What do YOU do to make your birthday feel a little bit more special?

[polkadotty2]

Hit me up. I’ve taken the day off work…

Mine was yesterday and DP completely forgot. It's my day off today and I'm at a bit of a loss what to do as well, probably not helped by not drinking, not much fun attached to eating due to celiac/allergies/dieting and a whole load of baggage from growing up as the child who didn't deserve/wasn't important enough to have birthdays.

DP wants me to tell him how he can make it up to me and I haven't a clue.

We have cake (normally I bake my own but sometimes I buy cake from a local cafe)

I buy myself a birthday gift, not because I. don't get lovely presents from DD and DH but just as a treat. Not necessarily every year but often.

Normally dinner in the evenings with DD and DH.

I book the day off work (sometimes the whole week) and do something I want to do or go somewhere I want to visit. Sometimes I take the DC but my last birthday I went shopping without them (took DH) and enjoyed lunch without it going cold and without having to juggle entertaining the short attention span of a toddler. I had a take away for dinner from a local burger place and a lovely big trifle for dessert. And I brought myself something I'd been wanting for months without worrying about the cost (which was really minimal but with DC I often felt like it was an unnecessary purchase)

Happy birthday @polkadotty2!
It's my 40th next week. I'm not working, and DH has taken some days off, kids will be in school. I've booked myself in for some fancy gel nails on Monday. Not something I normally ever do, but it seemed appropriate this year. It makes me happy every time I look at my nails, and regular polish doesn't last longer than an hour with me!
We'll bake a birthday cake together. On the actual day we'll be going to the cinema together and MIL will collect kids from school and feed them dinner. I reckon we'll probably have takeaway once they're in bed, maybe a drink. Not too much as we have to be awake early again for school run the next day
I like the idea of a birthday badge or going out for coffee and cake!

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Mine was yesterday and DP completely forgot. It's my day off today and I'm at a bit of a loss what to do as well, probably not helped by not drinking, not much fun attached to eating due to celiac/allergies/dieting and a whole load of baggage from growing up as the child who didn't deserve/wasn't important enough to have birthdays.

DP wants me to tell him how he can make it up to me and I haven't a clue.

How about he buys you this book:

marthabeck.com/2003/05/the-joy-diet/

Or maybe you need a poetry prescription?

poetrypharmacy.co.uk/

Mine is this weekend. January birthdays are rubbish, aren't they.

Usually its just another day for me. But this year we're having a weekend away. Hooray! It'll be nice to get out of the house.

Happy birthday, OP.

Birthdays are so weird and often strangely emotional. I think it sounds like you've got an absolutely lovely day planned though. Happy birthday!

My DC's birthday was on Tuesday, it is a funny time of year but I always think it breaks up the post-Christmasness of January. My other DC's birthday is next month.

I tend to take the day off if not too much on at work, sleep in, perhaps go shopping, out for lunch do something with the family in the evening.

If it was my birthday today, I'd have stayed in bed when everyone got up, maybe reading, and around now I'd be planning something that only I want to do - heading to the cinema to see a film that only I want to see without having to worry about what someone else thinks, perhaps after lunch in a pub, with a pint. Or I might go and wander round an exhibition and then have coffee and cake. Or, if I'd planned ahead, I might have gone and had a massage, relaxed in a spa.

Thanks all. Still feel weird re: social media. One person has posted 🙈

Pre-COVID I used to have a holiday abroad, mostly in France or Italy. Last year I had a UK city break.

It's my birthday too today - Happy Birthday

I'm working from home and looking after my daughter who has covid - not quite how I planned it, but after the last couple of years, I'm not really in the mood for celebrating. Hoping to go out tonight for a drink though.

I once dressed up like a fancy lady, went to a fancy hotel bar, read a book and then left a secret coded message. Yes, I pretended to be a fancy spy for a birthday treat. Still makes me happy.

My birthday was yesterday. I went into town with my boyfriend and claimed my free cake from Costa, had a wander round the shops and bought a few things, then a local pub for pizza and a free drink (another birthday freebie!). Steak pie for dinner, a session of Mario Party on the switch and red velvet cake before bed.

I always go into town on or around my birthday to treat myself! I also make sure there's cake!

My 40th Birthday is next Friday.... I never work on my Birthday and always take the day off - so does my Husband so we can do weird stuff together.

Next Fridays adventure is:

1. Gladstone pottery museum to see the original Thomas Crapper toilet
2. Kitty Cafe for lunch in Nottingham
3. Haunted museum in Nottingham
4. Michelin starred restaurant and hotel and head back on Saturday

.... For my 30th, we went to Bletchley Park which was awesome... for my 37th we went to Leeds Castle and I had a punnet of blueberries in my pockets to feed the peacocks...

I prefer to plan something myself and not inconvenience others with celebrating as it's January, people are broke and generally not up for stuff - so I mitigate all of that by just dragging my Husband around and he's fine with it...

Is there anything odd / weird / unusual around where you are? Afternoon tea is always nice and a lot of zoo's / wildlife parks are open - they'd probably appreciate the cash in January as well?

Hope you have an awesome day, whatever you get up to!

Happy 40th Fluffy and to other posts with birthdays. Mine is next week. Find it crap month zero fuss. My mum makes no fuss either. Anyway I do something nice myself!!

Your plan sounds lovely, hope you have a great day. Like others, I also find birthdays really weird emotionally. I pin it down to growing up not really doing much for mine while seeing so many others doing a lot. I find cheerfully sums it up well

I chose to switch off the notification on facebook and other places about my birthday as I found it weird, like it had made the birthday a task they wouldn't have done otherwise. I get 0-3 messages since then, but it feels more normal, if that makes sense. I try to message people I'm not going to see for their birthday a few days beforehand now.

One year, I found a place that delivers those big US style breakfasts: giant pancakes, US Southern biscuits & gravy, stuffed french toast. That was fun, whole family got different foods and we were all trying each other, it was nice, a little reliving my youth cause I loved eating this stuff at US diners as a kid. I think I like finding things I enjoy now, but I also child-me would have liked so it's like celebrating all those birthdays now that I can do so.

My birthday is next week and I am completely underwhelmed. I've got a full day of work meetings in the diary. I can't get excited this year. Might get M&S meal!

Breakfast with fresh berries.

Dress up and go for lunch with friends.

Come home to champagne with DH.

Get DC to do the washing up.

Hi everyone. Had a nice afternoon out walking and exploring. It was freezing cold, refreshing, nice to get out in the outdoors (away from work where I speak to hundreds each day..)

Back home now. Still only the 1 message on the social medias. Wouldn’t dare click on the the profile of those who share it with me on fb, who what had 30+ messages at 8am. Why is bothering me? I know it is so silly and trivial and social media does not represent real life etc. Please can someone help me get over this? My partner has been wonderful and we have a dinner reservation somewhere lovely.

(I can’t decide whether I should post something on SM myself, maybe just a snap from my day or am I just drawing attention to my lack of social life on SM)

Happy birthday 🥳

This year I'm taking the day off and I'm going for lunch by myself will DC are at school. I'm going to have scallops followed by fillet steak and lobster tail. I'm excited already and it's ages away 😆

Hi everyone. I’ve had a lovely evening/ dinner out (fine dining is lovely but not sure it’s for me… absolutely delicious but have come home to eat some actual food!) still think birthdays are weirdly emotionally charged but glad it’s almost over for another year…

It's my 50th in 5 minutes!!

@TickleMyFanny

It's my 50th in 5 minutes!!

Happy Happy Birthday - hope you and all the other January birthday sharers have great days😀

My birthday is in the summer - I always take the day off

Usually almond croissant , fresh oj and lovely coffee in bed from DH , we go out - maybe a lovely garden, special lunch or an exhibition , drinks and takeaway or dinner out

My day always starts well (apart from the croissant) as my lovely DF rings first thing to sing Happy Birthday down the phone to me .

Thank goodness it is over. Happy birthday to everyone else in January.