I had my birthday in January – 27 already. Then you pass 25 and suddenly feel really OLD. Luckily, my boyfriend and I can really laugh about it together; he always shouts out that he's old, even though he's only six months older than me. So when he asked me, "So... how does it feel now, 27?", I couldn't resist making a joke. My answer was: "Like I'm slowly dying, haha." I also took my birthday off. This year it fell on a Thursday, so I took Thursday AND Friday off – highly recommended! Last year, a friend suggested it, and I thought, I'm going to do that. Now I've done it, and I have to say, it's wonderful! Maybe it's also because my birthday is at the beginning of the year, during the Christmas holidays. Most colleagues only work a few days then, and often from home. So it's already quiet at the office, and I miss very little.

Next year I think I'll book an afternoon at the spa with a friend; that seems EVEN better. Only next year my birthday is on a Sunday—yes, I'm already checking. So I still have to figure out what to do with asking for time off. This year I relaxed and slept in with my boyfriend, who had the evening shift. Then I spent the afternoon shopping with a friend and ended the evening at a nice restaurant in Oirschot. I've never been there before, but it was wonderful! In short, I ENJOYED it. So if you can, just ask for time off on your birthday and make it a special day. A bonus tip: you can get quite a few things free on your birthday, like a cream puff at HEMA and a free shower gel with your Rituals purchase. There are plenty of blogs online about freebies, so check them out (and sign up for newsletters in time if necessary).