Happy Unbirthday!!

Good news: today is your unbirthday and I am here to wish you a Happy Unbirthday!

Have you ever celebrated someone's unbirthday?

The first time I did it was when I was bored and wanted to make my mom smile. While she was at work I baked a cake, bought some fun gifts, decorated the house and cued the Very Merry Unbirthday song (from Alice In Wonderland) to play as she walked in the front door. Her first reaction was laughter, followed by: "You're crazy, Mary." And after that she was beaming with excitement.

This happened about eight or nine years ago. Since then I have celebrated countless unbirthdays. No one ever sees it coming. That's the best part. Birthdays are overrated. Everyone has one. Everyone knows when to expect it. Some people even go as far as making birthday wish lists, which I find to be a tad greedy. But by celebrating unbirthdays you are the one in control of the date and the chosen gift(s). And of course you can really brighten people's days. Additionally, you can celebrate one person's unbirthday multiple times a year. Technically you can do it 364 days a year, but that might suck the fun and randomness out of it...

First step to getting into unbirthdays is to collect the addresses of everyone you know but don't tell them why or you'll ruin the surprise.

Next step, randomly celebrate!

Some fun unbirthday gift ideas include:

• A balloon bouquet.
• Homemade vegan baked goods. (The gingerbread men pictured above were actually sent out inside my Christmas cards but I like to collect all my friends' addresses so I can celebrate their unbirthdays at the drop of a hat.)
  
• A giant remote control. (It's especially funny if gift recipient has a 10-inch TV like I did when I got mine.)
  
• A giant birthday card, mailed in a giant envelope of course.
• Giant sunglasses.
• A sombrero.
  
• Something else you made (e.g., a painting, drawing, music recording, collage, etc.).
• Dollar store treasures.
• A singing telegram.
  
• Toys.
• Candy.
• Personalized gift baskets.
• Photo book or scrapbook.
• Write a story about the person.
• Stuffed animals.
• Kidnap them (with their permission) and take them on a surprise adventure. Be spontaneous with this one. Make it good.
  

And remember, with every unbirthday gift you better get an unbirthday card. I sometimes make them but I also find joy in purchasing birthday cards and just writing in the "un" to accommodate my needs.

Now what are you waiting for? I'm sure you can think of at least one person you know who is having an unbirthday today. Go celebrate it before the day ends!