the truth of who they are. birthdays shouldn’t have to be a fuss to be a source of forever grounding & gratitude for their presence in yet another year.
my baby girl turned 13 years old this past summer & i am so thankful for her life in my world. i thought that i would share a few pictures/videos, and a bit of how i make life+lesson go hand-in-hand by giving you a peek into how a birthday celebration led me down the road to a wicked theatre study lesson plan…
my formula for fun & no fuss //
we decorate. we share a special treat & make a memory that serves as celebration, acknowledgement & promise of something more.
it’s not your typical 4 gift ideas for teens. there’s no mention of what’s popular, viral or trendy because those aren’t things that ground us but rather things that soon and easily fade away.
my formula really just requires intention, attention and grace.
we decorate.
balloons, candles, something with sparkle or shine & small gifts most definitely make for decor. this time i choose pink, green, black, silver and gold. flowers & foliage, books and banners count just the same. my rule of thumb is function first. i try to use items that can be useful in more than one way. reusable and multifunctional will always be my fav. seed packets, photo frames, photo albums, bookmarks or baskets… im always trying to think simple & out of the box.
we share a special treat.
every year it’s different. sometimes elaborate and intentional, other times it’s semi homemade and then there’s the year you win big with a strawberry cake from costco that was so good and no crumbs were left behind.
wicked complete movie sheet music // quotes of grandiosity // the complete screenplay // sleep mask // magic wand glass cups // striped pajamas // sparkle crown // elphaba costume // green face body glitter // witch & princess glasses // silk peony flowers // pink star garland //
we make a memory that serves as celebration, acknowledgement and promise of something more…
in this case, a wicked watch party that can be had again and again. it served as celebration of her trying theatre classes for the first time!!! i loved watching her tapping into something new. choosing to focus in on wicked means it becomes a home-base/spine that we can return to throughout the year ahead.
it’s not just a theme that was chosen but a tool & resource that i can use moving forward. thats the goal! matching crowns and pjs for a quarterly watch party while we pick apart the bits and pieces of the story. gifting her the sheet music, the screenplay and a book of “quotes of grandiosity” meant there’s so much more we can explore.
i’m currently brainstorming the theatre unit study and i’m excited to geek out on all the homeschool details and build out our lesson plans in real time on our Live&LearnCo w/TheFallCoFamily Substack. So, be sure to follow along for more.
my baby girl turned 13 years old this summer & i am so thankful for her life in my world.
meet me back here tommorrow… same place, same time?
with all the love,
syreena