12 Comments
User's avatar
Mary's avatar

Happy Birthday month! I view my birthday as my own personal holiday so I do what I want (and don’t do anything I don’t want to….and fortunately no one is dependent on me so I can do that.) I’m not into gifts so prefer time with friends or solitude. I keep it flexible. I definitely take the day off from work. One year, I went on a solo trip, other years, I take myself out for brunch or lunch (especially if it’s a weekday and others are working) and maybe schedule a self care appt (acupuncture this year). Maybe dinner with a friend or I’ll get something special to eat for myself. I try to keep the day low-key and no stress. I also spend the month using all my free/discounted birthday treats. Enjoy your day, however, you decide to spend it.

Expand full comment
Dana Miranda's avatar

Oooo I forgot about free birthday treats! It would be fun to make a point to do that one year...

Expand full comment
Kellya's avatar

For the last years, I have simply invited some friends over and asked them to offer me something to eat on the evening. This feels like a total win as I get a great time with lovely people with minimum preparation before and minimal clutter from the gifts, as everything is consumable (there is generally too much, so not everything is consumed in one day, but this is also a win, because I get some lunches for the next week already prepared!).

Expand full comment
Dana Miranda's avatar

Consumables are always the best gifts!

Expand full comment
Rachael Amber's avatar

Very important about the information awareness! I'd like to add/comment that we can fact check on other search engines that aren't data mining as google is... like duckduckgo, brave and startpage. Its a small but significant way to divest from harmful systems of control.

Expand full comment
Dana Miranda's avatar

Yes! Thank you for these resources. I hadn't heard of Startpage. Always good to find new search engines, also because Google search results are becoming less and less useful information on top of the data mining, monopoly, etc.

Expand full comment
Gemma Hartley's avatar

I love celebrating birthdays. I've spent the past few years creating a birthday tradition for myself of inviting friends to a public beach at Lake Tahoe and doing a potluck style beach picnic. I usually bring sandwiches and a cake or cupcakes, everyone else provides side salads, fruit, chips, etc. We eat, watch the sunset, swim if it's warm enough, and then head home when it starts to get dark.

Expand full comment
Dana Miranda's avatar

We need to fully bring potlucks back! Every event is better this way :)

Expand full comment
Untrickled by Michelle Teheux's avatar

I just turned 59 and woke up to a bouquet of flowers on the table in our bedroom. My automatic thought was, “Oh, no, my husband spent money on a non-essential!”

I know, not very healthy.

We don’t do gifts but we did end up having a simple dinner out. I hadn’t planned to but in the end I was glad I did.

Expand full comment
Hannah (she/her)'s avatar

Happy birthday month! I love my birthday, and my partner's birthday is only five days later so it essentially becomes Birthday Week. He and I both will use any excuse to escape normal routines and have something that feels special, but in a laid back, low-key way.

To me, on my birthday the essential elements are: 1) take off work; 2) minimal phone time/not spending the day responding to people wishing me a happy birthday (I appreciate their messages! Just don't want to spend my birthday not actually birthday-ing!); 3) a special meal for dinner and a yummy dessert (cooked by my husband, eaten at home); 4) after dinner, watching a new movie (at home) I've been looking forward to.

Happy celebrating!

Expand full comment
Dana Miranda's avatar

I love this! Also partner birthday week sounds awesome 💖

Expand full comment
Claylee's avatar

We’ve done different things in different years. We often do dinner on the day of with the kids. celebrant gets to pick the menu and cake flavour. Everyone else pitches in to cook and bake.

This year me and my partner are going away for a four day weekend to camp at a farm and tanning our first hair on sheep skin together (it’s a class) 😀I’m excited 💕🔥

Expand full comment