birthday party

Planning The Perfect Dog Pawty

| The Bee Life

As much as I hate seeing my baby girl get older, I can’t help but embrace and spoil her more and more, especially on her birthday! We dabbled last year, creating the perfect Instagram moment and this year I decided to kick it up just a notch. Here’s how you can plan a simply adorable pawty for your favorite four-legged friend.

Create a photo worthy backdrop

This can be done really simply for your pooch – especially if you have a low rider like Moz. Make it simple for your pup, and plan for lower on a wall, fence or side of the garage so it’s easy for them to sit and pose! The easiest way is to grab a standard ‘Happy Birthday’ Banner to create your focal point. From there, you can add balloons, other banners, and decorations to help fill the space. Since Moz has a summer birthday, it can be pretty hot – so I created two this year, one inside with gold balloons and a simpler one outside! This Lets Pawty gold balloon set was too affordable not to pass up.

(FTR: I totally broke my own advice with the indoor set-up this year, but luckily it worked to grab a picture with Moz still!)

A Perfectly Themed Pawty

I’m absolutely obsessed with The Foggy Dog, a woman-owned, small biz out of San Fran. As soon as I saw their Lady Bow’s I had to have them for Moz. This started getting a gorgeous red velvet one for our Christmas card photos, and has turned into a seasonal obsession – so it’s no surprise as soon as I saw the pink sprinkle lady bow, I knew Moz needed for her birthday this year – and in turn became the inspiration for a pink and gold, sprinkle party!

Hooman & DOG-APPROVED Treats

This year, I decided to ask my super talented friend from Sweet Geebs to make hooman cookies to go with the theme of playing off Moz’s pink sprinkle lady bow. So if you can plan ahead, and get on your favorite sugar cookie baker’s schedule – I highly recommend it for another sweet and simple touch to bring your dog pawty together.

More importantly, we cannot forget to spoil our pups with some yummy, special treats! Moz always gets her birthday year in whip cream (because she is super spoiled from getting Starbucks pup cups). I really like this route, because it’s a simple way to showcase your pups age, and it takes little prep, especially if you’re a hardworking dog mom without a ton of time.

Two other really easy treats that you can make your pup are these super simple, 3 ingredient frozen dog treats – also great to give your pups on a hot summer day to keep them cool and refreshed. If your pup has a winter birthday, or you have a little more time – I always recommend these 5-ingredient dog treats. These peanut butter pumpkin treats are a little more time intensive, but super great for your pup and you can always dress them up with some additional peanut butter as frosting on top! Honestly… sometimes we spoil Moz with all three!

The final details to bring your pup’s special day together are inviting their best furry friend over and of course a few presents! Moz was extra spoiled with a Birthday Themed Lamby (which is practically the size of Moz) and a crinkly colorful birthday cake toy, both linked and from Target! I also grabbed her some Bocce Bakery treats. Her fairy god aunties also got her a birthday cake toy!

Shop more of my affordable decor:
– Iridescent Tassel Garland
– Cactus Pom Pom Garland
– Gold Happy Birthday Banner

Funfetti Cake Bars – Recipe

| The Bee Life

It’s birthday week, and it wouldn’t be a birthday without some Funfetti 🎉! Funfetti is one of my favorites, I even got a Funfetti birthday cake last year – which I was able to snag just in time the bakery closed for a few months. So this year to get my Funfetti fix, I wanted to try something new and make my own Funfetti cake bars. The verdict? Amazing!

Not only did this recipe turn out tasty, it’s also pretty easy! And my favorite kind of dessert recipe is one that is easy and delicious. I did end up having to bake it a little longer than the recipe I was inspired by to get it golden brown and not gooey in the middle.

Cake Bar Ingredients List:
– 1 pouch Sugar Cookie Mix
– 1 box White Cake Mix
– 3 Large Eggs
– 1 Cup Melted Butter (aka 2 sticks)
– 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
– Rainbow Sprinkles

Frosting Ingredients List:
– 4ish Cups of Confectionary Sugar
– 6 Teaspoons of Butter, Softened
– 2-3 Tablespoons of Almond Milk (if you use cow’s milk, use 4-5 TBSP.)
– 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray your 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Grab a large mixing bowl and add the (1) dry sugar cookie mix, (2) dry cake mix, (3) three large eggs, (4) melted butter, and (5) vanilla extract. I use a spoon to hand mix, my dough was super thick and hard to mix after awhile, it might mess up your hand blender. Mix together until ingredients are well blended with no clumps.
3. Time for some fun! Pour sprinkles over top of your mix – I did not measure – and just eye balled what looked good. *grins* Then, with a spatula or wooden spoon mix in your sprinkles to the batter – add more sprinkles as needed.
4. Pour your batter into the baking dish, as I mentioned my batter was pretty thick. Spread evenly throughout the pan.
5. Cook for 30-35 minutes (or according to your oven) the main thing is making sure the edges are golden brown and the center should not be wiggly – make sure a tooth pick comes out clean from the middle. Not clean? Add 5-minute increments and keep testing, until center is clean. Once center is clean, take out and let cool in pan.

Frosting Instructions:
1. Pour powdered sugar and almond extract into a bowl.
2. Beat butter in a mixing bowl until creamy, and add to your powdered sugar and almond extract. Now add your almond milk and mix with a hand blender. Add more powdered sugar as needed to thicken or to taste better – to be safe, only add 2-tablespoons of almond milk to start and add more as needed for a thicker consistency.
3. Once your funfetti cake bar is cool, spread frosting all over the top. Add sprinkles over top to finish this off! Serve right away or refrigerate – I opted to refrigerate, which helped the frosting set a bit more.

The edges and bottom were nice and brown with a nice crunch, and the middle of the bars were a bit softer but still cooked. The sprinkles in the cookie bars add a nice crunch and the homemade frosting is the perfect compliment to these bars. These would be a perfect party treat, when birthday parties are acceptable again!






This recipe was inspired by Together As A Family.

Pandemic Approved Birthday Apparel

| The Bee Life

I’m quickly approaching my second pandemic birthday, well given that last year on my dreaded 30th birthday the world literally came to a screeching halt. All of my grandiose plans to distract from turning 30 last year got cancelled one by one — so I’ve come to realize and accept normal bday fun is a thing of the past, at least for another trip around the sun. So I’m ditching the heels and glittery skirts and swapping them in for glam sweatshirts and obnoxiously cute accessories for a birthday celebration in.

Since we’re still sort of living in a pandemic of weird times, the way to rock your birthday is with some glammed up, comfy and super cute sweatshirts – jeans are optional. I shopped a few super cute and most affordable sweatshirt options that can make a fun statement for your special day. Also, a few of my latest obsessions from February are also perfect for having a nice birthday at home. One trend that has come out of this pandemic, that I absolutely love is these cute sweatshirts with puffy sleeves, bejewels, or ruffles – like finally! Why has this taken so long?

Shop Sweatshirts: H&M Black Ruffle Sweatshirt, Beaded Puffy Sleeve Sweatshirt, Old Navy Be The Love Sweatshirt, H&M Pink Love Sweatshirt, Old Navy Cream Floral Sweatshirt

Okay, now that we have options for a cute staple sweatshirt – it’s time to add on some accessories and little more personal flair. Whether it’s a statement tee, a splurge on a chunky gold necklace or a keepsake of your zodiac sign – treat yourself with something special that brings out your personality. I am all about sharing love, drinking bubbles, loving on the pups and letting my pisces pride shine. Wearing some beaded or oversized earrings is another way to dress up a more casual look to help you stand out and feel extra special for your birthday.

Shop these pieces: Dog Mom Tee on Etsy, J. Crew Chunky Gold Chain Necklace, Love Tee from H&M, On Sale: Pisces Ring Set from Anthropology

As I continue to embrace another pandemic birthday, I’m going to keep enjoying the finer things, sip on plenty of bubbles and eat way to much cake — and I’m going to be comfy and cute while I’m doing it! Speaking of the finer things, if you are looking for a little more something special, here is some inspo from last year’s pre-pandemic looks. Here’s to the official birthday countdown, another pandemic birthday, which actually doesn’t officially count.

Latest Obsessions 09.20 – Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes

| The Bee Life

If you’ve been reading along, you may have seen my mom’s 60th birthday at the cabin in the woods! And one of my favorite parts that I still can’t stop obsessing over are the amazing cakes we ordered from our go-to local bakery; Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes also known as KEC. Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes is quickly becoming a household name in the CLE area, and it’s for a variety of reasons from her celebration of national holidays, like Harry Potter Day to having custom holiday menus and just a variety of delicious every day sweets available, you really can’t go wrong.

Let’s talk about her Party Cake Collection first. With a newly expanded collection of new party cake flavors — these are easy to order and fun to make a statement for any occasion. Whether you’re rocking a pink theme, in need of a smash cake or want something for a milestone birthday – these cakes are gorgeous and also allow you to add personal touches with birthday candles or a cake topper. Our go-to is the Reese party cake, it has layers of peanut butter and chocolate cake and a crispy crunchy peanut butter layer that is just so yummy. For my 30th we were able to get the Macaron Sprinkle (see below) aka a more delicious spin on funfetti cake, plus with KEC’s staple macaron’s on top. The next one we want to order is the Cookie Dough one, um YUM! Rule of thumb for ordering cakes from KEC, always try to plan at least a month out if not more — extra for busy seasons/holidays.

Next up is her Buttercream Cake Collection. This is another variety of cake designs that fit a number of special occasions and themes! We first tried her buttercream cake collection for our wedding — and we ordered a hand painted floral cake as B and I’s cut cake with a chocolate fudge flavor. Honestly it was so easy, because we picked the size, colors and example from one I saw on her instagram and then I got a special cake topper that personalized it more for our special day. The best part? We were able to order a mini recreation of our cake for our 1st anniversary! For my mom’s birthday we got the Retro Dot cake with a Vanilla Blackberry flavor. There are endless possibilities with the buttercream collection from colors to sizes and flavors!

Every other delicious treat. This is a loaded section, loaded of sweet, deliciousness. On top of making incredible cakes — KEC also offers a variety of cupcake and macaron flavors, cookie dough, cakesicles, cookies, and chocolate covered oreos. Getting a sleeve of macarons is always a nice party/hostess gift to bring for sampling with friends – or honestly just a date night at home – as you can get a box of 6 or 12! Another reason I like to go into the store to order my cakes is so I can grab a treat or two like a gigantic salted chocolate chip cookie or pick up the newest macaron flavors!

Holiday Menus. We recently took advantage and jumped on the train of ordering off last year’s Thanksgiving menu, and got an incredible spice cake (pictured below, in the middle) to bring home for the family! It was gorgeous, delicious and a fun piece to bring to our family feast. I unfortunately missed out on ordering off the Christmas menu — because you must order fast, as KEC only offers a limited number of orders for the holiday menus. I’m excited to see what she has to offer this year — one benefit of following her on social is getting the latest updates and info on when the menus are going to drop!

Ever since we got our wedding cake from Kelsey Elizabeth, it’s become a sentimental and go-to spot for special occasions and big birthdays — and also has me wanting and planning for our next cake, or another sweet treat! I mean you don’t always need a reason to order a delicious cake right?!

A 60 & Fabulous Airbnb Birthday Party

| The Bee Life

Today is my mom’s 60th birthday! We were lucky enough to celebrate it earlier in the month with a long weekend away at an airbnb cabin. It was a backup to a cancelled week long trip that was supposed to be with the bigger extended family aka all my mom’s siblings plus a few cousins. So since it was a make-up to something to be much bigger, I wanted to really make sure my mom had a special weekend – celebrating her!

To make this weekend special for my mom’s big 60th birthday, there were a few things I focused on to help bring the birthday party to the cabin in the woods. One of those things was decorations! Luckily, this is a cabin we’ve stayed at before, so I had a pretty good feel for the space and the decorations I wanted to get to decorate the space. The second thing was bringing the people to the party – virtually of course! And lastly was the sweet treats and having a special cake to help make a statement for 60.

Virtual Birthday Wishes. With the world of COVID, things are definitely different — and since this much larger family trip wasn’t happening, I wanted to surprise my mom and bring her well wishes from her family and friends! DISCLAIMER: If anyone has mastered this craft, please comment below with help — but I’m not sure if there is any easy way to reach out to over 40 people asking for them to share a recorded video wish. For some people I reached out via email, Facebook messenger, text messages and Instagram DMs. I gathered videos, pictures and well wishes and even sourced a variety of pictures and memories of mom’s life and put them into an iMovie — it ended up being about a half hour long and was so fun making and even better surprising and watching my mom watch it.

The Decorations. As I mentioned, I knew the space but I also wanted to rein myself in, because I can easily go overboard with everything. So I think I did a pretty good job at keeping it simple! I picked the little theme of ’60 & Fabulous’ and kept on the color theme of gold and white. My big statement was getting oversized gold 6-0 balloons, a party pack that included a large Happy Birthday banner and other fun pieces that could be used throughout the cabin. In order to blow up the balloons at the cabin, I brought a mini helium tank from Michael’s — it was perfect for filling up the balloons. In addition to the birthday decorations, I also made sure to bring a few pieces from home to give it a homey and polished feel like table runners, candle holders, a cake stand, fresh flowers, matching plates and placemats.

Shop My Party Decor: Gold 60 Balloons | 60 & Fabulous Napkins | Gold & White Decor Party Pack | Cake Topper | Made in 1960 Banner (not pictured)

The Sweets! Another super easy way to help create a statement and make your birthday queen feel special is ordering a fancy cake! Of course, I went with our go-to special occasion local cake place; Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes (KEC) — we had our wedding cake done there and ever since, those cakes have held a special place in our hearts and is our go-to. I went with a 6″ Retro Dot buttercream cake, we got the Vanilla Blackberry flavor, and I was also able to pick out the colors, so I picked mom’s favorites! I also ordered a mini Reese’s party cake, because it’s delicious and my dad’s birthday is also in September so we gave him a little treat too! My dad also coordinated getting chocolate peanut butter cupcakes from a local baker near them, Morgy Cakes — he organized everything from the pick-up, to the flavor, to the design — it was so sweet and they were delicious. We made sure to have fun gold glittery 6-0 candles and tall skinny white and gold candles for mom to make an early birthday wish!

Since we were there for almost three nights, we had coordinated our meals between our two households, and had no shortage of food! We also made sure to plan a special dinner for Mom’s official birthday dinner which included steaks and a delicious sweet potato grilled dish (will share recipe!) — we also made a few epic charcuterie boards that served as our dinner at least one of the nights as we listened to music, chatted, played games and drank the nights away. My brother, SIL and niece also made it in for the trip, which I know was extra special for my mom — especially having all of us under one roof, which hasn’t been like that since Thanksgiving!

It was a super fun and exhausting weekend — and I know my mom loved every moment of it and now she gets to have a nice and relaxing day for her actual birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!

Easy Birthday Inspired Cocktails

| The Bee Life

Let the birthday fun continue! Whether you’re having a big birthday bash or keeping it low key with a close group of friends, a fun and festive birthday inspired cocktail can be a delicious addition to the celebration! So I did a little research and had some fun experimenting to bring together a few of my favorite things for a tasty treat for these two easy and super cute cocktails.
BirthdayBeverages(3)Sprinkled Cranberry Rum 
Take your rocks glass and have some frosting in a dish, flip your glass upside down and twist the glass in the frosting so the rim is lined with frosting. Then take your vanilla frosted rim and roll in sprinkles to cover! Once your rocks glass rim is lined, add your ice cube ball and get ready to add your beverages. Add a shot of Bacardi Rum and then top off with your pink lite cranberry.

For both of these drinks I was looking for a cranberry mixer, but a lot of them had high sugars and a lot of carbs. I stumbled upon the Ocean Spray Pink Lite Cranberry cans at Target and read the ingredients and was pleasantly surprised and picked up a 6-pack!

Ingredients:
– Bacardi Rum
– Ocean Spray Pink Lite Cranberry
– Ice Cube Ball
– Vanilla Frosting (homemade or store bought)
– Sprinkles
BirthdayBeverages(1)Pink Birthday Bubbles
This one is pretty easy, all you need is some bubbles and again lite pink cranberry and your frosting and sprinkles for your champagne flute rim. With frosting your a dish, flip your champagne flute upside down and twist the glass in the frosting so the rim is lined with frosting. Then take your vanilla frosted rim and roll in sprinkles to cover! Once your sprinkle rim is covered – just liking making a mimosas, fill your glass about 75% with you bubbles and then top off with your cranberry. Cheers!

Ingredients:
– Prosecco of your choice, I used Freixenet
– Ocean Spray Pink Lite Cranberry
– Vanilla Frosting
– Sprinkles
BirthdayBeverages(2)
The frosted rim is so tasty and a yummy treat to enjoy as you sip or have once your glass is empty. I bought store made frosting, but would love to make my mom’s frosting recipe for this, especially if you’re already making a cake!  Of course the rim would also taste great with just a glass of plain ol’ delicious bubbles 🍾.

Now that you have a festive and fun birthday drink the birthday celebrating can officially commence — Cheers 🎉!

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3 Outfits for 30!

| The Bee Life

Just like NYE, a fun sparkly outfit to celebrate your milestone birthday is a necessity! In addition to having some sparkle — having a few tasteful and fun themed t-shirts can help with the whole mood of the day. So after doing some online searching for some fun and subtle tees, I fell in love with two different ones. One that plays a little more on the sweet side and another that is a little more rugged especially if you’re not loving your new speed limit sign as much — which is exactly my two sentiments of this birthday sweet and sassy, and let’s just face it, me in general.
Outfitsfor30
Check out to see the few different ways I styled these simple tees up for a nice dinner date or low-key day on the town — and why I love these pieces so much!

Original 1990 Pink Tee. I found this on Etsy and love that there are a variety of years to choose from, I’ll be snagging this for an upcoming 60th birthday celebration happening this summer for a very special lady. These shirts are SO soft and made of nice quality, have a variety of colors to pick from and also can have it be ‘original’ or ‘vintage’ with the year. I ordered a small and it fits great!

Straight Outta 1990 Tee. This was another shirt that once I saw it, I knew I needed to have. It has just the right amount of attitude and fun with a little edge — especially since I’ve been having a love/hate with this upcoming 30th birthday. Styled with jeans and some leopard flats it has a little rock n’ roll flair that I just love too.

Shop my pieces: Pink Original 1990 Tee | Straight Outta 1990 Tee | Sequin Skirt | Trouser Pants | Old Navy Jeans | Cheetah Flats from Target | Similar Katy Perry Heels | Similar Black Suede Heels from Target

Midi Sequin Skirt from Anthropologie. I snagged this gem during their winter sale (it’s still available and discounted by over 70%! It’s a classic piece to have for a fun occasion like this, to be dressy but still play it casual with either one of these tees I snagged. I also can’t wait to dress it up for some upcoming weddings this year!  I ordered a small (usually wear a size 8/10 jeans) and it fits well since I wear it higher on my waist.

High Waisted Trouser Pants. I first showed these in my Fall Amazon Fashion review and love the idea of these high waisted pants styled with the Original 1990 pink tee! Throw on some heels and blazer and you’ve got a classic, yet styled-up outfit for a birthday dinner out on the town and a bit more understated than the glitter skirt!

I also love both of these tees with my go-to Rockstar jeans from Old Navy especially since they’re high waisted and perfect for a tee tuck and either a fun pair of flats or some heels to dress up the entire look a bit.  Can’t wait to rock a few of these outfits this upcoming weekend celebrating the big 3-0!

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Must-Have Birthday Party Decor

| The Bee Life

With a few of the stress out of the way with my last post, it’s time for all the fun. It may be no surprise to my bee readers that March for me is all about my birthday and St. Patrick’s Day (only because it’s the day after), so that means eating cake, fun party plans and festive decor!  So, continuing on this birthday party train — here are a few finishing touches that are easy and essential for any party celebration and can really help pull in a thoughtful and personalized flair.
PartyEssentials
Balloons. Ok, helium shortage aside — balloons are super fun and can be made affordable with the personalize helium tanks, and also make transporting and decorating easy and convenient to decorate in the party space! Bare minimum, having big gold numbers for the big milestone birthday is an absolute MUST. Ordering those off Amazon can also help save on cost and have the balloons shipped right to your door. Even adding a little bit of helium into balloons so they cover the ceiling with long pretty strings is also a simple yet bold look!

Polaroid Frame & Polaroids. This is another Dollar Store hack! If you grab their foam board, it’s conveniently the same rectangular size as a polaroid — so tracing and cutting out to make it a hand held photo prop is another fun way to make a memorable mark. You can even include a hashtag, date or event title on the bottom for all the pictures! Not feeling crafty? You can order customized ones from Etsy. If you have a polaroid camera, this is another fun way to capture memories and moments in front of a photo wall or all the faces who are helping celebrate!

Festive Centerpieces. As much as I love fresh flowers for parties and events, there are simple and cost effective ways to add a little party flair to dessert tables, centerpieces and food spreads.  Grabbing a bunch of party blowers from the Dollar Store and throwing them into small glass vases from the Dollar Store, is a fun and party festive way to add a little extra flair — and even more perfect if you’re throwing a surprise party!
PartyEssentials(1)Dessert. Whether it’s a fun party cake that represents the birthday bee’s personality and favorite flavors to a tee or custom sugar cookies with fun designs and year dates, having a variety of desserts, favorite snacks (like frosted animal crackers or chocolate covered pretzels) or just a super fancy cake, is a fun way to add another personalized touch while making the birthday bee extra happy. Don’t forget, left overs for breakfast!

A Signature Cocktail. A festive cocktail and even themed party cups is another easy finishing touch that can serve as a conversation starter and fun party favor! Whether the cocktail is a play on the number, or an ode to the birthday bee’s favorite beverage and mixer with a fun garnish, patterned paper straws or golden party umbrellas for a fun birthday beverage!

Simple Photo Collage. Creating a simple photo wall of the birthday bee can be the perfect way to celebrate the big milestone birthday and looking back at all the years before! Using a string and festive clothes pins can be a cute way to display all the pictures, also clipping onto your blind strings is another alternative that can help fill up a space without making away from streamers and other fun party decor!
PartyEssentials(3)Another easy way to help keep yourself on track and also having a cohesive look for your next birthday bash is picking a theme whether it’s a 90’s throwback theme, a color scheme, or a mood you want to invoke — this can help keep you in line for picking all these finishing touches and really make a statement!

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5 Ways to Celebrate 30!

| The Bee Life

Secret time! I’m turning 30 in under a month. Second secret time, I’m not looking forward to it, but I’m really trying to embrace it, so excuse me as I put on a fake smile and try to embrace it all — and maybe go a little overboard in doing so. If you’re like me and hitting a big milestone this year, but can’t figure out how to celebrate, I’m here to help, with five fun ideas!
5WaystoCelebrate30_beelifeblogGet out of Town. Whether it’s a week long cruise or a weekend trip to a new city to explore sometimes getting out of town is just what the doctor ordered.  A good way to figure out affordable and easy places to get to for a longer weekend trip is looking at nonstop destinations that your airport flies too, finding a VRBO or bouquet hotel, or finding a spot that is drivable – 6-hours would be the max if you’re going for an extended weekend.

Boozy Brunch. If you’re a bee reader, you know I have a strong love for brunch, from the food to the beverages — you really can’t go wrong in my opinion. So instead of ordering a mimosas, order the mimosa kit and the waffles and enjoy the finer brunch things in life. This can be with family, gal pals or even just your number one.

Plan a Spa Day. Whether it’s solo, for a full day of R&R or an afternoon at the spa with your girlfriends — a spa day is a must to celebrate a big milestone birthday and simply relax! So make sure to plan out a day to get the works, from a facial, massage to your nails, this could even be a good gift hint to family or friends.

Night on the Town. If you’re a little more low key, it’s still important to treat yourself and maybe even splurge a bit! Whether it’s rooftop bar drinks, a high-end speakeasy or a nicer dinner spot, grab your core crew, throw on some sparkles and secure a dinner reservation – the best part is you can still be home by 9pm and jump right into those PJs.

Shopping Spree. Another way to celebrate the big day is going on a little shopping spree! If you’re like me, I don’t do a whole lot of clothing shopping out of guilt and other necessities. So, start saving a few extra pennies so you can really splurge and get a few new pieces to celebrate the new decade.

Last, but not least there is one other VERY important piece of any birthday celebration that should never be forgotten is the cake or two. Please never, ever, ever forget the birthday cake or your version of birthday cake. The best part is that after your birthday, you get to eat cake for breakfast, so you’re winning even after the big day. To try and embrace and overcome my 30 anxiety, I will definitely be celebrating with a few of these over the course of my birthday month!

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