this is two — harvest & home

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y, beautiful harvey girl ! ! — april 20, 2022

we celebrated rehns 2nd birthday this past weekend & i wanted to collectively share everything in one place in case you need inspo for your own upcoming birthday celebration! i am not the elaborate party mom that i sometimes would like to be, but i do put in the effort where it counts, and that’s okay with me (lol)!

until she starts asking what she wants specifically, i’ve just been doing really low-scale, earthy themed parties because resources are just cheaper & it’s easier to make happen.

links and more at the bottom!

as i said, i’m very much minimally-minded and don’t care that much about going too extra with things, but i will usually do ONE focal point when i do birthday parties; i have this blank wall that is awkward to permanently fill with something in my home - so its become my backdrops wall! i remembered seeing floating flowers on fishing wire on pinterest a while ago and thought that could be so fun, therapeutic and beautiful! long story short, we didn’t know if we were gonna go through with rehns party due to being under the weather, so we scratched that idea since it takes quite some time to do & we went with this other inspo i found from pinterest around the same time.

so stinking easy & so beautiful! literally just buy your stems, turn them upside-down and clear tape them! you can actually use kraft tape or designed kraft tape and make it a whole different vibe, while still looking beautiful.

T H E F O O D

again, keeping with the “effortless” theme - i did hot ham sandwiches with a butter mustard sauce, Jake smoked pork & we shredded that and left it plain so people could add whatever sauce they like, and make sandwiches or have it on its own & then we just offered up a lot of “snacky” things.

whenever we have a bigger group of people over i make veggie pizza & am now going to always make black bean salsa that my Aunt actually showed me once when we visited her in Georgia. it’s something i make quite often for lunches and a healthy snack option anyway throughout my weeks, and it’s just sooooo yummy and fresh!

we offered a charcuterie selection filled with cheeses, nuts, fruit and veggies & had sourdough, pretzels and crackers with hummus to go along with that!

i didn’t picture it, but i also made sweet tea, and a copycat mango dragonfruit lemonade refresher that i love from starbucks!

i love to use compostable options for napkins, plates, and cups too so i will link my favorites below as well!

D E S S E R T

i was going to buy a typical whole foods cake & either attempt to make a bigger one for everyone or just buy another for the rest of us to eat - but the day before her party i decided to get a few dozen of these amazing amish donuts from a baker near us & it was most definitely the right decision!

jakes mom also had cake pops made from an independent seller & they were so cute! rehn loved them even more because they were all farm animals, which are her favorite kind at the moment!

when it comes to celebrating someone, in my opinion, it’s how to make that environment intentionally about who they are. it doesn’t come down to how much you spend, whether or not it’s conventional(birthday cake, focal wall for photos, inviting all their friends, asking for no gifts/money instead of random things, renting a hall, and i could go on and on…), it’s all about the details & remembering who they are, and what would make them smile or feel loved most.

we asked specifically for no gifts this year, mainly because she is two and doesn’t really have anything she’s asked for. we are saving up for a nice play/swingset because that is what will serve her most for YEARS to come, and i want to take advantage of this time of her not knowing or expecting gifts & investing in something she WILL use, and WILL love!

also, this isn’t about her party decor or the food, but i think it’s important to add since i advocate for this fully — don’t be afraid to be specific with people about what to get your child as a gift. it’s okay to want nontoxic, wooden, montessori, minimal, or specifically requested things. to want clothes from small shops or thrift stores rather than supporting mass production or getting a color pallet you didn’t want & honestly won’t use. i, myself love neutrals as a baseline for most things(clothes and toys/decor alike)because if i’m to have more children eventually, or choose to give away something, it’s an intentional way for me to not be limited as to what i can offer up. that’s a conviction of mine, and honestly it feels almost wrong to rob someone of that if they’ve specifically requested an item, or a withholding of items. don’t let their opinions, words or reactions keep you from your morals, or what makes life easier/prettier(if that’s your thing), because at the end of the day YOU’RE the one who has to live with it, not them. this is all relative, meaning, my daughter is 2 and like i said and has no opinion or request at this time. it’s different when they request something on their own.

a little PSA to go with that — if you’re buying for someone and they’ve been specific, or you noticed(again with intentionality)they have a specific style, way of living(sustainable, ethical, minimal, thrifted goods, or even the exact opposite of all that)it’s so much appreciated and respectful to honor them in that. :) that’s all! thanks for making it through my little ted talk haha i love and appreciate that you took time to sit through my thoughts & hope to see you again soon!