Like many other moms, I feel the pressure to make holidays and other big milestones magical for my children. Oftentimes this results in me being overwhelmed and just giving up on whatever big ideas I had.
I am not a Pinterest-perfect mom, I cannot craft to save my life, and my child’s last few birthday parties were exclusively decorated with things I ordered from Amazon.
However, I love to celebrate the little things.
Celebrate the Little Things Throughout the Year
Half Birthdays
Growing up, my mom made a big deal over our half birthdays. She would always remember the day and if we were lucky, we would get a little birthday cake or cupcake.
I grew up assuming that everyone got to celebrate half birthdays. And my family will still wish each other “happy half birthday” in our family group chat.
This is a tradition I continue with my kids — on their half birthdays I pick out a little cookie or cupcake for them. It’s just something fun to brighten up the day!
Pet Birthdays
We don’t just celebrate human birthdays (and half birthdays), we celebrate our pets as well!
We have a dog who just turned nine, and I always make sure to remember his birthday and to celebrate it. In the past we have gone to a local dog bakery and picked out a little treat for him. My kids like singing “Happy Birthday” and making it a whole production.
We also have a goldfish who has not made it through an entire year (yet). However, my daughter has asked when Goldie’s birthday is, so you better believe we will celebrate that as well!
Here’s a tip — if you don’t know when your pet’s birthday is, just make it up (but be consistent and remember the date).
Celebrate the Season
Everyone has Christmas jammies, and honestly, the options are overwhelming!
I love getting pajamas for my kids for different seasons and holidays, such as Valentine’s Day and Easter. Pajamas with little hearts and bunnies are adorable, can be worn all year long, and they just make me happy!
Old Navy and Target have some great low-cost options. If you want to splurge, Little Sleepies is my favorite.
I also like to swap out some minor things around the home to keep up with whatever season it is. I’m not putting up an entire Valentine’s Day tree or decorating my whole house, but I will put up a garland that I got for $10 at Target and switch out some hand soaps and lotions. The little things really add up and can create sweet memories!
Show Appreciation
It’s common to give gifts to teachers and other people in your lives during periodic times of the year, such as the winter holiday season or Teacher Appreciation Week. But have you ever seen how excited someone gets when you bring them a coffee on a random Friday?
Find out your child’s teacher’s coffee or soda order, and surprise them with one at school drop off or pick up. Or, send a friend a $10 Starbucks gift card via text message just to show them you are thinking of them. You can also do this without spending any money — simple note of appreciation goes a long way.
Make Every Day Special
You don’t need to wait for a holiday or milestone to do something fun.
Here are some more ideas:
- If your child loses a tooth, put a little glitter glue on the dollar bill from the Tooth Fairy.
- Use some colorful sprinkles on your child’s pancakes or oatmeal.
- Cut their sandwiches with a fun cookie cutter.
- Light the special candle you’ve been saving.
My hope is that my kids will see that there are so many things to be celebrated and so many ways to make people feel special. Hopefully they will be motivated to spread a little extra joy to their friends and classmates as well. Everyone deserves to feel appreciated all year long!
What are some ways you celebrate the little things in life? Let us know in the comments!
