Every family has traditions, and every family’s traditions are unique. No matter how they came about, from parents and grandparents to new traditions created after marriage, everyone has traditions that come during Easter, Labor Day, and really year round. Some traditions can be:

• caroling in December
• spending a week at the beach every summer
• 4th of July picnic
• first day of school pictures
• volunteering at a food bank over Thanksgiving break
• getting a cell phone for the 12th birthday

The family that I grew up in has many traditions. My husband’s family had many as well. When we got married we had to find a way to merge the traditions that he grew up with, and mine. That was fairly simple considering we grew up with similar religious and military background. The thing that we decided after we had kids was that we wanted to start some of our own traditions within our little family.

Birthday Traditions

In our family we have three traditions that we added as our children got older that we still do each year on each birthday. It is three ways to help that child feel special on their one special day a year. These traditions have evolved over the past 17 years but we are pretty set on them now.

Goody Bag And Balloons

When it is your birthday at out house you are greeted with gift bag tied together with a bouquet of balloons. We fill the bag depending on the birthday person’s likes. We choose small items to fill the bag along with their “large” gift that might be a phone, a toy, a game, a bike or other object depending upon the birthday and the child.

In the bag you might find:

• favorite candy
• small toys/games/cards
• socks
• chap-stick/lip-gloss
• gift cards
• dollar store type items

Birthday Dinner

When it is your birthday at our house you get the dinner of your choice. Sometimes the kids choose to go out to dinner at their favorite restaurant but more often than not, they choose to have me make their favorite meal at home. Nobody else gets a say, the birthday person has full say in what we eat. I have one child that has asked for the same meal every year for about 5 years.

Dinners in the past have included:

• barbecue stakes and corn
• pizza and bread-sticks
• breakfast for dinner
• hot dogs, Cheetos, and watermelon
• spaghetti and meatballs

Personalized Products

I always try to get something personalized for each birthday. When you have a party and something is personalized it makes the birthday person feel extra special. In the past I have done many different items.

• sticky notes/stationary
• pencils
• t-shirts
• goody bags for people attending the party
• stickers

This year I found a new product that we loved. I wanted to do something different and went looking around online. I found these custom water bottle labels from I Custom Label that had so many designs! Since she was born in October she loves Halloween. So of course we had a Halloween themed birthday party. I found a really cute owl theme in orange and black that I could customize with her name. They came out perfectly and the birthday girl loved them! All I had to do was stick them on the water bottles and set the table for the party!

Would you like to win a set of water bottle labels for your next party or get together? Well you are in luck! I am sharing what I love with you today! Fill out the Rafflecopter below and you too can have a personalized product for your next party!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.