You want it to be a 3 minute dazzler to mark the milestone occasion however right now the job feels like a millstone.

There are lists of things to say and equally large lists of things not to say but not a lot about how to actually write the speech.

And that's where having step by step outline and a 40th birthday speech sample to look at would be good.

As of now you can quit tearing out your hair. Instead grab a piece of paper and a pen. We're going to go through the steps needed for you to have a completed 40th birthday speech that you'll be proud to deliver.

Let's start by getting down to basics with a few questions first.
Who is your audience? Is it family? Is it family and friends? Is it a mix of family, friends and work colleagues? Are they
a mix of ages?

What type of celebration is it? Is it a formal dinner party? Is it informal?

Are you the only speaker or one of several?

The tone and what you put in your speech will be guided by your answers to the questions above. Obviously you'll leave out anything that could be misunderstood or inappropriate for your audience.

Now let's get the building blocks of your 40th birthday speech together.

On your paper write down these 3 headings with large enough spaces in between for notes.

1. Introduction
2. Middle - Main idea 1, Main idea 2, Main idea 3
3. Conclusion

Using your knowledge of the audience, the birthday person and the occasion, begin filling in the blanks.

For instance next to 'Introduction' you might write: Hi and welcome to Bob's 40th birthday celebration. We're delighted to have you all with us.

And now move on to the next heading: Middle.
This is where you're going to put the most important points (main ideas) you want to make. As a birthday speech is generally only 3 minutes long you've got enough room for three. What you choose is up to you. Mostly though they're a mix of good natured fun about the birthday person, what they mean to you and perhaps a word or two of wisdom.

So your 'Middle' notes may look like this.

Main Idea 1: Childhood - I remember when Bob was 3 he wanted to be a fireman. He'd spend all day making siren noises and putting out imaginary fires with the garden hose.
Main Idea 2: Youth/Young adulthood - Collecting baseball cards, learning to skate board, getting his first real job
Main Idea 3: Present/Character/ Future - Along came Sally (wife) and children, joy, fatherhood, responsibility, promotion in job

Lastly write your notes next 'Conclusion': quote (you're going to look up some amusing or witty quotes on being 40 and weave one in here) and final toast. Example. 'Ladies and gentlemen, let's raise our glasses to Bob. May you have another happy energy filled 40 years!'

OK. This isn't a speech yet but it is an outline. To make the transition from this to a whole 40th birthday speech you are going to go back through and flesh out your notes making each idea link smoothly to the next.

The easiest way I know of doing this is to say it out loud as if you're just chatting with a friend.

I'll give you one example and then you can do the remainder for yourself.
We'll pick up

Main Idea 1. 'I remember when Bob was 3 he wanted to be a fireman. He'd spend all day making siren noises and putting out imaginary fires with the garden hose'.
What's needed is a bridge or transition to get from this idea to the next, 'collecting baseball cards, learning to skateboard and so on.

How about this? 'Fortunately for Aunty Betty's ears his next passion was quiet and neither did it leave puddles in the yard. It was baseball cards. Bob collected hundreds of them. He bartered for them, begged for them and stuck them all over his bedroom walls. Now he was Denny McLain with the roar of crowds as he stepped up to the plate cheering him on. Baseball was struck out by skateboards. Yehaa! We skated all over the city and Aunty Betty bought out the entire supply of band-aids from the supermarket...'

Now you have the idea, repeat it through all the parts of your outline.
It's important to say each segment outloud and experiment with links until you find the one that sounds right.

When you've finished linking say the whole speech aloud several times. Listen carefully and edit where necessary.

The process is simple. It works and that's how to write a unique 40th birthday speech you'll be pleased to deliver.

About The Author
Are you ready to trade public speaking fear for public speaking success? You'll find practical, manageable step by step resources to take you there at write-out-loud.com Susan Dugdale is an ex-teacher, writer and word lover. She regularly practices what she preaches

1. Do something you really enjoy. Whether it's watching classic movies, going to the mall, or playing video games; spend the day engaged in your favorite past time.

2. Make it a spa day. Spas are great places to go when you just want to relax and tune out the world. Treat yourself to a birthday spa session.

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3. Go to the movies, nope you don't need a date.

4. Order takeout from your favorite restaurant. If you want to eat in, grab a book to take with you.

5. Buy yourself something special. Have you been wanting the latest video game? Is there a piece of jewelry you've been eyeing? As long as you have the money, go ahead and treat yourself.

Article © 2008 BigBirthdaySite.com. All Rights Reserved. It may not be reproduced without permission.

1. Keep in mind that the point of a birthday party is to get family and friends together to be with your child. It is not a competition with other moms and it is not a race to see who can have the most professional looking party. Keep your sanity and your enjoyment level in mind when you start planning.

2. As you're planning your child's second birthday party you'll want to keep his or her abilities and limitations in mind. Two years old is still too early to have a full blown birthday party with lots of friends. Your child is learning to play with others but he or she is still too young to truly enjoy the company of peers. With this in mind, keeping your guest list small is a good idea. Invite close family and friends and no more than two other children your child's age. This way you won't have too much chaos at your party location.

3. Having your party at home is the easiest way to keep things under control. However, if you feel like your house isn't big enough for a party, you can use the local park or a recreation center. Parties at corporate child-themed play centers can get expensive and you won't be able to enjoy any time with your child. Often the activities are geared for kids who are much older than your child.

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4. Some people choose a theme by selecting their child's favorite television character. It's easy to go this route, but if you want to be a little bit more creative, you can come up with your own homemade theme. Two-year-olds generally aren't old enough to insist on a character party, so you can easily plan something around their favorite activities or interests. Pick something that your child loves, like music, colors or dinosaurs, and then run with that theme.

Some other two year old party themes are: * Barn/farm animals * Cats and dogs * Jungle animals * Pirates * Garden (with butterflies and flowers) * Gnomes and Fairies

5. Once you've got your theme, you can start to plan activities. Toddlers enjoy activity stations that can let them wander from place to place. These are easy to set up and really suit this age group because they don't have to follow instructions. Arrange two to three different stations that parents can help out with. You can have a coloring station, a station with table toys and a station with a simple game. This way the kids will be entertained and the parents can get involved too.

6. Your party shouldn't last more than two to three hours. If your child takes regular naps, you can schedule the party for in between the first and second nap. If they vary from day to day, a party in the late afternoon will work best. No matter what type of party you plan, it will be a special event!

About The Author
Jamie Jefferson can help you find adorable toddler clothing.

Consider this first: most likely, your child will only remember the friends and family who came with gifts of love and presence (not presents). Depending on their age, a lot of kids are happy with water guns and the Disney channel playing in the background. A lot of the big bash birthday parties are for show. Don't get sucked into a party war with other parents (although it's easy to do). Start your birthday party planning by first defining your intention. This may sound silly, but a lot of people don't think about the underlying reason for the urge to splurge. Do you want a birthday party because you never had one as a child? Do you want a birthday party to show off how much you love your kid? Do you want a birthday party to celebrate the gift of life?

If you answered yes to the third question, you'll definitely be able to create a party on a budget. A lot of times, parents get consumed with revisiting their youth through their children, unintentionally. The thing we all must do is live intentionally, and make all of our actions conscious. Define your child's birthday party by its singular purpose: celebrating life.

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Engrave Your Budget In Stone

Setting the budget is the next most important thing you must do. Along the same vein of living intentionally, you should budget intentionally. Start out by figuring how much you can afford to spend. In these days of economic upheaval, you really have to count each penny. If you have a monthly budget, just take out the money that you normally allot to entertainment. Use your available money as your guide, not the number of invites. Many people are able to throw a magical birthday party on $50 or $100, total. It doesn't take much money, especially if your child is younger.

It will be extremely tempting to spend more once you get to the party decorations store, and see all the cute items that would spice up your theme. This is where being rigid is a virtue. In fact, adopt the envelop system espoused by financial writer Dave Ramsey. Grab the amount of cash money you have alloted to your child's birthday, and spend directly from that envelop. When the cash is gone, you're done. It really forces you to edit your purchases. It also activates the creative side of your brain.

Let Them Eat Cake

To buy or not to buy, that's the question. You may think that you can't make your own cake, but chances are, you can! With the advent of the internet, everything is possible. Sites like AllRecipes and YouTube help even the novice baker create a masterpiece. All it takes is cake mix, and an internet connection. Someone in cyberspace has created a tutorial that compliments any idea you can think up. Making your own cake gives you the most flexibility, and is very cost effective, shaving as much as 90% off of the price.

Foodies or Kiddies

Most people blow a large portion of their budget on expensive food. Party food is usually cost-prohibitive, but with the right planning, you create a menu without leftovers, or at least with leftovers you won't mind eating the next day. The key is in serving finger foods that your guests will actually want to eat. Stay away from fine French cheese, when you're hosting 5 year olds. Think more along the lines of Goldfish. Instead of crackers, think potato chips-- the baked, good for you kind. Speaking of which, find ways to incorporate healthy snacks into your menu. Serve homemade granola bars and fresh fruit. However, remember, it's a kid's party, and candy is basically mandatory!

Kids love to play with their food, so take that to the next level. Have all the kids come into the kitchen and design mini pizzas on biscuit dough. Give them pepperoni and shredded cheese and pasta sauce for topping. You do the baking, and supervise, of course. The end result is ownership and accomplishment on the kids' side, and less work on your side.

Other good and quick food ideas: Pigs-in-a-blanket, Hamburgers, Chicken Nuggets, Party Mix, Home-baked Cookies, Punch, Popsicles.

Entertain the Masses

This is the part that requires the most creativity. How do you entertain a bunch of kids, whose attention spans are equal to their age? Have lots of games, several going at one time, if you have a large amount of guests in attendance. You want to create simultaneous activities so that a child can go from one to the other. Have board games going, and a face painting station, and a movie playing in the background.

If you want to create a more cohesive atmosphere, consider throwing a talent or variety show. Beforehand, buy some fun and funky outfits from the thrift store, and have them washed and ready the day of the party. Invite the kids to dress up and create characters and act them out on stage. It's inexpensive, and encourages imagination.

Other tips: consider the idea of a sleepover, if you have a girl, or a camping trip (in the backyard) for the boys.

Your child's birthday party doesn't have to suffer because of a limited budget. If you allow yourself to consider the possibilities, you'll realize the only thing limited in the first place was your thinking. You are more resourceful than you think.

About The Author
PeopleJam is the #1 resource on the internet for self improvement articles and reviews.