Play Ball!!

One of the most fun parts in planning a birthday party is the theme. And when your son loves sports, there are many ways you can go. Kate, at Hostess with the Mostess, held a sports theme related party for her one year old son's birthday and found a popular sport idea for the main theme, plus other fun sport related stuff.

Theme really does help to unify the overall picture with a birthday celebration. I donate a chapter in my e-book toward choosing a theme for your child's birthday wall,  Chapter One, A Thoughtful Thread: Choosing a Theme. I have had much fun with incorporating themes into my daughter's birthday walls which I share in detail.

So, what does your child absolutely love right now? Perhaps a theme is just waiting to be born!

A Spring Celebration!

I love the colors and smells of spring; what a great time for a birthday party! (Of course, your child has to have a birthday in the spring for that to work out. ;)) If you're looking for some great theme party tips for spring, Nancy Flanders provides several, from whimsical to just plain fun.

When you create a birthday wall for your child, it's often a fabulous opportunity to visually show your child's favorite things in collage style. I give several ideas for how you can incorporate their favorites into a well laid out theme for your wall in Chapter One A Thoughtful Thread: Choosing a Theme.

A fun, colorful theme can really help pull such a visual together, enhancing your child's loves in full-color!

Let Them Choose: Options

I love a creative simplicity, which Jamie, at Steady Mom, shares about celebrating birthdays. She recommends keeping it simple, stress free, and manageable. Plus she gives her kids a choice between family parties and friend parties. Sometimes all that matters with a birthday is time spent with those who love you most.

I give several tips throughout The Birthday Wall e-book on keeping it simple and sticking with what matters most to your child. That's really the whole purpose behind creating one: focusing on what your child cares about and what makes them special.

And when you focus on the things they choose every day in your birthday wall creation, it truly shows how well you know them and how much you care about what they love and why.

Fun for Everyone?

When I ran into the article, Birthdays: Simple Can Be Fun too, by Chad Lucas, I found myself laughing hysterically! Chad really knows how to bring out the issues birthday celebrations can bring on with understanding humor that shows what true parent he is. I think my favorite part is the game he plays with the kids. The details will humor you, I"m sure.

One of the great dimensions of a Birthday Wall is bringing out your child's humorous side, whether it be something they say or a favorite TV show they like that's really funny. Check out Chapter Two, A Custom Fit: Your Child's Unique Portrait, for some fun ideas that you can include to bring out the fun/funny side of what you love about your child.

Toddler Tips: What to Have on Hand

With a focus on toddlers, Lisa of @ThePartyWorks, a guest poster on JLee's blog, shares must-do tips on how to handle the inevitable mishaps without the mayhem. With a focus on food, fun and friendly, her article is sure to be of help for your young one's party plans.

The Birthday Wall can be appropriate for any age, but for younger ones, I share my recommendations for placing and party activities in Chapter 5, Creativity Central: Putting It All Together as well as in the Q & A section following.

It Doesn't Have to be Complicated

I always appreciate simplicity, whether in the home, office, or in my approach to celebrating. And often when you keep it simple, it's also less expensive. That's why I like Sarah Fernandez's approach to birthday party planning. She details several issues, from number of invites to simple menus, to help keep things simple and less costly in her article,  5 Ways to Throw a Fabulous Birthday Party on a Budget.

I take the same approach when planning a birthday wall for my daughters. There are several factors involved such as how many greetings to include, what images would be the most meaningful, and what theme approach would have the most effect. I share about all these issues in my book: The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child.

Showing how much you love your child doesn't have to be complicated.

A True Gift: Her Birthday

Sometimes the best gift you can receive for your birthday are gifts you give to those who have none. That's what Felicia Kasdan, 19, discovered when she made a birthday wish for other children to receive toys in lei of her own birthday presents since she recognized how fortunate she was already.

Some gifts are simply made to refresh another; when I create a birthday wall for my daughters, in one sense, it becomes a gift others appreciate when they can play a part in it. That's one of the ways the birthday wall has become such a special and intimate part of their birthday celebration. My youngest daughter, Hannah, shares her point of view on what The Birthday Wall means to her in my e-book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child.

Puppies and Ponies: Fun for All

It can be such a delight to feature some of your child's favorite things in their birthday celebration. That's just what Sharon Rowley did for her 8 year old daughter, with puppies and ponies for her birthday party theme. In her post, Sharon provides several photos to showcase their activities and themed items along with optional food choices.

In my e-book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child, I share a structured survey that provides a place for you to fill in your child's favorite things and people. In Chapter One, A Thoughtful Thread: Choosing a Theme, I explain how to apply your child's favorites with the creation of their birthday wall for a fabulous theme you can incorporate into your party plans.

But what matters most is how much fun your child has as you celebrate their very special day. Enjoy!