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Celebrating a Mini Milestone Birthday
I turned 45 this week! And I’m actually feeling pretty good about it. Fifty might feel different (we’ll see), but I don’t mind being in my mid-40s. As I do each year, I’d like to share a recap of my birthday.
Birthday Recap
My weekly virtual personal training session fell on my birthday, which felt like a good way to kick off the day. Typically I take advantage of the free Starbucks birthday drink, but I skipped it this year and made my usual coffee at home after training. I got Starbucks after a hike last weekend, and since I’d had it recently, I didn’t feel like drinking unnecessary sugar.
Every year on my birthday I treat myself to a morning face mask. This year I used Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Hyaluronic Clay Pore-Tight Facial [affiliate link]. This mask is great; it makes my skin feel SO soft!
Gotta love that post-mask, no-makeup glow:
Most of the day was just like any other day. I didn’t really feel like doing a whole “thing” on my birthday. Of course, I entertained myself by playing Zelda…I’m still enraptured with that world. But I also spent time responding to birthday emails, texts, and DMs, and chatted with family members on the phone. It always makes me feel so loved to hear from so many people in my life!
For dinner, I made a reservation at Lupo Marino, an Italian restaurant at The Wharf. We had dinner at a different Italian restaurant there for my 41st birthday and had a great time, so I decided not to overthink it and plan something similar. The weather was absolutely beautiful and we managed to get a seat outdoors:
I ordered the Calabrese pizza without anchovies (I hate fish). The pizza crust was very good, but TBH I picked the wrong pizza for my taste. With both olives and capers, it was quite salty. But generally I’m happy eating pizza, so it wasn’t terrible. I’ll just try a different pizza next time.
After dinner, had drinks on the second floor terrace at the nearby Canopy by Hilton. We sat there chatting for awhile and enjoying the perfect weather. The DC weather in June can be a crapshoot; several years ago it was something like 95 degrees on my birthday. YUCK. Not so for my 45th! The temperature was mild and there was a breeze down by the water, which gave me a San Diego vibe. It was so, so nice.
Birthday Gifts!
Okay…John got me the coolest birthday card from Etsy featuring Killer Kam from MTV’s The Challenge (one of our fave shows lately). LOVE IT:
I received a whole bunch of fun gifts from my parents, John, and friends! The gifts from my parents were all ideas that I sent my mom, as she requests each year.
A few more gifts:
The full gift list:
- Cat cocktail napkins (a sweet surprise from a neighbor)
- Official Survivor holiday sweatshirt (cannot wait to wear this around the holidays!)
- Pokémon Crocs Sandals + a set of 10 Pokémon Jibbitz
- Kate Spade “S” charm necklace from a friend (very cute!)
- Lavune Nightcap Candle
- Crazy Cat Lady wine bottle stopper (another cute neighbor gift)
- Waco by Jeff Guinn (from John; he got me the Jim Jones/Jonestown book by this same author last year and it was fantastic)
- Two shampoo bars and a shower bomb from Lush
- Paula’s Choice Resist Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 [affiliate link]
- Moss agate cat ring + nail stickers from a friend (all are adorable!)
- Glossier Ultralip in Ember [affiliate link]
- Kosas Wet Stick Moisturizing Shiny Sheer Lipstick With Ceramides in 100 Degrees [affiliate link]
- Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner in Black [affiliate link] (somehow they sent two instead of one)
So many amazing goodies! John said he has ordered a couple other gifts that will take a little while to ship. It’ll be like bonus gifts when they arrive. 🙂
I had a really wonderful start to my 45th year*, and I want to say a big thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! Cheers to 45!
*Also wonderful? The fact that Tr*mp went to court for his federal criminal arraignment on my birthday. Talk about a great birthday gift, LOL.
