Birthday — Lifestyle Blog for Kids and Families

It’s no secret that birthday celebrations over the last year have looked different than in the past. Families & vendors have pivoted to help create safe & memorable birthdays through virtual events, drive by parties, and socially distant outings. What happens, though, when those options don’t work for one reason or another?

In our case, we knew our newly-turned 2 year old would not have the attention span for a long virtual party with multiple people in small boxes on the screen. We also live in an apartment with limited space in front between the street & sidewalk, so a drive-by party would not be possible without inconveniencing all of our neighbors. Lastly, we live on the opposite side of the country from most of our family, including all of the grandparents who would not want to miss out on the celebration.

Sesame Street Themed Birthday on Hello Rascal Kids

What’s a mom (who works in the event industry and LIVES for celebrations) to do? It was really important for us to commemorate our daughter’s 2nd birthday in a safe way, and we wanted to have something to look back on to remember this unique and unexpected year. We decided that we would design a themed photo shoot to capture the essence of our daughter becoming a true toddler and then use these photos to surprise our family with a “party in a box” shipped to them the week before her birthday so they could celebrate with us from afar.

For the theme, it was easy to settle on Sesame Street, as our daughter (like most toddlers) loves Elmo, Abby, Cookie Monster, and friends. Once the theme was selected, the fun began! We scoured Etsy for details like custom shirts, a street sign made with her name, character cutouts, and small photo props.

After getting all the details together, it was time to find the perfect location to shoot. Due to the pandemic, it was difficult to find a location that was open to the public, outdoors, and safely socially-distant. Luckily, a friend recommended the talented vendor Modest Peach, who builds custom backdrops. They designed the most incredible re-creation of the famous Sesame Street stoop, complete with perfect toddler-sized stairs. We were able to set this up outdoors and create our own “set.”

What’s a birthday without cake? Our favorite bakery, Fantasy Frostings, created a delicious multi-layered polka-dot confetti cake that was the perfect finishing touch for the photo shoot. In fact, our little birthday girl did not want to sit still until we gave her the cake and a fork!

Rachel Robena Photography captured all of the magic of this special day on Sesame Street. We framed one of the photos and included it in the party box that was shipped to the grandparents on the other side of the country. In addition to the photo, the package included character photo booth props, tasty treats, custom color changing cups, and party supplies. We then hosted a small cake celebration over Facetime once everyone received their party box! It may not have been a traditional birthday party, but it is definitely one we won’t forget!