This weekend was full of celebration. Mom and Dad arrived Friday afternoon so once David got home around 7:00, we were out the door for a dinner out, just the two of us.
(Dress I bought after seeing how beautiful my friend Molly looked in it!)
I was left out of the planning, but thoroughly enjoyed my gluttonous dinner at Mickey & Mooch in Huntersville.
Unpictured: a bottle of wine, crab cakes and oysters. A birthday feast indeed!
We were up and going on Saturday morning to make sure we had all our ducks in a row for Haileyβs party.
There is just something I love about homemade cakes, in all their imperfect glory.
I went back and forth on whether to throw her a party, and in hindsight, she probably would not have missed it after our family celebration on her actual birthday, but she did end up having a blast!
We kept it small and had it at Acrofitness where the staff was incredible! They set up, cleaned up and led the kids through all sorts of obstacles and silly antics.
How often do you get to do pushups with Cinderella?
At the end, Hailey came up to me unprompted and planted a big fat kiss on my cheek, along with a big hug. She loved it.
And it was really fun for us all to watch.
Since it was my actual birthday, the fun didnβt stop there. After a nap for Kaitlyn, Hailey and me, we headed out to Eddieβs, which had the Wake the Lake event going on.
The atmosphere was upbeat and the weather was phenomenal. We sat outside, ate great food and soaked up all being together while watching contestant after contestant bite it on wakeboards.
After the girls were in bed, we celebrated with what might possibly be the best dessert ever.
The leftover cake represented my life at this stage- mismatched, a little messy and absolutely delicious.
Kids birthday parties- at what age should they start?
Birthday cakes- homemade or bakery bought?
Whatβs your favorite way to celebrate your birthday?
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
I’m glad you guys had a good birthday weekend! It looks like so much fun! And what a cool kids party. Push ups with cinderella- sweet indeed π
char eats greens says
My cake would totally be the same representation!! Homemade cake aaaaaall the way! It just adds that special element and thoughtfulness I think! I even made fondant for Nia’s 1st birthday cake. And for Tyler, I always make him a new cake each year (as our little thing!). The dress looks great on you and I hope you had a great evening!!!
Brittany Dixon says
You made fondant?! You’re amazing!
Heather @fitncookies says
Happy Birthday! Love Hailey’s excitement over the party. She is too cute! The dress is adorable and having a dinner out with just the hubs is always a fun time! I actually would prefer a cookie cake from Giant Eagle (supermarket by us) over any other cake for my birthday!
Brynn says
Happy birthday, looks like a wonderful weekend! Love your dress, super cute! Personally, I like homemade cakes, sure they may have some imperfections, but they are made with love.
John J. Stathas says
Sure was fun being with y’all to participate in the Dixon gals’ birthday. You create a very celebratory style!
Katie says
My family always does homemade red velvet cake, but a friend just had a birthday, and there is some magic in a bakery cake. Yum!
Sarah@creatingbettertomorrow says
Kids cakes must be homemade π they have much more love in them! I love the one you made ADORABLE and I love love love your dress – where is it from?
Brittany Dixon says
Thanks! π Got it from my friend’s online boutique! –> http://www.stilettosanddiapers.com/2014/09/stripes-and-brights-fashion.html
Shari says
What a wonderful weekend! Happy Birthday to you! π
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama says
What a fabulous sounding birthday weekend for you and Hailey. It must have been nice to celebrate with family.
Birthday cake should be homemade. We moved to Denver a year ago and baking at altitude is challenging, but I hope to make homemade cakes in the future as soon as I find the right recipe!!
Brittany Dixon says
I’ve heard baking is challenging at higher altitudes! I wish you luck- it’s hard enough for me at regular altitudes π
Tanya says
Seriously the best looking home made cake I’ve ever seen. Give your self some credit! Mine would be awful!
Alex @ Get Big, Go To Work says
Push ups with Cinderella = ultimate birthday. Now that I’m 26, I have to settle with spending it with my family. A close second!!
That cake looks delicious and so pretty. Will you be posting the recipe?
Brittany Dixon says
Oh no cake recipe from me! I’m such a novice. It’s basic vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream (which is super easy to make and tastes awesome ;))
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
I love your dress!! Also, how cool that you and Hailey have birthdays so close together π
Tina Muir says
What a heart warming post π This is a wonderful weekend! Love your orange skirt, LOVE that Cinderella did pumpkins, and love the look of those cakes! Yum! Glad you enjoyed π
Jodi says
Novice or not, I shamefully ate two pieces of that cake wo batting an eyelash. Delicious!!! π
As for birthdays, time w the hubby and kiddos is always nice… As well as a treat of time alone for me! Tho, pre kids, I loved going out to dinner w my girlfriends!! Sushi alllllllllll the way!!!
Sagan says
Happy birthday! That dress and the cake are both SO adorable.
Emily says
Fun! Love the dress, too!
Tiff @ Love, Sweat, & Beers says
Aww, the last line of this is so perfect! Love love love it!! Sounds like a great weekend, especially Wake the Lake. Fun!
Carrie (This Fit Chick) says
What a fun birthday and delicious looking food! I think they should always be celebrated from year 1!
Gcroft says
Belated birthday wishes to you and Hailey.
I only ever had two birthday parties when I was a kid. Now that I have my own child, I’ve vowed to throw a little party every year. It is a celebration of life after all.
I wouldn’t say no to either shop-bought or homemade birthday cakes, but do think the latter is that bit more special.
My favourite way to spend my birthday? Good food and company. π
Lauren Brennan says
What a fun weekend! And the cake you made was beautiful!!
I am 100% all about homemade bday cakes! I think it’s because my mom always made my cakes, and I want to do the same for my kids. Jackson just had his second birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I made a great big confetti cake from scratch that was delicious!
We’ve had bday parties for both of his so far, but really, they are just glorified play dates…. A bunch of kids running around playing while the adults chat, with the added bonus of cake!
Josephine says
So lovely to see your birthday celebrations. I think the homemade cake is more special, my Mum’s homemade birthday cakes are one of my fondest memories of childhood. You did a terrific job decorating it btw, it looks beautiful. You have a lovely life and it always makes me feel happy reading your posts over my cup of coffee.
Danica @ It's Progression says
Happy (belated) Birthday!! I’m glad you had such a great time celebrating π
Julie says
Happy belated b-day! I am a big fan of all things cake, but I’d probably have to vote w/ the homemade camp. Yours looked awesome!
We started friend b-day parties (on a small scale) w/ her daycare friends when she was 2 (in hindsight that seems kind of silly, but they were awfully cute & had fun).