My Herve Leger dress…and tips for turning 30

Image: Brit in Herve Leger Judith Metallic Dress

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday and it was absolutely amazing!  My photographer just sent the photos back from party so I now I have some to share (as you can see).  I’m not gonna lie, in the months leading up to my big 3-0 I was kind of in panic mode (as most 29 year olds).  However, I was determined to not freak about arriving to the “3rd floor” and instead proactively embrace my new decade of life.  Here are some things I did on and before my dirty thirty that made my b-day one of the best days of my life…if you are approaching your 30th milestone b-day, I highly recommend these activities…

1. Plan a Celebration – At first I didn’t want to make a big deal about my birthday (I actually wanted to ignore it and pretend it wasn’t happening).  But then I decided to fully embrace it.  I’m a super social person and I love love love parties.  SO about 3 months before my b-day I booked a venue, hired a DJ and started planning the biggest, booty-shaking bash of my life.  Bottom line = so much more fun than sitting at home doing nothing.  My advice is to go ahead and plan a big part-tay!
2. Get Fit – For me, feeling good and looking good have a very high impact on my overall self-confidence and state of well-being on any day, especially my birthday.  Because 30th birthday’s are inherently filled with life expectations (i.e. I should have accomplished this much in my career, have this much money, be married, be “almost pregnant,” etc.) it’s good to have some accomplishments that you can be certain of – like being fit.  A fit, healthy body is one accomplishment I think we should all strive for by the age of 30.  Not only so we can look good and feel good, but because we are “real adults” now and we have to take our health seriously and establish healthy habits that allow us to live a long, abundant life.
3. Do something you love – The morning of my by 3-0 I woke up and taught my beloved PiYo class at the W Dallas Hotel. Being with my class, sweating, feeling the sunshine on my face are priceless experiences for me.  This helped me realize that every single day is a blessing because I have the freedom to do things I love to do.  I should appreciate and savor these moments every day – not just on my birthday.
4. Reflect on your blessings – I don’t know about you, but it was really easy for me to think about all of the things I DIDN’T do by the age of 30 rather than all of the things I DID.  I highly encourage you to write down your greatest accomplishments and happiest moments from your first 30 years (yes, high school graduation counts – you did that!)  Simply looking over this list can make you feel pretty freakin’ great.
5. Surround yourself with friends and family (don’t be alone) – 3 of my best friends from Harvard Business School flew to Dallas for my birthday party and to spend the weekend with me.  We have actually established a tradition of traveling to each other’s home city to spend our birthday’s together.  Even if I didn’t throw my massive twerkfest of a party, I still would have felt the love, acceptance and joy that I experienced on my birthday because I was surrounded the people who love me most.
6. Go big or go home – Last but not least, live it up a little bit!  I’m very a conservative, risk averse person.  But I had been eyeing this Herve Leger Judith Metallic dress at Intermix and really really wanted it.  I debated whether or not I should buy it for 3 weeks and even consulted my best friends.  In the end I decided – Carpe’ Diem!  I may only wear this dress once in my entire life but I don’t care.  I work hard, I’m celebrating 30 years of life, I LOVE the way the dress fits and I deserve to reward myself.  Maybe I’ll even get 2 wears out of it – I’m planning to bust it out for my 60th birthday! hehe

Here’s to next 30 years… and the next 30.  Lots of luv, Brit