I have a confession. Yes another one.
I'm shopped out.
That's not something that I say (ever). I love to shop, but for the first time (ever) I'm really lacking in drive and inspiration yet I have a daughter with a birthday looming and I know that I have to muster up that creativity from somewhere - because it isn't her fault that she was born at the end of the run.
For those of you who are interested, the run goes like this;
September - Daddy's birthday.
October - FunnyGirl's birthday.
November - My big brother's birthday, my birthday, Sonny's birthday, my other big brother's birthday. Four weeks. Four birthdays.
December - No1 son's birthday (Christmas Eve), Christmas, My Mum's birthday (Boxing day).
January - Our wedding anniversary and last but by no means least...... ModelGirl's big day.
I thought that No1 son had it tough with a pre Christmas birthday but actually it's ModelGirl that gets the bum deal. Hopefully Santa has been good to her and brought her all of the things that she wished for... and those little things that slipped his mind have been remedied with the help of the Christmas cash fairy.
So for better or for worse I decided to let her loose, with a budget of £100 on www.very.co.uk. Her choice not mine - as she'd helped me pick out a few baby clothing sets for friends in the run up to Christmas and had her eye on a new pair of Ugg boots (as her feet have grown to clown proportions over the holidays).
This is her boot of choice. Ugg Australia Cardi boots £80 and selling out fast.
She felt very happy and grown up at choosing her own pressie, but I know that is a one time thing. This year has been a totally new entity for us having spend the last two months (plus) living and breathing their performance schedule in The King and I. Luckily for her, we have a surprise party planned for the day after her birthday with all of her new 'King and I' siblings. The ones that she loves but doesn't fight with - so I guess we have lucked out after all!
Do you have January birthdays? How do you make them special?
I think January bithdays are the worst (I have one...) - everyone is spent out and partied out after the Christmas excesses and whilst they're more than happy for you to celebrate their birthdays and buy them presents when they come around yours are always no gos because they're broke, not drinking, not going out because its January
ReplyDeleteThis year I'm seriously considering moving my birthday to June rather than face the annual misery of trying to have some type of party.
Put it this way, last year was a low point when Mr handed me an unwrapped Amazon box with something I'd been given for Christmas as my present and then promptly got dragged off on a last minute trip abroad missing my birthday and turning up late to the dinner I'd arranged.
Have I made it clear that you really have to make it great for her yet???
OMG, Muddling... when is your birthday? I dare not forget!
ReplyDeleteThis is something new for me because my birthday is literally as far away from Christmas as you can get- June 25th.
ReplyDeleteBlondie Boy's first birthday was January 5th,
but he's still a bit young to understand. I made sure all Christmas decorations were down a week before his birthday and while some of his presents complimented things he got for Christmas he is also getting things that are totally unrelated.
The main thing I can think of is that I promise (and hold me to this) that I will never give him a joint Christmas/Birthday present.
Any other tips that you have?
I agree with Muddling. It was my birthday last week, the 6th actually - by which time all the decs come down and people don't have money, are on diets and thoroughly miserable. As a child, I was always jealous of my younger sister who has a birthday on 4 July as she got more presents than I did, as the family often gave me "joint presents" at CHristmas, making my birthday the biggest anticlimax ever.
ReplyDeleteI blogged about having a birthday in January on my birthday last week here:
http://thefivefsblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/epiphanous-celebrations.html
Anyway, we have been away on my birthday a few times. That makes it special. Not really possible with school tho.
I guess the answer is to make sure you do celebrate it somehow. Be mindful of the January birthday and perhaps shop for the presents in the Christmas period so you have them ready in reserve. Perhaps hold back some of the things they ask for at Christmas and keep for birthday. And be prepared to make a fuss of them on the day.
I do know of families who have half birthdays for children who have birthdays close to Christmas. I have done it myself as an adult but for children, you could buy them a present in July. It doesn't work for me now to have a half birthday as Missy Woo's big day is 5th July and mine would be the 6th.
I have a Christmas eve baby, Bro In Law New Year's Eve, hubby the 3rd and my youngest is the 21st January. So we kinda have cake and birthday over kill by the end of January. I always make sure both my babies get seperate birthday and Christmas presents I would never give them one to cover both. We always have a family take away meal with extended family and always have the cake. For the kids we had a party for the oldest but the little one is just coming up on two and doesn't have enough friends yet so we will take him to Build a bear for a treat. xx
ReplyDeleteIts very difficult isn't it. My chloe's is Jan 2nd. I never know wether to buy before christmas, and risk doubling up or wait till after and its a rad rush, shops busy with sales etc. Then comes the dreaded 'joint' presents. We have always avaoided this until this year as she wanted a netbook. But I couldn;t stick to it and spent a small fortune on bday pressies too. So this year she lucked in!
ReplyDeleteOuch! Must be tight on the purse strings :(
ReplyDeleteMy little brother is 8th Jan, and my mum is 22nd Dec. All I can say is nothing worse than using old Christmas paper and/or "joint" Christmas/Birthday presents/cards. Big no no!
My best advice is to buy throughout the year (although I do realise it must be harder with children, who change what they want from one day to the next. My brother was all Scooby Do until November when he saw Harry Potter!).
Good luck! xxx
This sounds like a tough few months!
ReplyDeleteMy son’s birthday is 31st December and the house in now full of toys! I think we might have to move his birthday till June, that way we ease the pain of presents in December a bit!
Hope that your husband made sure you were spoiled on your anniversary after all of that shopping!