How I Planned My Sister’s 21st Birthday

When my sister made me in charge of planning her 21st birthday celebration, I was like “Why God? Why me?” No, don’t get me wrong. I love my sister! It is her picky attitude that I am not a fan of. Anyways, how can you say no when your sibling asks you so sweetly? Trust me, that doesn’t happen very often. She didn’t want a party, just a day with loads of fun activities in our city, Sydney. I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly got stuck. I mean, a party would’ve been so much easier! But instead, I found myself making a list: shopping, homemade cake, a Sydney Harbour lunch cruise… okay fine, maybe this could be kind of fun?

Here’s how it all went down:

The Great Wake-Up Surprise

I started with a wake-up that didn’t involve her alarm or me yelling “Get up, it’s your birthday!!” (Yep, growth) Even though she didn’t want a birthday party, I knew that she’d love some princess treatment. So, I snuck into her room with her favorite coffee (oat milk, two shots of espresso, exactly one ice cube), flaky, buttery croissants, and the birthday card I’ve been making for her every single year since she was tiny. She shed a few tears at the card. I felt victorious.

Shopping Spree

My sister’s favourite thing in the world is to buy things. She wanted to get some cute clothes so we went hunting for them in Paddington. And when we shop, we really do shop. No matter how many hours slip by and how many bags we have to carry, this is one activity that doesn’t tire us at all. Honestly, I personally think it is a great bonding activity. We went to multiple boutiques and may or may not have made some questionable financial decisions. But hey, how can I say no to the birthday girl!

Lunch With Friends

Her friends had already asked me to borrow her for a few hours for lunch. So, they went to a Sydney Harbour lunch cruise. This worked perfectly because I could take some time off from the birthday planner role and do my actual adult duties. When she came back she had a wide grin on her face and loads of gifts in her hands. Signs of happiness, I guess.

Golden Hour Photoshoot

No birthday is complete without a shameless photo session. So in the evening I made her dress up (not that she needed much convincing) and dragged her out for a golden hour photoshoot. She looked ethereal. Of course, I didn’t tell her that. I think I looked like her personal assistant carrying her lip gloss and yelling 'YAAAS QUEEN” every five minutes. Worth it.

The Family Dinner Finale

To end the day, we had a warm, slow family dinner at home with her favourite dishes, and a homemade cake I actually didn’t mess up. Okay, maybe it leaned slightly left, but no one noticed because I stuck a sparkler in it. She made a wish, and even if she didn’t say it out loud, I could tell she was already feeling it.

By the time she curled up on the couch with a sleepy smile and whispered, “This was perfect,” I knew I’d nailed it. But when I asked her what the best part was, she had the audacity to tell me that it was hanging out with her friends on the Sydney Harbour lunch cruise! She was just messing with me, right? Right?

Would I plan her next birthday too? Yep. But I’m upping my fee to one sibling foot massage and permanent control over the TV remote. Fair’s fair.