When I am wrapping birthday presents at midnight, I often discover that I have no tape. Once, I put candles on a cake and then realized I didn’t have a lighter. Parents cannot brain as well as they used to. That’s why you need an Emergency Birthday Party Supplies Kit.
Enbridge turns 165 this year, and their birthday survey of Canadians got me thinking about this. The survey showed that most Canadians think a cake makes a birthday special. In fact, a cake and candles were the #1 most important birthday tradition. I ALMOST FORGOT THE CANDLES. I almost forget candles every year!! How can I prevent myself from screwing this up?
The answer is an Emergency Birthday Supply Kit. These are things you should assemble and have on hand in case of Birthday Forgetfulness. You can buy everything but the cake supplies at the dollar store – the whole kit cost me less than $30!
Emergency Birthday Supply Kit
- Cake mix
- Icing
- Candles
- Lighter / matches for the candles
- Tape for wrapping presents
- Wrapping paper or gift bags
- Generic decorations (balloons, birthday banner)
- Food-related things (themed tablecloth, napkins, cups, plates)
- Birthday card that doesn’t specify age (if you give your kids cards)
Buy decorations and supplies that will work for any age or gender (if you have kids of both genders). I bought rainbow things that will look festive, and will suit both of my kids at any age.
Gather the things and place them in a boring-looking box that your kids will not want to open. If they can read, you should label the box with something like “Cleaning Supplies.” Hide the box in your basement in case of Party Emergency.
Keep in mind – the vast majority of Canadians (87%) said the most important thing to do on their birthday is share it with family. Your kids won’t remember if you didn’t have balloons, but they will remember if you were too stressed out to enjoy their birthday. Slow down, relax, and give them some extra attention – that’s the best way to make a birthday special.
Some Birthday Motivation
Go get your Emergency Party Kit supplies! If you need some motivation to get off the couch, check out this amazing video from Enbridge. It shows people from 1 – 100 celebrating their birthdays, and stuff like this ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY.
And also now I want cake.
Do you have any Emergency Party Supplies on hand?
Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Enbridge and I received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. I have bills to pay, yo. Opinions are my own, as always.