1 August 2026
"Birthdays happen only once a year, so let’s make them worth it."
Back when I was a kid, I never had a themed birthday. I just wore whatever I wanted, usually the comfortable clothes I wore at home. The food on the table was often just leftovers from the New Year’s celebration since my birthday is on the second day of the first month. But I never complained about it. I was even grateful that I had something to celebrate on my special day.
When I got nieces and nephews, I always felt excited whenever I was invited to their birthdays and saw them wearing costumes. I loved seeing them dressed up because I never had that experience as a child. And now that I have a niece living with us at home, she is more than just a niece to me. I’m like her second mother, so I always want to prepare something special for her birthday.
Her birthday was on the 5th of July, so this story is a little late to tell. Before that month, I had already bought a Kuromi costume for her because she likes Kuromi. I also bought birthday decorations, party hats, party bags, and ordered a cake with a Kuromi design.
When the costume arrived, we had a photoshoot, but she spent most of the time playing. All I could do was take candid shots because it was hard to catch her smiling naturally while looking at the camera.
Good thing there’s AI because her frowning photo became a smiling one. Not even a good smile, is it? Now she's crossing her arms, like a cute brat.
Preparing for parties is my thing, especially when they’re for my family. My mom cooked some viands, my sister made a cake and some muffins, I made desserts, ordered some Filipino delicacies, and prepared other things for the celebration.
Her birthday fell on a Sunday, which was a perfect day for a beach party.
We rented a cottage early and were lucky to get a spacious one with karaoke. A Filipino celebration is never complete without karaoke.
We put the decorations on the wall and laid the food on the table. We took a family photo first before anything else.
It had to be done coz the birthday girl might throw a tantrum, but thankfully she didn’t because she made new friends from the other cottages that day.
The weather was perfect, not too hot and not gloomy. The kids enjoyed swimming in the water without caring about the sun, while the adults enjoyed the food, drinks, and karaoke.
By the way, meet the new member of our family, Mochi. It was just a few days since we adopted her. Now, she's as naughty and brat as Breiana.
It was just a simple family celebration. It was only us at first, until other family members and friends arrived. I didn’t even bother taking many photos that day. I just wanted to relax and enjoy the moment.
Before this day ends, have you powered up yet? Don't forget guys.
Happy weekend. Happy Power Up Day!
Thanks for your time.
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Jane was a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. Now, she's venturing into the digital world, doing this and that, trying to see the purpose of everything. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.
Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.
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All photos are mine.
