Brave question, how do I make my birthday feel special? (If we don’t have a babysitter/ need to stay in)

Question

Dylan · Answer

Ask your loved ones to write / record the things they love most about you: Ok yeah I'm a Leo so obviously I've done this multiple times but I mean I don't want my loved ones to only say all the stuff they loved about me at my funeral when I'm not there to soak it all in! Do it while I'm still alive!

It's a glorious little pick me up for when you can't be with everyone you love or when you just need a little boost!

They could send a voice memo, write a bunch of little notes and stick them in a jar, record a video, type out a letter or paint a picture... it's the best gift and it's also totally free ;)

Dylan · Answer

A Custom  Tony’s Chocolonely Bar!?: rec from @JV: I’m a sucker. The minimum order is like 5, this is a no brainer. 30th Birthday party favors? A random “I love you” gift to a best friend? Think of the possibilities!

Dylan · Answer

Lemon curd + rye toast + flaky salt: the most heavenly gift idea / an indulgent treat

Dylan · Answer

Astrology gift guides!: @Steven Weill did an incredibly comprehensive gift guide a little while ago - check it out!

Dylan · Answer

Classic Mamo Cocktail Glass: ummm chic shot glasses in amber glass!!! so stunning!

Dylan · Answer

Twister: There was an era in my life (my early 20s) when we played Twister on a regular occasion, whilst being drunk menaces (naturally).

The mat would inevitably get drinks spilled on it, making the game all the more slippery and silly.

Dylan · Answer

Romance yourself! Romance your friends!: Truly cannot recommend this more highly.

Romance yourself!

Book yourself in for a treat-yourself day - spa, sauna, massage, mani pedi, hair, facial - whatever. You also don't have to spend money to do this! Spend a day alone without too many distractions - journal about what you're grateful for (even something as simple as sunshine or clean water or a roof over your head), connect with nature, listen to a song that makes you feel loved (my rec would be Know That You Are Loved by Cleo Sol), light some incense/your fave candle, swim in the ocean or take a bath, make your favourite meal, kiss/pat a cute animal.

Romance your friends!

Send a love letter to your bestie. Make a playlist for a friend with all your favourite songs. Prepare a delicious dinner for a friend & decorate the table with flowers. Send a text just to tell your friends you love them. Buy a little gift for a friend just because. Write all the things you love about your bestie on little bits of paper, put them in a jar and gift it to them to read when they're feeling down. Deliver a tasty treat from the bakery. Call a mate you haven't spoken to in ages. Plan a FaceTime catch-up with a long-distance bestie. Send them a video of yourself doing a silly dance!

JaperMoon · Answer

DISCO LIGHTBULB: A friend mailed this to me out of the blue and it is everything. Impromptu dance party? Turn on the disco lightbulb! I have a lamp that is easy to change out the bulb, and I do it quite frequently. It is really exciting to turn this on when friends come over - like what, you can just have a disco at home?! Yeah you can!

I also have a mini version that plugs into my phone and syncs up to the beat of whatever music I have playing.

I'm telling you, disco lightbulb.

Kath · Answer

Champagne in pretty flutes: My husband and I celebrated a milestone anniversary when our daughter was three weeks old. We ordered takeout from a mid-tier steakhouse and drank Trader Joe’s bubbly from our nicest stemware. Fancy and decidedly not-fancy all at the same time; it’s the most we could muster. Not quite the same as a birthday, but I still think pretty champagne flutes more than carry their weight where celebration is concerned. And I say a nicer bottle of bubbly is warranted!

Nina · Answer

Cake, candles & a song — minimum: What makes it a birthday, at a minimum? I say it’s cake, at least one candle to blow out, and somebody singing Happy Birthday to you even if it’s via FaceTime!

Frances · Answer

What makes *you* feel special and celebrated?: I think this is something that is really hard to know! And it can make me anxious just to think about it. So take your time, and think about what makes you feel genuinely celebrated. I rarely celebrate my birthday because this is such a hard question! For my 40th, though, I realized that what I really wanted was to host my friends and their families at my house for a chill afternoon hang out kind of party, and then to go out for dinner and let other people do the cleanup. That’s what made me feel good – to get to host, but not have to be responsible for everything at the end of the night.

So think about it. What makes you feel like you want to feel on your birthday?