Being far from home on your special day can be a drag, but you can bring fun to your friends’ birthdays no matter what your budget is. Here are some ways I have found worked wonders on making your friend’s birthdays fantastic!
Explore Old Town or Glendale
If you have a car to get around in, getting off campus is the perfect birthday treat for a friend. Pasadena and Glendale are just minutes away and have wonderful dinner and desert options. If planning a day in Glendale, I would suggest a trip to the Galleria or the Americana (or both!) and finish off the day with dinner and desert at the Cheesecake Factory. There are always leftovers to bring home, and everyone can use some retail therapy. If shopping isn’t your thing the movie theater at the Americana is great too. If going to Pasadena there are options for every price level. If you are willing to pay a little more I recommend getting fondue at The Melting Pot or sushi at Sushi Roku. For people on a smaller budget The Yard House has something for everybody while still being a delicious place to celebrate! And every trip to Pasadena would not be complete without 21 choices!
Make a card
Sometimes a card is all you need to show you care. It is nice to know that a friend is thinking about you on your birthday! My friend Emily made me a card for my birthday and it is still hanging on my desk. Emily and some of my other friends showed up at my door at midnight to throw me into the fountain with a card and some balloons. It was greatly appreciated and was a perfect way to celebrate a birthday that fell in the middle of the week.
Bake Something!
What’s a birthday without some cake? I personally am an avid baker and love to bake for other people’s birthdays. Although I do not have the best utilities to make something spectacular, I always try to put a personal spin on whatever I am baking. Most recently I made brownies with homemade peanut butter icing for my friend’s birthday. Using the store bought brownie mix was very cheap and simple, and the icing is very easy to make. Just combine 1 cup of peanut butter with a stick of softened butter. After it is smooth, slowly combine with 2 cups of powdered (confectioner’s) sugar. Lastly add about 4 teaspoons of milk and whip up the frosting to make it fluffy.
If you’re all too busy save it for a weekend!
We all know weekdays can be hectic with clubs, schoolwork, and practice, but celebrating a birthday is a great reason to go out on a weekend. Plan a birthday picnic in Griffith Park or go to a club in West Hollywood. There are plenty of fun options surrounding Oxy that can make anybody’s birthday fun.