As a mother and professional event planner, Robyn Bomar undoubtedly knows a thing or two about birthday parties.  The Destin, Florida resident decided in 2011 to put her own progressive spin on the concept when she founded The Birthday Project, an online community encouraging adults and kids alike to focus on giving rather than getting on their special day.  What began as a small spark in a local community has since grown into a global idea hub with more than 8,000 fans on Facebook and an overall audience that's expanding by the day. 

It started with a simple (and sweet) decision to practice 38 acts of kindness on Bomar's 38th birthday -- something that turned out to be a fun day for her entire family, feeding parking meters, delivering handwritten Valentines to an assisted living facility, giving gift cards to fellow shoppers at the grocery store, and more.  When Bomar blogged about it on her event planning website, the hundreds of positive comments left by readers spurred her into action, and The Birthday Project was born.  The site and its social media channels offer a host of great ideas that can be replicated easily, or that can simply act as springboards for celebrations that turn attention and thoughtfulness outward into the world instead of focusing on oneself.  

Perfect for either setting an example as a parent or letting the kiddos take the reins and run with it, we're hoping this concept becomes the norm for birthdays the world over.  Who says you can't have your cake and give it away too?