Hoop It Up!

Unless you embrace reincarnation as a viable option for getting the most out of living (and I like that option more and more the older I get), chances are you’re only going to turn 40 once, and that’s a pretty big deal.

Such was the case for me last week: I turned 40!

And I decided to throw myself a birthday party. Because, well, who else was going to do it?

Exactly.

And if you’re throwing yourself a birthday party, my qualified position on the subject is you should throw the party you want, not what you think other people might want for you to want. Because let’s face it: if those other people wanted what you want, they would have thrown you a party to start with, negating the need for you to have thrown yourself a party in the first place.

Exactly.

My 40th birthday party was simply the BEST. BIRTHDAY. PARTY. EVER.

My Ideal Party Plan

1. Contact my friend Monica of Monkey Hooper and coordinate dates. (Being friends with someone as awesome as Monica does not give you a discount, people. She’s got to make a living. But it does guarantee a fabulous and fun time with stories of back in the day shared with all party goers.)
2. Confirm with best friend Karen it’s still okay to use her house and yard for the party. (Throwing yourself a 40th birthday party should never involve using your own house.)
3. Create guest list of all your girlfriends from all your circles. (Include your farthest away friends like Aimee, Christie and Dawna, even though they won’t be able to come they’ll still know you know they would be here if there weren’t those always present hateful thousands of miles between you.)
4. Send a fabulous electronic invitation to aforementioned guest list. (I used Punchbowl.)
5. Order the yummiest vegan carrot cake from the amazing A Sweet Success Bakery. (All their proceeds support Sanctuary House and I’m ALL about supporting a great cause.)
6. Assume the sun will shine and the weather will be perfect. (Because even though my years in the event planning business taught me to ALWAYS have a plan in case it rains, I had no such plan.)
7. Show up with hoop in-hand. (Really. It was that simple. And since all the guests each brought a yummy vegan treat to share [remember I’m vegan?], even Karen got to practically just show up, too!)

The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The flowers were blooming. It was all that.

My friends arrived, some with their own hula hoops and others nervous because they hadn’t hooped in years. No worries. Monica arrived with LOTS of amazing hoops that she fashions and makes herself. She had everyone swinging their hips in no time, and took us through some core exercises to  get us moving and then taught us some tricks and then we had a hoop-off! Karen won the prize: a brand new hoop from Monkey Hooper! So cool.

Despite it being Easter weekend with the double whammy of spring break, those who gathered were troopers and I loved being surrounded by so many wonderful people from so many of my circles. And I loved every minute of my hula hoop party.

My daughter was there, too, capturing video footage, and created the best birthday present ever. Thank you to everyone who participated in its creation, and especially to Lindsay, who is my greatest gift. I’d like to share Lindsay’s present for me with you: