To ask how you celebrated (or plan to celebrate) your 40th?

[JustSpeakSense]

I have always thought I'd love a big party (village hall, live band, balloons, buffet, bar and a big crowd) but I'm beginning to wonder if that's such a good idea.

I recently planned to meet a few (well, I invited about 25) friends in the pub for a few drinks on a Friday. One by one they cancelled and it was just me and one other (billy no mates springs to mind!)

I feel really hurt and am having second thoughts about throwing a big 40th and spending lots of money & effort entertaining 'friends' who obviously can't really be arsed.

I'm wondering if I should just suggest a nice weekend away with my family (maybe a European City break) instead.

How did you (or how do you plan to) celebrate your 40th?

I'd always thought I'd have a party but like a PP, another family member had a big party close to my 40th so there didn't seem much point in bringing all the same people together again plus I'd have had to invite my ILs and it would have ended up a stress rather than fun.

Being 40 made me . Nothing in my life was where I wanted it to be and it felt like I'd lost my way between 30 and 40. In contrast my 30th was great

I went back to work after mat leave

Lovely to read how different people celebrate.

Reader, I married him. I told the suppliers it was a family event, to avoid silly wedding prices. It was lovely. Thinking about planning our fifteen year anniversary for next august. Sigh.

Spent it in Paris with Dh. It was great. On the actual day, we went to visit the spooky catacombs and a cemetary.

DH and I (40 a couple of months apart) want to take the DCs to Disneyland.

Mine is coming up - been to so many cringe/dire/depressing 40ths over last few years that decided NO party! Me and DH flying to sunshine for a few days instead, then having a spa weekend with BFF and nice lunch with my parents at fave pub and tea in London with the Xmas lights and group of girl friends. Has been shite year so can't wait!

I spent my 40th in hospital with HG on a drip.

Spent my 41st alone with a difficult baby.

On my 42nd, however, partied in New York with DH :-)

Then got pregnant again and didn't celebrate properly (ie copious quantities of alcohol, partying til dawn etc) until I was 45.

Now my dh too old for drunken debauchery

I won't be celebrating my 40th. Not a big deal and it'll still be another normal day AFAIC. I'm very happy with my lot in life, so don't see the need to celebrate my birthdays

My dp arranged a surprise visit from my mum, which was ace! Then the next weekend he took me away to a lovely hotel for a nice meal. It was great.

I had a three week old and a toddler. We went to Wisley for cake and then had a take away. Rock and roll.

I feel the same chiggers- birthdays are fairly meaningless to me- and to OH too.
Of course I do make a fuss over our kids' birthdays, parties, gifts, balloons etc, and I have enjoyed their celebrations.
I can't get myself worked up about adult birthdays in any way.
My SIL ( no kids) was recently 50. She celebrated for days- a weekend at a spa, helicopter ride, lunch at Harvey Nic's, a party, expensive presents, an announcement in the newspaper, champagne breakfast, overnight stay at a city hotel.

OH and I kept well away. Very unseemly and indulgent.

I am planning to go to Istanbul. I have just under 9 years to wait and save.

My DC's will be 23, 17 and 15 so I am hoping it might be a trip for just me and DH.

Not long back from a 3night break in Rome with DH, a very occasional break without the kids, it was bliss. Still to look forward to a skiing weekend with my bestie. Family weekend away in lodges for my sisters big 40 was great too. Enjoy!

I haven't held a birthday party since my 33rd (21 again - hexadecimal - I work with techies,) and only 3 people came. Not putting myself through that again.

So I went to Amsterdam for about 10 days, seeing things I'd always wanted to, like Keukenhof, the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank's House and so on, and I also kindly allowed my Dutch colleagues to take me out to dinner (we get on well.) Then I went to Hamburg and met up with a load of internet friends from another board, and did touristy things like a boat trip and so on, and on the day itself, we had dinner in the cellar of the Rathaus. Finally I went back to Dortmund and stayed with my then boyfriend and was going to meet up with a load of people there, but now-ex boyfriend failed to bother contacting anyone or booking a restaurant as I'd asked, so that bit of the plan failed. I did get a present at least...

Anyway, a 3 week holiday catching up with friends was great, especially the bits which other people organised, because it made it feel like they cared enough to do that. (I still feel a bit bitter about the last bit I realise.)

Nope, twas the Waterside Inn
Thats on my radar too as its do able for lunch, can you tell me if you liked it, was it stuffy, could you relax>

how did it compare to fat duck?

Big party at home danced until 3am. Quite a lot of effort (for dh anyway)

Was both on holidays (en famille and with another family) and extremely pregnant, so had a fairly quiet barbecue and a glass or two of nice Rioja. Might decide 43 is a significant birthday and do something exciting then!

I think I last had a "big" birthday party for my 30th, which involved people playing the banjo on my doorstep at 6am....

I'm with chiggers and bigblue here - I went to work. I haven't really celebrated a birthday since I was 16 - it just isn't in my genes.

Went sledging Then I think we had some friends round for a takeaway. No big celebration, but I'd been saying for ages that I wanted snow on my birthday and I got it, so I was happy!

I wanted to go to Las Vegas, but not sure funds will stretch.

It's mine next March, I fancy lots of little outings with separate groups of friends and DH. Spa day, lunch etc. maybe weekend away with DH.

DH had a big party in a marquee in our garden, I definitely don't want that.

Mine was last year. As a family the three of us went back to Florida for the week and enjoyed some winter sun.

Dh's was the summer after. We went to London for a long weekend and had dinner at The Ivy iirr.

I climbed halfway up a mountain to the top of a waterfall and ate Millionairre shortbread and drank tea out of a flask. With 2 of my Dd's and DP and it was snowing!!

It was fab! Best birthday outing ever

30th was fab . Big party (100 or so people-the police came and asked us to turn noise down) in the tiny house I'd just bought (on my own). Champagne for breakfast and lovely walk in park with nearest and dearest friends. Met DH a month later.
40th was dismal; had just had DD2 . DH useless at organising anything , I wasn't in fit state.
So, for 50th we went to Prague (first time away without DCs ), for 60th to New York . Planning Namibia for 65th.
It's not that we don't have friends, but they are scattered across UK and organising a party would now be a logistical nightmare. It's different i fmost of your friends are local
And travelling is my 'thing'
Do what makes your heart sing

Filled my day with cake and champagne, 'twas excellent! Had an open house so everyone came and went, although most just came and stayed.