Venus and Serena Williams

Serena and Venus Williams are two of the most famous sisters in sports, both excelling in the game of professional tennis. But how do they do it? How do they manage to maintain a close relationship when they’re occasionally pitted against other?

In an interview with NPR, Serena explains how early history came into play:

“Venus was the big star. When we were growing up, it was a lot about Venus—it needed to be about Venus, because she was an incredible player. And that actually, being the little sister, the one that wasn’t as strong, wasn’t as good yet, gave me encouragement and the fight I have in my game.”

But how do they contend with being rivals with one another, especially when the stakes are so high?

“I had to come up with something new, that, right now, we’re competitors, but the moment we shake hands and we’re done with this match, we’re sisters. I’m always happy for Venus, and she’s always happy for me.”

Perhaps their dynamic with one another is one of the elements that make them so popular. When we see two sisters able to compete so fiercely with one another yet remain close, it reminds us the same is possible within our own family. We can “compete” in the forms of success, family, intelligence, popularity…but we can always leave room to be sisters later on.

One way to improve sisterly dynamics? Remember her birthday! Send her birthday ecards for sisters. We have a great collection.

The full Serena Williams interview on NPR is at this website: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113090963&ft=1&f=1001

“Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.” ~ Muhammad Ali

Repeat after me: self-fulfilling prophecy. That means if you keep going on about something, it will probably happen in due time. And nowhere is that more apparent than when it comes to age. People just love feeling old.

“What? No I don’t! I hate feeling old.”

So you say. But do you ever notice how many things you write off to age, and often quite prematurely?

Take this example: I just heard a 28 year-old friend complain that he can’t run as well as he used to. Why, I asked him?

“I guess I’m just getting old!”

Really? 28 years? Let’s pull out the walker and a glass for the dentures.

I went on to explain to him that his extremely sedentary job may contribute to lack of stamina. And his poor diet. And the fact that he hasn’t run in years.

Conversely, my neighbor Ellie is 74 and ran a marathon last year. She’s slim, trim, quick and bright. And you know what? You don’t hear her blaming her age for anything.

Her philosophy:

“I decide how I want to feel and don’t worry about my chronological age. Never have.”

Interestingly, she went on to tell me how unhealthy and overweight she used to be and how much younger she feels now, since she began exercising consistently (at 50!). In her case, she feels like she aged backwards, feeling more vital today than 20 years ago.

So watch your mouth…or more importantly, the words that fall out of your mouth. Like Ellie, you can approach a birthday with a sense of vitality not dread. You can replace the boring “I’m getting older” tape loop in your head with “How can I improve my well-being this upcoming year?”

Whether you’re 5 or 50, birthdays are always worth celebrating. (And what better way than to send bright, festive birthday 50^th birthday ecards?)

And remember:

“Age is a matter of feeling not of years.” – George William Curtis

The defining image from our 50th Birthday ecards. You’ll note the plethora of candles. Heh!

Are you an August baby? Well, join the club. More people celebrate their birthdays in August than any other month (about 9% of the population).

July and September are next in line. (This would mean November and December are fairly, um, busy months behind closed doors. New Year’s Eve is also a popular time to procreate, making October 5 the most frequent birthday in the U.S.)

Now, if you’re born on May 22nd or February 29th, consider yourself an oddity; it is the least common birth date of the year.

Speaking of oddities, if a garden snail starting crawling on your last birthday, it would have tracked 263 miles by your next birthday. (Take that one to the bank.)

The most popular rendition of Happy Birthday? Well, you can probably guess that one. “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” was sung by actress and singer Marilyn Monroe on Saturday, May 19, 1962, for President John F. Kennedy at a celebration for this 45th birthday at the third Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Monroe’s performance was notable for several reasons. It was one of her last public performances before she died on August 5, 1962. Monroe was also allegedly having an affair with President Kennedy, which gave her racy, intimate performance a whole new meaning.

Monroe’s dress is almost as famous as her performance that evening. The dress was so skintight, Monroe had to be sewn into it (and of course, she wore nothing underneath). Under stage lights, the fabric, chock full of sparkling rhinestones, had a melting away effect, adding to the sexiness. It sold at an auction in 1999 for a cool $1.26 million.

Close to 2 billion birthday cards are sent each year in the U.S. alone, accounting for nearly 58% of all cards sent. So if you have a loved one with a birthday coming up (or you simply want to be part of a 2 billion person movement), check out our wide array of birthday e-cards.

One of the oddest Birthday eCards we've ever made.

Here’s the Marilyn Monroe video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4SLSlSmW74

I often feel for my older dog, Satch. He can’t say, “Hey I could really stand for a massage. My back is killing me” or “There’s a splinter in my paw. Go fetch the tweezers.”

And since summer is a common time to go on vacation, many animals are left alone for long periods of time, even with the visiting animal sitter.

So since I’m going away for my birthday in a few weeks, I came up with a few pet care pointers I’d like to share:

 Pet Spa Day. Give you pet a little extra love and attention before you go. Both dogs and cats enjoy different types of grooming. (Less fur also makes them more comfortable in the summer months.) Grooming is also a great time to bond with you pet, who feels that special attention dedicated to him or her.

 Leave your Scent. Pets have a much more sensitive sense of scent (say that three times fast!) and feel comforted if you leave clothing or bedding that smells like you. For pets with separation anxiety, scents of the owner can go a long way to comfort and relax. So leave some unwashed clothing in the areas where they rest to remind them of you.

Share your Routine. Let your pet sitter in on your routine with your pet when you come home. Just like children, pets respond to familiarity of routine. It calms and relaxes them. The pet sitter’s energy matters as well. (My good friend watches Satch, so I tell her to enter the house calmly and just sit on the couch for a few minutes before feeding him.)

 So since your animal can’t speak, use your intuition. Each animal is different and the rules above may not always apply. But one thing I can be sure of: they do miss you. So figure out your own system to comfort your creature.

While Satch will be taken care of lovingly by my friend Stacey, I’ll be on a soft, sandy beach drinking pina coladas, tending to my birthday. Cheers!

(Remember, if you have a loved one with a birthday coming up, consider free birthday e-cards to start the day off right.)

Hopefully your pets will keep the parties to a minimum in your absence. Here's a scene from our popular, "Golden Retrievers Birthday" card.

I honestly thought she might burst. Her face turned a crimson red and a scream rang from that little body that made dogs howl in faraway towns.

Nothing her mother could do would stop this grocery store meltdown. The reason? She was denied Cocoa Puffs. She had literally gone “coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs.”

It got me thinking (once I could think again…can one develop PTSD after witnessing such a fit?), what can parents effectively do to stop a child in the middle of a tantrum, other than breaking down and buying her the world’s most tooth-decaying cereal?

I came across some basic advice dedicated to saving eardrums in the future:

• Ignore it: If you can, try walking away, making sure that your child is safe first. Stay nearby, but make sure it’s clear by your actions that her display has no effect on you. Don’t make eye contact and don’t talk to her. When she sees that she’s not getting a reaction, she’ll probably stop.

• Diffuse it: If you don’t have the stomach to be passive, there are some techniques you can try. Soothe your child by rubbing her back and talk to her in low, quiet tones. Some parents find repeating the same phrase over and over again like, “You’re OK,” or “It’s alright” or singing a quiet song or nursery rhyme seems to work. You can also try injecting a little humor into the situation by telling a silly joke or making a funny face.

The author also reminds parents to remove the child from a public situation (oh yes, please!). By doing this, you regulate the atmosphere, which can bring calmness to the situation more quickly.

Kids are also easily distracted. The next time your little loved one is in meltdown mode, show him or her one of our birthday ecards for kids. They’re loaded with fun, colorful images aimed to bring a smile to any child’s face.

Here's a Lemur getting a mouth full of cake frosting, one of the silly scenes that make kids giggle (and forget to scream) from our "Lemurs Birthday Cake" ecard.

Here’s a link to the advice which I found: http://preschoolers.about.com/od/behaviordiscipline/a/Tempertantrums.htm