24 Life Lessons

It's my birthday next week.

Eek!

I'm looking forward to it - especially the parts when I get to eat lots of cake and spend time with my lovely family.

In honour of turning the big 2-4, I thought I would compile a list of 24 life lessons I have learned along the way so far - some important, and some just plain silly. I hope you enjoy!

{There are also a few pictures of cake - because let's face it, what birthday blog post would be complete without them?}

 1. Fresh flowers are always a good idea - they brighten up the house, are a lovely gift for any occasion, and are guaranteed to put a smile on your face whenever you walk past. Definitely money well spent!

2. It's important to be assertive in life - stand up for your beliefs and stand firm on your ideas. Remember, nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent {thank you Eleanor Roosevelt for that one}

3. Take time using scissors; if you don't, the wrapping paper/important documentation will just be wonky. I'm still learning with this one...

4. Fundraise for causes local to you - earning money for charity in any way is fantastic, but being able to see first-hand the work which you have helped made possible is even more special.

5. Breton tops are the best. Nothing more to say about this.

6. Don't wish your life away - I spent my childhood years dreaming of the things I could do as an adult, and even now I am guilty of thinking too far ahead. I need to just enjoy the now!

7. Don't open the oven door whilst your cakes are baking - many of my sponges have been scarred by this error {and by scarred, I mean they have sunken drastically}

8. Make time for your friends - but if you get tied up with work/family stuff/general life comings and goings, the closest ones won't mind if you're a bit occupied for a while. You know you're onto a winning BFF relationship if it's been six months since you've seen each other, and yet when you meet it's like it's been six days. 

 

 9. Write thank you cards. People are always so grateful for them, and it's a lovely way of remembering the gifts you have received in a moment of quiet after the chaos of a birthday or other celebration. {Plus, it's another reason to visit Kikki K - as if you needed one}

10. Don't mix your drinks, and don't abuse free bars. One of my very important life lessons. Moving on.

11. You can't avoid conditioning your hair. For years I tried to get away with just shampoo, but I know now that I've got to stop being lazy and give my hair the treatment it deserves. 

12. Forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much. 

13. Glasses are cool. I started using contact lenses at the age of 10 to avoid wearing them, whereas now when I pop on my specs, I get compliments and people telling me they wish they had glasses. Speccy-Four-Eyes, no more. 

14. Tell your loved ones you love them. Tell them all the time. 

15. Always look for discount codes before making a big purchase. Just a quick Google search may land you with free delivery or 10% off. I've been pleasantly surprised many times after spending a few minutes in doing this! 

16. Go out for dinner whenever you can. It costs money, yes, but it's such a lovely thing to do - enjoying delicious food and drink whilst catching up with a friend or your other half. We all need escapes and treats from time to time, and this is mine.

 

17. Buy fewer, more expensive pieces for your wardrobe. This one took me a long time to learn. Now I enjoy saving up to buy one special something instead of several cheaper, lower quality items. I must be growing up! 

18. Continuously beating yourself up over things that have happened is pointless. I'm slowly getting better at reminding myself of this - but quite frankly, I still require help with this one! Tips gratefully received... 

19. Don't wear too much make up. Again, a lesson I have learned slightly later in my 24 years - the answer to bad skin isn't necessarily piling on the foundation {!} Also, don't try to cover up all shine with mattifying powder - some of it is just your skin's natural glow! 

20. Put your phone away at the dinner table - BUT if there is a glorious looking dessert which simply has to be snapped for Instagram later, then obtain permission from fellow diners before grabbing your iPhone. If it happens to be Mr Maggie May, I can assure you that he'll only act a bit disgruntled. 

21. Work hard in life. No-one can ever take that away from you. 

22. Keep Facebook friends to a minimum. Not a popular one, I know - but do you really want hundreds of people seeing photos of you on your family holiday? I'm a bit cruel when it comes to friend requests - if I wouldn't have you over for dinner or vice versa, then I'm afraid you're not having access to my highly interesting feed. {OK fine, it mainly involves pictures of biscuits and inane musings about my life - a bit like this blog really...?} 

23. Try not to eat takeaways - I mean, they're pretty evil in terms of the amount of salt they sneak into your body. If you do decide to treat yourself, be careful how much you order - we've found the winning formula: ONE main dish between two, with a few sides.   

24. Be grateful for life. Yes, it's rubbish sometimes, and stressful, and miserable - but we are so incredibly lucky to be here.

What life lessons do you have to share? Do you agree or disagree with any of the above? Leave me a comment below, or tweet me and let me know your thoughts. I can also confirm that I will happily receive slices of birthday cake in the post...