Birthday Cash Creativity

My nephews are teenagers or nearly teenagers these days. The days of calling my siblings to see what toy or experience they were just itching to have are long gone. When ever I ask the answer is the same, money. I have tried gift cards for movies or a favorite hang out but nothing is as desired as cold hard cash. I don't really have a problem with this other than it just kills my creativity, throwing some bills in a card feels so impersonal. Don't get me wrong I love getting an envelope full of money as much as anyone, I just hope that my nephews will get some sort of exciting experience out of it. If you get an envelope from Aunt Beck you pretty much know it's going to have birthday money in it. If you get a box there is a new level of mystery.

I have played with this idea searching Pinterest and I have found a few great ideas that I have in my back pocket for up coming holidays. Then over the summer long before any of their birthday's rolled around I saw it, the perfect container for cold hard cash, a miniature pinata! (Target is your friend if you are looking for one of these.) I made a mental note thinking I could have fun with this. Then a little while before their birthdays came I asked each of them what their favorite candy was. Of course they asked why and I told them you will see. This week the first birthday has arrived and I mailed off the first little birthday party in a box. Nephew number 1 likes twix, so I bought a bag of fun size twix, a little pinata, a cheap bandana, and a bag of confetti. The next stop was the bank where I asked for all singles, if shipping wasn't done by weight I would have gotten some coins too.

The steps:

The Supplies

Add Candy

Add Cash

Add Confetti, hope your siblings forgive the mess!

Shake Shake Shake

I tied a string to the pinata, rolled the bandana to make a blindfold, added a mini Louisville Slugger (we live near the factory and they come with the tour), tissue paper and confetti for the box .

I took it to the post office and shipped it off. I texted my nephew and said do not open the box until you text me. I made a little mission impossible like video with instructions to text to him saying don't use scissors or rip it open because you will ruin the gift. I made a second video with our daughter demonstrating what to do, which is hysterical because she is eleven years younger.

Note: I would add the candy after the cash next time for space reasons.

Was it more work than sending a card, yes. I had great fun getting creative with it and my hope is that my nephews will each have a memorable experience from their upcoming birthdays! At the end of the day I want them to remember the experience. When I die and they are sitting around at the repass after my memorial service I hope they talk about their crazy Aunt Beck and how annoying or fun the year of the pinata birthday was. Birthday's after all are worth remembering.

The only thing that would make this better is if I didn't have to ship it and I could be there to see their faces!

Today I am grateful for each of their lives and the ability even across the miles to celebrate each of the boys.