Birthday inspiration!

What a wonderful discussion we had about birthdays! Thanks to all who came out for our September "Holistic Birthday Celebrations" discussion, especially the first-time visitors. And super special thanks to co-leader Michelle R. for coming up with such a great handout!

Michelle had a bunch of great ideas for how to approach each category on her handout -- from beginner to hard-core! We fell all over the spectrum!

Members can access the full handout on our chapter Yahoo group. Others can request a copy by emailing HolisticMomsArlAlex (at) gmail (dot) com.

Suggestions for creating a holistic birthday celebration

• Make people the center of the celebration (and consider meaningful rituals)
• Eliminate or minimize the role of gifts
• Recycle and avoid consumerism
• Consider alternatives to party favors
• Organize holistic activities
• Provide healthy food

And some great resources are out there, including:

“Birthdays Without Pressure” – A Project of the University of Minnesota’s Dept. of Family Social Science
www.cehd.umn.edu/fsos/projects/birthdays

FILM: “Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood”

Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC) www.commercialfreechildhood.org

Green Party Goods www.greenpartygoods.com


It was also helpful to revisit ideas for Holistic Halloween from our Moms Night Out back in 2009. Check out our suggestions!