50th Birthday Blog
13 Jun 2011 (Things To Do)
Champneys Spa Days And Breaks
Paradise, bliss, heaven.... No I am not talking about the Maldives this time (which is my favourite place on earth), but another sensation springs to mind - Champneys Spa Days. What better way to unwind and relax than being pampered? And it's an even nicer suprise when it's a thoughtful 30th birthday gift from family or friends.
Choose from massages and facials right up to a whole Champneys spa week for two for the ultimate relaxation. Champneys also now offer fish pedicure's - an experience and treatment that has gained a huge popularity over the last year.
27 Apr 2010 (General)
Your 50th Birthday Achievement
Half a century sounds a long time but tell that to any 50-year old and they’ll probably say it feels like no time at all. Many people have established themselves in their chosen or given career and made small but significant accomplishments in their lifetime. But for some, their careers are just beginning. Take Dame Judi Dench – although an actress for a huge portion of her working life, her most valued work and heightened fame came late in her career. Proof that you should never stop believing that your dreams will come to fruition – if being famous and being at the top of your field is what you aspire to.
Barbie celebrated her 50th birthday this year, though as a plastic doll she won’t remember much of it. A firm favourite from the offing, the range of different dolls, clothing and merchandise that the original toy spawned is mind-blowing. Even though many different varieties of dolls, e.g. Sindy and Bratz, have had similar success, the dolls themselves feature little in the promotion of the brand nowadays. The ‘Barbie’ clothing and range of toys all bearing the logo are lucrative ways of keeping a constant income stream even when tastes change from generation to generation.
Inanimate objects can even celebrate 50th anniversaries. The Galapagos National Park reached its half-centenary this year and I bet you all forgot to send a card. The park was visited by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, which is quite a claim to fame and not something enjoyed by the average 50-year old!
It is not uncommon to experience a ‘mid-life crisis’ at 50. For some reason, the thought of approaching a milestone birthday causes you to look at your life subjectively in quite a different way to any other birthday. A lot of people believe they haven’t achieved enough by the age of 50 and for men in particular, they think that buying a fast car, wearing tighter trousers and walking around all day with sunglasses somehow makes this feeling of inadequacy disappear! Of course, I am joking, and also stereotyping, but there is not getting away from the tendency to audit our achievements at the end of each decade – maybe to justify our reason for being on the earth in the first place? However, this is really a wasted exercise as you first have to define an ‘achievement’. You may think that having your children wasn’t much of an achievement and you have amounted to not much more than being a Mum. However, you tell that to a couple who suffer fertility problems and have been trying for most of their adult life to have a child and they would disagree that having a child is nothing short of a miracle. Similarly, you could think you have accomplished great things by reaching the top of the executive ladder. Again, a generalisation and a topic for thought, but what if along the way you had neglected your spouse, kids and family – would you still view your career success as such an achievement, as a divorced, part-time parent?
Success in different measures comes and goes throughout our lives. An eternal optimist could consider waking up every morning as an achievement – after all, look at the alternative! With that thought in mind we should embrace every waking moment to make sure they count – not just in a boardroom or in your bank account, but with the people who matter most to you. Make the effort to see friends you may have lost touch with or give your neighbour some flowers from your garden – small things that will mean a lot to other people.
A great success would be for everyone you know and love to spend time with you on your 50th birthday. Not only is it a great excuse for a party but it is a fantastic measure of how many people you are lucky to have in your life. All these people who are tripping over themselves with cards, gifts and good wishes just for you on reaching your half-century. Picture the scenario – a friend who you lost touch with in your twenties goes to the trouble to track you down knowing it’s your big birthday bash – how much of an achievement is that? You’ve touched someone’s life in such a fantastic way through your day-to-day meanderings that they not only still remember you but go out of their way to come and see you. Far more worthy than the ‘success’ of gaining your own parking space at the company you work for!
There are some great 50th birthday gifts out there to buy but the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.
12 Apr 2010 (Gift Ideas)
50th Birthday Flower Gift Ideas
A 50th birthday party is a milestone to remember, so celebrate it in style - or treat your loved one to a celebration that they won`t forget for their big day. A party is de-rigeur for the social birthday girl or boy - the classic option is the surprise birthday with all their friends and family invited for a good old knee`s up and plenty of food and drink. However if they would prefer something quieter, then look for a lovely restaurant, a show or something more to their taste.
There are some great gift ideas around for the important 50 - and there`s no need to go down the tasteless or joke route if you would prefer something a little classier! Why not look at some of the more unusual gifts to mark the occasion - presents like personalised champagne cases, jewellery, experience days for spa packages or similar - or perhaps even a wonderful bouquet of flowers.
The joy of receiving flowers is hard to describe - a beautiful bouquet is simply a lovely thing to look at and a true mark of the giver`s affection. Think carefully about the person you`re treating to the bouquet. Different flowers have different connotations which your florist can advise you about - but more importantly, different people have very different tastes! You`ll score the best points by picking well. Don`t skimp either on a small bouquet - there`s nothing worse than finding yours looks a little smaller than you`d expected once you hand it over - and the big 5-0 is a celebration worth marking! You`ll find that many online florists offer a special upgrade option for larger bouquets - using extra stems, special wrapping and other little accessories and ribbons to make it truly.
The other benefit of flowers as a gift is that they can be sent to your favourite 50 something even if you sadly can`t be there to celebrate their special day with them. If buying in person, head to your favourite florist and see your choice made up before your eyes - a good florist will be able to translate your requirements into something really special. Otherwise choose the online purchase option with ready-made bouquets. You can simply browse, select, type out your message and purchase your flowers online - specify when and where you want them delivering too and the freshest blooms will arrive at the receipient`s door on their big day. To send flowers this way, simply log on and let the power of internet shopping do the rest for you!
27 Jan 2010 (General)
Feed The Birds!
Birds
Lots of people enjoying watching the birds and feeding them. Caring for garden birds is especially important in the winter as it’s harder for birds to find food. Birds require food, fresh water, shelter from the cold and protection from predators. Even during the snow birds still need cold water to keep their feathers clean.
Bungee Birdfeeder
This is a great birdfeeder. You hang it from a tree and birds feel safe up high to eat from the bungee jumper. The entire man is made out of seeds and birds can stand on him easy to get to the seeds. A good present for anybody who likes to feed the birds
Caravan Birdhouse
This is a great little house for the birds to mate and somewhere for them to go to get shelter on a cold night. It is shaped just like an old clapped out caravan, The caravan birdhouse needs to be hung from and tree and should be fairly high up to stop animals harming the birds.
Birdworld
If you love birds go for a day trip to Birdworld. It’s the largest birdpark and has 25 acres of beautiful gardens. It has entertainment for people of all ages. You can see the penguins being fed by a keeper, handle animals, see alligators in the Underwater World and even go on a Safari Ride to meet some of Birdworld's larger inhabitants including vultures, cranes, emus and ostriches. A brilliant day out!
27 Jan 2010 (Gift Ideas)
Gardening Gifts
Gardening
People who have everything are really hard to buy for. Below are some garden presents. These can be bought for anybody who already loves gardening or for someone who wishes to get into gardening.
The Pink Gardening Kit
The pink gardening kit is lovely present for any girl who loves gardening. Everything in this present it PINK! And the best thing is a male won't be wanting to use your tools. In this present you can get a Trowel, "Forget Me Not" seeds, Hand fork, Hand cream, Cutting blades, Gloves, Dibber, Gauntlets, Stringshovel and best of all a pink basket!
The Calendar
For someone who loves gardening a personalised calendar is always a great present. The calendar comes in various different sizes and each month has your name on it! No one will get confused as to who's calendar it is! This is a great present for anybody who has a different spelling of their name and you choose what you want to be written on it. So if you name is Calvyn but people always spell it Kelvin then for once your name will be spelt correctly! Getting Personal have a next day delivery service so you will be guaranteed to get your calendar in a day or two. It is a lovely present and you can even choose which month you want it to start from! Therefore you can buy it anytime of the year.
The Grow box
The grow box is a present for anybody who loves gardening but isn’t the best at keeping plants alive! Gardening isn’t as easy as just planting a few seeds and watching them bloom that is where the Grobox comes in. All you need to do is plant the box into the ground and water it. Before long plants will be growing. It doesn’t require hard work and is therefore not time consuming. There are three different types of Groboxes. The Valentines special, Winter Garden, White Christmas and Winter vegetables. A perfect gift!
Solar Powered Plant Pot
This is a plant in a pot that glows – It even changes colour! It is powered by solar power therefore depending on how much sunlight we have depends on how long the pot will glow for. It’s a brilliant way to brighten up and garden and will always turn heads.