Birthday Tips
Read these 18 Birthday Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Birthday tips and hundreds of other topics.
Fun With Birthday Messages
If you're looking for a great way to make a birthday an exciting, all-day event for children, there is an easy and cheap solution. Create a modified treasure hunt with birthday messages. To set up this fun and simple child's birthday game, you should:
- Write up several dozen birthday messages on small slips of paper. You can simply write things like "Happy Birthday" or "You're the cutest birthday boy ever" or you can put together little rhymes and poems.
- Put the slips of paper in leftover plastic Easter eggs along with a piece of candy, a sticker, or a temporary tattoo. If you don't have Easter eggs, any small containers will do. Jewelry boxes or small birthday treat bags are two good alternate options.
- Hide the containers all through the house. If you have extra time, make the hiding places very challenging and tape a clue to each container directing the child to the next one. Either way, you'll want to leave a note about the birthday hunt on your child's pillow or at the breakfast table so he or she knows there's a game to play. If you do opt to use clues, don't forget to put a map in the last container that leads your child to the final treasure – the pile of birthday gifts.
Tablecloth
"Pin a sheet on a wall and ask all the guests to sign their names and add comments (use permanent marking pens - available at yardage shops). When the party is over, it can be used as a tablecover year after year on every birthday!"
18th Birthday: The Turning Point
Know someone celebrating his or her 18th birthday? Chances are they have mixed emotions. On the one hand, there is the excitement of becoming an adult and all the freedoms (and responsibilities) that come with it. But some 18 year olds aren't in a big hurry to grow up, preferring to stay a child a little while longer. So how do you celebrate this split-personality birthday? Consider giving the birthday boy or girl a collection of small gifts that reflect both their youth and maturity. Stage a scavenger hunt so he or she can look for the gifts via clues and wordplay. It's an adult party game filled with the playfulness of childhood -- the perfect 18th celebration!
Memory Scrapbook
"Use pictures to create a memorable scrapbook as a gift to the birthday person. If possible, ask guests to mail in their favorite picture of the guest of honor when they R.S.V.P. (Leftover pictures can be used to decorate the party room)."
Thoughts of You....
Friendship's Rainbow
Friendship is like a special rainbow
that never fades away
A friend always bring
beautiful sunshine
to brighten every day.
Thinking of you with special wishes
that your day will be filled
with sunshine, love
and happiness.
For A Wonderful Sister
How much more
I appreciate you now
than when we were kids!
I don't know why I never saw then
what I see now --
someone who cares about me,
someone who genuinely
shares my joys,
and likes me for who I am ...
No one will ever understand me
quite the same way you do --
because you're not only my sister,
you're also my friend.
Happy Birthday With Love
Photos From Days Gone By
Ask each of the guests to bring photos of themselves with the birthday person from years ago. For instance, if the person is celebrating their 60th Birthday, ask guests bring a photo of themselves when they were together in college, or were co-workers, etc. Makes for great memories and lots of talking over of old times.
Happy birthday for adults
Even adults want to have a happy birthday. You might forego the games, of course, but don't forget to have some fun decorating. Make a sheet cake and decorate it with a favorite saying. Invite a few neighbors over for cake, ice cream, and coffee or tea. Light a few candles, sing Happy Birthday, and enjoy the conversation. You can enjoy a small celebration without having to go wild decorating and planning a big event.
Scrapbooked Memories
Scrapbooking is a wonderful fun way for parents to keep memories of the first milestone birthday celebration alive for years to come and makes an excellent gift when the child becomes an adult.
Times For Friends
A thought to share....
Time to smell a flower,
or feel a passing breeze,
Time to wander shady paths
and learn the names of trees.
Time to watch a bird in flight
and dream that we could soar...
If only we had time enough
we'd do all this, and more.
But mostly we'd take much more time
as much as we could spend
For sharing happy moments
with a very special friend.
Sometimes there aren't enough hours in my day
to say all the things I've been wanting to say.
And somehow it seems taking time out for you
is one of the things that too often fall through.
Just hope that you know,
even when we can't speak,
how often I think of you
all through the week.
A friend who's so special
and means very much
who lives in my heart
where we're always in touch!
Foods and Birthdays Around the World
Around the globe, different foods are used to celebrate birthdays. In the United States, the birthday cake reigns supreme for dessert. In many Asian countries, noodles are served to represent a long life. In Mexico and other Latin countries, pinatas are filled with candy and small prizes. The pinatas are either hit with a stick until they break open and the treats tumble out or there are ribbons to pull to cause the pinata to open. In England, cakes for birthdays have small tokens in them representing various fortunes. For example, if your piece has a coin in it, then the prediction is that you will be rich!
What Are 10 Awesome Bucket List Ideas?
There is much to be experienced in this world before we die, and such little time to experience it all. Bucket lists can help you determine what awesome things you'd like to do in your lifetime.
Defying Gravity
Whether skydiving, parasailing, or bungee jumping, there are many ways to defy gravity if you're a thrill seeker.
Travel the World
Traveling the world and experiencing new places is a must for adventure seekers. Make it a goal to visit every continent, or at least another country.
Climb a Mountain
Climbing a mountain is a good way to overcome fears and experience something completely new.
Learn a Musical Instrument
If you've always wanted to learn a musical instrument, make it a goal to learn one. If you already know how to play one, learn another.
Learn a Foreign Language
Learning a foreign language will help your communication skills. If you're already bilingual, pick a new language to learn.
See the Northern Lights
The Aurora Borealis is one of nature's most awe-inspiring occurrences. Make it a goal to travel north, where nature's light show is visible.
Spend New Year's Eve in Time Square
Time Square in New York City is a famous spot for ringing in the New Year. Everyone should experience it at least once in their life.
Meet Your Favorite Celebrity
Meeting a favorite celebrity is a goal that is easily obtainable, given your favorite celebrity is still alive.
Visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is something most people dream of seeing. Make it a goal to view the star studded sidewalk.
Write a Book
Many people dream of writing a book, but few lack the discipline to actually do it. Make the time and effort to write the book you've always dreamed of writing.
How to Deal With Getting Older In a Positive Way
The only downside to birthdays is that the more of them you have had, the older you are. As one gets older, you find that things that were so easy to do in the past start getting harder. However, while growing old is inevitable, feeling old is not. Here are some tips that will help you live to a healthy, fruitful and happy ripe, old age.
Exercise
To ensure that your body and mind is in good shape, you have to exercise them both frequently. This means that you should take up a sport you enjoy, or find other ways to make exercise a consistant part of your daily routine.
Make sure you exercise your mind too with activities such as playing chess, solving puzzles or learning a new language.
Hit the Gym
Research has shown that weight lifting is the only known exercise that stops and reverses loss of muscle and bone density that comes with aging. This makes it an even more vital exercise for women so as to decrease the probability of suffering from osteoporosis.
Eat Right
As you age, your body has a harder time absorbing minerals and vitamins, which you can counteract by eating a healthy diet full of vegetables and fruits, or by taking a daily supplement.
Your metabolism slows down as you age. A better diet will keep your bad cholesterol in check and its attendant maladies at bay.
Change Your Habits
This refers to dropping bad habits such as smoking, and reinforcing good habits such as exercising. Also make it a habit to try new things. Pick up an instrument, take a class- never stop learning. You're only as old as you feel.
Tips for a Happy Birthday for Young Children
Adults tend to go overboard with a child's first few birthdays, especially if the child is the first grandchild, niece, or nephew in the family. However, all of the attention and fuss doesn't always make the day a happy birthday for young children. Too much stimulation can be overwhelming. To make a birthday fun for young children, you should:
- Keep the celebration short. An hour is plenty for a one or two-year- old to have to be cute and well-behaved. A longer party means he or she is going to probably get cranky and tired. You don't want to have to correct bad behavior on the special day!
- Limit the number of guests. Five or six people the baby doesn't know very well can be a bit frightening. Twenty or 30 guests that don't visit every day cooing over him or her are downright terrifying.
- Get through the important stuff first, like blowing out a first birthday candle, about 20 minutes after the guests arrive. Your child will be more relaxed than he or she was when everyone walked in the door and will probably be able to concentrate more on the cake than if you scooped him or her up to begin posing for photos of firsts the second the last guest arrived.
Birthday Reminder Help
Oh, no! Once again, you've forgotten Uncle Jim's birthday. Wasn't your boss's birthday coming up sometime soon? You missed it by two days. How can you stop forgetting these important events? What you need is for someone to call you up and tell you to get a card and gift a few days before, but who's going to want to do that? Actually, any birthday reminder service will be delighted to do just that.
You can hire a reminder service run by a virtual assistant to remind you of all types of events. Not only will he or she give you a reminder call or email, but you can also have greeting cards or small gifts sent out a few days before if you can't manage to get to the store.
If you are planning to buy your own cards and gifts, but just need someone to give you a reminder, you may want to take a look at online reminder services. There are literally hundreds of different options, but some have nicer features than others. Look for a service that offers gift buying guides or e-cards as a few extra options. The nicest services also feature options to share reminders with other people and to put the reminders on your computer so you don't have to worry about missing an email.
Birthday with a Theme
Looking for birthday tips? There's no doubt about it. Children of almost all ages like having a birthday party with a theme. In addition to getting the traditional plates, napkins, and cups decorated with a favorite character, adapt your favorite party games to go with the theme. For younger kids, instead of a donkey, pin a tail -or other body part--on some other character. If the character is from a recent movie, find the soundtrack and play musical chairs to the most recognizable songs. Don't be afraid to try something silly. That's what birthday parties are for!
Sending Birthday Greetings
Birthday greetings can be sent in a variety of ways. Older folks probably appreciate a printed card with a handwritten note and some family photos more than anything. Remember that for folks over 80 you can get birthday greetings sent from the White House. Younger people are apt to have email and can be sent electronic birthday greetings. Include some personalized note with these as well to show you have thought about the person and not just made a few mouse clicks for them!
*If you want to make your own birthday greetings, a standard-sized card can be made by folding an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper into quarters. You can buy invitation sized envelopes to fit your handmade cards.
Birthdays Around the World
Birthdays are celebrated in different ways around the world. In the United States, cake and ice cream are the norm and a simple "Happy Birthday" is sung. In many other countries, treats are brought to school, special celebration food is served, and there are various good luck traditions, from greasing the nose to blowing out candles. In many countries, birthdays are recognized by having some means of counting out the age with physical contact. These include light playful spanks, punches, ear lobe pulling and lifting people in the air, with or without a chair.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. |
