I turned the big 4-0!

This week was my super fab 40th birthday and it was awesome! I really try to take the time to feel special on my day! And here is how I did it..

First Things First

I wake up early so that I could get myself all dolled up for the special occasion. I am not normally much for putting time into how I look. Mostly I look like a hot mess.

But as of late, I have made more of an effort for a few reasons.

1. I have found procucts that I like
2. When I take that little extra time to look good, I feel good so too, imagine that.

Anywho….with having curly hair, there is just no way to know which way it is going to go. So when I want to get did up, I opt for straightening my hair because, well. it is different. This special day is no exception.

• Hair did ✅
• checkFace did ✅
• Kids ready✅

And voila, we are now ready to go!

A couple stops to enjoy my favorite things….

Now one stop at McDonald’s to snag my favorite quick breakfast of champions before heading off to the mother in laws to drop of my 2 little darling so mommy can have some me time and spend the day as she pleases.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids but part of celebrating me is being alone and enjoying what I love in my own way.

It took me decades to be able to enjoy time alone. Until the past couple years EVERYTHING I did NEEDED to involve someone else to sign off on it or help me and entertain me. I still a work in progress here as I can be pretty needy but not today!

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With time to kill, I head over to my newest favorite clothing store, Torrid, to take advantage of the $10 Birthday Rewards credit I have. Well aware that I will spend much more than that but hoping to get out with just a couple things, I grab up as much as I can find “in my size” to try on.

Normally only about one fifth of what I try on will work. But not today…not today. Half of the shirts are on point. Now what to do….the total rings to $220 with the Buy One Get One 50% off sale. I mean I am willing to splurge a little because I FREAKING DESERVE IT, but I don’t want to become poor. I painstakingly take a few shirts of the menu and leave with some amazing tops at an amount I can live with.

Day Trippin’

And now I am on a short road trip to see one of my very best friends from college for lunch. This is huge because we have not seen each other in about 5 years. It has been so long I can no longer even keep track. And the distance in time is starting to make me feel like our friendship is so far away.

The drive is only about an hour and a half and this is the first HOT, nice day we have had. So I leave the windows down and put on some of my fave cds to listen to when I want to chill and take in a beautiful day. The sounds of Ben Harper, Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, the Dispatch and Brandi Carlile radiate through the car as I sing and dance like no one is watching.

Catching Up

Finally I get to destination Cracker Barrel. (I am channeling my mother). I see Michele and it is like it was yesterday. Our conversation takes on a tone like we talked Tuesday and were just recalling the convo. But we had not talked on Tuesday or last month or even last year. We have just stayed connected on Social Media. Thank goodness.

Almost 2 hours later and we have not finished one conversation started as we try to catch up on all that we have missed and making sure to remember all that we have not. Sadly we have to go back to our lives but vow to seeing each other more regularly. Hopefully that rings true.

You see I am starting to go to more wakes and the common theme is regret for not making good on promises to spend time together. And I really don’t want the only time I see people to be when I can no longer have a conversation with them.

I have to say this is by far the best thing I could have done for my birthday. I am very committed to making sure that I make those that matter to me a part of my life. So this little road trip sets the tone for what I want to invite into my life over this next year and the rest of my life.

Now I am back at home and able to enjoy a few quite moments in the house all to myself before the madness starts up all over again. I initially planned to have a dinner of my favorite food but I don’t eat that much so breakfast and lunch have me sufficiently stuffed.

Family Time

Next it is cake time. We tried something different this time, Tiramasu cake from the local grocery store and I was pleasantly surprised. Sooo yummy! It may just be my new go to since I am not a big fan of cake.

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And it is time for presents. The kids have spent the past day making me birthday cards that melt my heart. I also love seeing what they come up with for gifts and how they come to their decisions.

My son HAD to get me a hamper. That is what daddy got for Father’s Day so of course I needed one too. Little Miss gives me socks because they have rapunzel on them and that is my favorite princess. They make sure to give me my favorite candy, reeses peanut butter cups in different varieties that they want to try.

Just like that my INCREDIBLE DAY has ended! I feel very blessed to have been able to celebrate my birthday in so many specials ways with people that I care about. Now to wait for my big birthday party where I will be able to celebrate another year of life with everyone that I hold dear.

WHAT A LUCKY GIRL I AM!