Anyway. Good morning. Welcome to my birthday. That's what today is known as throughout the land, right? Right.
To celebrate, I thought I'd talk about what I love that doesn't cost me anything. Of course some of these require things I've already paid for or utilities, but, I mean...stop being a ruiner and let me live. While I am a huge proponent of celebrating my birthday all month and live by the treat yo'self motto in general, some of the things I love the most are free, like
Watching the sunrise on the beach
Going to the library
Talking about future travel destinations with MFD
Planning things. Anything.
Seeing my people succeed or overcome
Being ridiculous with my friends
Organizing things. Anything.
Reading a book
Cursing
Drinking coffee outside on the weekends
Sleeping in fresh, clean sheets
Having the windows open at home
Popping in to see my niece
Driving with the music loud and the sun roof open
People watching
Cooking
Exploring a city or town on foot
Snapping photos
Walking in the woods with the dogs at Lori's
Laughing
Looking through pre-digital photos
Freshly painted nails using my too big nail polish collection
Sitting out back in my gravity free chair
Talking to my dogs
Perusing Amazon and making wishlists
Celebrate with me! Share your favorite free things in the comments. While you're at it, leave your email in the raffle copter below. I'll donate $25 to the charity of the winner's choice and send you a surprise box of fun as well. As Peters always says, sharing is caring, you guys.
Being ridiculous with my friends
Organizing things. Anything.
Reading a book
Cursing
Drinking coffee outside on the weekends
Sleeping in fresh, clean sheets
Having the windows open at home
Popping in to see my niece
Driving with the music loud and the sun roof open
People watching
Cooking
Exploring a city or town on foot
Snapping photos
Walking in the woods with the dogs at Lori's
Laughing
Looking through pre-digital photos
Freshly painted nails using my too big nail polish collection
Sitting out back in my gravity free chair
Talking to my dogs
Perusing Amazon and making wishlists
Celebrate with me! Share your favorite free things in the comments. While you're at it, leave your email in the raffle copter below. I'll donate $25 to the charity of the winner's choice and send you a surprise box of fun as well. As Peters always says, sharing is caring, you guys.
Happiest of birthdays to you! May every birthday just keep getting better and better. May your day be filled with love, laughter, puppy kisses, and cake!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy, happy, happy birthday to you!!! I hope you have a fabulous day. I love warm hugs ;)! And sunshine days, long walks at night with my husband, cooking, playing sports and just spending time with those I love.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday girl!! Wishing you another year filled with all things in life that are wonderful!! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to the fairest girl in all the land!! I love all the things on your list! It doesn't cost a thing to cuss like a sailor and read books all day waiting for the sun to rise/set! A few of my favorite free things would be listening to my nieces and nephews giggle. They have the best laughs in the world! Seeing a stranger smile at your random compliment. The spring sun shining down on my skin...before it becomes hot as balls. And looking at the stars at night. I could lay out on my drive way for hours and get lost in them!! One of the perks living in the middle of no where, they are so bright out here!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have an amazing birthday!!!!!!!
Hope you have an amazing birthday! You deserve to spend this day doing whatever you want! My favorite free thing is being in nature, hearing the birds chirp, the leaves rustling in the wind, and the smell of fresh air. I am always up for a good book too. Enjoy today!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!! Some of my favorite free things are: fostering senior dogs, sitting on the beach, reading your blog and hanging out with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteThank you Christine! Great list!
DeleteHappy, Happy Birthday my friend! Coffee on the deck, sunsets, people watching, talking with my kids, each of them one on one... love that. Hope you have a fabulous day!
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy Happy Birthday!! I love your list, cursing is by far one of my favorite free things to do! :) I really hope you have an amazing day and 39th year. You deserve the best!
ReplyDeleteSteph, Happy Birthday! I know we've never met in person, but I feel like I know you. I will always read your blog and love when you recant stories, share lists, and show your unfiltered, yet brilliant opinion. Happy happy birthday :)
ReplyDeleteI hope your day is filled with the best things, both free and paid (because treat yo'self, naturally)! I would have to add kitty snuggles and good naps and finding people who just get me to the list. And maybe take off cooking, if we're getting specific :) Happy happy birthday and here's to the rest of the month being just as celebratory!
ReplyDeleteFun memory--I remember around your 21st, when you and Behney left the rest of us in the apartment to go the Balloon and when you came back, we were filled with all the jealousy and made you give us all the details.
ReplyDeleteI love your list and love that cursing is on it because cursing is amazing. And books, of course. And travel planning and dogs and freshly painted nails and sunsets (I'm more of a sunset than sunrise gal). Also on my list of free things I love--that magical time of year when all the bugs are dead or hiding and I don't have to deal with their shit.
Happy, happy birthday!!
Happy Birthday! I love this! My list,
ReplyDelete- Dog kisses
- Cuddles with my son
- Laughing with my best friend
- Quiet time
- The sound of crickets late at night
and finishing it off with cursing!!!
Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day! It's true the best things in life are free. I was just discussing that with someone this weekend. I'd rather spend good quality time with someone over going out and spending a ton of money any day!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY
ReplyDelete- Shelter dogs
- Stores and banks that leave things for dogs, like treats and bowls of water
- Voting
- Decluttering. Organizing.
- Blogging
- The library
- Naps
- Snow. And the smell of snow/ice
- Finding people who love the same weird things you do, like organizing a basement
- Giveaways (which I can't get to load, but I'll be back!)
Happy Happy Birthday! Jason is a year behind you and couldn't remember how old he was turning the other day. Hope your day (MONTH!) is full of all these lovely free things. I love a good sunset, myself <3
ReplyDeleteYep, everything dog related came to mind for me. Dog walks, dog snuggles, dog frisbee games...
ReplyDeleteI'm all about going to a park with a book. Good reading spots & always good people watching too :)
Happy Birthday to you lady!!! Hope you have a FANTASTIC DAY!!!!
Happy Birthday, I hope you have a great day!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite free things are beach time, playdates with K and my friends with kids, and spring flowers growing at random.
hahaha i laughed so much at the first paragraph. 20 years does go by fast though.
ReplyDeleteplanning travel makes me happy.. reading, cat cuddles, feet in the sand or ocean, big hugs, big smiles, uncontrolled laughter... lots of blankets always makes me happy. like when i have so many blankets loaded on me that i have trouble moving. it's a good feeling :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! hope it's the best one yet.
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Love this list. In a world where it's almost impossible to leave the house without spending money, it's nice to sit back and appreciate that truly the best things in life ARE free. Time with my friends and family (and especially my little niece) and YES- my beach are truly what make me happiest. Have the best day!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Enjoy your day to the fullest!
ReplyDeleteBest free things - a hot shower - a long talk with an old friend - a sexy text from your husband in the middle of a stressful day - the changing of the leaves - a good warm thunderstorm - impromptu hugs from your 12-year old - kitchen dance parties - singing at the top of your lungs to ridiculous 80s music with all the windows down in the car - binge watching your favorite shows over and over (90210, Gilmore Girls, Friday Night Lights) ... i could go on forever!
Oooohhhh I love Amazon wish lists! Also, I like to see how much air fare is to random places I hear about and aren't planning a trip there. Just in case I might need to know how much a flight to Bora Bora is.
ReplyDeleteAnd happy birthday!! I love your yellow bike on IG!
Happy birthday!!! May you have an awesome filled day!
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ReplyDeleteHmmm, Let's see. My favorite FREE things: time with family, music, friends, prayers, my dog's kisses... I think I could have come up with more and now I need to go really concentrate on this. Oh wait, I can read your blog for FREE! Win win.
ReplyDelete♪♫♪♫ Happy Birthday to you! ♪♫♪♫
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRIEND!!!!
ReplyDeletetotally agree with this list. my fav free things: hugs and kisses from loved ones, library books! relaxing and enjoying the peace after a long, busy week.
Wishing you a happy birthday for the second time today--that's how much I want you to have a wonderful one! I lol'ed at cursing...I've been known to partake in some free cursing from time to time for sure :) Hope your day is awesome!
ReplyDeleteHappy BIRTHDAY Steph!! Hope you are having an awesome day filled with all of your favourite things!! Some of my favourite free things are hugs, sunrises, library books, hearing your favourite song on the radio, and trees :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, friend! What a great post to celebrate another awesome year of life! Talking future travel plans with Jared is definitely one of my favorite things to do... it's free until you start booking things, haha!! ;)
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Hope you have an amazing day and birthday month filled with all things treat yourself! Nothing is better than discussing travel plans, and you and MFD sure know how to see the world :-D
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I turned 40 last year and it feels like 25 was just yesterday. Some of my favorite free things are listening to the ocean waves (I need to do this more often), snuggling with my cat and listening to his purr, reading and more reading and laughing with friends loud enough to earn annoyed stares from those around us. Hope your b-day is amazing and filled with all the things you love, free or not!
ReplyDeleteTime really flies, doesn't it Tanya?
DeleteI love your list, all good stuff!
Happy birthday! I love your list of things that make you happy that don't cost money! You seriously can't beat a beautiful sunset or sunrise, especially at the beach, and I can't imagine you not being happy if a book was involved. I hope you're having an amazing day!
ReplyDeleteHaving spur of the moment lunch with you today while you got a Lola visit in! I love when the universe lets things fall perfectly into place like getting a $25 voucher for snapfish right when I am ready to place an order! I like to send the lights and Angels and love. Breathing, bending, lifting, walking, standing easily. I don't take any of that for granted being almost 60! Enjoy the rest of your birthday month. Love. Your. Momma.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get smothered in puppy kisses. :-) Happy birthday love!! xox
ReplyDeleteHappy happy birthday!! I hope today has been treating you well so far! I love this list of things. LOL @ cursing. I'm sure we all did it more than we know.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! One of my favourite things that's free is having no plans for the day. You can just do whatever you want, whenever you want. Such luxury!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved your introduction. Haha.
So many of the things on your list are some of my favorites as well. I was trying to think of other free favorite things that didn't make it onto your list, and this is what I came up with:
- Random free days (though this probably goes along with "reading a book" on your list, because my free days are usually spent with my nose in a book)
- Rediscovering an old favorite (this could be music, a movie, a TV show, a book, an item of clothing, etc.)
- Skype dates with long distance friends
- Spending time with the people I love
- Singing
First, of course, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
ReplyDeletefresh nails, good puppies and planning are all top of my list. I love that you had planning on there since I feel like I'm the only person I know who LIKES planning rather than feeling like it's an obligation!
Happy 39th to you! Hope you had a wonderful day! Some things that I love that don't cost my anything include: crisp, cool autumn mornings, the sound of rain on a metal roof, the sound of spring peepers, enthusiastic greetings from my dog, cloud watching, and star gazing in a rural area.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday friend!! Here's hoping you found a gas water heater expert. And that you enjoyed another beautiful sunrise and sunset...
ReplyDeleteHappy happy birthday! I hope you had a great day of celebrating you and doing things you love :)
ReplyDeleteHappiest of birthday wishes to you! I hope your day was blessed and you partied like the rock star you are! Things I love that are free . . . great post, btw . . . being able to call my mom anytime to catch up or ask her opinion, having a clean kitchen, weather in the 70's on a warm, sunny day, having my dogs choose to sit with me, smelling my kids hair after they shower, warm hugs from my husband . . . wow, this list could go on and on . . . but I'll stop!
ReplyDeleteHappy, happy birthday, Steph! 🎂🍷🌷 I hope this is a wonderful year for you & yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lauren! I appreciate it.
DeleteHappy birthday! Sorry I am late!
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are reading, singing with Kyra, and confessing to my dogs. All free, all very important to my life!
This is so awesome, Steph! I was too busy to be on blogland yesterday so when I saw it was your birthday on Instagram, I knew that when I did get online- it would be to read something good. You did not disappoint :) The best things in life are definitely free. And I agree with every little thing you said (though I'd probably only be able to catch the sunset at the beach vs the sunrise due to my sleeping habits... though I love the idea of a sunrise!). 39 is a milestone birthday in its own right, no doubt you will soak it up. Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteI know I'm late, but Happy Birthday! Laughter and making others smile is one of the best free things in life in my opinion. Hope you have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteHope your day was FABULOUS! I'm totally with you on being a lover of planning vacations and discussing where I'd like to go. I spend entirely too much time on various travel sites during the day.
ReplyDeleteHope you had an amazing birthday Steph!! :)
ReplyDeleteI love this list! Hope you had the happiest birthday. I love sunrises, cooking something that tastes good (it happens less than it should), writing on paper and playing with dogs.
ReplyDeleteThe best things in life really ARE free, I agree! How about sleeping on fresh sheets WITH the window open? DOUBLE WHAMMY! Glad to see talking to dogs made the cut here, too! lol
ReplyDelete