"There is still no cure for the common birthday."
— John Glenn

I celebrate with joy all the birthdays around me — my daughters', my husband's, the stranger's at Chili's when the servers come out singing. I love all birthdays with the one giant exception of my own. This week, the birthday monster arrived and officially bestowed another year upon me. The days leading up to "my day" left me grumpy, cranky, and a wee-bit ornery.

I once loved my birthdays. I was queen for a day and I got cake, too. Nothing could be better. Then, I hit 30. A glance in the mirror revealed that while my age headed north, everything else was headed south. Ever since, each birthday gifts me with new lines, sags, and grays. All of which arrive with a no refund policy. No wonder I stopped enjoying my birthdays.

While I was in the middle of this pity party, I decided it was time to make a bit of lemonade out of my birthday lemons. When I actually started looking, I found out that if you ignore the whole age thing, birthdays have lots of great perks.

Cake and Ice Cream: Few things in life are more enjoyable to me than dessert. If chocolate is involved, nothing may be more enjoyable.

Gifts: It's selfish, it's indulgent, and it's just awesome to open up a box with my name on it.

Cards: The e-mail kind are good, but I love to open the mailbox and find a greeting card inside with my name on it. To make the mailbox trip even better, I refuse to open any bills on my birthday.

A Day Off: This doesn't really happen when you are a grown up, but I try. I give 110 percent the other 364 days a year. On my birthday, the world gets about a 70 percent and that is more than enough.

Free Stuff: I recently learned a great way to get all the free birthday stuff from retailers without ever having to show proof with your driver's license (and thus your real age). Check out Free Birthday Treats. The free stuff arrives as coupons in your inbox. Even better the coupons are good for a couple of weeks, so you can stretch out your celebrating. I have made this week a free stuff parade– chocolate fondue at the Melting Pot, a burger at Red Robin, and ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery.

My Girls' Excitement: This is the best part of all. It never matters to them how old I am or how many wrinkles I am getting. They know life is something to celebrate. A birthday is the perfect occasion. It is another piece of childhood wisdom that I have relearned as a parent.

Here I am with another birthday in the books. Between the cake, the ice cream and all the other perks, I erased the sting of being another year older. That, plus the fact, that I hid my birth certificate, have made ample use of soft lighting and know that I have another whole year before the birthday monster arrives again.

To read more about Gigi, go to her blog Stroller Lane.