Grown Up Birthdays and City Exploring in Liverpool

For the longest time I would celebrate my birthdays just like a big kid, counting down the days and waking up with excitement on the morning of my birthday. I’d always do something special with family or friends and it would be a great excuse for a fun get together. Somewhere around 27 the excitment stopped – that was the year I was pregnant with Lucas and since then birthdays just haven’t been the same. I always get more excited for the children’s birthday, planning their celebrations and seeing their faces light up when they open the perfect present!

Still I did want to make a little more of it this year. If I haven’t been pregnant, I’ve been a tired mum who just wants to spend an evening in with a takeaway and glass of wine. There’s nothing wrong with that but as it is my birthday it is easier to extort favours from people. I told my mum the best present she could give me was a few hours babysitting so she spent a day with the boys while me and the husband headed into Liverpool. It was actually win, win as she loved having a whole day with them and we took advantage of having a whole day to ourselves.

I felt a little giddy as we started walking round the city – I go into Liverpool quite regularly to meet up with family but it isn’t often that we get to go as a couple; this is the city where we first got together and have spent so many of our days when we were younger. Being able to negotiate round people without a buggy or a mithering child was a real treat. We stopped and watched some buskers on our way in then headed up to hunt out Luche Libre. I’ve been desperate to go to this Mexican restaurant for so long but it’s in the older part of town with cobbled streets, it’s out of the main shopping bit so we never make it that far when we have the boys. We enjoyed a leisurely brunch together, chatted and laughed and he put up with my photo taking! The food in there is amazing, I couldn’t fault it and we would love to get back there soon.

After that we had a wander down Bold Street going in some of the little shops and mooching around after heading into Liverpool One to spend some of my vouchers for my birthday. We weren’t particularly clock watching and I loved being able to wander at our own pace. We had time for a quick brew in Central Perk before coming home – I was so excited to take him in there as he has never been. We sat and watched friends while vowing to try and make the time to do this more often. I felt totally recharged and relaxed; we talked about a whole load of random things and I can’t even remember the last time we just sat and talked. As much as I wish we could do it more often at least we really do appreciate it when we get the chance. It sounds silly but it’s nice to know we can still ‘date’ as so much of our every day life is consumed with the children; it makes me happy that underneath it all the spark is still there.

I took a few photos in Luche Libre (how could I not as the decor is super cool) so I’m sharing a few of those. I wish I had taken a few more of the sights of the Liverpool but I was just enjoying exploring – plus I now have a good excuse to go back and photograph my favourite city.

Luca Libre, Liverpool

All the walls in the restaurant were decorated with old movie posters. I loved looking at them all and I really wanted the Clint Eastwood one.

Jam Jar lights – classic photo opportunity.

The husband and his ‘go-to’ pose.

Bacon, churros and maple syrup – we ordered the breakfast sharing tray and this was my absolute favourite thing on it – so, so good!

More movie posters and the window sill was made up of colourful tiles, there was so much to look at in there.

You can tell he was fed up of photos now – just time for a quick cup of tea in Central Perk.