The 43rd Week - 21st Birthday Edition!

3 November 2014

The days when I used to write an overview every Sunday of the week just gone have been few and far in between lately - life is either too hectic to write those posts or too mundane to bother. I turned twenty-one last week and decided that for a milestone birthday and after living with ME for another year, it was suitable to have a whole week of celebrations! And what better way to welcome the weekly posts back than with a 21st Birthday Edition? 


On Sunday my family and I packed our weekend bags and headed to Sprowston Manor, a hotel and country club just outside of Norwich. With a spa that my mum and I could relax in and a golf course for my dad and brother, it was the ideal retreat for us all. Shortly after we arrived my illness got the better of me and so we left the boys to tee off and hotfooted it up to our rooms, where we found the world's comfiest beds. It's always a shame to have to get into bed when you've paid to use the facilities and should be heading for a swim or a massage, but resting to gain some strength for the evening was the most sensible option.


That evening we got dressed up and popped some champagne in one of our rooms before heading to the restaurant, where we had a three-course meal booked. The food was just superb and it was so nice to be all together and in a grander setting with silver service, which made the evening feel a bit more 'unique' than your usual dining experience. 

The following day - and after a night of almost no sleep, despite the world's comfiest beds! - we enjoyed the huge breakfast selection, that offered literally everything and anything that you could possibly want for your morning meal. With my dad and brother playing another round of golf my mum and I decided to be spa bunnies, and swanning around in white fluffy robes all afternoon suited us just fine. When I asked on Instagram what I should do for my birthday the resounding answer was, "spa day!" and you were all right - even though I felt weak with a flu-like ache, being pampered and then falling asleep on a lounger next to a calming blue pool was a lovely way to make the most of things.

My actual birthday was a couple of days later on Wednesday, but I had such an extra special and extra cute day that I'm saving it for a separate post - stay tuned for that one!

On Thursday it was my older brother's 23rd birthday - I was born the day before he turned two years old! - and Will arrived, as did Ruari's girlfriend Hannah, so there were smiles all round. We had a really chilled out evening with a meal made by our fantastic cook of a dad, a few glasses of champagne and present-opening; always a winning formula.




On Saturday evening my brother had a birthday meal planned with his girlfriend and friends, and despite a ME-induced mini-meltdown whilst we were getting ready, Will and I were luckily able to join them. After the meal - which was amazing! - we went out for a few drinks in the city. There were a few wobbly moments but I'm beyond happy that I made it as it was lovely to celebrate our birthdays with everyone and turn 21 with a bang. I didn't get many non-blurry photos but have plenty of funny memories, which is fine by me!


 All in all, I had such a memorable 21st and am incredibly thankful to everyone who made my birthday so special. Watch this space for a post about the 22nd!

If you also suffer with chronic illness, how do you celebrate birthdays?

Meg

39 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading this post- it sounds like you had a lovely birthday! I usually go for a meal for mine but a spa day sounds like a brilliant idea, might have to put a few hints in;-) PS. I mentioned you in my latest blogpost if you'd like to have a read? So glad you had a good birthday x

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  2. Thanks for reading, Lauren! I did indeed, it was lovely. Going to Sprowston Manor was perfect as they have everything under one roof, and you've always got somewhere comfy to crash out if you need to. Definitely put a few hints in ;) aww thank you, I'll definitely pop over and take a read, I've been meaning to catch up on your blog for ages but things with work have been hectic! Hope you're feeling as well as possible x

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  3. Aw looks like you had such a great time! The place where you stayed looks amazing too!

    Alex // www.prettythoughtsx.blogspot.co.uk

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  4. Thanks Alex, it was so nice! Would definitely recommend it if you're ever out that way, the food is seriously good x

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  5. I don't remember a vast amount of my 21st birthday as I was at university and taking advantage of a student loan at the bar! Looks like you had a lovely time. Happy birthday!

    Cx

    www.bloglovin.com/blog/5354905

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  6. Your hair is gorgeous! I spent my 21st birthday at a festival, which was soo fun! Sounds like you had a really good time :)

    India / Touchscreens & Beautyqueens

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  7. Awww, you know just how happy I am for you that you got to celebrate in style. For my 21st I went to New York. Silly me flew on the day of my birthday and so spent the rest of that day pretty tired (and that was pre M.E). But such a great experience to look back on.

    Sian x
    Howtodealwithme.blogspot.com

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  8. I don't blame you at all, Charlie! I should've been at university for my 21st but I'm currently on medical leave after being diagnosed with a chronic illness in 2012, hopefully I'll get to spend a couple of birthdays in the future that way again! Thank you so much, that's kind of you to say :) x

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  9. Thanks so much India, says you with your beautiful long locks! That sounds amazing, I love festivals sooo much. I can imagine it'd be such a good way to spend a birthday, chilling out watching bands surrounded by friends. We did indeed :) x

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  10. I do indeed, thank you Queen Sian! My 'thank you' cards arrived today so I'll be able to pop one in the post for you in return for my beautiful present. Wow, New York! I'd love to go there one day, it must've been such a magical 21st. Definitely a lovely experience - we all need favourite memories to get us through the ME days. Christmas in NY is my dream! x

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  11. Awn this sounds like such a lovely weekend! We're glad you had a great 21st!

    Would you like to follow us back? We've loved your blog, and thanks for commenting on ours!

    xx

    http://robberscorner.blogspot.com.es

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  12. Sounds like a brilliant weekend! All of you look soooo happy!


    Reflection of Sanity

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  13. Such a lovely way to celebrate your bday! I'm so glad that you were able to do stuff for it, despite feeling so poorly. You are such a good looking family, they should make a reality show about you ;)

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  14. Thanks! I tried to drag out the birthday celebrations for as long as I possibly could, haha :) x

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  15. Thanks Hay, we're such experts in making the most of things and battling it out these days. Haha aww, my dad would absolutely love that comment - we'll start our own version of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, you can guest star in it if you play your cards right! x

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  16. Stunning post! Oooe that bed looks so comfy

    Please let me know if you would be interested in following eachother on GFC and Bloglovin.Would love to stay in contact.

    Candice | Beauty Candy Loves

    xoxo

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  17. It was so comfy, a sight for sore eyes once I started feeling extra poorly! Thanks, Candice x

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  18. Sounds like it really was a great weekend and seems like you all had so much fun! Happy belated birthday! :)

    XO, Melissa - Melissa's Diary

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  19. Thanks Melissa, you're a sweetheart! x

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  20. Oh it sounds like you had such a wonderful time! Spa days are the best, and I hope it made you feel super relaxed <3 Can't wait for my 21st

    Lauren x

    Britton Loves | Lifestyle Food Fashion Beauty - www.brittonloves.blogspot.co.uk

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  21. Aren't they just, so relaxing! We all deserve a little pampering, especially on our birthdays. It definitely made a lovely change! Aww yay, even I'm excited - 21st's are so fun. At first I didn't want to make a big deal about it but then as the day approached I wanted to plan things and enjoy it! x

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  22. Looks like you had a wonderful time, Happy belated Birthday! :D I've never been on a spa day, but it sounds amazing- I think I'll have to book one!

    Alice
    slowlymendingme.blogspot.co.uk

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  23. Thank you Alice, so sweet of you to say. Definitely, sometimes massages can be a no-go if you suffer with chronic pain but if you ring first and check they can usually give you some advice - the last place I went to offered a massage designed for fibromyalgia sufferers, amazing! They give me pretty bad headaches so I have to decide whether my muscle and joint pain is serious enough to deal with the headaches, tricky business! x

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  24. It looks like you had a lovely time :) I really want to try a spa day, I always worry I'll end up exhausted from just the travelling though! It's my birthday in January so might try & have a look round at places close to me. xx


    www.jordanalice.co.uk

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  25. Looks like you had the time of your life!! :D Congratulations, dear!!

    www.paseandoamissreichel.com

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  26. This looks so lovely! I would love to have a nice spa weekend getaway for my birthday.

    Aisling | aisybee.

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  27. I'm so glad you had such a special 21st birthday filled with cherished friends and family, you deserve it! Sprowston Manor sounds really amazing as do all the gorgeous birthday celebrations. So happy you were able to enjoy it all <3

    Sophie | soinspo xo

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  28. What a lovely way to spend your 21st Meg! So so pleased to hear you were able to do such nice things. You deserved a celebration as special as you are :)

    Faye
    freckles&all

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  29. Thanks Jordan :) definitely, finding one close to your house is the best bet :) if it takes a long to get there you're totally right, you'll be exhausted just from the journey. Best of luck with your spa search! x

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  30. Thanks for reading Reichel, I really appreciate it :) x

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  31. Thank you, Aisling! It was so nice, you definitely should :) x

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  32. Thank you! I'm really lucky that I got to have such a nice birthday week, I was so worried I'd be stuck in bed all day but thankfully I had lots of fun. Hope you enjoy your weekend :) x

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  33. Thanks, Faye! :) Aww that's so lovely of you, you're too kind! x

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  34. Happy Belated Birthday, Meg! It sounds like you had a positively lovely birthday week (aside the terrors of M.E., of course). How wonderful to know your birthday was filled with such lasting love and memories :) I hope you have been resting well and recovering smoothly from all that activity! Take it easy!


    Lots of love to you,
    Rachel

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  35. Thank you Rachel, it's so lovely to hear from you - I do hope you've been getting on as well as possible (ME terrors and all that!) Aww thanks for such kind words :) hope you're able to take it easy too, it's so easy to overdo things but lots of rest and recuperation helps. All my love! x

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  36. It's so lovely to hear from you, as well! I've been taking a break from social media as I've found it to take so much energy, so I have not been so much in the loop! I have not forgotten about you for a moment, though! It's always lovely to see your updates here. Thank you for your very kind well wishes. My struggle with M.E. has also been quite severe lately but just like you, I'm doing my best to balance health care and fun times - especially with holidays right around the corner!


    Rest well dear! xx

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  37. That's a wise choice, a social media break can do you the world of good - it does make you feel out of the loop, but sometimes you just need it. Hope it's doing the trick and making you feel a bit better :) I totally agree that it takes up a lot of energy, I had to 'take some time off' recently too and although it's disappointing it really helped. Keeping up with everyone's lives is exhausting, let alone keeping everyone updated on your own! So sorry to hear that you've been struggling recently, but I hope that things turn around a little for you soon and that things will become a bit easier. The cold weather seems to be having a negative effect on a lot of us! Wrap up warm and take care, Rachel :) x

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  38. It's so comforting to know that you, too, take social media breaks sometimes. It certainly can help us get some better rest! I hope that you, too, have found your "time away" restful and recharging. I actually like the cooler weather, oddly enough! It's the heat I struggle with. But I do hope that if you find the cold painful, that you are able to stay good and warm in the coming season :)

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