Birthday Celebration

It’s already August, and somehow I’ve only managed to schedule one Polkadoodles blog post so far. Since August is my birthday month, I know I had to catch up on blogging and make sure to share something a little more personal before diving back into crafty projects!

This birthday was especially meaningful because it was our very first one in our new home. We’re still very much in the middle of settling in, my craft room seems to be in a different state of organized chaos every single day as I find homes for my ever-growing stash while keeping up with project deadlines, and our bedroom is still waiting for storage for all our toiletries and household supplies. But after weeks of driving back and forth between Al Ahsa and Al Khobar, packing, unpacking, and trying to get everything in place, simply celebrating at our new home already felt like the best birthday gift.

Birthday Salubong with Friends

On the evening of August 2, which was already August 3 in the Philippines, we celebrated my birthday “Philippines time” with our friends here in Saudi. It was actually the biggest birthday gathering I’ve had since moving here!

We had dinner at Piatto and happened to catch their all-you-can-eat steak promotion. Naturally, I was the only one adventurous enough to order it! Ironically, I only managed one serving of rib-eye, but I definitely made up for it with several trips to the salad bar and two bowls of soup. Had I realized earlier that the "rice chicken soup" was actually lugaw, I probably would have skipped the steak altogether! Lugaw is my all time fave!!!

Instead of a traditional birthday cake, my sweet friend Nora baked me the most beautiful personalized apple pie. It was decorated with sunflowers, little cat paw prints, and of course, my name! Even better, it tasted absolutely delicious. If you love homemade pies and happen to be in the area, I highly recommend checking out her Instagram account, @thepieladykhobar.

Nora also added a carrot cake sandwich cookie, her late dad's favorite, according to her and it was soooo good! I promised myself I will reward myself by ordering a bunch of her cookie sandwich as soon as I'm done and settled in our new home!

Ton surprised me with a pretty bouquet that kind of matched the sunflower theme of the pie, and my friends gifted me with Dior goodies, including a lipstick. I jokingly told them it was much too fancy for me to actually use, but they insisted that was exactly why they chose it, they wanted to give me something I’d use for a long time. 

A Birthday Date in Bahrain

The next day, after Ton finished work, he surprised me once again, this time with a beautiful necklace. What made it even more meaningful and special was that it featured 41 diamonds. When the jeweler told him the number, he immediately knew it was the one. Since I’m turning 41 this year, he felt like such a thoughtful and symbolic gift. One of my cousins joked that it was an incentive for growing older, and ok fine… I’ll take it! haha.

What's cute is that last year, on my 40th birthday, I finally let go of my "forever29" celebration every birthday and fully embraced 40. And he gifted me a pair of earrings, this time with 29 diamonds.

Anywho, We then drove to Bahrain, and for the very first time, we didn’t have to start the journey with a two-hour drive from Al Ahsa. That alone already felt like a birthday present!

For dinner, we tried Osteria Papa, somewhere we hadn’t been before. Even though we were in Bahrain, we somehow still didn’t order any pork dishes! The restaurant was wonderful, the ambience, the service, and especially the food were all fantastic. Everything arrived surprisingly quickly too, which meant we still had plenty of time afterward.

A Little Birthday Craft Haul

And since we had extra time, we stopped by Touch of Art for a little birthday shopping. 

I picked up watercolor tubes to refill my travel palette (and to use once my Fuumuui prize arrives), a cute little watercolor journal, some reusable adhesive putty for decorating my new craft room, a little water pot for my on the go watercoloring (Ton saw this in Fuumuui and wanted to buy it before!) and, perhaps the most exciting purchase of all, a beginner epoxy resin kit! I’ve been curious about resin crafting for quite some time, so I’m excited to finally give it a try.

I haven’t even unpacked any of these supplies yet. They’re patiently waiting until my craft room is completely finished. I think they’ll make the perfect reward once everything is finally organized (that and of course, Nora's cookie sandwich!).

Ending the Day My Favorite Way

The very best part of my birthday wasn’t the gifts, the shopping, or even the delicious food, it was our couples massage.

Originally, we had talked about celebrating with friends on my actual birthday, but after weeks of moving, lifting boxes, unpacking, and constantly traveling between cities, all I wanted was a good massage. I’m pretty sure Ton wasn’t going to argue with that idea either!

We booked a couples massage at Fraser and ended the evening doing absolutely nothing except relaxing. It was the perfect way to celebrate another year, to just relax for an our and a half after such a busy season, and to simply enjoy being together.

Looking back, this birthday was pretty much about good food, thoughtful surprises, wonderful friends, a home that’s slowly becoming ours, and making new memories in this exciting new chapter. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate turning 41.