I have come a long way since this photo was taken.  My thighs are still chubby and my hair is still a hot mess but other than that I have learned a lot.

On this my 48th birthday I have taken a few moments away from being fabulous to reflect on things I plan to do differently in the next 48.

I plan on laughing a whole lot more.  Sometimes it will be with you and sometimes it will be at you but I am done taking life seriously.

I will win the chin hair battle.  Laser attacks, tweezers, whatever it takes I will not wake up with a beard without a fight.

I will move more.  Please don’t be alarmed.  I will not be running like all my other forty something friends that seem to have lost their damn mind and are running marathons.  But I do want to be able to make my way from Macy’s to Lord and Taylor without the assistance of a walker when I am 80.  Training for retail retirement is serious business.

Hugging is going to be more abundant.  I grew up in the South where you hug everyone in the house before you go to the store.  This move up north has hardened me.  I need to get back to my roots (not my gray roots those will still be covered every four weeks). Michael won’t be thrilled now but one day he will be glad I was such a pain in the butt about it.

I am going to spend more money on good bras and comfortable shoes.  Please let me clarify, I won’t wear ugly shoes, EVER.  They will have to be fabulous as well as comfortable.

The next 48 years will mean more books and bubble baths.  I am going to spend more time just enjoying life and not giving a darn about what other people think.  Remember as my mother always said “it’s not what you’re called , it’s what you answer to”.

I am going to eat more cupcakes! Have you ever seen anyone eating a cupcake with a frown on their face?  Cupcakes are the Prozac of the bakery world.

My house won’t be perfect but it will be a place my kids and their friends will feel at home. Houses are for living in and snuggling up with the ones you love not for showing off how perfect you are. This one was easy to commit to since I still have Christmas decorations in the dining room.  I am going to assume that Michael and his friends hang out here because it’s so festive.

I am going to nurture my relationships and be thankful for all the wonderful people I have in my life.  When it is all said and done your job isn’t what matters.  Making a difference in the lives of others is more important than being the first person in the office or the last to leave at night.

I want to enjoy watching my kids make their mark on the world and being an example of how to enjoy life to its fullest. I am going to let them live their lives free from advice from me.  (O.k. that is a big lie but I am sure they cherish all the advice I give them.)

I am going to embrace the number 48 and not worry about making a million dollars or trying to be a size six.   My only goal is to be forty eight and fabulous!!! Bring on the cupcakes!