5 Ways To Make Your Birthday SPECIAL!
Plus, Livestream Q&A this Thursday with my DAD!
LIVESTREAM Q&A: With Special Guest, My Father!
Hello, classic crew premium subscribers! This Thursday night at 8:30 pm EST (11/10) I’ll be doing my monthly livestream Q&A on YouTube - but I’ll only be answering questions from YOU, the people who have access to my exclusive content here on Substack. This month, my DAD will be joining me! Ask him any questions you have about parenting, marriage, life - he’s got some great insights!
If you have any questions for us, feel free to ask in the comments below! And if you have any more personal questions that you would like to keep anonymous, send them to my email at askclassicallyabby@gmail.com.
5 Ways To Make Your Birthday SPECIAL!
Hello friends and happy Tuesday! How was everyone’s weekend? My husband, my parents, my son and I all went to Orlando for the Clare Booth Luce Center For Conservative Women’s Summit where I gave a speech, and it was really amazing to see so many incredible young women there! Jacob and I had our first date night in quite some time while my parents watched Mr. Baby, and then on Sunday we spent some time exploring the area and had a grand ole’ time.
But today is special for a few reasons. First of all, it’s election day! Have you voted? It’s so important to get out and vote - make sure to exercise your right to participate in our democracy and make a difference! But second of all…it’s my birthday today! Today, I’m 29 years old. I’m one year older. And I am so, so grateful for this amazing year. I posted a photo on Instagram with all of my blessings, so feel free to head over there to read it.
As I’ve been thinking about celebrating, I realized that I really wanted to talk about how to make your birthday special. Some people hate their birthdays, thinking they are a sign of aging. Some people get disappointed by their birthdays because they have huge expectations. And others brush past their birthdays because they think that they’re unimportant.
But I LOVE birthdays. I love my own. I love celebrating other people’s. Every person gets one day a year that is truly about him/her - so why not make it special? I’ve always enjoyed coming up with something grand for the people I care about. And I learned a long time ago that if I wanted the same thing done for me, I should take matters into my own hands so that I don’t get disappointed. So today, I’m going to share 5 ways to make your birthday special.
Be involved in making your birthday plans. As I mentioned, it’s very easy to have high expectations for your birthday and then find yourself disappointed when things don’t live up to them. My solution to this problem has been to be involved in making my birthday plans. Instead of waiting and hoping someone does everything exactly as I pictured, I just tell people what I would like. If it’s complicated, I’ll help make it happen. For example, this year I wanted to go see a comedy show with some friends. Instead of just waiting for someone else to come up with that idea out of thin air, or waiting for someone else to plan the event, I reached out to our friends a few months ago and told them what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday. Lo and behold, everything has been perfectly executed and we’re doing something I’m really excited about for my birthday! It doesn’t make anyone around you any less loving if they can’t plan your birthday exactly to your specifications. Make it easier on everyone by helping plan your event and enjoy the planning process as much as the event itself!
Spend it with the people you love. Nothing matters more than celebrating your birthday with the people you love. I, personally, am celebrating my birthday throughout the month so that I can share it with as many people as possible! I’m celebrating with my friends, I’m celebrating with my siblings, I’m celebrating with my parents, my husband, my in-laws…I am so blessed that I get to share this special day with all the people that mean something to me. Now, is it really all about me? Of course not. But why not use my birthday as an excuse to spend time with my loved ones? Instead of making it all about what you’re doing, make your birthday about who you’re spending it with.
Make it about experiences and memories, rather than things. We live in a consumerist society. I know this, you know this, and we all participate somewhat. But at the end of the day, nine times out of ten you won’t remember the gifts that you received on your birthday - you’ll remember the memories you made. Maybe instead of asking for something, ask for tickets to a show or for everyone to go to the zoo together. Spending your money on an experience will create memories that will last a lifetime rather than a momentary thrill at holding a new item.
Look back on your year and think of everything you’re grateful for. I mentioned above that I posted on Instagram today about all the things that I’m grateful for this year. I did this last year and it’s now an unofficial tradition. Looking back on your year, try to remember all the wonderful blessings God has given you. It’s so sweet to recognize the wonderful things that happened, and it gives you something to look forward to, as well. Instead of worrying about getting older or mourning your age, think about how grateful you are to have another year, especially after remembering all the good things that happened to you the year before.
Spread out the celebration. Some people will disagree with this one, but I am one who believes in spreading out the celebration over the course of a week or two! It takes so much pressure off the one day of your birthday. Oh, you and your husband were too busy on your actual birthday to go out to dinner? No problem! Go out the next night and maybe even the night after that! We had a date night the weekend before my birthday; we are going out together for ice cream tonight; my family is spending time together tomorrow evening; my in-laws are going to lunch with us the following Sunday; and our friends are joining us in a couple of weekends for the aforementioned comedy show. All of this just makes the month of November a blast for me, and I love using it as an excuse to see more of my loved ones. So why not celebrate for longer?
And that’s my recipe for a wonderful birthday! I think birthdays are so much fun. What do you think? Does anyone else have a November birthday? Share it in the comments below!
ANNOUNCING: This Month’s Book Club Selection!
I’m excited to share this month’s book club selection! This month we are reading non-fiction (we switch up month-to-month) and the book we will be reading is…The Lifegiving Home: Creating A Place of Belonging and Becoming! I’ve been wanting to read some books about homemaking, and this looks perfect. It’s from a Christian perspective, so for my Christian followers, I think you’ll really enjoy that part of it! I can’t wait to discuss it with you all.
This Month's A.V. Club Selection(s)
This month, we will be watching two different versions of Little Women to compare and contrast them - the 1933 version and the 1994 version. I thought these would be perfect for the fall season! If you’d like to watch it with your friends, have them join the fun by becoming premium subscribers.
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What You Might Have Missed At Classically Abby…
Quote of the Week:
“God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.” - Francis Bacon
Classic Style Inspo
We recently took family photos because Mr. Baby is just TOO cute, and they turned out wonderfully! When choosing clothing for a family photoshoot, instead of choosing matching outfits, think of coordinating colors instead. We chose coral, sage, tan, and ivory - and the colors work well together without looking matchy-matchy. Pinterest has a lot of great ideas if you’re struggling, so start there!
Things I’ve Been Loving: Mama Sweatshirt
I’ve been wanting a mama sweatshirt for so long, and I finally got one for my birthday! I love the quality - it’s incredibly soft, and the words are embroidered rather than printed, so you know it will last a very long time. I also love that you can personalize it with the year your first child was born. This would make a great gift for yourself or for an expecting mama!
Welcome to Classically Abby!
I'm a wife, mama, opera singer, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and your guide to becoming the classic woman you've always wanted to be! Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic.
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