Last year, I received an invitation to a kid’s birthday party that said, “please, no gifts.” As an aspiring minimalist and the parent of a toddler who has way too many toys, I wanted to respect the ...

I'm grateful when people want to celebrate my daughters, but the amount of stuff is overwhelming. I started asking parents not to buy new gifts for their birthday parties. Instead, I ask them to bring ...

Annie's not complaining - she's too sweet for that, which is probably why she and her popular kids keep getting invited to all these parties - but if it were me, I'd demand a margarita, a bottle of ...

Before I had kids, I heard through the grapevine that they were expensive. Believing the warnings of friends and family who were already parents, I braced myself to spend a small fortune on diapers ...

Children’s birthday parties are a fun-for-all for the kids. For the parents, not so much. Even if they are not the ones hosting the party, or sending out the invite list, it is stressful for the ...

Remember when a child's birthday was a simple celebration, maybe featuring homemade cupcakes and a nice game of bingo? Not anymore. Today cakes are gourmet, goody bags are a topic of debate and ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I will be throwing myself a 60th birthday party next year. The only gift I want is the presence of the family and friends I invite to the party. I intend to include “No gifts, ...