30 Things to Do on My 30th Birthday

*Note since publication: This has been by far my most popular blog post and I believe this is due to 29-year-olds looking for 30 cool ideas for their own 30th birthdays. If you fit this description please don't be disappointed. Instead of landing on 30 cool ideas you've landed on 1 awesome idea. I encourage you to do what I did and choose 30 things to do in your city and then do them all in 1 day. It was truly a unique and memorable experience.*

The big day is fast approaching. Tuesday June 14th. My 30th birthday. Also known as Flag Day.

I wanted to plan something special for this milestone birthday and since I love to make lists I thought it would be fun to think of thirty things to do in Chicago. After many drafts I realized this was a very lofty goal, so I limited my list to things that are very close together. It might not seem all that exciting, but the excitement comes in trying to accomplish it all in one day. The list is subject to change if I think of something (or someone suggests something) better to do.

Everyone is invited. This is the official invitation, so join me for all, none, or part of the day. The only person obligated to come along is Zach (I know it's a work day), but I would love to see everyone as I officially turn old.

Here's the list:

Gold Coast
1. Coffee at Starbucks
2. Breakfast at West Egg Café
3. Take a picture in the gazebo across from the Drake Hotel
4. Birthday cupcake at Sprinkles Cupcakes
5. Aveda Store (apparently they give free hand and neck massages)
6. Browse the Chicago Visitor Center
7. City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower
8. Hershey’s Chicago
9. Loyola University Museum of Art (free on that day)
10. Coach (just to look)
11. The Oprah Store
12. Lunch at Food Life
13. Anthropologie

Shopping in Lincoln Square
14. Ravenswood Used Book Store
15. Make a Birthday Wish in the Lincoln Square Fountain with a 1981 Penny (Thanks Jen!)
16. Timeless Toys
17. The Book Cellar
18. Enjoy: An Urban General Store
19. Electicity (to spend my Groupon!)
20. Merz Apothecary
21. Cold Stone Creamery for Birthday Cake Flavored Ice Cream
22. Buy a present for Scooter at Soggy Paws 2

Short Break (to pick up Scooter from doggie day care)
23. Watch an episode of 30Rock while spending time with Scooter

Back to Lincoln Square…
24. Free samples at Half Acre
25. Dinner at Jury’s
26. Watch some of the Twins vs. Sox game at 42 Degrees North Latitude
27. Watch some of the Twins vs. Sox game at Ricochets
28. Huettenbar to play songs on the jukebox

Sometime
29. Buy a lottery ticket
30. Take a picture next to a “30”

Here’s a picture of the t-shirt I had made for the occasion…I can’t wait to wear it! Yes, if you know me you know I LOVE my birthday!

“The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune.” - Pope Paul IV