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Confessions of an Introvert: My Perfect Birthday

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I recently turned 40, still feeling a lot like I'm twelve, or as Margaret Atwood said, "I believe everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise." One of the benefits to being self-employed is that I have a lot of freedom over how I spend my birthday. A few years ago, I gave myself permission to create my ULTIMATE DAY. Now, with rare exception, here is what a perfect birthday looks like in my life. I spend a big chunk of it...alone. I start the day in prayer, journaling and thinking about the years that have flown by and the ones around the corner. I often buy some new music for myself, a little soundtrack for my day as I travel about. (This year: Brand New by Ben Rector. So good.) I visit an art museum to get inspired. I eat lunch by myself, accompanied by my favorite magazine. (Mental_Floss) I'll spend a few hours in a bookstore, perusing tomes on art, business, faith and Star Wars. Throughout the day, I check in on birthday messages that have come in through …

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Ben’s Barbarian Birthday Bash

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Our nephew Caden was a big fan of going "Barbarian." A few months ago, as our son Ben's first birthday was approaching, Kim and I wondered how we could make his party special. We were well aware of the fact that he would remember precisely none of it, so our focus was actually about making it memorable for the guests. …

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Birthday Balloon Bonanza!

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Here's a cool idea for celebrating birthdays in a fun and meaningful way. If the birthday boy or girl is turning 30, fill that many balloons with helium and attach a ribbon for each year of the person's life at the end of the balloon. Be sure to number each photo. (An optional step would be to add a message on the back of each one.) Then hide them somewhere and wait for the birthday surprise! Of course, the older your special someone is, the more work you have cut out for you. But then again, that just makes the end result all the more spectacular! Hat tip: Sarah-Lyn of Lovely Green Lifestyle …

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An Easy Way To Add Magic To Life

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My word for 2012 has been “magic.” No, I have not been learning any card tricks, but rather the goal has been to infuse more magic into the lives of people I touch. One thing that has struck me time and again is that it doesn't have to cost a lot of effort or money. Like many things, whether it’s creating more magic, making more scenes with your family, or spicing up a marriage, all you really need is the desire and a tiny bit of imagination. …

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90 Candles: A Guide to Making Birthdays More Memorable

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Birthdays can be a mixed bag. I know people who look forward to them and find creative ways to notify everyone that their big day is coming up. Then, there are those who clam up and do their best to make sure no one knows they are turning a year older. "It's just another day," they say in their best Eeyore tone. People seem to either LOVE 'em or dread 'em. But dreading your birthday is the epitome of Adultitis, isn't it?! …

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How To Bring The Best Gift to Your Next Birthday Bash – EA Show #36

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It's always a challenge to think about what to get for the birthday boy or girl. You want something unique, something they don't already have, but there's always a lingering question of whether or not we really need more STUFF. On this week's show, we tell you the best gift to bring to your next birthday bash. Share Your Thoughts... What do you think about this week's prescription? We'd love to hear from you -- and might even feature you in an upcoming show (we've even been known to give out prizes as well!) Leave a comment below or in the video itself by clicking the little plus sign in the player. Got photos or videos? Send 'em to eashow@kimandjason.com | Subscribe with iTunes | Download (68 MB) News Save the date for Thursday, September 3rd at 8:00 p.m. CST. Tune in to watch our first LIVE show! Share your best birthday memory in the comments section for a chance to win the big prize we talked about during the show. Linkety Links Pre-order your copy of There's …

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Ugly Sweets

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One of my favorite parts of this time of year is the sweets... Christmas cookies, fudge.. mmm! My very thoughtful sister-in-law brought over some of our favorites, knowing that I wasn't going to get any made this year (with Lucy's arrival and all). Some of my best childhood memories involve making and decorating cut-out cookies with my family. I'm sure the finished products weren't always the most appetizing (think LOTS of sprinkles), but my dad always seemed excited to eat them and proud that we worked so hard. (What a great dad!) We recently got a message from Terry and Terry Estness, a husband and wife from Wisconsin. Their family has a unique and very childlike baking tradition... they make ugly baked goods. Terry shared: …

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The Birthday Hat

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by Sue Gudenkauf How do I Escape Adulthood? I'll tell you, family brings out the best of this in me. For my birthday this year, I happened to take a road trip with my sister, her husband, 3 nieces, and my parents to visit my oldest niece in college about 10 hours away. It wasn't just my birthday, but I also share a birthday (1 day apart) with my now 17-year-old niece. In the spirit of a road trip, I wanted to help make her birthday extra fun and silly (like she would do with her friends). So, I decided to start a new family tradition and being that my birthday was the very next day, I knew I would have to follow in accord. So, the day before we left, I (on a whim) bought a Jester hat from the Lemonade Stand to have the birthday girl wear it on her special day. Needless to say, with that hat on, you couldn't walk into a restaurant, gas station, store, hotel or anywhere without getting a smile from someone coupled with comments that ensued from strangers....'Nice hat!'....'Way …

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Adultitis Case Study #2: The Birthday

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Adultitis affects billions of people across the world. When left unchecked, it can downright ruin lots of otherwise festive occasions, including birthdays. The Cure Adultitis Institute has released another case study documenting the serious nature of this deadly condition. Watch this video, but be warned: it's pretty depressing. Adultitis always is. Don't forget to send this video on to all of the people you care about. And the test is just a click away. …

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