My 33rd Birthday!

Breaking news, friends: I’m officially 33… right… wait for it… now! I was born at 8:49AM, so I say it’s officially time to get the birthday fun started, don’t you? I’ll be taking the rest of the day off from blogging to enjoy some of my favorite things (hello, ice cream! hello, walk around gorgeous lagoon!), and will be back with our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow — birthday photos included, of course! Have a great day, friends, and to all my August 4th birthday buddies (I’m looking at you, Barack!), HAPPY DAY!!!!! xoxo

P.S. More birthday fun through the years: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013… :)

32

With my birthday coming up in less than one week (can you tell I’m excited, as usual?!?!?), I’ve age on the brain. I suppose it’s only natural. And then I found the beginning of these lyrics that I started nearly a year ago, and I couldn’t resist doing a parody of Taylor Swift’s 22, which is one of my favorite songs. It’s so interesting to compare and see just how much your life can change in the span of a single decade. Granted, my version is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but it still holds true, don’t you think, friends? xoxo

It feels like the perfect night
To play some yahtzee
And bake homemade cookies
Oh yeah, oh yeah
It feels like one of those nights
To Facebook-stalk my ex and pretend I don’t care

Because we’re overworked, overwhelmed and overanalytical
We’re still trying to figure out who we’re meant to be, oh yeah
Because every time we look in the mirror, we wonder why life didn’t turn out like Sex and the City

Here we goooo…

I can’t be the only one who
Can’t believe they’re 32
Let me put my glasses on and try to find my lost youth
You can’t move forward without looking back
Am I turning into my mom
Did I really just say that?
Guess I’ll just keep enjoying the ride
And keep grooving like I’m 32, 32, 32

It feels like the perfect night
For a tall glass of root beer
But not with caffeine because it keeps me awake
oh no, oh no
It feels like the perfect night to have a heart-to-heart with my cat
He’s the only one who’s ever understood me anyways

Here we goooo…

I can’t be the only one who
Can’t believe they’re 32
Let me put my glasses on and try to find my lost youth
You can’t move forward without looking back
Am I turning into my mom
Did I really just say that?
Guess I’ll just keep enjoying the ride
And keep grooving like I’m 32, 32, 32

Tonight, tonight, tonight
We’ll throw caution, caution, caution to the wind, wind, wind
Everything will be alright, alright, alright
Just as long as we’re in bed by 10

I can’t be the only one who
Can’t believe they’re 32
Let me put my glasses on and try to find my lost youth
You can’t move forward without looking back
Am I turning into my mom
Did I really just say that?
Guess I’ll just keep enjoying the ride
And keep grooving like I’m 32, 32, 32

I can’t be the only one who
Can’t believe they’re 32
What’s girl to do
When she realizes she’s really 32, 32, 32??

[Photo via We Heart It]

In The Pursuit of Happiness: Oprah on turning 60…

Everyone’s favorite talk show host is celebrating her 60th birthday today! I’ve always admired Oprah for her strength, determination and sheer fierceness. She’s powerful, isn’t she?!?!? She opened up about her milestone birthday in the January issue of O, The Oprah Magazine…

Sixty. I’m turning 60 this month! I’m so glad I’ve lived long enough to say those words and celebrate their meaning. I’m turning 60. I’m alive. Healthy. Strong. I no longer have to be concerned about what anyone thinks of me! (You know, the old Am I doing it right? Am I saying it right? Am I being what or who I’m “supposed” to be?). I’m turning 60, and I’ve earned the right to be just as I am. I’m more secure in being myself than I’ve ever been.

How refreshing is that? To feel completely free to be who you are, say what you feel and live life on your terms, no apologies. Good for you, Oprah, and thanks for being a role model for all of us! xoxo

Funny comic about Millennials

I’ve always felt a bit in-between when it came to which generation I belonged in. My birth year (1981…!) is right on the edge between Gen X and the Millennials; some say I’m a Millennial, and others say I’m not. But I let out a big chuckle when I came across this funny comic…it’s so true, isn’t it?

And here’s a fun quiz: How Millennial are you? Go ahead and take the quiz, and share your score in the comments! Also, what generation are you in? Do you feel like you belong? Does it match your personality xoxo

[Comic via I Love Charts]

Love Lounge: How do you feel about ‘getting older’?

Now that I’m well into my thirties, I’ve been thinking about age a lot. What it means. How it changes you (and no, I’m not just talking about wrinkles here…). How it makes others perceive you. And when it comes to actually talking about age, people tend to fall in one of two categories: Some view their age as an opportunity to talk about all the knowledge they’ve learned over the years while others remained tight lipped (not from Botox…), refusing to even acknowledge their age.

Age first tapped me on the shoulder courtesy of a bookstore cashier. As I neatly lined up all my items on the counter, we exchanged the usual pleasantries. After a few keystrokes of the cash register, it happened.

“OK, your total is $5.50, ma’am.”

I nearly felt myself gasp. It was almost enough to make me turn around and see if my mother was behind me. But she wasn’t there. The guy was definitely talking to me. When I think of a ‘ma’am,’ I’ve always thought of Sophia Petrillo from The Golden Girls — a little old lady wearing a bright paisley dress and large-rimmed glasses and clutching an over-sized purse.

Age really is a funny thing. I’ve never given much thought to it until now, but it’s like the barometer of life. For example, there are so many things we assign to age. You can drive at 16. You can vote at 18. You can legally drink at 21. And you’re ushered into middle age when you turn 50 and join AARP. Maybe birthdays aren’t meant to depress us and leave us staring grimly into the mirror wondering what became of our youth. Birthdays give us a chance to celebrate, to tell our life story. There is a certain charm and distinction that you gain when you get older. With age comes wisdom. You learn about life in the midst of living it. Maybe that’s the gift right there. That, and the senior discount at IHOP.

What are your thoughts on ‘getting older’? At what age did, well, the concept of age hit you? How have you changed over the years? What do you know now that you wish you’d learned years ago? Any advice you’d like to share? xoxo

P.S. My 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st and 32nd birthday. And more age talk.

[Photos via We Heart It]