A Very Different Kind Of Quinceañera

 On the 23rd of April, hubby and I hosted our very first quinceañera for our 15 year old daughter. As she is our only girl, this would also be our last quinceañera as well.

I, of course, wanted the best of the best because when it comes to parties, I like to go all out. I really do live by the phrase, go big or go home. But my daughter had a very different idea.  She wanted something small and less formal. With a little compromise and a combination of both our styles, we were able to pull off a quinceañera that was very unique. 

Most would probably say it was just your average sweet 15 birthday party with a few special touches. I would say it was an original take on an age old tradition. 

With a few games added in for entertainment, it made for a pretty fun quinceañera that all my daughter's friends enjoyed.

Easter Once Again

 To say my 8 year old was excited for Easter is a bit of an understatement. As my youngest child and the baby of the family, he still goes crazy for every single holiday. He loves all our family traditions for each celebration and looks forward to the day with anticipation.

Easter is one of the holidays where I tend to go big. And it's only the third celebration where my kids actually get gifts, besides their birthdays and Christmas.  So to say Easter is a favorite holiday for my kids would be a factual statement as there is so much to expect.

First, the food. As with most of our bigger holidays, I tend to make a lot more of an effort with my menu choices and dessert is always a standard fare. Second, our Scavenger egg hunt is a much anticipated Easter activity. This is where my kids hunt for clues around our home and property that will lead them to their baskets. And finally, the Easter baskets themselves. Stuffed with fun goodies, awesome gifts and delicious treats, my kids look forward to their baskets every year. 

As my kids get older, they show excitement just a little less. However, when it comes to holidays, that excitement bubbles up to the surface. And for my 8 year old, he just explodes.

Jaco Beach Easter Break Vacation

 We made a last minute decision to go on a 3 night family vacation during Semana Santa and so for the fourth year in a row we headed back to Jaco. Jaco is fun but it's also close so that's what ultimately pushed us in that direction while searching for a vacation spot. We wanted something different from the average hotel, however,  and so we booked a semi luxury condo boutique for our stay. We thoroughly enjoyed our accommodations and had no regrets about the price.  It was an amazing vacation.

Oceano Boutique Hotel

We enjoyed so much delicious food

And even caught a sunset 

On our way home, we made a pit stop at a river in Orotina, which served as a nice spot for the kids to cool off

Easter Basket Shopping

 I was so last minute shopping for Easter baskets this year, having just finished purchasing all the goodies a week out from the big day.

Easter is a pretty huge deal for us and I like to have everything ready for the day at least  a few weeks ahead of time but this year I was pretty preoccupied with other things. Namely, my daughter's quinceañera. 

Not to fret though as I have finished all my Easter basket shopping just in the knick of time with time to spare. And for it being so last minute,  I think I did a pretty good job with everything I picked out to fill the kids baskets.

22 Years Of Life

 The fact that I have a full fledged adult child is so insane to me. My oldest son celebrated his 22nd birthday on March 28 as quietly as most adults would. He didn't want a party or to even go anywhere. All he wanted was his favorite burger from Denny's and his favorite ice cream cake.

 There was no singing, well I sang a little and there was no hoopla or fan fare. It truly was just another Monday for him. To me, however,  it was a day that changed my life forever, making me a mother for the very first time. Happy birthday son!

Planning My First Quinceañera

 It has been a dream of mine to finally get to plan my daughter's quinceañera but I never thought I'd have to fight tooth and nail to do so.

The thing is, my daughter hates parties. She doesn't hate going to parties, she just doesn't like parties given in her honor. Something about not wanting to be the center of attention. She is so not like me in that sense. She is shy and not a loud extrovert like her mother. I like attention and if I'm at the center of it, even better. But I digress. 

In order to get her to agree to a party, I had to make a few compromises that actually work out in my favor financially. First off, I had to keep the guest list small. Second, the party had to be as simple and as understated as a quinceañera can be. And third, no fancy extras. So no DJ, no entertainment, nada! 

With those rules in place, I had my work cut out for me. As it turns out, however, planning a smaller, less extravagant party was the smart thing to do. With a budget in mind, I set out to find a caterer, a venue, a bakery, and someone to help with decorations. 

I was able to narrow the guest list down to 50 people total, which means I actually invited only 50 people. So even though I am pretty much outsourcing everything party wise, having a smaller guest list allows us to pay for the convenience of not having to do everything ourselves which equals less stress for me.  

Having a catering service means I won't have to cook or worry about making the food myself.  Hiring decorators and having the cake and favors made, means less work for me so I can just focus on the fun aspects of party planning. And true to my nature, everything is still budget friendly, even the venue. We decided to rent a local community hall instead of a fancy party space.

Adherring to my daughter's wishes has been challenging at times with the back and forth but with a little bribery on my part, I am able to plan the quinceañera of my dreams, ehrm I mean her dreams, kind of.

So, in the end, I get to plan the most epic birthday party I'll ever plan but sans the fuss and frills and without the fancy dress.  I think it's a great balance. Quinceañeras typically are over the top, excessive affairs that rival weddings. With a  budget to match and I didn't want that. No keeping up with the Jones's for us, we're doing it our way, while maintaining all the fun. We'll throw in a few tradional elements but with a spin. I just want my daughter to have the best quinceañera ever.

I finally decided on a caterer who is willing to work with my daughter so also included in this menu list are individual pizzas for all the kids.

Favors for all our guests. Succulents to say thank you. I thought this was a pretty unique idea.

And finally the cake my daugher decided on via google search. I found a bakery that has the most amazing flavors, which is is so exciting.

We're also planning to have a dessert set up with 90 mini dessert shots and I plan to have a balloon arch with a giant number 15 for awesome photo opportunities.  Like I said, the quinceañera of our dreams.

New Year Who Dis?

 I don't like last minute invites. Inviting me to a celebration the day off turns me off. I need time to prepare mentally for a night out so usually same day invitations get a no from me. 

Fast forward semi post pandemic and virtually all invites get a yes from me. Who I am? Last minute invites would almost always see me making up some excuse as to why I couldn't go. And now, with a new found appreciation for gatherings, I hate finding ways to get out of a last minute celebration.

My thought process now is, if I'm not mentally ready for a night on the town, is to go anyway. Even if just for an hour or two. What harm can that do to my otherwise peaceful night at home? Life is just way too short and way too precious to not live in the little moments. Plus, it serves as a good excuse for a date night.