A Birthday Tradition

As a very sentimental person, I often think of ways to incorporate special meanings in everyday objects. Clutter and knick-knacks cause stress in my home, so when thinking of ways for my children to remember their birthdays and those who came, a practical solution was a no-brainer. My husband and I decided to start a "birthday book" tradition with our children.

For our children, we have chosen the theme of Dr. Seuss books. I grew up with Dr. Seuss books and my children are quickly falling in love with them as well.

This is how our birthday book tradition goes... Each year on their birthday, I purchase a Dr. Suess book from the store. (Watch Kohls carefully. About twice a year they have a $5 book sale for their charity program. At least one of the two times the books will be Dr. Suess. They typically have a selection of 3-4 books to choose from. I buy one of each and keep for upcoming birthdays. If you miss the Kohls sale, shop online. Amazon has great deals on books and often their are coupon codes and free shipping deals monthly.)

At the start of the party, I lay the book down on the table and announce that we would like everyone to write a special message to the birthday boy or girl in the book. Let your guests be creative--some write on the front/back pages, while others choose a special page in the book that matches their personality. Make sure all guests write a special message. My boys have had so much fun with their birthday book tradition so far. When we read our nightly stories, they frequently choose their special birthday books. Sometimes, we skip the story and just read the special messages from those we love. I can't wait to see how many great birthday books we come up with in the future!

*If you want to start your own birthday book tradition, Dr. Suess has some great books to get you started. For our very first birthday book, we used "Happy Birthday to You." It is a FANTASTIC Dr. Suess book that most have never heard of. You are sure to love it!

A few other great Dr. Suess books that are less familiar, but are some of my favorite, are: "Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?" and "I Wish that I Had Duck Feet."

Happy Reading!