Tuesday 16 July 2019

July 15th

I do not have an easy time treating myself. I cut back on myself, I take the broken cookie, I wait for the sale, I do without, I'll make something special for someone else, but not myself. Boo hoo for me, but yesterday (the 15th), I got treated by my own request. It was my birthday and anyone who has been married for more than 20 years knows that buying presents for your spouse is difficult, if not ridiculous. Husband just asks if there is anything I would like rather than trying to pick something out.

I usually say not to make a fuss, no there's nothing I really want / need... but this year I thought about it and said that I wanted a new hair straightener  / flat iron. Not just a new one (as the old one has now rubbed all the paint (?) coating (?) off the flat iron part and is quite frankly a piece of junk), but a better one. I went online and researched and much to my shock and horror discovered that the really good ones run into the HUNDREDS of dollars (i.e. even above $500!!). Now, I have always had what I refer to as, "unfortunate hair", with abundance of frizz, texture, and the inability to lay flat. I have used straighteners, electric round brushes, electric flat brushes, curling irons, argon oil, smoothers, tamers, balms, creams, and serums. Sometimes I just give up and let it dry naturally and end up looking a bit like a Woodstock festival attendee.

I ended up with this little beauty:


The brand is called "Chi" (and no, I'm not getting any money from the company, but hey, anytime they want to contact me and give me some money, I'm game). I got it on sale, yes it was over $100, but not by much. When I used it for the first time, I was so impressed. Seriously impressed, and realized that the crappy last two straighteners I had been using were indeed crappy. I'm pretty sure I never spent more than 39 dollars on either one of them. So, there you go. It is nice to treat oneself (because quite frankly, the purchase made by husband came out of our joint bank account, so I kind of bought it for myself, but he's the one who stepped up to the cash register to formalize it).

So, here's the old girl with husband on the porch before we all went out for supper.


We went to the same place that we went for daughter's birthday in May. Great food, fun atmosphere.

Mom and daughter.

Daughter and son.

Husband and wife.

Because it was my birthday, there was a complimentary dessert which of course I shared with the family, so we all just had a couple of bites. It was so darn good, this is the only evidence that I have that it happened.


Then back home afterwards for my other request: Dairy Queen ice cream cake!! Again, I'm always the one baking birthday cakes for other people, and be darned if I'm baking my own cake, so this year I asked for an ice cream cake.


It was so pretty! Daughter arranged for the colours, which I thought were perfect. Notice the candles? Anyone else have an assortment of number candles in the drawer with the ziplock bags and tinfoil left over from various other birthdays? Ha ha - now you know how old I am, too!

41 comments:

  1. The hair looks fabulous. And that 'denying yourself thing' must be a 'wife/mother thing' lol. I didn't look at the candles (okay I lied) but you don't look a day over 30.

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  2. Well, Happy Birthday to us as it was my birthday yesterday, too! I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Your cake looks divine. The colors are perfect.

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  3. Happy Birthday!
    And thank you for writing your blog, I enjoy reading it.

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  4. Yes, the "denying yourself thing" is definitely a wife/mother thing. (Maybe even a female thing. Hrumph.) Why is that? (Okay, we could all probably write a whole blog post on those thoughts.)

    Happy, happy belated birthday to you, Jenn. And I don't care if the cost of your present came out of the joint account or not, it's something you really wanted and will use and save you time and make you feel better about it all around.

    I'm just like you in that we were lacking the old moola for so many years that my hubby says the only way we made it was by my scrimping and saving in any way I could. Now I realize all of my economical, money saving ways were not necessarily positive. To this day I have difficulty spending money (especially on myself) and still wait for the sales or mark-downs before getting something I want.

    So I say doubly good for you for spending more than $39 (!) on something that will make your life easier and you happier.

    P.S. You don't look the age that your candles say. Did you put them on backwards?

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    1. Is it a woman thing? I don't know - my mom was the same way (but she never ever had the extra money to spend). Here's how I see it - waiting for the sales and not always buying every little thing means we are living within our means. There are a whole lot of people out there who are in big trouble because they never thought they had to live within their means.
      Maybe we (you and I!) have to find that middle ground where we know we deserve something extra or nice, and because it doesn't happen very often, it is definitely a treat.
      Oh dear lord, no, the numbers are definitely in the correct order! :)

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  5. Oh I just love your photos. I'm as happy as you are that you treated yourself!!! You and hubby look like a happy couple, especially you with your
    marvellous hair. Happy happy
    And yes, I too have a bag of once used candles, numbers, plain, coloured you name it. They do come in handy now and again and once in a blue moon we have the right number! That's what mums do
    Happy birthday and many returns

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    1. Thank you! I thought you'd like to know I spent quite a bit of time the other day looking back through your blog at various food posts, just thinking about different things I could try to make, or at least make in the style of Greek cooking.

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  6. My hair needs a lot of that defrise treatment, I couldn't live without my GHD straighteners. Happy birthday Jenn x

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  7. Sweet Jenn, you deserve a great gift and a wonderful cake....i say this because I see a happy family. A beautiful happy family. Happy birthday pretty girl. Blessings to all, xoxo, Susie

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  8. Ah, Sweet. I am like that too. I tell the Mr. that I like chip crumbs and broken cookies, LOL

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    1. I also eat the most burnt whatever it happens to be!

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  9. Happy Birthday! Stride confidently forward into the upcoming year with beautifully straight hair and a tummy full of ice cream cake!

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  10. Look at that hair! Gorgeous. And I can appreciate/feel your pain because we too are hair-challenged in our family. We were all especially pleased with our son's new wife, who brings normal hair to the gene pool. Maybe there's hope yet.
    And Happy Birthday!

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    1. Funny! Do you think he subconsciously chose her for that reason?

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  11. Happy Birthday! You look wonderful. Your hair looks great, too. I am glad you were able to treat yourself, ask for something you really wanted.

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  12. Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you. It was great to see you and your family celebrating. It was also my husband's birthday yesterday! He recently shaved his beard and requested a rechargeable shaver, which I was only too happy to provide if it means he's clean shaven once again! We went out for a burger and beer and enjoyed a gelato treat at home courtesy of our local supermarket.

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    1. I had a burger and a beer, too! Great minds think alike! (Happy birthday to your husband!)

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  13. Aw; just aw. Happy birthday, and never think that was an expensive gift, but rather a pretty close to perfect gift.

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  14. Happy Birthday Jenn! It looks like you had a lovely family night out with your Enhanced Hair, to boot! 53 is a good age - a delightful prime number if ever there was one and where I perch, too, haha!! Your profile picture was what originally drew me to your blog - I had serious hair envy.

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  15. It is indeed a prime number! I hadn't thought of that. My profile picture was taken because I was having a very good hair day and that rarely happens, so I thought I should document it! Thank you for your birthday wishes.

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  16. Happy belated birthday wishes Jenn. It sounds like it was a perfect day of celebrating You, as it should be on your birth date. ... Mary-Lou =^..^=

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  17. Happy Birthday Jenn! Your hair looks great! I just purchased the combination hair dryer and brush by Revlon from the Amazon Prime sale. I've heard good things but didn't want to spend the money on myself. I'm trying it out this morning!

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  18. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! :) Alex and I haven't reached the stage where we don't know what to get for each other, though we've only been together 6 years so far! :) That is a FABULOUS straightener. I need a good one too or the "Rain-fro" gets out of hand. Your hair looks great!!! :) The cake...yum! I haven't been to Dairy Queen in ages, there aren't any in this area until you get to Montreal.

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  19. Fabulous :)
    Happy Birthday Wishes.

    All the best Jan

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  20. Well, happy birthday! You look just fabulous! I love your hair -- what a great gift! And it looks like a perfect celebration filled with people you love. Ice cream cake? MY FAVE! And you DO deserve to treat yourself now and then but nice to be feted too!

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  21. What a perfect birthday! And I agree, it's so hard for spouse--or family--to buy for us as we get older because we pretty much have what we want. I love that cake-so pretty!

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  22. Hi Jenn...
    Belated Birthday wishes!!🎈🎈🎈
    Thanks for stopping by!
    You are so lucky to have such luxurious hair!
    Stay cool!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  23. Happy Birthday Jenn! Your hair looks wonderful! And what a beautiful, happy-looking family. I'm sure your husband was thrilled that you came up with a gift that you really wanted. I'm like most women - when Pete's plate is empty I always tell him I'm full and could he please finish the rest of my hamburger, pasta, etc. You'd think I'd be thin! I remember when I was a teenager, I wrapped my long hair around my head - even across my forehead - when it was wet and secured it with long, strong bobbi pins. It worked - my hair was straight until a bit of humidity hit!

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