I recently discovered that your diamond birthday is when the age you turn matches the last two digits of the year you were born. So, not only were my twins turning 13, already a huge milestone in itself, but it was their diamond birthday too! No pressure, then, to make it extra special for them.
When I ask the girls what they’d like or need for their birthday, they generally say, “not much.” We’re definitely an experiences-over-material-things kind of family. Don’t get me wrong, they love their clothes, shoes and trainers, but overall, they’d much rather have a great experience — and thankfully, there’s no shortage of those.
We started this birthday tradition when the girls turned six, with a stay at The Castle Hotel at LEGOLAND, which they still remember so fondly. We’d had some fantastic birthday parties over the years, but I started thinking about how much money I was spending on them and what else we could do with that money instead.
We’re big on experiences as a family anyway, but when it comes to their birthdays, I want the experience to feel a little more special and personal — and for their milestone 13th birthday, I definitely wanted to do something memorable.
I actually started planning more than a year in advance and decided on another trip to Center Parcs. We’d visited for their 10th birthday and had such a fabulous time that I knew we’d love to do it again for their 13th.
We invited one of their best friends, who is more like a sister to them. Her mum is also one of my best friends, so it was the perfect opportunity for all of us to spend some quality time together and celebrate the girls’ birthday. I’ve blogged about our latest Center Parcs trip here.
We also have an annual shopping trip to Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, and this was our fourth year in a row. My two definitely love a good shopping trip!
Family and friends asked what the girls wanted for their birthday, and we kept it super simple: cash. We’ve had vouchers in the past, but they can limit them to certain shops, whereas cash gives them the freedom to choose exactly what they want. So, for our Westfield trip, cash was definitely king!
I always like to make sure they have a few little things to open too. This year, that included some new Converse Chuck Taylors, their usual Moonpig photo card — something I’ve been making for them every year since they were one — and, of course, their birthday money.
And the birthday celebrations didn’t stop there. I’m also taking them to Chessington World of Adventures and Silverstone as part of their 13th birthday celebrations.
So, rather than one big birthday party or lots of presents, their 13th birthday has been about creating memories, spending time with people they love and giving them experiences they’ll hopefully remember for years to come.
And, honestly, I think that’s the best kind of birthday.
