Happy Birthday to Me!

April, and springtime in general, is a really happy time for me. They say that you have an affinity to the time that you were born, and can see that this is definitely true for me. I love spring, seeing the lambs, the flowers, the tulips, and first few glimpses of sun and good weather make me really happy. Not to mention the fact that it is my birthday, of course!

When I was younger I think I was very particular about my birthday and truly believed that I had to be queen for the day. Although my birthday gets marked by doing something, when you’ve got a young family it is still a regular day really. Just with cake, bonus!

Travelling birthdays in the past…

I was looking on my memories on Instagram stories and for the years before COVID we have always been away in my birthday. I can pretty much guarantee that my birthday will be in the school’s Easter holidays. I’m fact, growing up, the only day that I remember being at school on my birthday was going to sixth form on my 19th birthday! Easter had been really early that year and the first day back was on my birthday – typical! So since lockdowns and so on, it has become much more chilled as we obviously haven’t been away anywhere for the past couple of Easter breaks.

Birthday plans

We had a big day in London planned on the day after my birthday, tying in one of my daughter’s birthday gifts of going to a west end show, so we kept my actual birthday pretty chilled out. Seriously, does anything say you’re officially in your mid-thirties more than going to a National Trust site for an egg hunt with the kids, having brunch, and then going to a garden centre?! Haha. It was fun though and the kids are so good at making birthdays into a big deal, brining my pancakes in bed as I attempted some sort of lie-in (always interesting when you’ve got a baby).

The day before my birthday I was over at my parents, as we had been for the weekend, and my mum basically treated me to a pamper morning. I have never had gel nails before, so had those done in a beautiful coral colour, one of my favourites. I also had my eyebrows tinted with henna and my eyelashes dyed and curled (LVL lashes). I can’t tell you how much time this has all saved me. Not having to do my browns each morning and only needing a light coat of mascara is the dream and saves me so much time. Gel nails are amazing too and they’re still going strong, and unchipped, two weeks later. I’m a bit of a nail biter, especially when stressed, but I haven’t been doing it with the gel Polish on. So you never know, maybe I’ll be able to keep this up and grow some gorgeous nails in the process.

I know these things cost a lot to do regularly, but for the time that they save I think they’re worth it. I’m generally a pretty low maintenance kind of girl. I like makeup and stuff, but rarely have things like this done. Think that will have to change!

It was so nice to feel pampered and made to feel special on my birthday. One of my favourite gifts was a paint by numbers. Sounds so geeky but I honestly love painting, but lack the creativity sometimes, so having it laid out and structurally helps. Helps with my stress and mindfulness too, and means I can just dip in and out when I find the time.

Have a fab week, and happy birthday to any of my fellow Aries!