Subscribe
 

Archive for August, 2009

Tip Tuesday: Piñata Tips

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 25, 2009 in Tip Tuesday

1246683370-donkey_pinatasKids love piñatas! What could be better than candy (or healthier snacks or little toys which I recommend) raining down from the sky. Here are some tips for pulling off this birthday staple from lifetips.com:

If you’re planning on playing with piñatas during any celebration, follow these few guidelines to keep everyone safe and happy.

  1. Find a sturdy place to hang the piñata from, like a tree or basketball hoop.
  2. If the kids are old enough, provide a blindfold and stick. Then spin them around a few times and let them hit the piñata more than once before moving on to the next child.
  3. Very young children should go without a blindfold.
  4. Always keep several feet clear around the child who is hitting the piñata. You don’t want anyone to be accidentally struck.
  5. Consider pull-string versions of piñatas for an indoor birthday event or with toddler aged children. Pull-string piñatas have ribbons flowing from the bottom and once they are pulled a few times, the bottom falls out and candy showers down on the children, just as it would with a traditional piñata.

Let's go to the movies

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 25, 2009 in General

Happy birthday to the movie camera! On this day in 1891, Thomas Edison filed the patent for the first motion picture camera. The early camera laid the ground work for later cameras, creating the standard 30 frames per second recording format, shooting onto 35 mm film.

We’ve sure come a long way since then, but today we can thank Thomas Edison for his early movie camera and for getting it all started. One of the earliest moving pictures was “Fred Ott’s Sneeze,” a simple, 5-second recording of factory worker Fred Ott sneezing in front of a camera.

So congratulations, Mr. Edison, on the birthday of the movie camera. Here’s to many more birthdays and many more movies that we watch together with our family and friends for years to come.

Bolt gives fans a treat on his birthday

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 24, 2009 in General

usainUsain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who demolished 100m and 200m world records to win gold medals at the world championships, paid back his fans on Friday with a marathon autograph-signing session, Reuters reports.

In an highly unusual move for an athlete of his status, Bolt, on his 23rd birthday, moved patiently from stand to stand and signed hundreds of autographs on hats, shirts, handbags and even wallets during his 30-minute session at the Olympic stadium.

He joked around with the championship bear mascot and younger fans, some of whom took their shirts off for the sprinter to initial.

Happy birthday Usain Bolt! Here’s to many more races and many more birthdays.

For even more celebrity birthday news, follow us on Twitter @morebirthdays

Happy Birthday, Kristen Wiig

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 24, 2009 in General

Actress and comedienne Kristen Wiig celebrated her birthday this weekend. Best known for her role as a member of the cast on Saturday Night Live, where she plays a couple of my favorite characters, Penelope and the Aunt Linda, Kristen has also appeared in Flight of the Choncords, Walk Hard, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall just to name a few.

And last year, Entertainment Weekly named Kristen one of the 25 Funniest Women in Hollywood.

Happy Birthday, Kristen, here’s to many, many more. “Oh Geez!”

Hawaii 5-0

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 23, 2009 in General

Mahalo! The Aloha State just celebrated its golden birthday, commemorating 50 years since the former territory officially became the 50th state in the union on August 21, 1959. Now known for its exotic beaches, mild weather, and natural beauty, Hawaii had previously been operated as an American territory, an independent republic, a provisional government, and as the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Coinciding with the celebration, the United States Postal Service is also unveiling a new postage stamp in honor of Hawaii’s fifty years as an American state.

So happy birthday, Hawaii, and here’s to many more birthdays.

Happy Birthday Kenny Rogers

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 21, 2009 in General

The world-famous country music singer-songwriter turns 71 today. His career has been incredibly successful, charting more than 70 hit singles across various music genres and topping the country and pop album charts for more than 420 individual weeks in the United States alone. He was voted the “Favorite Singer of All-Time” in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People, and has received hundreds of awards for both his music and charity work.

Happy birthday Kenny, here’s to many more birthdays!

For even more celebrity birthday news, follow us on Twitter @morebirthdays

Fun Fact Friday: Why Do We Light Birthday Candles?

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 21, 2009 in Fun Fact Friday

greek-statue-copyAs I sat in front of my computer this morning, trying to come up with the best possible fact for this post, I got to wondering about the origins of our most basic birthday traditions. I posted about the history of the happy birthday song last week, but what about cake, candles, cards? After some digging, I found the answers from FTD.com. It really is fascinating.

Birthday Cakes
Some say the tradition of birthday cakes began with the ancient Greeks, who used to take cakes — round to represent the full moon — to the temple of their goddess of the moon, Artemis. Others contend the tradition began in Germany, where Geburtstagorten, a special cake the Germans were known for, was used for birthday celebrations.

Birthday Candles
The Greeks were said to have placed candles on the birthday cakes to make them look as if they were glowing like the moon, when offering them up to the goddess, Artemis. The Germans — who were skilled candlemakers — also placed candles on their cakes, but for religious reasons.

Birthday Cards
The tradition of sending birthday cards started in England about 100 years ago. Originally cards were often sent as an “apology” when a person couldn’t visit somebody in person. Today we often send birthday cards even if we can!

Birthday Parties
The earliest birthday parties in history were held because people thought that evil spirits would visit them on their birthdays. They stayed close to their family and friends for protection. Later parties became social gatherings where friends and family would bring gifts or flowers to the person having their birthday.

Theme Thursday: Scavenger Hunt Party

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 20, 2009 in Theme Thursday

315832_9108Outdoor parties are always a blast and what could be better than a scavenger hunt to get the kids up and moving. Here’s a great one I came across on lovetheoutdoors.com:

Be sure to set some basic rules. Here are a few examples. Set the boundaries. Stay close by and supervise your children. Hunt with a buddy. Be sure to leave nature as is and don’t destroy the natural surroundings. Pick up trash as you search.

Scavenger Hunt — Make a list of items that would most likely be found in the area you are camping and/or hiking in. You’ll need to select items that are age appropriate and also available in your location. Be creative. This activity is alot of fun for everyone.

Try giving them a list of things to listen to, feel, smell, or watch. This is a great opportunity to have fun, get the kids active, and also teach them about nature.

Happy Birthday Amy Adams

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 20, 2009 in General

Today is the birthday of actress Amy Adams. Adams made her breakthrough in the 2005 independent film Junebug, playing Ashley Johnsten, for which she received critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to star in the 2007 Disney film Enchanted, the 2008 film Doubt, and the new film Julie and Julia.

Happy birthday Amy, here’s to many more birthdays.

Survivor Celebrates First Birthday Since Cancer and Invites Community to the Party

Posted by Birthday Cate on August 19, 2009 in General

This is such a heartwarming story. I knew the moment I read it that I needed to post about it. Shane Parkey of Jonesborough, Tennessee, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2008, and had to undergo grueling treatment. He’s turning 47 on August 22, and the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Washington and Unicoi counties will celebrate his and other survivors’ birthdays with a special event that Friday to which the entire community is invited. Here’s what he had to say about birthdays in the Erwin Record:

“I can say multiple myeloma didn’t get me,” said Shane Parkey. “I am going to die an old man and it’s going to be something else that is going to kill me, not cancer.”

Happy birthday Shane, here’s to many more birthdays!

« Previous Page Next Page »