What a better way to celebrate my 40th birthday than to reflect on my life and lessons I’ve learned along the way.  I’m sure there are many more lessons to learn but here are a few things I’ve learned in that last 40 years.

1| Slow down and enjoy moment.  I know this sounds super cliche but it’s so true.  Tomorrow will come soon enough and will bring its own set of ups and downs.

2| Quality over Quantity in more ways than one.  Clothing, Home decor, Relationships, Food, and everything in between

3| Collect Moments, Not Things.  I’ve said this many times and it really resonated with me in my 30’s.  Take the Family trip, go a little crazy on the kids birthday party, hire the photographer, create the romantic date night and buy the expensive wine and cheese.  Take the day off work and go fishing with the family.

4| Dream Big Dreams but also be prepared to accept and walk through disappointments.  For every big dream there is likely a bunch of setbacks.  Some dreams will come to fruition but don’t hold on too tight.  Some dreams are only meant for a season.

5| Stop Comparing and my goodness stop thinking that everyone else has it all together.  We all have our stuff.  ALL of us!  Be authentic, be kind, be realistic and understand that we’re all showing off the highlight reel and thats ok.  With that, find a few close friends who you can trust to share the behind the scenes with and get vulnerable with. When you find those people, nurture those relationships.  You are going to need them in your life.

6| Eat the cinnamon bun, and buy the latte.  In fact, treat a friend to one too!

7| Be ok with saying “no”.  Time is a precious resource and you simply can’t do it all.  Be careful how you fill your calendar.  Choose wisely where you give your time and energy.

8| Say ” I love you” every single day

9| You get what you pay for in a hotel and not all stars are equal.

10| Wear the bathing suit and jump in the water

11| Let the housework wait! There will always be a counter to wipe and a pile of laundry to fold.

12| Find your community and invest in it.

13| Wash your jeans on cold and hang to dry!

14| The right choice isn’t always the easy one.  Always go with the right choice.  You will get through it even if it’s hard.

15| Dr. Google isn’t always the most trustworthy source.

16| Character and Integrity are 2 of the most important attributes

17| Fight for it.  Whatever it is, whoever it is.  If it holds value to you, fight for it.

18| Celebrate Progress over Perfection

19| Fitted Sheets are hard to fold.  Don’t spend too much time on it.

20| Check expiry dates when grocery shopping

21| Don’t overcook your cookies. When baking cookies, lower the temperature a bit and take them out while they still look a bit undercooked.  This will ensure soft and chewy cookies.

22| Buy the Flowers! You don’t have to wait for someone to buy you flowers.  If you want flowers, buy them!

23| Water your plants every Wednesday – Water Wednesday

24| Take care of your skin! wear sunscreen, invest in a skincare regimen

25| Everyone needs a signature dish.  Mine is Lasagna

26| Invest in Laser Hair Removal! It will change your life!

27| Listen to your gut and don’t ignore the warning signs.

28| It’s never too late to learn a new skill.

29| A 3rd piece will complete every outfit.

30| Good credit is really important.  Pay your bills on time. Even a late cell phone bill will affect your credit.

31| You are not the only one.  If you think you’re the only one struggling in a specific area, you are wrong.  Find your people.  Look for someone who you can talk to and relate with.

32| Go for Counselling. It’s worth every penny.

33| Check your labels and try to make safer choices when it comes to home cleaning supplies, skincare, and makeup.

34| It’s ok to spend a bit more on shoes.  A good pair of shoes will go along way.

35| Shop your home.  Before you go out and buy something new for your house, try to shop your home first and see if you can give an older item a new lease on life.

36| Don’t focus on the size on the label when shopping for clothes.  Focus on the fit.

37| Be ok with saying “I don’t know”.  If you don’t know the answer, someone else will.  Don’t be afraid to say ” I don’t know but I will find out!”

38| Any House can become a Home. It doesn’t matter how big or small your home is.  It doesn’t matter if it’s old or new or fancy or modest; you can make any house feel like home.

39| Be the first to apologize.  Every relationship will have its moments whether it’s your marriage, a friendship, a work connection, or even relationships with your kids.  It can be hard to admit you’re wrong but an apology goes a long way.

40| Don’t take offense. There will be many moments in life when you can choose to feel offended.  Most of the time the person doesn’t even know that they’ve offended you.  Learn to either let it go or even better go to the person and clear the air.

And those are just the top 40 at 40.  Can you imagine how many more I will have when I turn 50?  What did I forget?  Tell me in the comments some more Life Lessons and thank you for celebrating this BIG milestone with me:)

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