🎉 Go Shawty, It’s Yo Birthday!

There’s nothing quite like a birthday to make time hit you like a wiffle ball to the face.
Another year flew by faster than you can say, “Whoop! There it is!”

Whether it’s your kid turning 7, your parent hitting 70, or waking up thinking to yourself
“Wait... I’m how old now?”, birthdays remind us of just how fast life happens.

One minute you’re blowing out candles, the next you’re wondering how the pandemic was FIVE years ago. (Seriously... how?) Wait a minute, we live in the 20’s?”  Enter Flapper outfit

Time, my friends, has no chill.

🧁The Birthday Magic (and Mess)

Birthdays are when your sweet little one suddenly turns into a cake-demanding, party-planning CEO mini diva/drama king who insists on princesses, superheroes, or a Fortnite-themed extravaganza. 🎮👑

And us parents?
Besides making sure we bought the perfect presents, we’re in the kitchen turning boxed cakes into Pinterest fails and pretending we didn’t just step on a Lego while taping streamers to the wall.
We’ve become pros at creating party magic on very little sleep and a tight budget.

But amidst all this, let’s remember:
These moments will come and go faster than a fart in the wind
So make sure to hold your breath and bask in all its glory.
They pass gas fast, but they are totally worth it.

Your kid probably won’t remember what toy they opened…
But they will remember how you made them feel by celebrating their day

📸 Give Presence

We’ve come to love the expression: Your presence is a present.

Sometimes we have 2-3 birthday parties in the same weekend and it can get overwhelming.
They become a free-for-all of sugar highs and screaming kids
All while grandpa is dozing in the recliner.
But we’re here to say, THIS is the good stuff. The now. The stuff you’ll miss someday soon.

The days feel long but the years are short.  

One second they’re blowing out candles on their first birthday cake
Then you blink and they’re asking for a car (and possibly their own credit card).
So, embrace that delightful mess! 

What they will cherish forever is:

· Laughing that echoes through the house at the results from Pin the Tail on the Donkey 🫏

· Blindly swinging a bat at those indestructible pinatas 🪅

· Playing a family infused backyard baseball game where Dad goes HAM on the kids 💪🏻

· Throwing “Unicorn poop” (aka pop-its) at each other’s feet, starting an all-out war 🦄

· Racing through the bounce house obstacle course 🚧

Take too many photos. Record all the memories.
Celebrate like it's 1999 or 2050… which is closer to now than 2000 (mind blown 🤯)

🌪️ Plot Twist: Birthday Tornado Sirens

Not every birthday is sunshine and sprinkles.
Sometimes, it’s not kazoos & noise makers, but a literal tornado siren. (Shout out to 2022)

Yes, we once had to usher kids into the basement while hail pelted the windows.
Terrifying? A little.
Memorable? Absolutely.
Would we rather NOT chase 3 kids around in a storm at 2AM?  1000%.
Oddly enough I’m actually obsessed with inclement weather patterns. (Nerd alert 🤓)

And then there’s Becka…
Whose birthday often collides with the harshest winter storms Wisconsin has to offer.
I’m sorry Mrs. Taylor, ohhhhh.  I am fo’real.
I guess what Outkast says is true:
You can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather.

Meanwhile, I’ve been blessed with a summer birthday, free from homework or blizzards.
Polar vortex? 🫷🏻 Nah fam.
A Blizzard from Dairy Queen? 👉🏻 we Gucci

🎇 Bring Back the Birthday Spark (Even for You)

As kids, birthdays were epic.
🎁 The newest Cabbage Patch kid, Polly Pocket, Beanie Baby, Micro Machines, Moon boots (What the hell is a Labubu anyway??)  Birthday Crazes
🛝 Parties at Chuck E. Cheese, Leaps and Bounds, Fun World, Grand Slam
🕹️ Ball pits, arcade tokens, inflatable slides, dirt cake, batting cages

And somewhere along the way… that excitement started to fade.
We all can admit, adulting can suck the joy out of birthdays.
Bills, jobs, mortgages, tuition, life, stress… It's a lot.

But birthdays are your permission slip to reconnect with that childlike happiness.
Eat the cake.  The whole damn thing.  Live it up youngin!

Try to find that spark once again, even in the joy of someone else’s birthday.
We deserve to feel that kind of joy, not just once a year, but all the time.

Even as we approach our 30s, 40s or 50s (and beyond), birthdays should be a celebration of how far we’ve come.  Don’t let it be a reminder of what we haven’t done yet.

Think: instead of getting older, we’re getting newer.  And a new you never looked so good.

Your birthday is your moment. Make it count.

🤝 Want to Give the Best Gift Ever?

This week, check in with someone you love.
Ask how they’re really doing.
Listen and be present.
Show up for them.
Be the friend who offers time, not just a gift bag.

We’re all carrying something. Sometimes, what someone needs most is a friend who cares.
Be that person. Be the reason someone smiles on their birthday and every other day.

Now That’s B.A. 🥹

🌎 Make a Wish Fun-cation

Next year is my 40th. (Yes, that feels weird to say out loud let alone type.)
But with it comes a goal I’m setting and I’ll share it soon enough. 😜

For now, we want to challenge YOU:
When your birthday rolls around, blow out the candle… then go light something up.
Make a wish and chase it! (ahem remember the Manifesting episode?)

✈️ Travel.
🏔️ Climb something.
💼 Go for the promotion.
🧘 Sleep more.
🏋🏻‍♂️Move your body.
✒️ Get your first tattoo
🎯 Start that thing you keep putting off.

The options are endless.
It’s your life, live it however you wanna.

🪞Reflecting Back

Our oldest just became a teenager and our youngest is far from a baby
(these kids’ vernacular would surprise an Oxford grad)

And there’s one thing for sure: Time is undefeated so far.  Soak it all in people.

We only have one ticket and this is our sole ride here on earth
(unless you believe in reincarnation of course)

Put your hands up 🙌🏻
Scream during the death-defying drops 🗣️
Laugh at the heights of the summit.  🎢

It’s the only way to know we’re still alive.  And yea… We gonna party like it’s yo birthday.

While you’re at it… make a life worth living.  One with no regrets.
Now That’s B.A.

🍰 Worst Case Scenario

You eat wayyyyy too much food and cake causing immobile narcolepsy? 
We’ve all been there 💤

The magician or clown service you hired ghosted you like a catfish dating app?
Prob for the best anyway 🤡

Your birthday is on a Tuesday and can’t take off work in order to save PTO for future vacations?
(True story bro) 🤷🏻‍♂️

The bounce house is unplugged numerous times by the kids, leaving trapped toddlers inside?
Ohhh the panic ensues, but the survivors are abundant.  🎈

Picking up the cake the day of the party only to find out it says “Happy Birthday Brain!”
Well, at least they think you’re smart? 🖍️

The dog ate an entire piece of chocolate cake and existential dread sets in imagining the vet bill.
Our dog once at 7 chocolate chip cookies and not a single health concern 🐶

🦈 Someone That’s B.A.

Ocean Ramsey | Marine Conservationist

In honor of Shark Week, we focus on a woman daring enough to not only swim with these beautiful animals but actually make a connection with them.  She speaks out on their behalf to protect the species, giving them a voice as they near endangerment due to over fishing for shark fin soup.

Her new documentary is on Netflix, featuring her work and the people around her directly affected by it.  If you are afraid of sharks, you will think she’s crazy!  Ultimately sharks have been here longer than us and we are simply learning to coexist. 

Can you believe she’s able to hold her breath under water for over 6 mins (shock emoji)

Call us crazy (or B.A.) but swimming with sharks is on mine and our oldest son’s bucket list.

💦 Something That’s B.A. - Slip N Slide @ Costco

Kids need to let their energy out somewhere and it’s hot as balls outside, so might as well keep them occupied in the backyard! We’ve had this since last summer and use it almost every week at this point.

You won’t be disappointed with how long the kiddos are distracted with it. The only problem is how often they want to come running in the house soaking wet or push their siblings down while playing in it…. Isn’t parenting fun?!?!

🪟 This Week’s Sponsor
Mike Tarantino Doors & Windows - (414) 881-9241 [email protected]

Looking to upgrade those old drafty wooden windows? Maybe that door from 1982? How about that old bathroom design taking up wasted space and you deserve better? Say no more fam, he can do it all!

After having the typical professional window companies bid on every window in our house, we gave him a call, then finished the entire house at a fraction of the price.
Tell me you can do better, I double dog dare you! Just see the results for yourself:

🎊 BONUS: Everyone Loves Free Stuff

Want a list of Freebies to pounce on during your Birthday month?  Some people take this to the next level: One Man’s Quest to Break a Record for Birthday Freebies - WSJ

💬 This Week’s B.A. Prompt:

What was your favorite birthday party or gift as a kid?  Pogs?  Nintendo 64? Gak?

Drop your nostalgic memory in the comments, DM our social pages or @tag us.
(and don’t forget to follow us: FB, IG, LI)

We want to hear it!

✍🏻 Inspirational Quote

"We turn not older with years, but newer every day." - Emily Dickinson