As if some of us aren’t already sad enough, imagine having to celebrate a birthday during the enhanced community quarantine. Single mom Cammy Aioki did not let the ECQ bring her spirits down, though. Although she had to cancel the big party she had planned for her baby Ocean (her name is a tribute to Cammy’s love for the ocean), she says she wouldn’t have it any other way during the quarantine. “We were able to spend quality time with my family during this special day,” she reflects, adding that Ocean enjoyed the attention everyone in the household was giving her.
Check out how adorable Ocean looked during her birthday:
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Since everything is currently closed and buying party supplies online could take weeks, Cammy shares that they had to improvise and make use of what they had or could buy. They even made the food and cake themselves; and since everyone is stuck at home, they had no choice but to help out with the decorations.
“It was nice to see everyone working together,” Cammy ponders, “and you really get to value each other’s company and realize how moments like these are so much better than having an elaborate party.” Cammy’s family ended the quarantine party in Ocean’s room with a cake smash. “It was a fail because she was disgusted with the icing,” Cammy laughs. “Parties usually have programs, so her birthday is more like a whole-day program, which we had to plan and do ourselves.”
Cammy says she got the idea for the party after seeing someone post about their 18th birthday quarantine celebration. All she had to do was make it child-friendly. “In challenging times like this, you realize that having the people who truly matter in your lives is the only important thing,” Cammy adds. “LESS IS MORE. You’ll realize that everything else you have on a normal day is just excessive. Try to go for a minimalistic approach, be creative, and use the materials that you have and can recycle or reuse. Get everyone involved in the planning and the execution. Give people jobs/tasks. You are the party planners, organizers, and caterers. Kids will always be appreciative of these things. When you have kids, there’s no room for boredom or downtime during quarantine. It’s a tough time for everyone. The best we can do is stay home and look at the brighter side of things.”
Are you celebrating any birthdays this quarantine? Share your experiences with us, too!
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