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A Plentiful Life

Decorating Tips•DIY•Easy Diy's•Holiday Diy's

A Secondhand Birthday Celebration

February 4, 2021
baby dolls and twins

A first birthday should be a celebration for both the parents and the baby(s). With the current COVID restrictions in BC we were unable to host a party or celebrate with our families. This was harder on me than it was on Evie and Poppy! A first birthday is so special. It’s a time to reminisce about the first year, see how far you and your baby(s) have come and to be with those you love. Why not throw a secondhand birthday and still make it special?

letterboard

I had an idea for Evie and Poppy’s birthday but kept going back and forth on whether I should do it. It felt like, what’s the point. Then I realized their first birthday will never happen again. This was a time to celebrate, for joy and love. Even if it was only the four us it could still be special.

heart garland

The best thing to do was a secondhand birthday, budget friendly but still adorable. I wanted to sent up a little area for a “cake” smash and another for their birthday present. First I made a list of everything I needed.

  • Children’s Tent
  • Floor Cushion
  • Material for a One sign
  • A Cake Stand
  • Banner
  • Dresses
children's tent
Where to Shop for a Secondhand Birthday?
  • DECOR: There are a few good places to shop for secondhand birthday pieces. The Salvation Army Thrift Store is a great option for material, pillow cases and cake stands.
  • CHILDREN’S GIFTS: Secondhand children’s items like a tent I would suggest Facebook Marketplace. You can easily search your area and also add a notification for any new things posted.
  • FABRIC: In Vancouver we have a wonderful shop for fabric Our Social Fabric it’s actually material that has been donated by various industries, such a great idea! I emailed an inspiration photo and they put together a package for me that was perfect.
  • CLOTHES: You know how much I love secondhand clothes! Kids clothing is even more fun. I was able to find these matching dresses from a local North Vancouver consignment store Wide Eyed Wondershop. There are so many wonderful options for secondhand children’s clothing, the Salvation Army Thrift Store, Consignment Store, Poshmark, Online retailers. Search your local area to see what is available.
stuffed animals in children's tent

I did buy two new baby dolls which were our gifts to the girls. I found a seller on Etsy who sold the brand I was looking to purchase. Even though these were new I was happy to support a small business.

Breakdown Cost of Secondhand Birthday:

  • Beige Canvas Material – Salvation Army Thrift Store $6.99
  • Purple Glass Cake Stand – Salvation Army Thrift Store $4.99
  • Children’s Tent – FB Marketplace $40
  • Pink Floor Cushion – FB Marketplace $5
  • Large Pillow Covers – FB Marketplace $10
  • Material for Hearts – Our Social Fabric $15
  • The two decorative pillows, letterboard and satin material I already owned

TOTAL COST – $81.98

twin first birthday

Instead of serving Evie and Poppy cake we opted for banana muffins with creme chantilly (which is whipped cream with very low sugar). This was a huge hit! They eat muffins all the time but never a full sized one or with a huge dollop of whipped cream. They were so excited and definitely ate the whole thing.

  • birthday cupcakes
  • Children't play tent
  • twins playing in tent
  • Children's tent with pillows and stuffed animals

Here are a few tips if you have an upcoming celebration.

  • Shop secondhand if you can, this will make your celebration budget friendly and unique!
  • Film your celebration. We didn’t have anyone to take photos of us or the girls or them eating their cake. I set up a tripod with my phone and made a 7 minute video. It’s easy to grab still shots from and fun to rewatch.
  • Go for it! Even though you might not be able to host a party, have fun and enjoy the moment.

Even though Evie and Poppy’s first birthday was only the four of us, I will always remember it and be happy we took the time to celebrate. Most of my secondhand pieces I will be able to use again next year because let’s be honest TWO is the new ONE. Am I right?

Children's tent
  • Children's tent
  • Twin birthday party
  • Cake smash for first birthday
  • stuffed animals in children's tent

affordable party budget birthday cake smash first birthday secondhand birthday secondhand celebration thrifted birthday twin girls twins

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Tijana Popovc

A frugalista who hunts for great deals, try's her best to budget and navigates life as honestly as she can. I love thrift shopping, do it yourself projects, exploring the trails by our house, all the flowers, and spending time with the love of my life Mark.
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Last one, I swear! 🤭 Swipe to see the inside o Last one, I swear! 🤭

Swipe to see the inside of the rainbow cupcakes. Honestly, so easy, and they look great! Next time, I might reverse it and make rainbow icing and plain cupcakes, a bigger wow factor. BUT three year olds LOVE sprinkles, so this worked.

🌈✨️🧁
THREE! 🦄 🎉 🌈 I had a lot of fun with thi THREE! 🦄 🎉 🌈

I had a lot of fun with this one! Do you think I accomplished this on a budget? You bet I did! The only thing about being on a budget is that it can be a bit more labour intensive. 

I used cookie cutters again, which makes for easy prep. I cut out all of the sandwich pieces in advance and froze the rice krispies oncee they were made. The rainbow cupcakes I baked in advance and froze, so it was easy to take them out and ice the day of the party.

As for the decor, from the dollar store: 3 bags of balloons, 10 streamer rolls, and 2 unicorn felt banners. Plus leftover string, tape and a Happy Birthday kit, which included the foil balloons and rainbow balloons. Total: $32.50

Now that might not be the cheapest decor but when balloon garlands sell for hundreds of dollars, I think that's a pretty good budget
Yup, I'm that mom. 🫣😂 My kids will be embar Yup, I'm that mom. 🫣😂

My kids will be embarrassed by my enthusiasm one day, but until then, I'm bringing it full force. A few friends sent me photos, and I looked like this in most of them.
TWO! I thought we'd have a big party to FINALLY ce TWO! I thought we'd have a big party to FINALLY celebrate our girls last year but then another lockdown. We had a few family members, and it was nice, but I still went all out! 

Super affordable decor: cookie cutters, $1.99 plants, and butterflies (I think this was a set of 50 for not that much). I also bought secondhand butterfly wings for the kids to wear. 

The cookie cutter adds a level of fun to the food and a bit of themed decor to the table. Butterflies were easy to add throughout our house. Plants ended up outside on our front stoop afterward. 

PS I won the balloon garland! That would be a big party splurge.
The kids have taken over the bath! I wanted to fin The kids have taken over the bath! I wanted to find a nice storage solution for my bath essentials that didn't take up a lot of room. To find what I needed, I headed to the kitchen section of my local Salvation Army thrift store. You might not think the kitchen area is where you'd find bath supplies, but I was looking for something different.

I was so happy to find this heavy cheese plate with dome. It would keep all my bath supplies safe from small children. Then I fell in love with this terracotta pot for my Epsom salts, along with a porcelain spoon, simple candle, and small glass vessel for the matches.

The matches I found at the dollar store, they were long bbq matches, so I cut them to size and taped the striker onto the bottom. I love how it turned out, and I was able to use this secondhand glass jar in a new way!

Don't worry, the kids' toys are still there, I thrifted a small little basket to keep everything contained and in ONE corner.

#aplentifullifethrifted #thriftstorefinds #thrifted #thriftedbath #relaxingbath #momtime #selfcare #budgethome #affordabledecor
Throwing it back to ONE. I wouldn't trade this qui Throwing it back to ONE. I wouldn't trade this quiet day for anything, the four of us eating chocolate chip muffins with whipped cream and dancing around the living room.
01.23.2014 9 years ago, I went on a "coffee date" 01.23.2014

9 years ago, I went on a "coffee date" at 7 o'clock in the evening. He drank a coffee while I sipped tea, and we talked. He was funny, full of stories, and had a lovely energy about him plus a laugh to fill a room. Our coffee date moved up the street as we discussed our mutual love for nachos, so we went and found some. (Rip Foundation 😢)

We still love nachos, evening coffee dates (more like tea or sparkling water now), and our life has grown so much. 

I used to make jokes about our age difference, and Mark would always say, "I'm an old fart and you're young at heart." Which basically means we're the same age, or maybe Mark's actually older than me. 🤔

Photo: taken in our yard by Evie Lou with Poppy Ann directing in the background.
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