It's Birthday season!

We have 4 out of 6 birthdays within a month in our sweet family; and all around Christmas.  Isn't that convenient?  (cue sarcasm...) Timing and having babies has not really worked out in our favor.   My birthday is 5 days before Christmas and I never liked it much, then we went and had our first baby   seven days before Christmas.   The next two birthdays are Jan. 10 and Jan. 20.  Needless to say, I'm birthday-ed out by Jan 21.   Birthday parties are not my thing, especially with all that's going on already with Christmas, so here is what I do instead to make the day special.  (Please forgive my picture taking skills, I am learning to use my new dslr camera...)

I put streamers up all over the kitchen the night before.  This creates the "wow" factor when they come down the stairs in the morning.  I also decorate our two kitchen shelves with a picture from each past birthday and anything else I can rummage up to make it personalized.  My girls have loved to see these simple surprises. See the cute birthday subway art?  I got it from   eighteen25.blogspot.com, they have awesome free subway art for all seasons.

I decorated with a feather boa and sparkly things for Anni

I used some bugs from her plastic bug collection and flowers to fit Ivie's personality.

For Lila, I set up crayons and some of her most recent artwork.

Each year I have them make a crown out of paper and we write their age really big on it.  This way we know which birthday it was:)  Plus they love making their crown!

This year I added this little gem!  Just a paper birthday banner.  I simply bought some heavy duty glitter and textured scrapbook paper, (all on clearance-bonus!) and made a triangle template from a cereal box to trace.  Then I used the Cricut to cut the letters for "Happy Birthday."  I also threw in some cupcake liners that I snipped, flattened and added a button.  I sewed the triangles (yes, with my sewing machine :) onto some ribbon.  I plan to re- and re-use this for every birthday!

This year I also tried taking a Burger King crown and making it re-usable.  I traced and covered it with white construction paper

Then I used contac paper to laminate it.  Have you tried this stuff?  I have used it loads and it's only like 5 bucks for a whole roll.

Now each girl can color and decorate as they please using these dry erase crayons!  It worked out fabulously!

The Birthday plate!  We had a red one when I was little and I always thought it was so fun.  It only gets used by the birthday girl on her birthday.

(not the BK crown, I hadn't thought of it yet)

(BK crown:)

(same BK crown:)

This years crowns!  We do always have a family party with cake and ice cream, or scones, or brownies, whatever the birthday girl chooses.  It all makes for a fun day! And that finishes up our Birthday season!