Birthday Recap

I had a lovely birthday weekend. I may not have checked everything off my bucket list, but I did accomplish the most important ones. Here is the recap!

1. Laugh until I cry
Okay, so I don't quite know if I laughed until I cried, but I laughed a lot and cried, so I'm counting this one :)

2. Hear “Like a Virgin” at the bar
I have to be honest...this is a point in the night I don't exactly remember. Apparently when we got to The Lodge, I requested it and the DJ played it right away!

The proof is in the photo!

3. Do something nice for a stranger
So glad I did this! During my morning errands, I paid for the car behind me in the Starbucks drive-through. It felt really nice to do that for a stranger!

4. Sleep in past 7 a.m. (I’m really counting on Blake for this one)
Blake was up and whining at about 6:30. I did get him to cuddle me for a little while in bed, but we were up bright and early. I can't complain, though. It was nice to get the day started early!

5. Make a new friend
This was a given since I tend to make friends with grocery store clerks and whatnot, but I did make a new friend. Laura's friend was in town for the week, so she came out to celebrate!

6. Get kissed on the forehead
Upon announcing that this hadn't happened yet at the bar, my sister grabs my head and took care of it. She's the sweetest!

Good lookin' out, girl :)

7. Buy 26 balloons, write happy and inspirational messages on them and hand them out to strangers throughout the day

This was BY FAR my absolute favorite part of the day. I couldn't have done this without the help of my sister. It was an absolute success and brought me more joy than I could've ever imagined. We picked up 26 balloons at Publix and with the help of a complete stranger, I got all of them into the back seat of my car with me and my sister drove us to my house. I could tell we were going to spread a lot of happiness today by the woman who so kindly helped me and the balloons into the car and all the people on our drive home who honked at us and gave us a thumbs up. It was absolutely magical. Once we wrote our favorite happy and positive quotes on each one, we headed to Winter Garden Village, an outdoor mall near my house, and stood outside of Target handing them out. 

The kids absolutely loved the balloons and the parents loved the quotes. We even handed a balloon to a middle-aged woman who initially turned it down. She said "No thanks," and as she walked away asked why I was giving them away. When I told her it was my birthday and what I was doing, she became giddy like a little girl and said she'd love a balloon. She might have been my favorite balloon recipient. This who project made me so happy and completely overwhelmed. 

Outside of Publix after buying the balloons

The final product

We have arrived!

This little girl was so happy. Her balloon said
"Today is a perfect day for a perfect day."

The last one!

The sweet Publix employee who helped us with the balloons.
I don't think he believed me when I told him I'd be back to give him a balloon.
His eyes lit up when he saw us walking up to him with our final balloon.

8. Play the piano at the downtown library
I definitely didn't make it by the library

9. Not have a care in the world
I thought this would be a given! Before we headed downtown, I got a text from someone who I used to consider a best friend. She bailed at the last minute and it really hurt my feelings. It put me in a bit of a funk, which luckily I snapped out of. 

10. Make a toast
It may have been a drunken toast to a few friends and family members I pulled together at the bar, but I'm sure it was eloquent and delivered with love.

11. Treat myself to something just for me…a pedicure, a new dress, new shoes…any of those will do 
I didn't go too wild on this one, but I got my eyebrows done which always makes me feel more put together

12. Not worry whether or not everyone is having fun
I think (and sure hope) everyone had a blast, so this was NOT an issue 

13. Wear a pretty dress
The proof is in the pictures!

14. Soak up every little moment of happiness
That one was easy :)

15. Be surprised
I was surprised a few times! My sista brought me a bunch of balloons when she got to my house, I was surprised by how much I am loved and that wonderful lady who helped me get the balloons in the car was such an unexpected treat!

16. Sing happy birthday to someone else
I didn't even have to look for this one. My sister ran into her friend at the bar, who was out celebrating HIS friend's birthday. I walked right up to him, shook his hand and started singing. 

birthday buddy

17. Rekindle a friendship
Another one of my favorite moments of the day. My very good friend from college, Theresa, surprised me with a phone call. We keep in touch via email and whatnot, but hadn't spoken in a long time. She read my bucket list and decided a phone call was in order so I could cross "Rekindle a friendship" off my list. I love that girl and was so happy to hear her sweet voice!

18. Twirl
I got this one out of the way while I handed out balloons in front of Target. My sister caught me in a weird pose, but this is me twirling!

Just in case people didn't already think I was crazy :)

19. Avoid falling on my face
I was a HOT MESS downtown that night, but I managed to avoid this...thank goodness!

20. Hit on someone using a Paper PickUp
I didn't even bring these out with me. Oops...

21. Get someone to buy me a drink
To my detriment, several people bought me drinks that night. This one wasn't a problem at all. 

22. Focus on how far I’ve come, not where I want to go
This one was easy. I'm happy with where I'm at in life.

23. Get someone to take pickleback shot at Finnhenry’s
We didn't even make it to Finnhenry's. Oh well!

24. Have another unforgettable group dance at The Lodge
For everyone else, this was unforgettable. For me, it happened, but I don't recall a thing. It still happened, though :)

25. Try a drink I’ve never had before
I tried my sister's Crown & Ginger and took a shot called a Pirate Hooker. I don't recommend either one...yuck. 

26. Leave a mark somewhere downtown
I'm not proud of this one, but apparently I got sick outside of The Lodge. When I said "leave a mark downtown," I was thinking I'd sign a bathroom wall or something, but things don't always go as planned. I still left my mark...haha. 

The bucket list was super fun and I had a really nice weekend with my friends and family. My balloon adventure has my head spinning with all the different things I can do on a regular basis to spread happiness and I'm pumped! I closed out the weekend by hosting Mother's Day and spending the day with my family. I'm so thankful for the people in my life I can count on...the people who are here no matter the situation, the ones who participate in my silly schemes to spread joy, the ones who know how to make me smile and know how to have fun, the ones who bring me more joy than I could give in return. I am blessed to have each and every one of them in my life. 26 is pretty lovely so far :)