I’ve had mixed feelings about birthdays for a long time. I don’t really like to think about ageing primarily because of the negative connotation attached to it by our society. Especially us women are made to dread ageing which is really silly because actually it’s a privilege to age and to live a healthy and (hopefully) long life. In some ways it’s almost a relief to be considered “past my peak” because it takes the pressure off, the pressure to always look young and desirable, and I can focus on things that actually matter instead!
Birthdays always make me reflect on the past year(s) and think about the future – plans, goals, and whatnot. Five years ago I was pretty excited about turning thirty – no age crisis in sight. A few years prior I’d come to the conclusion that the path of life I was on wasn’t for me and I spent my late twenties figuring out who I was and what I enjoyed doing, making sure I was really pursuing my dreams. So at twenty eight I landed a new job in one of the big investment banks which was my golden ticket to London and to a more exciting life I was keen to experience. Work was intense but challenging in a good way and my pay check finally generous enough to explore the world and go on adventures like scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reefs, climbing up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and doing yoga in Bali. London was everything I had expected and more: big and bustling, ethnically diverse and rich in culture and history. At thirty I was very proud of how I had turned my life around and of my achievements thus far. But there was one lifelong dream firmly on the back burner… And that was marriage and children. But I felt was at a good place at thirty and I was hopeful I would eventually meet the right person to pursue my dream of a family with.
I was hopeful but I can honestly say I did not dare to hope that in five years time I actually would be married with two children and living in my own house in London (with a massive mortgage, obviously 😄). My life hasn’t been a fairytale but sometimes when I think about the big picture, it does feel like a dream come true. ❤️
It was my 35th birthday a few weeks ago and for the first time I struggled to make a new 5-year plan. I feel like I have achieved many things I always aspired to, personally and professionally, and now I’m not quite sure what the next step will be for me. My children are still very little (Noah 7-months old and Maia 2-years and 8-months old) so I suppose the next five years will be spent looking after them and enjoying this time which I sure will fly by.
So to embrace the present moment I decided to really celebrate my birthday for once!
”The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
Oprah Winfrey
Since my birthday is during the peak summer holiday season in August, we’ve always been away for my birthday. I’ve never enjoyed drawing attention to myself and never host parties or anything, so it’s been perfect for me to be on holiday on my birthday. A dinner out in a beautiful place with my husband on my birthday makes it special without even trying! But this year we had to cancel our travel plans because of the coronavirus pandemic… Since the beginning of the lockdown in late March, my husband has been working from home while I’ve been caring for the kids. It’s been pretty full on and we’ve had no time for each other or for ourselves really. So my birthday was also the most perfect excuse to carve out some quality time for us! And we enjoyed it so much it made me think we should do it more often!
My actual birthday was on a Thursday but luckily it wasn’t a very busy day for my husband and he was able to spend a bit of time with us. In the morning I got to sleep in a bit and had breakfast waiting for me downstairs with flowers and presents. We are not huge on presents but I have to say I was very happy about the box beauty products from the Body Shop and the gift card to Reiss. I rarely spend money on myself and I’m in desperate need of a wardrobe update!
We walked along the Regent’s Canal with the kids and had lunch all together sitting outside in the sun. It felt like a real treat because it was our first lunch in a restaurant as a family of four and also because we have had 99% of our meals at home this year because of the lockdown. At home I had another lovely surprise waiting as I got a delivery from Lola’s Cupcakes from a friend! 😍 I even got lucky that afternoon and both children napped at the same time for an hour so I got to sit in the garden to enjoying my cupcake and coffee in peace (#win).
I had a lovely time on my birthday but my “real” birthday treat was planned for Saturday. Our former nanny was coming back to babysit the children so that my husband and I could go out for brunch kid-free. We had opted for brunch instead of dinner because by the time we have the kids in bed we are too tired to go out, or at least too tired to enjoy it! We had a table booked at the Duck & Waffle in the Heron Tower and we had such fun! I love that restaurant and it’s got excellent views over London being on the 40th floor. Our restaurant experience felt quite normal apart from the transparent screens in between tables and the staff wearing masks but after the complete lockdown that didn’t even feel weird (how quickly we adapt, eh?!). I’d never been to Duck & Waffle at day time but I was not disappointed and the brunch menu was delicious – I had smoked salmon and poached eggs with hollandaise on a waffle. Also getting to spend a few hours in an air conditioned space was amazing since it was so hot and humid outside (+35). It was also lovely to dress nicely and to walk around the city without pushing a pram or carrying heavy bags or worrying about Maia scooting onto the road!
Most of all I really enjoyed spending some quality time with my husband, reconnecting a bit and reminding ourselves of why we got together in the first place. ❤️
xoxoxo,
Birthday Girl