Fast Five | Pad Patter 3.24

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family?
All. We love birthdays around here!

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended?
My niece turned 6 last month and we went to her birthday dinner.

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now)
Nah. Age is just a number.

4. Do you do presents or just presence?
We like to do gifts that are experiences, so both!

5. Any special traditions?
No... though we do usually travel on my daughter’s birthday in September. It is just after Labor Day and wherever we go has lower rates and crowds.

Bonus- I love Cake Smash by @sm_amber - also her featured product this month, so go grab it!

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? Yes & Yes! The more celebrations the better!!
2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? Funny you posted this today- since this afternoon it the kiddo's combo family bday party. We are just having grandparents, great grandparents & Aunts/uncles/cousins over for cake & ice cream! I really should be making frosting for their cake right now...
3. Have you stopped "getting older?" Um... no not really, although I never 'feel' my age
4. Do you do presents or just presence? We've definitely made a slow transition to presence- or experiences. For Christmas we did a big trip to Mexico with zip-lining, horseback riding on the beach, dolphin swimming etc. Those memories are FAR better than any 'present.'
5. Any special traditions? For kiddos- they chose what to have for their breakfast- anything goes, I decorate their door the night before with streamers & balloons. They both have march birthdays, so we always do a combo family party & then individual friends sleepovers or playdates.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP?
LOVE Cake Smash by Amber Labau &
the Hadley Addon by Just Jaimee (which is in the retirement sale )

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? Hasn't been something my immediate family has done for well over 30 years. Before my mother passed away 20 years ago, my parents and I would go out for dinner for birthdays. Not a big deal, just a nice night out. After she passed, that tradition went by the wayside. Once my father moved to NC 4 years later, I only ever saw him once on my birthday... that was #50 and he happened to be on his way home from a Navy reunion in Chicago so stopped her so we could go out to eat. Pretty much only got cards from him. Sometimes a phone call, but not always.

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? I was invited to the 2nd birthday party for my cousin's grandson 6 years ago. They live in FL but the other grandparents are just 2 hours from me. The family was visiting OH and having the birthday party while here. Cousin's wife invited me as a surprise for the rest of the family. I took a day off work to attend. I was invited to a friend's 50th that she threw for herself last month. I chose not to attend due to distance and possible weather issues and having a puppy I couldn't leave alone that long.

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now) Nope. I embrace my age!

4. Do you do presents or just presence? N/A, unless you count what I buy for myself.

5. Any special traditions? Not really although a friend of my mother's has been sending me birthday cards no matter where I lived since I was 4 or 5 years old. In 2015, I didn't get a card but I got a phone call instead. We talked for almost an hour. She had bad carpal tunnel and could not address cards and the person doing it for her couldn't get to it in time for my card to get to me. Sadly, she then passed away 4 months later of cancer which was not known she had when I talked to her. It was so odd not to get that card these last 2 birthdays.

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family?
We have different ways to celebrate birthdays - the kids get a party every other year, the other years it's family only. Mom and dad just get a dinner of their choosing and maybe cake.

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended?
We went to a friend's birthday BBQ a few weeks ago, so super casual way to get several friends together and also kid friendly (which tends to be a requirement for us these days)

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now)
Haha, yes...I've been 29 for a bit now, my younger brother is now older, and I'll soon be a young teen mom if I don't "age"

4. Do you do presents or just presence?
The kids get a couple presents, adults usually only get presence. Some years I might get DH something if I missed something from Christmas gifts (or it took too long to arrive). The kids gifts are typically a toy and some new clothing

5. Any special traditions?
Not really, but each birthday person gets to pick their birthday dinner (whether it's eating in or going out) so that varies by year, and what type of cake. My dad and I both love my mom's carrot cake so that's our request. Everyone else changes their cake request.

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family?
Birthdays were a big deal growing up, but I married into a family that doesn't think celebrations are necessary. (How did that happen???) Sad, but true. I do my best...

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended?
My husband's in February. It wasn't much other than him blowing out candles on the cupcakes I made inbetween coming home from work and going to a Boy Scout meeting. Sigh.

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now)
Yes. I figure once you pass 50 it doesn't matter how old you are. Besides, I honestly can't remember just how old I am sometimes, and I really don't care!

4. Do you do presents or just presence?
Presents for me, presence for my DH (see #1).

5. Any special traditions?
Growing up my mom would make us cakes from the Baker's Coconut Cut-Up Cake Book. It was a freebie given out by the company as advertisement - make these cakes, and don't forget to buy the Baker's Coconut for the decor! We would pour over that book every year to choose the "perfect" cake. I did it for a while with my kids, but soon it became easier to buy one from the grocery store. Now I should start making them again because I need to make cakes gluten-free from scratch.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP?

Yes! Cake Smash Mega Bundle by Amber LaBau!

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? Just family.
2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? We had a huge party for my daughter's 40th this past July.
3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now) Yes, I'm 29 also.
4. Do you do presents or just presence? Just presents for the kids. Maybe a little token gift, but nothing big for the adults.
5. Any special traditions? Just cake and ice cream. Lately, ice cream cake - that covers the bases.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP? I have used this one a lot. It's perfect for any birthday pages. https://the-lilypad.com/store/Birthday-Word-Art.html

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? Meh. Celebrations are ok. For me, honestly, the best celebration I could get would be to have time to myself My mom loves to plan birthday things and I love her for it, but most of the time, I've worked all day on my birthday and would just like to relax. I did parties for my kids when they were younger, now it's more just taking everyone out to eat.

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? I help DS's girlfriend plan a surprise party for him last June, so that was probably the last "party". It was fun and we totally got him!!

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now) I don't get being worried about age. Like my mom always says "it beats the alternative". I've always embraced whatever age I am.

4. Do you do presents or just presence? Presents for the kids, not much for us unless there's just something one or the other of us particularly wants.

5. Any special traditions? Not really. When we were little, my mom used to wake us up by buttering our noses lol.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP?
Amber's Cake Smash (the Mega)
Danayle's 29 Again and Man of the Moment

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? Yeah, but I'm not much of a planner. If someone else throws the party, I'm all for it!

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? In November, when my son turned 11 we played mini-golf with friends and when my daughter turned 14 I took them to the mall and her favorite restaurant.

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" I have no issue with telling anyone I'm 46 (except that I always have to do math because I can't remember anymore LOL).

4. Do you do presents or just presence? I give my kids presents. Other than that, I'm a terrible gift giver.

5. Any special traditions? When my girls were younger, every birthday party had a theme they picked out. My son hasn't been so interested. Now they all just want to spend time with their friends and have cake to celebrate.

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family?
Yes. I celebrate like the magical unicorn that I am. I love birthdays!! I think it's so important to celebrate another year to live life to its fullest.

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended?
hmmm, so this is interesting because we don't actually throw birthdays. Even for our kids. We have always made it a point to take a special trip with them. It's not always fancy but we always try to make an adventure out of it. It would probably be a classmate's birthday that we last attended.

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now)
Oh for sure. I'm only 25 *cough*36*cough*

4. Do you do presents or just presence?
Both!!

5. Any special traditions?
See question 2

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP?
hmm, I love the Storyteller Hadley add on but I haven't looked at many recently

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? I do....but we don't do big parties anymore. It just gets to be too much. We just do small things with a couple of their friends.
2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? The last party we attended was our nephews 18th birthday. In a couple of weeks we will be celebrating my niece's birthday with a trip to Vegas.
3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now) Nah...40 really isn't so bad
4. Do you do presents or just presence? Mostly presence...
5. Any special traditions? We do dinners at the birthday person's favorite restaurant.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP? Oddly enough, I'm really not a fan of birthday kits. IDK why really. If I had to pick one it would be Cake Smash by Amber.

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? I hang a banner on our flagpole for each birthday.

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? A party for our neighbor's 85th birthday last year.

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now) No. When your baby is 30 and I had her when I was 27, there's no way I'll say I'm still 29. P.S. - I'll turn 59 in August and it is better than the alternative.

4. Do you do presents or just presence? We write a check to each kid. John and I will just go shopping and get our own presents.

5. Any special traditions? We take the family out to dinner. The birthday person gets to choose. Becky and Shawn's birthdays are a day apart, so they get a joint dinner. My husband and our oldest daughter's birthdays are also a day apart, and we used to do a joint dinner for them. She doesn't show up anymore.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP? I don't think I own any birthday kits from TLP.

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family? Yes! Birthdays are a big deal in my family. Kids get a family-only bday party on a weekend with a theme & a cake of their choosing. There are always (lots of) gifts. Adults get a dinner of their choosing on the Thursday (when we normally have dinner together) closest to their birthday + gifts. None of my local friends do things for their bday so I haven't been invited to an adult bday party in a long time.

2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? I went to my dad's bday dinner last Thursday. We are celebrating my son's 4th bday next month, and he will be having a Cars-themed party.

3. Have you stopped "getting older?" Nope. I am very proud to be who I am, which includes my age, so I will tell anyone who asks that I'm 38. My husband, who will turn 42 this summer, is the one who is super-duper touchy about getting older & hates acknowledging it and celebrating it.

4. Do you do presents or just presence? My mother is the one who throws the parties & the dinners and her love language is gifts so there are always presents. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny bring gifts to her house as well as to ours. I am not a gift person and would much prefer an experience but no one else in my family is into that.

5. Any special traditions? Just the ones mentioned above really --- birthday meal of your choosing, homemade cake of your choosing, a themed party. I usually buy something fun for their breakfast, and if their bday is on a weekend, they get to choose something fun to do that day. I do not cook on my birthday (or Mothers' Day) so we always go out to eat on my bday.

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yes Yours or just family? both - just by going out to dinner... no cake or presents.
2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended? My Dad's 75th Birthday in 2005 I threw at his house in FL, and 2007 for my BFF's sister who was turning 50 (and was terminal with cancer) at my BFF's house in NY
3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now) Nope.. I have white hair for every year I am getting older and proud of it. My Mom passed at 54, so now that I am going to be 57, [especially since I had Melanoma 12 years ago at 45 years old] I am glad to still be here.
4. Do you do presents or just presence? presence.. I love being with people. I don't need gifts.. just love of husband, family and friends. That means the most to me.
5. Any special traditions? Just to go out to dinner.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP? Paislee Press - Oh Happy Day

 

1. Do you like to celebrate birthdays? Yours or just family?
I like to celebrate the children's birthday's but not much my own really.
2. What was the last birthday party you threw or attended?
the last one will have been my son's in December.
3. Have you stopped "getting older?" (Example: My friend has been turning 29 for 6 years now)
I wish.
4. Do you do presents or just presence?
we do presents.
5. Any special traditions?
My mother always complains about this one, but we all get presents, not just the birthday boy/girl.

Bonus: What's your favorite birthday kit from TLP?
I don't have one yet.