Tips for Being a Good Friend on Birthdays

Birthdays are a special day no matter what the age! Take the time to make your friend's birthday the best it can be by planning ahead and thinking about the details. It's the little things they will remember!

Be sure to include lots of black in your decorating scheme. Black for birthday decorating is always classy.

Recognize that each year is special. I prefer spelling out the age with food. Little Fluff does also. He feels that it is important to celebrate the moments of our lives with sweet little morsels of food.

Confetti is an important piece of the equation (it's on the table, just trust me). Make sure to put confetti everywhere, especially in shoes, pockets, and in beds. That's a big birthday girl pleaser. Also presents are a birthday girl pleaser.

Little surprises are extra fun! I like to leave little messages in unexpected places.


Individualize your birthday treats. I chose a theme this year, and little man with the walker was a star player. Note the way he is placed on the Steel Cut Oats. I had never heard of these. I think it's an old people delicacy.

Other tips to consider:

1. Dry erase markers work on mirrors! Leave little notes. This also work for non-occasion messages. Like, "have a great day!" and "don't forget to make me a cake!"

2. Fresh baked things on the morning of that special person's birthday are wonderful! I had a roommate freshman year who got up earlier in the morning than should be allowed in order to have sticky buns ready for me before I left for school. Mmm.

3. Experiences stick in your memory longer than possessions. Gifts with meaning behind them are great! Even better are gifts of experiences. For instance, you could get them concert tickets, a dinner out with you, passes to a theme park, or plane tickets. I most enjoy the last listed item. I actually received a plane ticket from my wonderful freshman roommates because they wanted me to be able to go home for Thanksgiving to see my family. But that's another post.

4. Treasure hunts can be fun. If you are planning fun for a friend who is tolerant of a little cheesiness, you can do a little mission impossible themed birthday hunt. We did this my freshman year, with clues leading her all over campus, leading her back to our apartement where there were friends and a cake waiting to surprise her. It was good times. My favorite was the mission impossible tape we recorded to kick things off, and the man in suit and sunglasses who delivered it. Ah, the good old BYU days. We knew how to party.

Road Trippin'

So this weekend K and I went on a road trip that ranks up high in my road trip memories. It's right up there with the memorable Utah point-at-the-map-and-drive road trip with the wacky, crazy Alpine kids. We went to the beach, and stayed here:

I have just one question for all the tourists out there. Why????

Seriously. What is the point of this? I'm all thinking we're going to be one with nature. Except that everyone else is zipping by us on the sandy path leading to the beach as they drive down to park down on the beach. And they are driving up and down the beach. And taking pictures from their cars. And parking right at the tide line. And riding stupid little mopeds up and down the beach. Aaaaah, nature. I was so refreshed.

There was a big pretty tree root.

And there were birds and water.

I'm a good picture-taker.

We ate at Las Maracas. I give the gaucamole there four out of five stars. When asked for her rating, K said "word to your mother." She doesn't know what that means, but it went with the signs she was flashing that she also did not know the meaning behind.


We stopped at a little tourist shop and got Saltwater taffy. K really enjoyed hers...



We took lots of pictures. This is K trying to take a picture of me.

We drove and drove and drove, and then suddenly the highway we were on ended, because I had shirked my navigational duties and didn't see the sign to turn, which we discovered on our way back. But we saw this sign, which entertained us.

Um, isn't that a warning sign?

Then the windshields got all smeared, and K's wiper fluid thing doesn't work, so she used her back-up system.

Did you know that if you hold an empty water bottle out the car window at high speeds, it whistles? It does.

We were driving along and all the sudden, K did a double-take,and she turned to me with wide eyes and yelled, "There was a cow head back there!" So we turned around so she could show me. Because I didn't want to see, but I did, you know? Plus I needed a picture for my blog. And here it is:
Yes, folks, that is a hunk of snow. (Point and laugh at K here)

We returned last night. It was a wonderful trip. It was all in honor of K's 30th birthday. She's an old lady. We were just two old ladies on a girl's weekend. We're already planning our next adventure.

And Then We Went to Joann's, and then we went to Joann's...

And then we went to Joann's. Oh, and then we went to Joann's!

So Saturday night I went out with a few other ladies and Tonganboylover, who was shopping for material for her bridesmaid dresses. All 10 of them. So we went to FOUR Joann's throughout the area. We started around 7, and finished right before 10. We made good time. Then we went and stuffed ourselves at Red Robin. Mmmm. There was a little milkshake incident, but it totally wasn't my fault. The shake was suctioned to the little shaker.

See the hot mamas at the last Joann's checkout: