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Edging into A/W22 with White Stuff
Product review, Retail Review, Style

Edging into A/W22 with White Stuff

By Midlifechic|2022-09-30T17:42:52+01:00September 30th, 2022|Categories: Product review, Retail Review, Style|Tags: 2022, Autumn, casual chic, essentials, new season, OOTD, wardrobe essentials, wardrobe staples, Winter, WIWT|

Sandals Resorts for midlifers – a good holiday option?
Midlife, Relationships, Style, Travel

Sandals Resorts for midlifers – a good holiday option?

By Midlifechic|2022-09-23T20:28:36+01:00September 23rd, 2022|Categories: Midlife, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, holiday chic, OOTD, Summer, travel, WIWT|

When your family moves on and expands – welcoming partners into the mix
Family, Relationships, Style, Travel

When your family moves on and expands – welcoming partners into the mix

By Midlifechic|2022-09-11T13:31:26+01:00September 11th, 2022|Categories: Family, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, casual chic, date night chic, dressed up chic, holiday chic, night out chic, OOTD, Summer, travel, WIWT|

Holidaying with your adult children – a time of adjustment
Family, Style, Travel

Holidaying with your adult children – a time of adjustment

By Midlifechic|2022-09-02T17:41:02+01:00September 2nd, 2022|Categories: Family, Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, casual chic, holiday chic, night out chic, OOTD, Summer, travel, WIWT|

Closing off summer chez Midlifechic – it’s goodbye for a while
Family, Style, Work life balance

Closing off summer chez Midlifechic – it’s goodbye for a while

By Midlifechic|2022-08-12T16:18:33+01:00August 12th, 2022|Categories: Family, Style, Work life balance|

City trips to London and Glasgow – what I did and wore
Style, Travel

City trips to London and Glasgow – what I did and wore

By Midlifechic|2022-08-05T15:04:09+01:00August 5th, 2022|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, casual chic, date night chic, jewellery, night out chic, OOTD, Summer, WIWT|

Love & marriage – the joy of a simple wedding
Family, Project Happier, Relationships, Style

Love & marriage – the joy of a simple wedding

By Midlifechic|2022-07-29T18:25:27+01:00July 29th, 2022|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Relationships, Style|Tags: 2022, dressed up chic, event chic, Family, friendship, OOTD, Project Happier, Summer, wedding chic, weddings|

Getting your confidence back after 50
Hair & Beauty, Health, Midlife, Project Happier

Getting your confidence back after 50

By Mal Garnett|2022-07-27T12:07:41+01:00July 22nd, 2022|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Health, Midlife, Project Happier|Tags: 2022, confidence, diet, eating, fitness, health, HRT, Project Happier, Summer|

Midlife Lately – Making summer weekends count
Family, Relationships, Style, Travel

Midlife Lately – Making summer weekends count

By Midlifechic|2022-07-21T15:01:20+01:00July 15th, 2022|Categories: Family, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, casual chic, dressed up chic, event chic, festivals, new season, OOTD, Summer, wedding outfits, WIWT|

Summer cornucopia – outfits, travel & The Telegraph!
Style, Travel

Summer cornucopia – outfits, travel & The Telegraph!

By Midlifechic|2022-08-01T12:21:36+01:00July 7th, 2022|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, casual chic, date night chic, new season, OOTD, retail review, Summer, travel, WIWT, working wardrobe, workwear chic|

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Boden June Edit & midlife lately
Sale, Style

Boden June Edit & midlife lately

By Midlifechic|2022-07-21T15:02:10+01:00June 28th, 2022|Categories: Sale, Style|

John Lewis & Partners Sale – clearance and half price edit
Retail Review, Sale, Style

John Lewis & Partners Sale – clearance and half price edit

By Midlifechic|2022-07-21T15:02:57+01:00June 23rd, 2022|Categories: Retail Review, Sale, Style|Tags: 2022, retail review, sales, Summer|

Clothing to combat hot weather & midlife lately
Family, Midlife, Project Happier, Style

Clothing to combat hot weather & midlife lately

By Midlifechic|2022-07-21T15:03:57+01:00June 17th, 2022|Categories: Family, Midlife, Project Happier, Style|Tags: 2022, casual chic, date night chic, event chic, Family, new season, night out chic, OOTD, Summer, WIWT|

How to look your best in holiday photos
Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel

How to look your best in holiday photos

By Midlifechic|2022-07-21T15:04:58+01:00June 10th, 2022|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, photography, Spring, Summer, tips, travel|

Looking good in summer – beauty tips and outfits
Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel

Looking good in summer – beauty tips and outfits

By Midlifechic|2022-06-01T16:10:18+01:00June 1st, 2022|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, beauty, holiday chic, new season, OOTD, Spring, Summer, travel|

What I’m wearing at home and abroad
Family, Style, Travel

What I’m wearing at home and abroad

By Midlifechic|2022-05-27T17:00:12+01:00May 27th, 2022|Categories: Family, Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, Boden, casual chic, date night chic, dressed up chic, holiday chic, jeans, midlife chic, new season, night out chic, OOTD, Spring, Summer, travel, WIWT|

New summer basics from ANYDAY – home, fashion and a try-on
Retail Review, Style

New summer basics from ANYDAY – home, fashion and a try-on

By Midlifechic|2022-05-20T11:07:02+01:00May 20th, 2022|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: 2022, casual chic, new season, retail review, Spring, Summer, wardrobe staples|

Ageless style – summer holiday looks and birthday thoughts
Style, Travel

Ageless style – summer holiday looks and birthday thoughts

By Midlifechic|2022-05-13T18:11:03+01:00May 13th, 2022|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: 2022, Boden, casual chic, date night chic, holiday chic, holiday outfits, holiday style, night out chic, OOTD, Summer, travel, WIWT|

Bright colours to lift spring outfits – at reasonable prices too
Style

Bright colours to lift spring outfits – at reasonable prices too

By Midlifechic|2022-05-03T12:45:18+01:00May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Style|Tags: 2022, casual chic, holiday chic, new season, Spring, Summer, wardrobe essentials, wardrobe staples|

SS22 dresses for weddings, graduations and special occasions
Style

SS22 dresses for weddings, graduations and special occasions

By Midlifechic|2022-04-29T16:59:39+01:00April 29th, 2022|Categories: Style|Tags: 2022, dressed up chic, event chic, graduation style, graduations, new season, Spring, Summer, wedding chic, weddings|

Easter style and beauty – dresses, trousers, tees and tools
Style

Easter style and beauty – dresses, trousers, tees and tools

By Midlifechic|2022-08-08T15:45:54+01:00April 14th, 2022|Categories: Style|Tags: 2022, Boden, casual chic, new season, OOTD, Spring, Summer, wardrobe essentials, wardrobe staples, WIWT|

On growing older contentedly – and bold SS22 looks
Midlife, Project Happier, Style, Uncategorized

On growing older contentedly – and bold SS22 looks

By Midlifechic|2022-04-08T16:46:05+01:00April 8th, 2022|Categories: Midlife, Project Happier, Style, Uncategorized|Tags: 2022, ageing well, date night chic, dressed up chic, event chic, new season, night out chic, Project Happier, retail review, Spring, Summer|

A midlife catch-up – what I’ve been doing and wearing
Exhibitions, Family, Midlife, Style, Work life balance

A midlife catch-up – what I’ve been doing and wearing

By Midlifechic|2022-04-01T17:10:30+01:00April 1st, 2022|Categories: Exhibitions, Family, Midlife, Style, Work life balance|Tags: 2022, casual chic, date night chic, new season, night out chic, OOTD, Project Happier, Spring, WIWT, working wardrobe, workwear chic|

Estée Lauder – testing new products at John Lewis & Partners
Hair & Beauty, Retail Review, Style

Estée Lauder – testing new products at John Lewis & Partners

By Midlifechic|2022-03-25T17:27:57+00:00March 25th, 2022|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Retail Review, Style|Tags: 2022, beauty, new season, retail review, Spring, Summer|

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Instagram – On the road @midlifechic

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Sep 24

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Today we dropped the last of our boys off at university and before too long he’ll be heading off to study abroad.

Empty nesting is so bittersweet - an ending and a new beginning. I’m so proud of the men they’ve become but I feel wistful about the little boys that they were.

I’ve been dreading this moment… whereas their dad - well you’ll see how he feels if you watch to the end…

#emptynesting #mumofsons #emptynestsyndrome #emptynesters #mumofboys #parenting #adultchildren #freshers #midlifechic #newchapter #newbeginnings #midlife

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Sep 23

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Can two long married midlifers find romance in the Caribbean? Watch and see.

Or… you can read all about it in my latest blog post (link at the top).

Ad - PR trip #midlife #midlifeblogger #midlifetravel #agelessstyle #stlucia #sandalsmoment #sandalsresorts #sandalsgrandestlucian #midlifelove #midlifer #travelblogger #oldlove #midlifechic #caribbeanadventure #caribbeansea

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Sep 22

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Never let growing older hold you back from immersing yourself in great moments. Some will say I’m too old at 55 to be wearing my oldest bikini and dancing in a waterfall… but given the opportunity of a lifetime in St Lucia, I was never going to let those voices stop me.

There will be more moments like this in my blogpost tomorrow. For now though let’s all stop worrying about what anyone else thinks - this is our one wild and precious life… so let’s live it.

Ad-PR trip #agelessstyle #midlifetravel #midlifechic #over50blogger #emptynest #emptynestadventures #travelblogger #sandalsmoment #SandalsResorts

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Sep 15

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Ad (PRtrip) And so it’s nearly time for us to head back home - and it feels important to be there now when such an important time in our country’s history lies ahead.

If there’s one thing I’ll take with me from St Lucia it’s a reminder of the restorative power of nature. It’s been soothing to spend our time in the mountains, the rainforest and the sea as well as the lush tropical gardens of the resorts. We’ve seen frigate birds swooping, pelicans landing, crabs scuttling and turtles coasting.

So as I pack my summer clothes away for another year when I get home, instead of shirking autumn, knowing that my dreaded season of winter lies in its wake, I’m determined to make an effort to get out there and embrace it.

I’ll miss this island but there’s beauty to be found in nature wherever you look - the thing is remembering to stop and take the time to see it isn’t it? I think a focus on the simple things is going to be the best way to approach the chilly months ahead.

So it’s goodbye to the sun on my skin from St Lucia’s endless summer days. And hello to England’s autumn… as a new chapter begins for us all.

#agelessstyle #midlifetravel #midlifeadventures #emptynest #travelblogger #over50blogger #over50 #over50style #over50travel #over50blogger #SandalsMoment #sandalsresorts #sandalsgrandestlucian

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Sep 13

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Ad - PR trip | While we’ve been here we hit a special day in our calendar. Blog readers know the story of how Mal and I met when we worked together at Selfridges. For years we loathed each other and then one day, while we were working in Manchester launching the Trafford Centre store he asked “what is it like to be you?”

And so I told him. You see I was in a relationship with an alcoholic who was often cruel and somehow that was the question that enabled me to tell someone what it was like to be me for the first time.

That was the day that he vowed to save me - exactly 24 years ago. We always celebrate it when it comes around but as you can imagine, this year being away with @sandals_uk was by far the most special yet.

It’s a place where romance abounds and while it’s lovely to see the starstruck young honeymooners, I’ve been more moved by watching the many midlife couples who are here. The one thing they all seem to share is laughter - and we all know that’s what sustains you through the ups and downs of life.

There are too many things that I love about Mal to list them here but the most important is the laughter - it quite literally lights me up!

Thank you for the years Mal.

#midlifelove #midliferomance #agelessstyle #emptynesters #anniversary #SandalsMoment #SandalsResorts #SandalsRegencyLaToc

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Sep 13

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Ad - PR trip One of my all time favourite things to do is spend a day on a speedboat and my boys groan because whenever we’re on holiday I spend ages trying to track one down.

So a real highlight of our trip so far was spending a day with @IslandRoutes, meandering along the south of the island…. passing the pastel coloured sugar cube villages … stopping for dips in the sea… and a beach shack for lunch.

The best part though was heading out into the wide open sea where the captain could rev his engine and take us so fast that the g-force contorted our faces.

Wind in your hair, salt on your skin - nothing beats it.

Thank you so much for these precious times @ sandals_uk

#SandalsMoment #SandalsResorts #WonderthisWay #caribbean #midlifeadventures #emptynesters #midlifetravel #over50blogger #stlucia

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Sep 10

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Ad - PR trip. And so arriving just in time for our first Caribbean sunset on Thursday felt a little more muted than we’d imagined because on the flight over we’d heard the very sad news about the Queen - it felt as though a huge hole had opened up.

However, Mal reminded me of the hours we’ve spent with those who are dying, including both of my parents - and the message that always comes through is the instruction not to be sad, instead to go out and live your lives to the full - while you can.

And so in this beautiful place that’s what we’ve been doing. Sandals invited us to review their resorts a year ago when we were facing the empty nest for the first time. Like so many other things that trip was cancelled by Covid but this year they asked us again.

We’ve had such a happy summer at home, slotting comfortably back into family life as our boys came back from uni but at the end of next week they’ll be off again, leaving me and their dad behind without a backward glance.

So we’ve been treasuring this once in a lifetime chance to reconnect on this beautiful island where there’s no pressure to do anything other than ‘be’.

It’s important to keep the pilot light of your relationship burning, whatever stage of life you’re at… and being somewhere like this certainly gives it one heck of a boost!

#SandalsMoment #SandalsResorts #SandalsRegencyLaToc #emptynest #emptynesters #newchapterinlife #newbeginnings #over50 #over50blogger #over50style #midlifetravel #midlifeadventures

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Sep 9

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And so as I said on my Stories, we were mid-flight on our way to St Lucia yesterday when the captain announced that the Queen had died.

As you can imagine on a BA plane filled with Brits and St Lucians, a damp fog descended over the holiday mood.

Being mid-Atlantic, it didn’t feel real until we landed but it gave me time to think about her life which was long and lived fully.

There’s always something to learn from the reflections when somebody dies. From my midlife perspective the thing that particularly strikes me is how well she moved with the times.

I think perhaps, as for a lot of us, midlife was one of her challenging periods - dealing with changing relationships, accepting that the world around her was already different to the one of her youth and consciously working out how to adapt.

And of course she had a complete style reappraisal too and showed us all that even in your 90s there’s joy to be found in what you wear.

It feels odd not being in the UK right now and sharing this massive moment in our history but we’re still in The Commonwealth here and people are feeling it too - along with travellers from other nations who immediately come over to commiserate when they hear that we’re English.

What an impact this 96 year old woman has had - all over the world. A beacon of how to age positively.

#queenelizabeth

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Aug 27

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I’ve been off grid for a while spending precious time with my boys – we’ve managed to get together for a proper family holiday and I know it could be the last one so I’m savouring every moment.

It feels particularly poignant being back in the villa where we’ve spent so many holidays since they were little – there are shadows of holidays past wherever I look but now they’re all grown up and have even brought their girlfriends too.

So we’ve been having fun and readjusting too – as a family when your children are little it almost feels as if you’re one body with multiple legs and arms but now we’re five individuals, each with our own lives and I have to get used to that.

You could fill a library with books telling you how to look after young children but there’s no route map for parenting young adults is there?

It’s a bittersweet time - in so many ways I find myself having to ‘unmother’, stepping back, learning how to get the balance right by being their friend and yet still being their mum when they need me to be.

If you’re one of the many people out there who can feel the empty nest hurtling towards you next month I can tell you that it’s a funny old time but I promise there are far more highs than lows. Let them go and be who they want to be in the knowledge that they have your love behind them. That way they always come back (with stomachs as empty as their wallets!)

Over the last two weeks I’ve come to the comforting conclusion that as a parent, you can always see the toddler in the adult, their ideas and ways of being might change but deep down they’re exactly the person they’ve always been.

And that’s my thought for the weekend… along with some outfit photos for people who prefer that sort of thing.

#agelessstyle #kalkan #turkey #holidayoutfit #beachstyle #over50blogger #over50style #midlifechic #midlifewoman #midlifestyle #parentingteens #emptynest #holidaymood

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Aug 10

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The power of a dress. I bought this on my first ever business trip to New York back in 1998. It was a time when my career at Selfridges was flying but behind the scenes, my home life was crumbling - I was in a relationship with an alcoholic who every day was becoming increasingly cruel.

When I was at work I had to hold it all together and this dress felt like armour, there was something about the utter simplicity of it that helped me to feel in control at a time when I was anything but.

Eventually I moved out and on but those memories were so important to me that it’s stayed in my wardrobe and this week, thanks to the return of 90s looks, I put it on for a meeting for the first time in 22 years.

So here I am – a rare moment in black (and just so you don’t think I’ve gone mad I’ve added some brighter work outfits from the last couple of weeks too).

I’ll keep wearing that black dress though because life is happy now but it still makes me feel lots of different emotions when I put it on.

Some clothes just do that for you don’t they? They have a story all of their own. And they don’t always have to be new.

Other outfits:
Zara suit SS19
Boden denim dress SS22
M&S jumpsuit SS17
Me+Em dress SS22
Michaela Jedinak jumpsuit SS18

#agelessstyle #vintagestyle #vintageclothes #vintagedress #wearwhatyouhave #clothesthatlast #rewear #rewearyourwardrobe #rewearandshare #90sfashion #ninetiesdesign #workwear #midlifechic #clotheswithstories

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Jul 7

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If you have a dog and you’re daft enough to wear white linen trousers for a walk on the shore you’ll know exactly how the conversation was going here…

Just a quick one for anyone who said they’d missed my moment in Saturday’s Telegraph. It’s in my blog post today along with outfits and pictures showing how my style and therefore confidence has changed and grown as I’ve hit my stride in my 50s. You can find it via the link at the top 👆. Hope you’re looking forward to a very sunny weekend.

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Jul 3

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I just want to say a particularly warm hello to anyone who’s found my feed after yesterday’s Telegraph article - which was definitely the most ’pinch me’ moment of my life!

Thank you so much for following me - I confess I’m not great on Instagram because I’m wordy so you’ll get much more from my blog. However when I remember I post what I’m wearing, doing or thinking on here (and as I haven’t remembered for a while here are some recent favourite outfits from my blog).

In the meantime I’ve had a couple of questions about what makes me feel so positive about midlife and it’s because it’s a time of reawakening. A lot of us muddle through our 30s and 40s in a blur of busy-ness then suddenly we hit 50 and it’s a bit of a shock, especially the realisation that we’re (more than) halfway through.

However I found though that if you step back and take stock, you realise that at last you really know who you are, what you like and maybe even what you want from the rest of your life.

And isn’t that great? You can cut out the nonsense and just get on with making the most of it all. Because that’s what we have to do now, stop letting life just happen to us and instead shape it into what we want, filled only with stuff - and most importantly people that matter. After all we won’t get this time back.

That’s where a lot of happiness in midlife lies I think, in just being your real self at last and not letting time pass you by in a wasted blur.

I warned you I was wordy! Over and out from an unusually warm and sunny Windermere.

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Jun 12

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Another glorious weekend in my favourite (but so cold and windy) city of #newcastleupontyne. From the Blaydon Race to the Let’s Rock NE festival we’ve had a ball - and for anyone from the 80s I have to say that Level42, Bad Manners and Billy Ocean are as good as they ever were!

Of course it felt like even more of a timewarp today when after a day of 80s bands I sat down with the papers and read about strikes… tension with Russia… and Kate Bush topping the charts. But you know that.

Onwards my friends!

(Outfit details - past season if not tagged)

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May 19

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55 today 🎂!

And what a year 54 was. There were lows of course but then so many highs too. Now that I’m halfway through my 50s I just want to tell anyone coming up behind me what a brilliant time of life this can be. In fact I think I’ve had more fun in the last half decade than I did in the whole of either my 40s or my 30s.

All I’d say is that you need to take time to adjust - it’s a bit like hitting adolescence, a lot changes in both your body and your mind. It’s important to take a bit of time to assess what makes you happy and leave behind anything that doesn’t… because time is really ticking now.

Now is the time to take care of yourself and the people who really matter - open your life up to new experiences…. but the moments don’t all have to be big ones - the wisdom of midlife lies in knowing when to stop and treasure the simple, everyday magic too.

Thank you for being with me over the last year, I know I’m a bit of a sporadic poster but I try to enjoy my time rather than focus on recording it.

My birthday wish is that you make one joyful plan for yourself today - something that you’re going to look forward to. Do it now - don’t put it off… remember, we only have so many tomorrows.

#midlife #midlifewomen #midlifestyle #over50blogger #over50 #50pluswomen #agelessstyle #newbeginnings #midlifeadventures #positiveageing #positiveaging #agepositive #agepositivity #midlifechic

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May 13

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What a difference a week makes! This is not where I am right now, instead I’m swaddled in 4 layers at a festival as you can see - but if you’d like to see a few more holiday outfit ideas, you’ll find them in tonight’s Midlifechic blog post - link at the top ⬆️. Oh and there are thoughts about growing older too because it’s my birthday next week so I couldn’t resist a little midlife musing…

Outfit 1 - ad/gifted @boden_clothing
Outfit 2 - coat @boden_clothing, jeans @johnlewis, trainers @newbalancewomen, sweatshirt @baukjen

#summerholidaystyle #agelessstyle #midlifechic #holidayoutfitideas #lanzarote #festivalstyle #over50style #over50blogger #over50

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May 8

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Well I’d like to say that I’m doing something glamorous right now but as you’ll see from the last picture, we’re sitting on our suitcases outside the airport, drinking in the last of the sunshine because our flight home is seriously delayed 😬.

Anyway here are a few holiday moments, the rest will be in my blogposts over the next few weeks (and as you’ll see the wind hasn’t stopped blowing so that’s why I’m hanging onto my hair in some pictures.)

If you read my blog you’ll know I’ve been talking a lot about empty nesting. This is the second holiday we’ve spent without our boys. The first was to couch our sorrows as they left in September - this one has been more about wrapping the year up before they come home for the summer and we go back to family life.

I can only say that we’ve been surprised to find how much we love our breaks for two… staying on the beach until sunset with nobody agitating to leave… checking the menu at every single restaurant before deciding where to eat… and laughing at the things only we find funny without anybody rolling their eyes.
(And if you’re reading boys, don’t for a second think I’m not looking forward to every single moment of our family holiday too… I truly am).

However midlife is what you make it - and this year has shown me that there are new adventures to enjoy - if you’re facing it up ahead just remember that you have to have endings to make way for bright new beginnings.

Outfits: bikini @boden_clothing, palazzo trousers and blouse @boden_clothing (#ad/gifted), jumpsuit @hopefashionuk (ad/gifted), red dress @me_andem

#agelessstyle #midlifeadventures #midlife #emptynest #newbeginnings #midlifechic #holidaystyle #holidayoutfits #over50 #over50style #over50blogger #over50woman #lanzarote

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May 3

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I know, I know… it’s been a while. Again. I bit off perhaps more than I could chew in January in terms of marketing projects so it’s been all work and very little play at my end since then.

BUT, happily I’m coming to the end of all that now and so I’ve grabbed a few days away with my favourite person. We’re in sunny Lanzarote and I feel like I’m breathing out for the first time in ages. So - hello - and thank you so much for still being here.

Here are a few photos from our first two days.

(Outfits: navy beach dress and bikini @bodenclothing. Travel and outfits paid for personally.)

#lanzarote #lanzaroteisland #sunshine #agelessstyle #bodenbyme #midlifechic #midlifestyle #midlifewomen #midlifeblogger #emptynestadventures #holidaystyle #midlifetravel #over50style #over50 #summeroutfit #summer2022

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Feb 27

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Feb 13

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A little Tour de Yorkshire to celebrate our wedding anniversary, starting in Haworth, on to Saltaire and then finishing in Leeds to feed our starving student who found us the perfect spot for a quick photo.

Happy anniversary Mr MC - here’s to you & me - and 21 years of holding each other close through thick and thin. I’ve loved every moment.

#loveandmarriage #anniversary #weddinganniversary #truelove #oldmarriedcouple #agelessstyle #leeds #yorkshire #midlifechic

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Jan 21

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I just want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who sent words and thoughts after I posted about my drink being spiked in a bar last Friday - at a time when I was feeling very vulnerable it was you who reminded me that there are far more good people in the world than bad.

This week has been about dusting myself off and facing forward. However given the many, many stories that I was sent from people who’ve had something similar happen to them, I feel determined to help combat the growing epidemic of spiking in our towns and cities.

Lots of people wanted to hear the story of just how on earth it happened to someone like me so I’ve written about it in more detail in my blogpost today [link above]. I also have more information there about what we can do to fight it - and I’m collecting stories in the comments section to send to the Home Affairs Committee Inquiry into Spiking that’s going on right now. You see the problem is that it so often goes unreported that they don’t have enough information.

So if you or anyone you know has had an experience of spiking (regardless of age or gender) please can you add it there, even if you’ve already told me via Instagram. That way I can extract the details and send them in as a pdf. You can say as much or as little as you want to - and it can be completely anonymous, the software won’t tell me who you are.

Thank you for your kindness last week - and for helping now if you can. Don’t let this put you off going out and having fun… but just be careful when you do.

#spiking #stampoutspiking

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Jan 16

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I have a cautionary tale for you today, one that I hope midlife women will read. On Friday I was out enjoying an evening with my husband when my drink was spiked. It was one of the most terrifying things that has ever happened to me - I went from being absolutely fine to suddenly being unable to move or speak. I have no recollection of the thirty minutes after I felt my legs give way and I can’t begin to think about what it would have been like if he hadn’t been with me to get me through the hours that followed.

It still feels very traumatic and so I don’t want to go into any more detail right now. In fact yesterday all I could feel was shame but when I talked to my sons about it they made me see it differently. You see I would never have imagined that as a middle aged woman out for an evening with her husband I’d be a target - but apparently spiking is now becoming a sport for those who find it entertaining to watch it take effect.

How anyone can find it funny I don’t know, I still feel shaky and empty headed today. My boys are right though, I shouldn’t feel ashamed, it wasn’t my fault - and I have a social duty to raise awareness and remind you to be incredibly careful when you’re out. This shouldn’t be going on, no woman should have to fear this happening to her on a quiet Friday night in January. Somehow we have to fight it - and we mustn’t let it make us feel we have to hide away at home - but please keep your wits about you if you’re out - please remind your friends and daughters too - and don’t take your eye off your drink for a single second.

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Jan 12

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A change of scene - I spent today in sunny Sunderland with a group of very passionate people - we’re working together in a bid to rescue a stunning Georgian church that’s been out of use for 30 years and has now fallen into disrepair in the beautiful city of Lancaster.

So today we had a road trip across the Pennines to see what’s been achieved after 8 years of hard graft at the almost completed Seventeen Nineteen project in Sunderland. Incredible work that’s brought together restoration experts and craftspeople from across the North East, all under the careful guidance of @CCT (The Churches Conservation Trust).

It was great to climb up into the rafters and see the old witches’ marks that were placed to ward off evil spirits… and amazing to know that over 100,000 locals still lie buried peacefully in the grounds. I think they’d be pleased to see their old church building given new life as it launches as a community hub. I just hope we can now get the funding to do the same over in Lancaster - it’s going to be a fascinating project… and one that might take a while!

(Wearing coat @jaegerofficial; jumper @donnakaran, trousers @boden_clothing; trainers @veja - all past season)

#agelessstyle #17nineteen #churchesconservationtrust #midlifechic #sunderland #sunderlandnow

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Jan 5

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A very belated Happy New Year from me - I lost the spring in my step a bit at the end of 2021 after a leg operation followed by two training injuries and then Christmas Covid so I’m edging gently into 2022.

Today was my first proper day out and we blew the old year away with a walk on the beach - you can’t beat the British seaside on a crisp, cold day can you? Or the pure, uninhibited joy of a daft dog.

Covid was worse than I thought it would be, despite being triple jabbed so this week I’m madly trying to make up for lost time over Christmas by enjoying having my boys around before they go back to uni this weekend. It means there won’t be a blogpost on Friday but I’m going to make a big effort to be more present here on Instagram this year so if you’re a blog reader we can stay in touch here in the meantime. I can’t promise you high life and glamour in January, just simple pleasures like today’s walk and soon (hopefully) the feeling of being fit and well.

So here’s to new beginnings and winter outfits - I’ll be out of jeans and getting dressed properly again next week I promise! Thank you for still being here and reading this post after such a long time, like everyone I have my fingers crossed that 2022 is going to be a better year all round so let’s hope there will be lots of good things to share. See you again soon…

Wearing: jacket @uniqlo_uk, jumper @baukjen, jeans @johnlewis, scarf and boots @boden_clothing - all from previous seasons.

#agelessstyle #midlifechic #midlifewomen #winterwalks #outdoorstyle #winterseaside #newbeginnings #newyear #covidrecovery

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Nov 4

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