Golden Birthday

It’s a big deal when you turn the age of the date you were born. My golden birthday was when I turned 25 on the 25^th. I spent the whole day celebrating and treating myself to something wonderful. Some of the things I did included- massage, hair appointment, makeup done by professional, special lunch, surprise evening plans by friends. It was a blast. Everyone gets a golden birthday and here are some ideas to implement for you special day.

 

Golden birthday for the kiddies

Many people are born in the first few days of the month. My husband is born on the first and my son on the fourth. I feel a little sorry for these individuals as they don’t have a hand in planning the special birthday and they may have a family who doesn’t make it a special big day. I mean, really though, does the infant turning one really care that this monumental birthday is happening on the first of the month? Highly unlikely! But still, hopefully mommy or daddy or whoever will make it somewhat special and keep the memories with photos or video clips. Here are some ways to make this birthday special from the rest:

-          Key to planning is to think about and incorporate the child’s favorite things at the time. My girl’s favorite at one time was Mickey Mouse. So her birthday was all about Mickey/Minnie Mouse from the décor to the activity to the music to the goodie bags to the mouse ears on her head.

 

-          Host the party at a venue other than your home. Is your little one turning five and a big fan of the nearby zoo or aquarium or theme park? Make it a fun day there with either just family and a close friend of his/hers. Or ask the attraction if they offer birthday party plans and set something up for them.

 

-          Got vacation time saved up? Why not take a little budget friendly trip nearby for the night. Camping is always fun for the little ones. My kids would be in heaven if I let them live outside! Or maybe there is a nearby city that has a cool attraction like a dinosaur museum or space center. Book a night in a hotel with a pool and spend the day out then some fun family time splashing in the pool. Or maybe you have some family or close friends who live on a farm to visit and have a party with them. Little Buford or Bertha will love you for it!

Golden birthday for the tweens and teens

These individuals will remember and be super excited to plan something uber special as this age group is quite thrilled when the world revolves around them even if for just one day. You also have more freedom to plan a variety of things as their age can handle a myriad of activity. The only hiccup would be if your child is turning say sweet sixteen on the 16^th. Sweet sixteen is already a special birthday and now has to be shared with the golden birthday as well. It can still be made quite special. 

-          Again the key to this is to think about your child’s favourite things and plan the details around that. Maybe your about to be 15 year old is in love with One Direction. Is there a concert coming to a town near you? I guess the odds of the child’s favorite band performing on the date of his/her birthday is slim, but it doesn’t hurt to check it out.

 

-          Expanding on the One Direction example, you could take them out to any show in a genre they like such as a play or orchestra performance or ballet.

 

-          Again, hosting the party at a venue other than your home is a great way to go. Check out places that interest your child (could be a restaurant or an ice skating arena or a bowling alley or aquatic center) and look into having the birthday party there.

-          Have a special menu of the special birthday girl/boy’s favorite food. Or before (perhaps even after) the party, take them out to a special restaurant for some fancy dining.

 

Golden birthday for adults

Now this is where there is more freedom to plan something really exciting! Seeing as there are never more than 31 days in a month, majority of you will probably be celebrating as a single person with some disposable income which really opens your window of opportunities. Here are some ideas for you: 

-          One word: Trip! Plan this one in advance to get your girlfriends or buddies ready to book and travel with you and so you can book the time off work. It could be anything your heart and wallet desire. Road trip along Route 66 to nowhere in particular, Backpacking Europe, all inclusive Mexico, walking the wall in China, hiking the trail to Machu Picchu, climbing Kilimanjaro, club hopping in Vegas, or Caribbean cruise are a few ideas to get you started. Me and my BFF at the time planned a wicked trip to Disneyworld for 11 days (we are BIG fans) and then a 7 day Caribbean cruise to follow immediately. It wasn’t either of our golden birthdays, just the last time we would turn 20 something (our birthdays are 2 weeks apart and we were turning 29). Let me tell you, going on a trip with your crew is a lifelong memory and full of good times.

 

-          Secure a pretty stellar venue such as a country club (if you are a member/know a member/they offer something for non-members), 5 star hotel conference room or a golf estate that has a special room for parties or any extravagant location.

 

-          Have a spa day. This is not limited to just ladies. There are plenty of manly treatments for you macho guys out there.

 

-          Do something cool that you’ve never done before. Maybe you’ve always wanted to bungee jump or sky dive or take a hot air balloon ride. Whatever is on your bucket list, this is a great day to cross off an item.

Basically, you need to think about or ask the following two questions:

1.       What is your (or your birthday child) favorite thing?

2.       Where is a unique venue (that you are willing and able to travel to) to host the party?

And get planning, in advance to ensure all that you want to do can get done. Happy Golden Birthday everyone!