Hello June! Hello Birthday Month!!

I'm just going to put this out here — E V E R Y O N E loves to celebrate their birthday. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Birthdays, no matter how old you are, should be special. Go ahead, make a big deal out of your day; actually, make a B I G deal A L L month!

Things that should always happen to celebrate your birthday:

• C A K E — there should always be cake! Chocolate on chocolate is my favorite.   

• P R E S E N T S — something you want, something you need, and a surprise!

• D I N N E R — a meal at your favorite restaurant with family and friends!

And speaking of presents... does anyone else clam up when someone asks you what you want? Knowing very good and well that you know exactly what you want, but you don't want to start spitting out all the things you want when someone asks? No? Yes? I'm not the only one? Well, that's okay. I have a solution. I'm making a running list of everything I want. Big, small, inexpensive, expensive — I'm listing it all out. And, I'm going to have the list readily available so when someone asks, I can look at that list and decide what I should tell them. Let's face it, I'm getting to that age where everything I want, and need, is expensive. So, I'm going to try to remember to think about small stuff to put on there, too.

So, you want to know what a middle aged 30 year old wants for her birthday? Wait, am I really about to be a middle aged 30 year old? How did I get to be in my mid 30s? I used to think 40 and 50 were old, but the closer I get to those numbers, the more I'm realizing that it's not old. Sorry mom and dad for calling y'all old at 40! Okay, enough sulking. I'll just pour myself a big ole glass of prune juice and deal with it. Back to the presents. While I know I won't be getting all of these presents for my birthday this year, (or I better not be, unless we won the lottery!) this is just visual board to show things that I'm interested in not only for my birthday, but Christmases, Anniversaries, etc. And maybe it can give you some ideas if you are struggling on what I ask for.

1 - Amazon Echo I'm a music lover! I would have music playing 24/7 if I could get away with it. But I really want a bluetooth speaker to play my music that's portable so I can take it outside on our screened in porch and have it inside, too. I've been looking at this Echo on Amazon, and I think this would not only give me the bluetooth speaker that I'm wanting, but it has so much more to offer as well! But, I also like this one because you can take it to the pool or outside and don't have to worry if it gets wet.

2 - Compact Camera I love my Canon 6D, but it's really a pain to carry it to the zoo, pool, etc. And we are gearing up for our Disney vacation later this year, and I know I will not want to haul in another backpack with all the other stuff we already have to carry in for the girls. So, I've been doing a lot of research, and I've decided to go with this one from Amazon. You can preorder it now, or wait til June 6th to order. It's been a really long time since I've had a small point and shoot camera, and the reviews from last year's model of this one are terrific! So I can't wait to get my hands on this one and start photographing with it!

3 - Third Wedding Band Okay, okay, I know this technically isn't something to ask for, but I've been wanting a third band for awhile. I L O V E my wedding set! However, I wouldn't mind adding a third band that's a little different to the mix. I like this one, but I'm open to others. This one is from Diamonds Direct.

4 - Birthstone Bands I have a Mother's ring that Terry and the girls gave me two years ago. I love it, and wear it daily. I love the idea of stacking a solid band of their birthstones on either side of it. Or, some days just wearing the bands, to give a different look. If they offer these with their three band sale, I'd get our anniversary month (March) to have in the center just like my Mother's ring. Everly Stackable Bands are redesigning these birthstone bands and they will be for sale in a few weeks. I can't wait to see the redesign, and I have my fingers crossed that these will be on my hand in the future!

5 - Gift Cards Yes I know it's generic, and very impersonal, but sometimes you can use these to help buy the gifts you are really wanting. So giving an Amazon gift card, or even gift cards to go out to eat can make someones day. That's the gift that keeps on giving because by the time you get to use your gift card, you remember why and how you got it.

6 - Doormat I can't tell you how many times I pass by the cute doormats at Target and love them, but never remember to purchase one. Well, we need one, badly. The one we've had is the one we've had since we got married. Except I do put a different one out for Fall and Christmas. So, I thought this would be a fun gift that is something we need, and want. Target has some really cute designs, but I think this one is my favorite!

What do you ask for when your birthday rolls around? I might need to add it to my running list of things. ;)