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Well, now that the elections are over and Halloween is behind us I am looking forward to my birthday later this week.  I really know how to treat myself and make the most of the day.  Ever since I was about thirty I have taken the day off work and taken a “Clare Day”. I wake up, take my babes to school, and then see where the day takes me.  When is the last time you took a day or even a half a day to just be ridiculously good to yourself?

My goal is to nurture my mind, body, and soul in eight glorious hours.

I usually go out to eat a bigger than usual breakfast, and tastier than usual too.  Perhaps go to the foot massage place in the strip mall near our home or go to the beach with a wonderful book. I try to make a big list of things I want to get done, errands to check off my to-do list, or mini-projects I want to do to better our home life.  It’s like Ferris Bueller famously said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it“.  Life can be filled with frantic dashes from here to there and our birthday is a perfect time to stop, think about what you need to re-center yourself and treat yourself like a dear friend.  The day will be wonderful fun and the following day you’ll be more ready to focus and get back to being productive, but for now, just have fun pampering yourself.

How I plan to treat myself on my birthday:

Step #1) Wake up, get the girls ready for school drop off, kiss my gorgeous husband goodbye, close the door and relish the silence of the empty house. It’s important to plan ahead and ask for the day off ahead of time so that you can fully enjoy your hookey day.  This day should not be tainted by any feelings of guilt. This is a positive thing that you are doing and there ain’t no shame in the birthday self-love game.


Pleasure is the object, duty and the goal of all rational creatures. –Voltaire

Step #2) Go to Starbucks, order a fancy drink with several breakfast items, turn around and go home blaring some Spice Girls perhaps.  What song(s) make your heart soar and your smile grow big as it can go?  Play that!

Step #3) Lock the door, and enjoy my meal while selecting my next Audible gems to enjoy.  Bonus if the meal is eaten in bed, where a spontaneous nap may happen unlike any other weekday of the year.  Yeah doesn’t that sound nice?  Can yousee the picture i’m painting?

Step #4) Head to my friend Cathy’s house for an intuitive reading and healing session.  If you are lucky enought to live in S.L.O. County you can treat yourself to a reading from Cath.  You’ll be so glad that you did.  I’ll leave with guidance for the coming weeks and a bounce in my step.

Step #5) Do some project I’ve been dying to cross off my to-dolist.  ArtKive, Chatbooks, Holiday cards made on Paper Source or . . . or not.  It’s all up to me and how I feel that day! It’s so wonderful!!

Step #5) Enjoy a sensual date night with Dave-o at Mistura.  Tropical sangria, steak, greens, and crème brule.  Yes, yes, yes!

Step #6) Netflix some Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, or Tina Fey to end on a high note.

I’ll for sure buy some pretty stationary and dive into my thank you notes which I’ll delight in filling out to my friends and family, but today it’s all about me and my pleasure and things that bring me a lot of joy that I just don’t do that I should more often.

Treat yourself friend!

You might inspire others around you to do something special for themselves.

My whole day will be saying: “Happy birthday Clare.  I love you!  Love, Clare”

I hope I’ve planted a happy seed in your head and that when your birthday rolls around it’s a peaceful, rejuvenating, and happy one filled with love, hugs, smiles, good food and drink, great friends, and special memories.

Please let me know if you take your birthday off work to celebrate and/or if you have other birthday self-care ideas to share.

Check out my article on Birthday freebies to grab too!

22 Companies That Give You Fabulous Treats for Your Birthday