2/11/2018

What I Got For My Birthday | Just Add Ginger


What I Got For My Birthday posts are some of my favourite to read. But up until last year I never felt very comfortable doing one myself because, well, I didn't want anybody to think I was trying to brag. But I had so much fun doing last year's post that I wanted to continue on the tradition - not only to express my thanks to those of my nearest and dearest who kindly bought me gifts, but also to provide a little bit of present inspiration - just in case anybody reading this is trying to think what they should get that someone special for their birthday.

birthday presents

My birthday falls the other side of the festive season when everybody is feeling low and lethargic after a couple of weeks of indulgence so the only thing I look for in my birthday is a day full of things I love doing. And because this was my first as a mummy I was extra excited to spend it with both of my boys. But as ever, I was blown away by the kindness of my friends and family and just wanted to say thank you to all of those who sent me cards, bought me a gift, and sent good wishes to me on the day.

After getting me such an amazing hamper filled with my favourite food and beauty treats for Christmas, I didn't think Ryan could do anything to top it. But he completely blew me away this year. Not only did he buy me a wall lamp for our bedroom (which I asked for) but he also surprised me with tickets to see Legally Blonde in the summer. I mentioned wanting to go and see it again a while ago so he must have really been paying attention. I absolutely love that musical and am so excited to take him along this time because I think he'll really enjoy it (he wouldn't want to admit it, but the film is one of our go-to feel good favourites). But the most special present was getting to spend the day with him. I'd asked him to book it off as holiday and we made our time really count with a lovely dinner the night before at Yukti, a yummy breakfast, and then a day busy doing nothing. 

After a good portion of last year being spent trying to snatch time to create content I've been really wanting to get back into practising good time management and organisation when it comes to blogging and filming for my channel. So with that in mind I asked my parents for a planner from Dot Creates. I had seen Louise Pentland feature them in one of her videos and knew that having a designated place to jot down ideas and keep track of where I'm up to in terms of blog posts would be ideal. And so far it's really helping. I've got enough ideas written down to take me up to May and I love the layout of the planner, with both overview and more detailed pages. Plus the design so darn cute. If you're in the market for a blog planner, I'd definitely recommend going to check out Dot Create's collection

Ryan's parents very kindly got me a snuggly blanket shawl and a new set of make up brushes. They know me really well because after spending most of my pregnancy feeling warm I am now back to really feeling the cold. Having a portable blanket to hand means that I am prepared for when the chill creeps in (it'll also be really handy to have in the car for longer journeys). I also can't wait to get stuck into using the make up brushes. I get into such bad habits when it comes to washing my brushes that having another set to use is really useful. Now with two sets to hand I can no longer make the excuse of not being able to clean my brushes because I wouldn't have any to use. 

My sister and brother in law treated me to a voucher. And I love a good voucher. Having options and indulging in a little online shopping makes me really happy, especially nowadays. I wasn't able to find any clothes I wanted or needed but I ordered four Disney Princess sheet masks by Mad Beauty. They are absolutely adorable and perfect for setting aside for pamper evenings. I've used one already in preparation for a night out and I was really impressed so I have high hopes for the rest (I'll be sure to do a blog post on these once I've treated my skin to some tlc. 

Little Eric also decided to surprise his mummy with a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolates and a balloon. He also slept pretty well the night before so I managed to have a little bit of a lie in before we headed out to his class in the morning. 

I had an absolutely fantastic birthday. I was quite lonely on the day last year but this one totally made up for that. And now I just can't wait to see what lies in store for my thirty first year. I have a feeling it's going to be awesome. 

4 comments:

  1. Hope you had a lovely birthday Jackie! Those gifts are so thoughtful! I am loving those sheet masks!

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    1. Thank you Jessi! :)

      The masks are so cute aren't they? I've tried two of them now and I'm a little bit obsessed. There are quite a few things that are a part of the Disney range on Mad Beauty and I can't wait to get my hands on a few more bits.

      Jackie O xo

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  2. Wow, it sounds like you had such a wonderful day and everyone gave you such perfect gifts! I love that Ryan's gift gives you a date night to look forward to xx

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    1. It really was a lovey birthday and I was so thankful to have Ryan there as I was so lonely on my 30th.

      I am so excited to see Legally Blonde again. Date nights where it's just the two of us are so rare now that when they do come about we really do like to pull out all the stops and this is going to be such a special outing - I love this musical.

      Jackie O xo

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