The other day I was going through upcoming #Holidays and I found out today is National It’s My Party Day and since then that song has been stuck in my head. I have a question for you. Have you ever heard a song that gets stuck in your head and takes you right back to another time in your life? That’s what happened to me when I heard about National It’s My Party Day. All I could think about was that old song, “It’s My Party, and I’ll Cry If I Want To!”
And just like that, my mind went back to the 1950s and 1960s, when slumber parties were a big deal. Everybody wanted to spend the night at everybody else’s house. You would make brownies, put on your pajamas, stay up all night gossiping with your girlfriends, and watch movies until somebody finally told you it was time to go to sleep. Of course, we didn’t always listen!
Those were the days when you didn’t need a lot of money to have a good time. You just needed a few friends, some snacks, music, and a place to gather. Looking back, I realize those simple evenings were helping us create memories that would stay with us for years.
I wasn’t sure if you have heard of the Holiday or not so I wanted to let you know National It’s My Party Day is observed on October 11. It’s an unofficial observance that encourages people to celebrate themselves, enjoy their favorite things, and find a reason to have a little fun.
The day brings to mind Lesley Gore’s famous song, It’s My Party, released in 1963. The song became a memorable hit, and its message about having your own feelings and your own moment has stayed with generations of music lovers. Although the exact origins of National It’s My Party Day aren’t clearly established, it’s easy to see why the song fits the occasion. Sometimes we need permission to stop worrying about everything else and enjoy a little time for ourselves.
And that’s where I think music, karaoke, and family memories fit right in. As for Celebrating Yourself Karaoke Day is another fun way to celebrate and it is a Holiday celebrated today as well. Although, I haven’t been able to verify an authoritative source confirming the exact observance and its official history. But we don’t need an official connection between the two occasions to use them as inspiration for a fun family music day.
For me, music has always been about more than listening to a song. It’s about the people we share it with, the memories it brings back, and the laughter that happens when everybody starts singing along. Come and join me this morning and lets listen to songs from days gone by.
I don’t know about you but when I think about those old-fashioned slumber parties, I remember how much fun it was to stay up late, make brownies, and talk about everything under the sun. We didn’t need an elaborate plan. We just wanted to spend time together.
Fast-forward a few years, and Suzanne and I had our own movie nights. When she was little, she loved watching Grease. , Footloose, and Dirty Dancing, and I would find myself reliving my teenage years right alongside her. There was something special about sharing the movies and music I grew up with and experiencing them again through my daughter’s eyes.
Those memories are precious to me now. When you have children, you don’t always realize which ordinary evenings will become the moments you treasure most. Sometimes it’s not a big birthday party or an expensive vacation. Sometimes it’s simply sitting together watching a movie and singing along to a familiar song.
And today, Charlie and I are doing much the same thing. We stay up watching movies and singing along to the music. The only difference is that now we have a karaoke machine! So not only can we watch movies but we can put on our own concert with the help of the dogs.
David isn’t quite as enthusiastic about our musical talents as we are. He begs us not to sing, but that doesn’t stop us. And then there are the dogs. They howl right along with us, and sometimes I wonder if they’re trying to tell us something. Charlie and I are going to say they’re our backup singers!
But that’s what makes it fun. We’re laughing, singing, remembering old movies, and making new memories together. Nobody has to be a professional singer, and nobody has to know all the dance moves. Sometimes you just have to let loose and enjoy the moment.
#Homeschooling families, here’s a fun way to celebrate! Why not turn National It’s My Party Day into your own music appreciation class? Start by listening to Lesley Gore’s It’s My Party, which was released in 1963. Talk about the singer, the song, and the popular music of that era. Then compare the music of the 1950s and 1960s with the songs children listen to today.
You can explore how music changes over time, learn about singers and performers, and talk about how songs tell stories. Children can even interview their parents or grandparents about the music they enjoyed when they were growing up. Then it’s time to put on a show!
Let each child choose a favorite song and prepare a performance. They can sing, dance, lip-sync, play an instrument, or introduce the next performer like a television host. Make paper tickets, create a concert program, decorate a little stage in the living room, and invite the rest of the family to be the audience.
You can practice reading, writing, creativity, public speaking, music appreciation, and even a little math when you count the tickets or organize the performance schedule. If your children would rather dance than sing, let them choreograph a routine. If they enjoy costumes, help them create outfits inspired by the decade you’re studying. You could even have them design a poster advertising their music show.
The important thing is to let the children participate in planning and creating something of their own. Learning doesn’t always have to happen sitting at a desk. Sometimes the lessons children remember best are the ones where they get to laugh, perform, and share what they’ve learned with the people they love.
Now, if you’re looking for something fun to do tonight, why not host your own old-fashioned sleepover? Let’s take a little inspiration from the 1950s and 1960s. Pull out the cute pajamas, find some fun wigs, make a batch of brownies, and turn on the music. You can even invite everybody to dress up in outfits inspired by the era. Don’t worry about getting everything exactly right. The idea is to have fun and let everybody use their imagination.
You could decorate the living room like an old-fashioned sock hop, have a dance contest, or make a pretend drive-in movie theater. If you have a pedal car or a vintage-style toy car, use it as a photo prop. Make paper movie tickets, set up a cozy place to watch a classic musical, and let everyone vote on which movie to watch.
And don’t forget the karaoke machine! Everybody gets a turn to perform. You might discover that your quietest family member has quite a voice when given a microphone. Or you might find out that some people are much better at dancing than singing. Either way, you’re going to have something to laugh about.
You could even have a contest to see who remembers the most words to their favorite old song. Of course, brownies are practically a requirement for a sleepover. Make them together, enjoy them while watching a movie, and let the children help clean up afterward. That’s part of the fun, too!
You don’t need to stay up all night if that isn’t your family’s idea of a good time. The goal is to enjoy music, share stories, and create memories together. Now, before anybody starts thinking they need to run to the store and buy cute pajamas, wigs, decorations, and everything else for an old-fashioned sleepover, let me stop you right there!
You do not have to spend a lot of money to have a wonderful party. Start by asking your friends and neighbors if they have anything you could borrow. Somebody might have an old record player, a stack of records, dress-up clothes, funny wigs, vintage decorations, or even a pedal car tucked away in the garage. You never know what somebody has sitting around that they would be happy to lend you.
Then check your local resale stores and Goodwill. You might find colorful scarves, costume jewelry, inexpensive accessories, old games, or decorations that would be perfect for your party. You don’t need everything to match, and you certainly don’t need to buy everything new. And please, don’t forget to check your own garage and attic!
Goodness knows what some of us have stored away up there. You might discover old records, forgotten toys, games, decorations, or something that brings back memories you haven’t thought about in years. Getting the family involved in searching for party supplies can be half the fun.
Ask everybody coming to the sleepover to bring one thing from home that fits the theme. One person brings the music, somebody else brings the games, and another person volunteers to make the brownies. You could use sheets of paper and markers to make concert tickets, turn the living room into a pretend movie theater, and use blankets and pillows to create a cozy spot for watching movies.
Play music from YouTube, have a dance contest, and let everybody take a turn at the karaoke microphone. The point isn’t to have the fanciest party in town. It’s to spend time together, laugh a little, explore the music of another generation, and make memories your family will talk about later.
Before you pull out your wallet, look around your house, ask a neighbor, visit a resale shop, or see what treasures are hiding in that attic. You just might discover that everything you need for a wonderful party is already sitting right under your nose! Or its waiting at the Goodwill for you.
One thing I wanted to remind you of is you have to keep all this fun inside your own house? If you really want to make some memories, invite your friends, your family, and your neighbors. Why not get the whole neighborhood involved and host a big backyard sleepover party?
Can you imagine everybody gathering in your backyard, with blankets spread across the grass, pillows ready for movie watching, and a movie projector set up under the stars?
Ask your neighbors to bring lawn chairs, sleeping bags, snacks, or whatever they already have at home. Somebody can bring the brownies, somebody else can bring popcorn, and another neighbor might have the perfect movie for everybody to watch. Then get that karaoke machine out!
Let the children put on a music show, invite the grown-ups to sing their favorite oldies, and see who remembers the words to It’s My Party. If David is anywhere nearby, maybe we should warn him ahead of time! Or maybe we should just do it and he can find out afterwards.
You could make it a neighborhood throwback party. Encourage everybody to wear their favorite pajamas, pull out some funny wigs, dress up in clothes inspired by the 1950s and 1960s, and bring along an old-fashioned game. You could have a dance contest, a pretend drive-in movie, or a talent show where everyone gets their fifteen minutes of fame.
And remember, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Share what you have, borrow what you need, and let everybody contribute something small. The goal is to bring people together, not to see who can throw the biggest or most expensive party. If your neighbors have children, invite them to participate in the music show. If someone plays an instrument, ask whether they’d like to perform. If somebody has a collection of old records, perhaps they can share a little music history with the group.
Just imagine the conversations that might start when people who usually wave at each other from their driveways finally sit down together. Of course, if you’re planning an outdoor movie or an overnight gathering, check local rules, be considerate of nearby homes, and make sure children have appropriate adult supervision.
Sometimes we get so comfortable in our own routines that we forget to reach out to the people around us. We wave at the neighbors when we’re getting the mail, exchange a few words in the driveway, and then head right back inside. We get busy with work, chores, school, and everything else life throws at us. What if today we did something different?
Invite somebody over whom you’ve been meaning to get to know. Ask a neighbor if they’d like to join the fun. Call a friend you haven’t seen in a while. You never know who might be sitting at home wishing somebody would invite them to do something and you might be the only person they speak to all week.
If organizing a whole neighborhood sleepover feels like too much, start small. Invite two families over for brownies and a movie. Let the children sing karaoke in the backyard. Ask a few friends to bring a favorite song from their younger years and share the story behind it.
You don’t have to be the life of the party, and you don’t have to be comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. You can start by inviting one person over for coffee or asking a neighbor to join you for an afternoon of music. Sometimes getting out of our comfort zone is simply taking that first step and making the invitation. And who knows? A small gathering could become a neighborhood tradition that everybody looks forward to every year.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the moments we remember aren’t always the ones we planned. Sometimes they’re the evenings when we stayed up too late watching movies. Sometimes they’re the times we made brownies in the kitchen, sang songs we hadn’t heard in years, or laughed so hard that the dogs started howling along with us.
I have my memories of slumber parties and the music I loved growing up. I have the precious memories of watching Grease, Footloose, and Dirty Dancing with Suzanne, Charlie and even David. And today, I have new memories of staying up with Charlie and singing along to the songs we enjoy.
Those memories are a reminder that every generation has its own music, its own traditions, and its own ways of having fun. When we share those things with one another, we give our children and grandchildren a little piece of our stories while making new ones together. So, this Sunday, let’s put down those phones for a little while.
Let’s make some brownies. Let’s turn on the music. Let’s invite the family, call a friend, and see whether the neighbors want to join us. Let’s find those old records, dig through the attic, pull out the pajamas, and make a little room for dancing in the kitchen. You don’t need a special occasion to celebrate the people you love.
But if National It’s My Party Day gives you a reason to start, why not take advantage of it? And if you have a karaoke machine, I hope you’ll use it. Just be prepared for your family to sing off-key and your dogs to provide backup vocals! Because sometimes the best parties aren’t the ones that cost the most money. They’re the ones where everybody feels welcome, everybody gets to participate, and everybody leaves with a smile.
So come on, y’all. Find that old song and sing it with me! It’s my party, and I can cry if I want to! And if the dogs start howling, just remember they’re part of the family, too. What song takes you back to your teenage years? Did you have slumber parties with your friends? Do you remember making brownies, watching movies, or staying up all night talking? And would you ever host a karaoke party or a neighborhood sleepover?
I’d love to hear your memories and ideas. Let’s encourage one another to get out of our comfort zones, spend time with the people around us, and make a few new memories of our own. After all, you don’t need a lot of money to have a party. Sometimes all you need is a song, a batch of brownies, a few blankets, and people who are happy to be together.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
