Happy Birthday, Skylar!

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On Sunday we celebrated Skylar’s 4th birthday!

Birthday hat and plate on table

Young girl holding birthday hat to head and smiling

She couldn’t stop dancing and spinning once she put that party hat on!

Young girl playing with birthday hat holding it to head

Her actual birthday isn’t until mid-week and on Monday we are having a kiddie-party with some of her friends but this weekend it was just Scott, her, and me.

There were a few gifts from us and her relatives

Stamping kit

A stamping kit.  I would have loved this as a kid!  Thanks, Auntie C!

Close up of one stamp in stamping kit

Butterly stamp being used with purple ink

And a blankie from Grandma

Young girl smiling and holding new blanket

Saturday I picked up these

Packages of cookies a mini cupcakes

The extras are going to her friends’ house for the kiddie party.  Pawn extra sugar off on other children.

Close up of package of cookies

Close up of chocolate mini cupcakes

Close up of vanilla mini cupcakes

Skylar requested a chocolate cupcake and a cookie.

Chocolate mini cupcake and cookie on birthday plate

And she loved every bite!

Young girl smiling eating birthday goodies

And I loved being with her!  

Woman and child sitting next to one another smiling

It feels like just yesterday I was having her baby shower, which was only a mere 48 hours before I went into labor and Skylar decided to make her arrival.  She was in a hurry to make her debut in the world which left me no time to wash all those onesies I got at my shower, but I managed.

Young girl playing with hair wearing birthday hat smiling

We kept Sunday simple and low key because there is still a party on Monday, and more celebrating mid-week on the actual day of.  Plus, with kids, simpler is better. The chaos and over-stimulation and sheer excess factor that I see at many children’s parties is not something I relish.  She loved it more because it was small and quiet and we could focus on each other, the few gifts she had (and more will be doled out as the week progresses)….

…and of course, she loved focusing on these

Close up of mini chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles

It’s amazing how much she’s grown in a year physically, mentally, and in every aspect.  Here was her 3rd Birthday from last year.

Pictures From This Post

Young girl wearing birthday hat and white beaded necklace

While holding Daddy’s Hand and Grinning Ear to Ear

Young girl holding her dads hand smiling with birthday hat and necklace
Young girl and woman wearing birthday hats at table

And more photos from This Post

Young girl opening birthday presents on floor

It’s interesting to see what I made a year ago in that post.  It was Vegan White Chocolate Chocolate-Peanut Butter CupsVegan White Chocolate Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cups stacked on top of one another

One Vegan White Chocolate Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup on plate
Hand holding one Vegan White Chocolate Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup
Split Vegan White Chocolate Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup showing filling

I am glad you enjoyed the Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter & Oat Snack Bars that I made from my last post.  Yes, those have been a hit here.  Let me know if you try them because they are so easy and fast to make.  Like 3 minutes fast and if you don’t have a microwave and prefer to heat your chocolate over the stove top, be my guest.  Deb and Charlotte already made them (using the microwave).  Thanks for the letting me know, ladies.

Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter & Oat Snack Bars

Close up of one Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter & Oat Snack Bar

Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter & Oat Snack Bars

Dessert: If you want to make cupcakes at home, you could try Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cupcakes with White Chocolate Icing

And actually, these use pre-made brownies so they are really pulling a Sandra Lee.  Semi-homemade.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cupcake
Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cupcakes with White Chocolate Icing in muffin tin
Close up of one Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cupcake with White Chocolate Icing

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cupcakes with White Chocolate Icing

Questions:

1. Best thing you ate or did over the weekend?

Celebrating Skylar’s birthday, being reminded that four years ago this week I had a baby shower, and that I gave birth to her four years ago.  She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, ever.  And ever will happen.

Ironically I have seen many blog posts this weekend about attending friend’s baby showers and I have cried some Hallmark tears.  Happy tears, of course. But as mom, watching the years pass and being marked with a birthday just make me appreciate where I’ve been, the gifts I’ve been given, and how blessed I am to have such a wonderful little girl!

2. Any memorable birthday party stories you care to share?

My 26th birthday was spent doing sunset yoga on the beach with Scott and my yoga friends.  We went inside for a vegetarian potluck and drinks.  Scott had ordered me a custom hot pink cake, and we stayed up until the wee hours with our friends talking, laughing, drinking wine, and eating cake.  It was an amazing birthday!

3. Do you use store-bought bakery items like cakes, cupcakes, or cookies?

I am a busy, full-time working mom and the time involved making cupcakes and cookies, with frosting, sprinkles, you name it, well, I have no shame in admitting I’d rather spend an hour or two at the park with her and buy store-bought cupcakes than stand in the kitchen just to say they are homemade.  She’s 4.  Who cares.  She doesn’t know the difference.

But of course, if you love to bake and have the time for it, make it from scratch at home!

P.S. If you’re just catching up on posts from the weekend there were:

See you later and have a great week!

 

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Comments

  1. Happy Birthday, Skylar! Your sweet, happy disposition shines right through the computer screen. Four already. Time goes way too fast for us moms.

  2. AHH happy birthday to Skylar!!!! she looks so happy!! she is always smiling and when your a kid you should ALWAYS be happy! she is going to be a STAR one day! :)

    I loved birthday parties! picking out the special outfit, and my dad always brought his video camera taking video of all of my friends wishing me a happy birthday! to this day I can watch home videos of my friends all wishing me happy birthday and being silly! i think that was the most memorable!!

  3. Aw, what a sweet little birthday celebration y’all had on Sunday! Happy Birthday, Skylar!!

    I must admit, i was a bit suprised to see that you bought store-bought cupcakes! But I am surprised in a good way. It’s hard to explain, because as a health educator I know how bad those things are (and addicting!) but it’s also important for kids to learn that sweet treats are eaten in moderation, on special occasions, etc etc. That’s what makes ’em a treat! Glad allowed you to have more special time with her :)

  4. So sweet! I bet you’re wondering where four years went :)
    When I was a kid, I wasn’t picky at all about birthday cakes – the more frosting, the better! One memorable cake was shaped like my golden retriever, although at my mother’s well-meaning but not so artistic hands, it turned out to be a very deformed, mutant dog. These days, I would kill for a homemade cake, but unless I’m making it, a girl can only dream :)
    Happy birthday to the wee one!

  5. Awww I totally forgot that her birthday was in late January too!! I remember this vaguely from last year…happy birthday Skylar!! Those pink frosted cookies are actually some of my favorites. The frosting is pure crack. I never really buy grocery store stuff, but real bakery cakes are the bomb. For my high school graduation party I had a cake good enough to make me cry…dark chocolate mousse cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream, from a patient of my dads’ who owned a bakery. It was massive and I loved having leftovers for awhile.

    Two memorable parties stick out in my childhood: the “pink” party I had at age 5, and the Titanic party I had for my 9th birthday. Both very fun for a little girl!

  6. I’m a bit behind in my commenting, but I hope she has a great birthday. Your picture with her is very sweet. She really is growing fast!

  7. No, no, not the clowns! Auggggggghh!

    I always take birthday requests. If they want home-made, they get home-made. If they want store-bought, they get store-bought. Which means I wind up baking about 75% of the time.

    For myself, I refuse to do any work on my birthday, so I usually splurge on a store-bought carrot cake. (Love the frozen 24-Karat Cake from Trader Joe’s.)

  8. Happy (early) Birthday to Skylar!

    *shudders at the clown decorations* They’ve always scared me and always will. ;)