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Original poster

What did you do for your 40th

115 replies

TheBigFourOh · 17/09/2023 19:32

I'll be 40 next year and am looking for inspiration. What did you do to mark the milestone?

OP posts:
Echobelly · 17/09/2023 21:10

Had a big tea with my family and ILs at our house on the day (a Sunday), next weekend a big party at our house on the theme of 40 years of music where I made a playlist of a track for every year of my life and borrowed a projector to show all the videos of them. It was an excellent party.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 17/09/2023 21:14

I had a party at a local craft shop/sweet shop/ice cream parlour. Was fab.

I'm off to Barcelona and New York for my 50th!

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 17/09/2023 21:16

I had my first baby.

amiboverd · 17/09/2023 21:22

@FormerlySpeckledyHen you mean you had a baby in your 40th or decided to have one when you turned 40?

imnotthatkindofmum · 17/09/2023 21:23

Ran our local half marathon and got a PB.

mynamechangemyrules · 17/09/2023 21:26

Had an accidental baby, got a divorce... Not the celebration year I'd planned tbh 😂

Switcher · 17/09/2023 21:27

I was very pregnant with my third. I think I went to bed.

CinemaCrazy · 17/09/2023 21:31

I had a party a couple of days before and then flew to LA for a few days and took my DC to Disney, then we went on a cruise to Mexico.

thecrispfiend · 17/09/2023 21:43

4 night holiday to Reykjavík in Iceland.. saw the northern lights, went to the blue lagoon and snowmobiling on a glacier loved every minute!

ThreeRingCircus · 17/09/2023 21:49

Rainsdropskeepfalling · 17/09/2023 20:23

@tothelefttotheleft thinking about it more, we're not really birthday people. Even the kids aren't bothered about presents. I did think about a big summer holiday but DS1 won't sanction getting on a plane so we'd need to find somewhere we can get to by train I guess.

Could you look at a cruise? Lots go from Southampton so no planes involved.

Nagado · 17/09/2023 21:53

I had an overnight trip to a nearby city with my two oldest friends and we had dinner and cocktails, then a weekend in London with DH, doing all the touristy things and some Christmas shopping. It was lovely xxxxx

Enko · 17/09/2023 21:56

Dh took me out for lunch. It was one of my saddest birthdays and dh and I have spoken a lot since about how little effort he puts into my birthdays and how this makes me feel. He is still shit w birthdays. For my 50th I arranged a lunch w friends for myself. And i.did f all for his 60th. Stupid thing is that's kinda rewarding him as he likes that.

AlanJohnsonsBeemer · 17/09/2023 21:57

I had a massive house party, family and friends in the garden in the day. Then the old people left and took the children with them and we carried on until very, very late. The next day we all laid out in the garden drinking champagne and eating takeaway.

fluffiphlox · 17/09/2023 21:58

Went skiing to Stowe in Vermont.

HeartandSeoul · 17/09/2023 21:59

Same as a few others on here, Covid meant that we were in lockdown for my 40th birthday 😔. No close contact with anyone outside my bubble. But I did have a lovely cake made for me by my friend though 😋, and my family made the day as special as possible.

Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 17/09/2023 21:59

Had 120 people in my house with a live band, it was the best! Unfortunately a long time ago

Iwasjustasking · 17/09/2023 22:00

Mine is next year, on the actual weekend going to haven with dh and kids, trying to arrange something with my close friends and family for a few weeks before!

DrCoconut · 17/09/2023 22:03

I raised £1000 for my favourite charity. I also had a rare trip abroad with a bit of a windfall that I got.

ScarletWitchM · 17/09/2023 22:16

DH & I went to Morocco for 4 days (parents looked after DC) & stayed at a lovely Riad. On the day of my actual birthday we did a sunrise hot air balloon ride then spent the rest of the day chilling by the pool, had a massage and then a lovely meal in the evening.
had a big meal with family and the DC when we came home

BudgieBardot · 17/09/2023 22:19

I was looking after our one month old who was born on my Husband's 40th birthday.

Seriously79 · 17/09/2023 22:24

I was heavily pregnant we had a house party. I was the only sober one 🤣

Spudlover · 17/09/2023 22:28

On the day, DH and I went to a Michelin star restaurant. A couple of weeks later I did a solo trip to the US to see my best friend which was wonderful.

BMrs · 17/09/2023 22:32

Mine and my DH 40th very close together next year. We are planning a child free trip together but not decided where yet. Perhaps Croatia, a cruise, santorini...we can't decide yet!

coffeetofunction · 17/09/2023 22:34

TwoBigNoisyBoys · 17/09/2023 19:56

I did a lot…I was recently divorced and my abusive alcoholic ExH had never, ever made an effort for my birthday, so once I was rid of him I decided to make up for loads of rubbish birthdays when we were together! I went to Liverpool for the night with 3 friends, then the following weekend I also had dinner in a lovely restaurant for about 20 female friends. I also I had a cocktail and cake party in my garden and then my fella at the time took me to Venice for 3 nights. So yes, it was probably OTT but i was making up for a lot of very miserable years! I hope you have a fab time, whatever you decide to do 😊

My big 40 and having escaped my exh my new partner want to make a fuss. I'm so pleased for you that you had an amazing experience celebrating a mile stone in your life with lots of people that clearly love you

snurtifier · 17/09/2023 22:37

The only thing I can remember about my 40th birthday was bumping into a neighbour who lived a few doors down, who we knew slightly. I asked her how she was and she said "I'm feeling a bit weird, it's my 40th birthday today."