I have a birthday coming up. It’s not one of those milestone birthdays. It’s a birthday where you might even think, huh, is it worth celebrating? It’s just a random number between 45 – 50. So, what’s the big deal? A birthday’s just a birthday, right?

While this is true, I actually believe all birthdays are worth celebrating, especially now, when so much of what’s going on in the world seems like it’s out of our control.  It’s an act of joy that we should hold sacred. (And one we all deserve, I might add.)

But how do you do that when it seems like we’re on the precipice of another wave of COVID-19 with the Delta variant? How can you elevate your special day and celebrate without a big group of friends or dinner at your favorite restaurant? How do you keep it special and safe at the same time?

Now that fall is approaching, along with colder months for many of us, we might need to think of clever ways to keep the party going without taking the risk of getting sick. So, in this post, I’m sharing a few ideas to help you make your birthday – whatever age you’re celebrating – feel special and joyful, despite the crazy times we are living in right now.

Elevate Your Birthday with Real Invitations

So, maybe your birthday looks different this year. Instead of gathering indoors at your favorite restaurant or bar, it might be a picnic at a park with friends. That’s ok! However you’re choosing to celebrate, one creative way to elevate your birthday is by sending out birthday invitations. And I don’t mean online invites. I mean actual invitations, printed on real stationery.

My go-to for all things stationery is Basic Invite. And I especially love all of their options for sending out invitations. I know it might sound absurd to send out real invitations to a small group of people, but why not? Especially now, I think we need to elevate and celebrate the everyday moments in our life. And who doesn’t love getting a beautiful invitation or handwritten card in the mail? (That’s another goal of mine this year – more spontaneous, handwritten notes to friends, to let them know how much I value our friendship.)

What I love about Basic Invite is that it’s one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. They also have kids birthday invitations and sweet sixteen invitations, and if you’re celebrating a milestone birthday for your child, like a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers to order a printed sample of their actual invitation before they place their final order. Right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51.

Last but not least, I also use Basic Invite for my business cards. I wrote an entire post about why business cards are still relevant.

Book a Birthday Weekend Away (Without Getting on a Plane)

While this year might not be the year to throw a big birthday bash with all of your friends, you can still make it memorable with a weekend road trip with your significant other or one or two friends.

Pick a destination that lets you explore the great outdoors where there are fewer people. Book a stay at a cute Bed and Bath or an Airbnb. Then all you need to do is pack some great snacks, put on some tunes, and hit the road to explore.

If you live in the Northeast or mid-Atlantic, I have some great ideas for you. Eat your way through Providence or spend a romantic weekend in St. Michaels, Maryland. Also, check out this round-up of my favorite places to visit in New England. And if you have time to travel for more than a weekend, you can’t go wrong with mid-coast Maine!

Treat Yourself to a Day of Pampering

If you can’t get away, you can still make your birthday special. Take the day off from work and treat yourself to a day of pampering.

Go for a leisurely walk in your neighborhood. Buy yourself a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Take a long nap. (Is there anything more luxurious than a nap?!) Pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read for ages. Order in from your favorite restaurant. And drink champagne. Closeout the day with a bubble bath.

My point? Plan a day where you get to do things you might not normally do. Make it special and relaxing.

Book an Online Cooking Class with Some Friends

We’re all living mostly virtual lives these days (hello non-stop Zoom calls!) so I know the last thing you might want to do to celebrate a birthday is get back on your computer, but hear me out. There are some great and fun online classes you can do, either alone or with friends.

One of the classes my husband and I took that we absolutely loved was an Italian cooking class for his company’s holiday party last year. The class was taught by a bonafide Italian grandmother, who lives outside of Rome. It’s called Nonna Live, and 84-year-old Nonna and her family share their family recipes for homemade pasta. Everything from their accents, to the rustic kitchen where they demo everything is authentic and wonderful.

If cooking is not your speed, there are plenty of other options out there. Another online experience my husband and I did with some friends last year for my husband’s 40^th birthday was an online bourbon tasting with Kings County Distillery. You just have to book it about a week in advance so the distillery has time to ship the bourbon to you. (There are tons of wineries and distilleries that do this all over the country.)

If you want more tips on how to celebrate a milestone birthday during Covid-19, check out this post about how we celebrated my husband’s 40^th birthday during the pandemic.

How Are you Celebrating Your Birthday This Year?

However you decide to spend your birthday this year, I hope it’s joyful and festive. Because if there is anything this pandemic has taught us, it’s that we shouldn’t take life’s big or small moments for granted. Every day is worth celebrating, and every birthday is worth celebrating!