It's My Birthday and Here's What I Really Want.
Someone please forward this to my husband! xo
It’s my 36th birthday today! 🥳 That’s right- I’m a Libra and if there’s one thing Libras love it is to be surrounded by beautiful things. If there’s a second thing we love it’s to buy ourselves little treats! Here’s a list of things I have my eye on and may very well purchase myself, as well as some fantastical things that would be very much welcomed if anyone is looking to get me a gift (WINK NUDGE MARLEY!)
What I really want for my birthday, written by a mom in her mid 30s (36 is still mid, not late, right? RIGHT?!):
A gorgeous sweater in a bright color! I have been eyeing the chunky Sezane cardigan (I love the Cobalt and Red!) since last year. I also really love this one though- especially with that white tank underneath! This option from Aritzia is also really pretty though only comes in muted tones (but the grey is a perfect basic?!).
A mom bag that isn’t really a mom bag. I love my Claire V grande fanny because it’s chic but also fits some diaps and wipes. No more diaper bags or other “utility” bags here please and thank you!
A gift card for a facial. Unpopular opinion? I cannot STAND massages. They take too long and my back is ticklish. But I’ll take a spa facial any day of the week.
To sleep in. Without feeling guilty. This means you and the children need to GTFO so I don’t hear them screaming for me and feel like I need to come “help.”
Tickets to something fun. Even just a movie date- who still goes to those!? Bonus points if it’s during the day / prior to bedtime so I don’t have to leave my house past 8pm.
A gift card for a new experience like a pottery class, new pilates studio (I would not be offended by this personally!) etc!
Fresh new books!
Handwritten card about how you would never survive without me.
Sweet treats!!! My favorite cake is the vanilla bean from Trader Joes. Seriously- it’s better than any bakery. I also love a good pie.
Photo book sharing memories, trips, pics of me with the kids etc! Chatbooks or Artifact Uprising are my favorite tools for this BTW!
A night away in a hotel. Give me a pool, room service and my Bravo shows to catch up on and I’m truly in a state of bliss.
Sentimental jewelry. I love simple gold jewelry that I can wear every day, and bonus points if it has my kids initials or birth flower or something on it! I recently did a little jewelry tour on my Tiktok with some favorite pieces! ✨👇🏼
Back to reality. Since becoming a mom birthdays just hit different if I’m being totally honest, and not in a good way. Something about the relentlessness of motherhood is magnified on special days. Mother's Day and my Birthday are two such days that come to mind. Last year, on my 35th birthday I still woke up exhausted after I'd nursed my baby throughout the night. My five year old yelled at me because I didn't wait for him to go downstairs. My three year old still threw a fit about her socks not being right and only MOMMY could fix it. I packed the lunches and cleaned the breakfast. My husband still left for work and I was left with the monotony of being home all day with an infant (lovely but still kind of boring let's be real).
Friends are all busy now, mothering little ones themselves. My family lives far away. On a day that should feel special, the stark reality of having it feel so very UNspecial while parenting tiny humans always leaves me feeling a little... disappointed? Resentful? Sad? Scared that I'm getting older? I'm not sure quite what feeling that is. But I cried.
Maybe you don’t relate to this at all and you love your birthday even more since becoming a mom and I love that for you!!! But if you do relate, maybe you also beat yourself up for feeling that way because you have so many wonderful things to be grateful for. What I’ve learned though is that we have to let ourselves feel our feelings. Even if we don’t feel like we “should” feel sad or like we don’t “deserve” to be disappointed. It’s ok to notice the feeling, say hi to it, and move on!
If you’re feeling unseen in this season of motherhood, and it feels all-too magnified on days you want to be celebrated, I see you. You are loved and important.
What I cooked this week:
Breakfast for dinner has been on rotation the last few weeks on soccer/ gymnastics nights. I never did this growing up because I HATE breakfast foods, but my kids absolutely love it and it’s so easy and quick. We usually do scrambled eggs, either bacon or sausage, and some quick pancakes or french toast.
I also made this high-protein pasta salad because it was SO HOT this whole week in SF!
What I bought this week:
I’ve had my eye on Aerie’s beautiful polo sweater in red, and it’s on sale for under $24!
Hanna Anderson is also having a sale so I grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and long sleeve tops for fall for my middle! Lots of stuff was 40% off!
I started getting a couple of things for my toddler’s birthday gifts. I also have a box of Lovevery stuff from my older 2 that she’s never seen, so it’ll be new to her!
We watched a lot this week:
We watched the entire series of Nobody Wants This since I could NOT get away from people talking about it. I really liked the first few episodes and thought it was so sweet. Towards the mid-end I was kind of bored. I did appreciate seeing Adam Brody on my screen again though so no complaints here.🔥
We also started the new season of Love is Blind. Only one episode in, but I’m excited.
Bravo girlies! I’m liking Real Housewives of Salt Lake City so far, and The OC is good too albeit kind of depressing? The Shannon drama feels soooo dark and I’m ready for new storylines! I don’t really watch NYC anymore, should I? What do you think!?
I’ve been getting a lot of reading done lately (mostly audio books while driving the kids around and while doing bedtime!). Here is what I read this week:
Finished: The Wedding People. 4/5 ⭐️ I really liked this once and was definitely entertained even though it was a pretty predictable plot and ending.
Started: Remarkably Bright Creatures. Excited for this one because I know a lot of people loved it!
Almost done: To Have and To Hold. I’m almost done with our book club pick and it’s been so fun to chat about it with subscribers in our chat! We’re having the author, Dr. Molly Millwood, join us for a zoom hang/ Q+A in a couple weeks! Join our book club (just $5 per month) for all the details and extra posts from me!
I also enjoyed this post about the worst advice we received as moms- I REALLY resonated with the story about the doctor writing down the title of some magical book 🙄
Finally I am feeling devastated for the victims of Hurricane Helene, especially the families with young children. Here is a list of trustworthy sources if you’d like to donate or help:
Thanks so much for reading and donating. See you next week!
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HBD! Love that we’re both Libras 😅
HBD Libra queen!!