I will be the first to tell you that I am the mom who goes overboard with birthday parties.

I love it – all of it. I love planning the over-the-top parties and I love having our friends over to enjoy them. I love the look of excitement from my kids when they see all the things I’ve planned.

But here’s the thing: I fully realize that none of it is necessary to make my kids feel special. All the hoopla is largely for my own enjoyment and they would be just as happy with a store-bought cake and a balloon. I get that.

That’s why when we came home from a month-long road trip just 2 weeks before our next big scheduled birthday bash and the house had no flooring in any of the bedrooms, I decided to let a lot of things go for this one. Continue Reading