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For fun: what would you do for your 50th birthday?


SKL
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Mine is coming up, and I'm thinking about what I want to do.  It will be on a Tuesday, which is a work day, but maybe I will be able to take time off for such a momentous occasion?

 

So here is what comes to mind right now:

  • Moratorium on work stress.
  • Chiropractor adjustment.
  • Massage.
  • Yoga class if I can find one.
  • Hike in the national park.
  • TaeKwonDo class.
  • Dinner at some nice place.
  • No sass from the kids!
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I had a big party.  I invited 50 people, and hired a PianoMan for music.  I think I had it semi-catered.  It was just a blast.  That was in my old house which had GREAT entertaining layout.  I couldn''t do that now....but I'm glad I did it then.  :0)

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On my 50th I went out for dinner with dh and dc then went for a long walk along the river.  Afterwards, dh and I took a blanket out to the field to eat ice cream, star gaze, and talk.  A couple of weeks later dh took me out of town for a couple of nights.

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For my 50th, I went out to eat with my dh, ds, and dd.  The next day, my dh and I went to a wonderful inn in upstate New York for 3 glorious, low stress, eat out for each meal and don't have to clean up, wonderful days.  We lounged, we hiked, we shopped in the little town, and just relaxed.  I found a great little bookstore there - it was heaven!  

 

If I hadn't gone away, I was planning on a hike, a massage, and dinner out at my favorite restaurant with my family.  That would have been wonderful too!

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My 50th was last year. I got two nights out.

First, out to eat with Dh and to see Phantom of the Opera. Kids overnight at my mom's.

Second, out to eat with another couple, longtime friends, and back to their house for dessert. We just sat on their screened porch and talked for hours. Lovely. 

 

Not a big deal compared to some things on this thread, but we are super-tight on money and dh is not much of a date or party planner. 

 

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We went out for a super nice meal and to a concert with a few friends. There were a few special lunches with different groups of friends (but we do that for all of our birthdays). Then a week later, dh and friends gave me a huge surprise party. They said if they hadn't done the dinner, I'd have guessed they were doing the party.

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After many years of homeschooling and not having the balance in my life I needed, I've worked hard in recent years to nurture my female friendships.

 

For my 50th birthday, I asked all my girlfriends to meet me at an Italian restaurant that serves family style at a circular table. I chose the menu ahead of time. As different courses were served, I started out the luncheon going around the circle introducing each friend and telling the group how our friendship started and what I admired about them.

 

I'm not a particular demonstrative or gushy person. It was important to me to do this for them to let them each know how I valued each friendship. It was very meaningful to me and worth the splurge. I'd planned it for months ahead of time.

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After many years of homeschooling and not having the balance in my life I needed, I've worked hard in recent years to nurture my female friendships.

 

For my 50th birthday, I asked all my girlfriends to meet me at an Italian restaurant that serves family style at a circular table. I chose the menu ahead of time. As different courses were served, I started out the luncheon going around the circle introducing each friend and telling the group how our friendship started and what I admired about them.

 

I'm not a particular demonstrative or gushy person. It was important to me to do this for them to let them each know how I valued each friendship. It was very meaningful to me and worth the splurge. I'd planned it for months ahead of time.

I did something similar at about age 42. Not going into details of differences because that's a matter of preference and creativity but it is one of the happiest memories of my life.

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I'm still a few years from 50, but DH's 50th was a few months ago.  Of course, he was TDY, so we couldn't do anything special on that day (I did have balloons delivered to his hotel room), but the kids and I had a table set up with gifts for him when he walked in the door at home.  We aren't real big on going out, but I bought him a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and took him out to an all you can eat seafood place.  (Since our son is allergic, we don't ever have seafood anymore and DH misses it quite a bit)

 

For my 50th, I went out to eat with my dh, ds, and dd.  The next day, my dh and I went to a wonderful inn in upstate New York for 3 glorious, low stress, eat out for each meal and don't have to clean up, wonderful days.  We lounged, we hiked, we shopped in the little town, and just relaxed.  I found a great little bookstore there - it was heaven!  

 

If I hadn't gone away, I was planning on a hike, a massage, and dinner out at my favorite restaurant with my family.  That would have been wonderful too!

 

I would love to know where this bookstore is, please!

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Ireland sounds fun but not within our budget.

 

What might be more realistic is 2 nights on Mackinaw island with just my dh. I would love a hotel with a balcony overlooking town and the water. I would enjoy the horses, take nice walks, sit by the water, eat some good food, sleep, read, etc

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I just went to dinner with the family and had a few friends take me out as well, different times.

 

Then DH asked what I wanted.  I told him I wanted a deck around our pool.  We have lived here 10 years and I have always wanted one.

 

He is still building it, but we have started using it.  I love it!

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I can't remember what I did on my 50th birthday!  LOL.  We probably went out to dinner.  But I did get a beautiful grandfather clock, something I had always daydreamed about.

 

For my dh's birthday we planned a huge surprise party for him, but unless your family has already taken that on (you never know!) that is not something you'd be thinking about!

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I was just talking to a co-worker about birthdays.  She spends the entire year celebrating decade birthdays (40, 50, 60.)  She picks one thing to do each month and then she chooses a location/itinerary for their yearly vacation.  When she turned 50 they went to Hawaii, because it's the fiftieth state (also, because it's Hawaii and who wouldn't want to do that?)  Next year she turns 60 and she already has tickets to a show, a camping trip, a party with friends, and a few other things planned.  I love the idea of celebrating the entire year. 

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My plan is to go to Disney World.   I have a good friend with a birthday 2 days away and we're talking about both of us going.  I've told the family they are all invited and they have a few years to plan it.  But I WILL be at the Mouse House when I turn 50.  By hook or by crook.

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I was just talking to a co-worker about birthdays.  She spends the entire year celebrating decade birthdays (40, 50, 60.)  She picks one thing to do each month and then she chooses a location/itinerary for their yearly vacation.  When she turned 50 they went to Hawaii, because it's the fiftieth state (also, because it's Hawaii and who wouldn't want to do that?)  Next year she turns 60 and she already has tickets to a show, a camping trip, a party with friends, and a few other things planned.  I love the idea of celebrating the entire year. 

 

My hope is that I get my black belt while still 50.  I am not sure it will happen though.  That would round out the year nicely.  :)

 

I also like the idea of planning a trip to Hawaii at some point during the year.  Some time the kids are off school.

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Probably not your style, but I had a blast just acting like it was a normal day and seeing who remembered and who didn't.

 

A number of friends from my past resurfaced completely unexpectedly to welcome me to the club.

 

I also joined AARP.

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I had to think for a bit with what we did for hubby's 50th (last year).  We were on a trip with my mom - cabin camping on the shore of Lake Ontario.  That essentially means we didn't do anything special just because it was his 50th (other than a dinner out at CiCi's if I recall correctly).

 

This means I won't be expecting anything special for my 50th either - next year.  We'll probably get a similar small trip in due to it being my birthday, but nothing special because it's my 50th.  I'm ok with that TBH.  Heck, the way things are today I don't even care if I make it to my 50th (sigh).  I'd be content calling it a "good life" and being done, but that's getting way off topic.

 

Of all the things I've read on here, going to HI would be the most special - esp if one hasn't been there yet.  The connection with 5-0 is super cute and HI is very worth it for the gorgeousness of the islands.

 

When the timing is off for our special dates and times we want to go somewhere, we "celebrate" on the half year or close to it.  Since we got married in Aug, but enjoy escaping winter for a bit, we often try to be somewhere south for Feb (or Mar) on that date instead and celebrate the "half year," then just go somewhere short and easy on our actual Anniversary.  You could possibly do the same with your birthday.  HI is actually best (IMO) in the winter months due to the whales being there, the potential for larger waves, and the nicer temps (vs the frozen north).

 

Of course, I also like the idea of celebrating once per month... but then why stop with 50?   :coolgleamA:

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Totally unrealistic choices but I would:

 

Go to the Agatha Christie Festival they hold every year in Torquay

Go on a Viking River Cruise (you know the ones they always advertise during PBS Masterpiece)

Go back to Universal Studios and ride the Forbidden Journey over and over again. They prob would not let me sleep in Hogwarts though...

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I would love to know where this bookstore is, please!

 

We stayed in Bedford, but I think the little town we shopped in was call Katonah...?  There was a coffee shop with an upstairs bookstore.  They had children's books up through YA.  An adult section would have been nice, but I like a good YA every now and then.  It was so cute and cozy too.  I have no idea what the name was.  

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Yes, I wish that I had done something monumental, but DH was extremely ill then. We managed take-out and cards.

 

My beloved aunt sent me a generous check and told me to go buy myself some art. I bought a print of a painting that utterly enthralled me some years back, and that's my memorial to turning 50. It hangs in my home office where I see it every day.

 

A friend of mine's family did a surprise Mexican food pot luck that was a blast. She had no idea what was coming, and the house was packed. She still talks about that as the best birthday she ever had. I'd love something like that, but it's not practical for my family.

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After many years of homeschooling and not having the balance in my life I needed, I've worked hard in recent years to nurture my female friendships.

 

For my 50th birthday, I asked all my girlfriends to meet me at an Italian restaurant that serves family style at a circular table. I chose the menu ahead of time. As different courses were served, I started out the luncheon going around the circle introducing each friend and telling the group how our friendship started and what I admired about them.

 

I'm not a particular demonstrative or gushy person. It was important to me to do this for them to let them each know how I valued each friendship. It was very meaningful to me and worth the splurge. I'd planned it for months ahead of time.

 

What a great idea! Female friendships are so important. I'm taking steps towards being more balanced that way too.

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