Birthday Month: Pamper yourself

The birthday fairy will be making her appearance tonight but instead of dropping off cash under my pillow, she is going to add a year to my age.

It is that time of the month year. A quick check over my roots, a touch of eye cream around the eyes and 15 minutes in front of the mirror making sure nothing else has shifted or wrinkled while I was sleeping.

I am declaring a buffer period before and after our birth days. The party begins one week prior. This would entail the option to sleep in, skip chores and make pick dinner. Then the big day. Afterwards of course, we need another week to recuperate. Who is in with me?!

One thing I know with age,  I have definitely began to understand more of what matters most. And it is taking care of yourself inside first.  Everything else falls in to place after. A gift I have given myself this year — more time each day. It sounds small but has been huge in taking care of things for myself that I typically would not have time for.

Here are more pampering suggestions from Vocal Point:

Treat Yourself
Hollywood’s beautiful people power up every day with high-octane smoothies at juice bars like Jamba Juice, Tribal Café, Earth Bar, and Robeks. Ready to get your own juice on?

Treat yourself like a celebrity with this satisfying smoothie:

In a blender, combine 1 chopped banana, 1/2 cup nonfat milk, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, 1 teaspoon peanut butter, and 1/2 teaspoon honey. Mix it all up for about 1 minute, or until it looks like a thick milk shake.

You can’t stick a candle in this birthday treat, but maybe that’s a good thing! Put on your most starletlike sunglasses and hide from any pint-sized paparazzi until you feel like sharing.

Pamper Yourself
When you consider that we spend a third of our lives in bed, treating yourself to a new mattress, soft 600-thread-count sheets, or heavy-duty light-blocking window shades makes a lot of sense. One of the best gifts you can give yourself might just be a good night’s sleep. In fact, a recent study found that the cities where residents got the most restful night’s sleep were also the places where people’s happiness levels were highest. So make it a happy birthday!

Score yourself a great deal.
Why not celebrate by treating yourself to that most basic and essential of food groups? Chocolate! Just walk into any Godiva Chocolate Boutique in the U.S. and tell your local chocolatier you’d like to join the (free!) Godiva’s Chocolate Rewards Club. Besides snagging you a free piece of chocolate on the spot, club membership grants you another free sample every month, as well as online discounts and other special offers. And that makes every month feel like a celebration!

Speaking of change, are you afraid of it? Oprah’s blog has an article about – what to do if you’re scared of change.