Let’s face it. This year, birthdays are hella different and in some ways a bit of a downer since you can’t celebrate with family and friends. For our family which has gotten much bigger over the years and we all somewhat have our own lives, this time of year is the lead up to the holidays. It’s also when we have the most birthdays, so we normally get to see each other very often. With Covid, and Montreal being in the red zone for the foreseable future, we kinda need some light and somethings to look forward to. But having a 6 soon to be 7 year old, I wasn’t going to be able to get away with doing nada for her birthday, because she’s only been looking forward to it, since she turned 6- lol. So, the planner in me got excited because at the end of the day my main goal was how I could make the day special for her, while still keeping it low key and memorable all the same. Let’s see how I did!
A year older, a year bolder.
When I began planning, we were in the orange or yellow zone (Covid things), so I was planning on having a small outdoor gathering with only family in my back yard, but at the beginning of October it soon became clear we wouldn’t be able to do that and that in fact it would only be me and Neveah for her birthday celebration. Bummer, but we could make it work and the rest would be FaceTime. Thankfully, I hadn’t yet booked and paid for things, so I didn’t have to worry too much about having to cancel things, but it was low key depressing to have to message and say sorry. Especially since I had reached out to small local businesses, so they would feel the loss a bit more acutely. Thankfully, they were very understanding and in many ways, obvs anticipated for this to happen. One guarantee I have made for myself is the fact that once things lift again and we can have some sort of gathering, I will be reaching out to them in order to give them my support because I think it’s very important.
I am very lucky to have some very talented friends and it’s sometimes hard to choose which one who will make the cake for the occasion, but that’s not necessarily a bad problem to have. Last year, I promised I was going to get a cake from a close friend of mine, so my friend Milli made Neveah’s mermaid themed cake and let me tell you. Not only were we shook when we saw her son’s Sonic The Hedgehog cake this summer- my daughter was like…this is the cake I want too! It was Oreo on the inside, with not 1, not 2 layers, but 3 layers of icing on the inside. Let me tell you…Neveah was equally shook, especially since I told her I forgot to get her a cake. She couldn’t stop staring at it, snatched the 1st slice and ran to a corner to eat it like she hadn’t eaten in decades.
Companies I Planned on Using:
HomyBox: Back in September, I ordered the Mediterranean box for 2 and was so impressed by not only how pretty it was, but also how lovely, helpful and kind Samia was throughout. I highly recommend and I will be ordering a box for my birthday, even if it’s just me and Neveah. Totally snack foods, but very filling as well and a great balance between sweet and savoury but also healthy and indulgent.
Biscuitsandmilk: I had planned to order about 30-40 cookies as party favours for each of our family members (not that many people, but you can’t just eat 1 cookie), I had an idea of the mermaid style cookies with Neveah’s name that I was going to order, but like the food- I decided to cancel it due to the fact that we weren’t going to be having the same kind of party. I realized though, that I could have had them individually wrapped and still given them as favours and dropping them off for family- but your girl didn’t think that far ahead. I have never ordered from them before, but I have seen plenty of moms online in the area post about them so I was curious to try them. Will definitely have to do that when I do have another get together.
Cakes By Milli:
Like I said, she’s my friend so yes I’m biased and yes, imma sing her praises. But her talent floors me every time, not because I don’t believe or see it, but because she’s self-taught and also because she does all of this out of her kitchen. It’s not a well polished bakery, it’s an intimate, carefully and lovingly made cake. What more do you want or need from a cake? You can literally taste the love. If you need a cake from her, be sure to send me a message and I will connect you or find her on Instagram and make your requests.
Our family really came through (not that I doubted it- but being in isolation can make you feel alone), not only did we all video chat together as a group, but she was made to feel special, everyone took the time to make her feel special. She even got homemade chocolate cake from Aunty Sam, the Sunday before her birthday so she had cake leading up to her birthday. I am so grateful for my family, and I know that us all having our own lives and it can be hard to check in, but there’s something so refreshing of how easily it all falls into place! During these Covid times it can be tough being alone with a child, but don’t be scared to reach into the people in your lives!
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