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Heading towards summer – Boden try-on
Retail Review, Style Seminars

Heading towards summer – Boden try-on

By Midlifechic|2024-05-03T17:08:39+01:00May 3rd, 2024|Categories: Retail Review, Style Seminars|Tags: 2024, Boden, event chic, new season, night out chic, OOTD, Spring, Summer, travel|

Cornucopia – beauty, accessories and travel tips
Hair & Beauty, Product review, Style

Cornucopia – beauty, accessories and travel tips

By Midlifechic|2024-06-04T12:43:33+01:00April 26th, 2024|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Product review, Style|Tags: 2024, beauty, holiday chic, Spring, Summer, travel|

My blogger charity sale is now live
Sale

My blogger charity sale is now live

By Midlifechic|2024-04-12T16:55:02+01:00April 12th, 2024|Categories: Sale|Tags: 2024, Blogger sale|

New styles for spring from John Lewis
Style, Style Seminars

New styles for spring from John Lewis

By Midlifechic|2024-04-05T16:49:17+01:00April 5th, 2024|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: 2024, casual chic, John Lewis, new season, retail review, Spring, style tips, Summer, wardrobe essentials, wardrobe staples, working wardrobe, workwear chic|

The best capsule pieces – new M&S collection SS24
Style

The best capsule pieces – new M&S collection SS24

By Midlifechic|2024-03-29T14:37:42+00:00March 29th, 2024|Categories: Style|Tags: 2024, casual chic, new season, OOTD, Spring, Summer, wardrobe essentials, wardrobe staples|

A journey through the Valencia region and reflections on this midpoint of life
Family, Midlife, Style, Travel

A journey through the Valencia region and reflections on this midpoint of life

By Midlifechic|2024-03-22T16:48:28+00:00March 22nd, 2024|Categories: Family, Midlife, Style, Travel|Tags: 2024, OOTD, Project Happier, Spring, travel, WIWT|

Spring 24 – first thoughts about the trends
Style

Spring 24 – first thoughts about the trends

By Midlifechic|2024-03-08T14:45:29+00:00March 8th, 2024|Categories: Style|Tags: 2024, Boden, new season, Spring, Summer, WIWT|

Finding the best bra for your breast shape
Style, Style Seminars

Finding the best bra for your breast shape

By Midlifechic|2024-02-23T16:42:47+00:00February 23rd, 2024|Categories: Style, Style Seminars|Tags: 2024, essentials, lingerie, style, wardrobe essentials, wardrobe staples|

Spring wardrobe lifts that work now
Hair & Beauty, Style

Spring wardrobe lifts that work now

By Midlifechic|2024-02-16T16:21:21+00:00February 16th, 2024|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Style|Tags: 2024, Boden, casual chic, new season, OOTD, Spring, wardrobe essentials, wardrobe staples, Winter, WIWT|

A midwinter midlife lately
Family, Style

A midwinter midlife lately

By Midlifechic|2024-02-09T20:46:43+00:00February 9th, 2024|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: 2024, Autumn, casual chic, jeans, OOTD, Winter, WIWT|

Midlife – the time for trying out new things
Midlife, Project Happier, Travel

Midlife – the time for trying out new things

By Midlifechic|2024-02-02T16:58:26+00:00February 2nd, 2024|Categories: Midlife, Project Happier, Travel|Tags: 2024, fitness, health, wellness|

Midlife skincare – the products I buy because they work
Hair & Beauty, Midlife

Midlife skincare – the products I buy because they work

By Midlifechic|2024-01-26T16:56:54+00:00January 26th, 2024|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Midlife|Tags: 2024, beauty, skincare, Spring, Winter|

Midlife – the rough comes with smooth – how to handle it
Midlife, Project Happier, Relationships

Midlife – the rough comes with smooth – how to handle it

By Midlifechic|2024-01-19T12:24:51+00:00January 19th, 2024|Categories: Midlife, Project Happier, Relationships|Tags: 2024, midlife, Project Happier|

109

The quest for midlife mojo
Hair & Beauty

The quest for midlife mojo

By Midlifechic|2024-01-12T17:10:32+00:00January 12th, 2024|Categories: Hair & Beauty|Tags: 2024, exercise, health, Project Happier, wellbeing|

Happy New 2024 & an investment buy round-up
Retail Review, Sale

Happy New 2024 & an investment buy round-up

By Midlifechic|2024-01-05T16:55:50+00:00January 5th, 2024|Categories: Retail Review, Sale|Tags: 2024, sales, Winter|

A surprise trip to Amsterdam & goodbye to 2023
Style, Travel

A surprise trip to Amsterdam & goodbye to 2023

By Midlifechic|2023-12-19T16:46:20+00:00December 19th, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: 2023, casual chic, Christmas, date night chic, dressed up chic, holiday chic, night out chic, OOTD, travel, Winter, WIWT|

Midlife lately – and first thoughts on the Zoe Programme
Health, Style

Midlife lately – and first thoughts on the Zoe Programme

By Midlifechic|2023-12-15T16:56:27+00:00December 15th, 2023|Categories: Health, Style|Tags: 2023, casual chic, date night chic, dressed up chic, night out chic, OOTD, Winter, WIWT|

Last minute Christmas outfits
Christmas, Style

Last minute Christmas outfits

By Midlifechic|2023-12-08T10:28:02+00:00December 8th, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: 2023, Boden, Christmas, date night chic, dressed up chic, night out chic, Winter|

Christmas 2023 finishing touches – a cornucopia round-up
Christmas

Christmas 2023 finishing touches – a cornucopia round-up

By Midlifechic|2023-12-06T17:52:43+00:00December 5th, 2023|Categories: Christmas|Tags: 2023, Christmas, gift ideas, Winter|

Small business recommendations – old and new
Christmas, Gift ideas, Retail Review

Small business recommendations – old and new

By Midlifechic|2023-12-05T17:27:48+00:00December 1st, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Retail Review|Tags: 2023, Christmas, gift ideas, small brands, Winter, WIWT|

Christmas 2023 – letterbox gifts by post
Christmas, Gift ideas

Christmas 2023 – letterbox gifts by post

By Midlifechic|2023-11-28T16:51:37+00:00November 28th, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: 2023, Christmas, gift ideas, Winter|

Christmas 2023 – Quirky Gifts
Christmas, Gift ideas

Christmas 2023 – Quirky Gifts

By Midlifechic|2023-11-23T10:52:28+00:00November 22nd, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: 2023, Christmas, gift ideas, Winter|

Black Friday 2023 – best offers compendium
Christmas, Sale

Black Friday 2023 – best offers compendium

By Midlifechic|2023-11-24T11:38:11+00:00November 20th, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Sale|Tags: 2023, Black Friday, gift ideas, sales, Winter|

Christmas 2023 – gifts with a purpose
Christmas

Christmas 2023 – gifts with a purpose

By Midlifechic|2023-11-17T16:54:48+00:00November 17th, 2023|Categories: Christmas|Tags: 2023, Christmas, gift ideas, Winter|

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Instagram – On the road @midlifechic

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Aug 20

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Ad/press stay | A little recap of our stay in the Lake District the weekend before last. If you’re looking for a break up here, I do think I’ve found the best place to stay @rothaymanor.

It’s in Ambleside so you’re centrally located for good outdoor activities but if/when it rains there are alternatives… shopping, good restaurants and pubs and the best independent cinema I know.

That, of course is if you can bear to leave Rothay Manor itself - hands down the nicest spot I’ve found so far for a luxurious Lake District weekend.

#lakedistrict #lakedistricthotels #lakedistrictfood #ambleside #midlifetravel #travelblogger #smallluxuryhotelsoftheworld #boutiquehotel

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Aug 7

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Well it had to happen one day. 27 years of being a mum and this is the first time that I haven’t seen one of my boys on their birthday.

So it’s happy 23rd to my magical middle son who is currently being whisked away to Budapest by his lovely girlfriend… I’m doing my best to sit on my hands and not interfere so here’s hoping you see this.

It was so hard to pick just 10 photos that encapsulate everything you are! Thank you for (almost!) always being such a ray of warmth and light in our family. We love you so much.

(And yes, that really is a stage fight with Sir Ian McKellen in shot 9!)

#birthdaythoughts #mumofboys #mumofsons

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Jun 16

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Today’s joy - all my chicks back in the nest for the first time since Christmas. To anyone who’s a parent of younger children who are driving you mad, trust me - in a few short years your definition of pure pleasure will be just having them all home again. There’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be than here with this lot today.

But life goes on when they leave so I’ve added a few recent outfits/times that you won’t have seen unless you’re a blog reader.

Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend and happy Father’s Day to all the brilliant dads out there, I wish mine was still here.

Outfit notes

1. Jumper marks&spencer (old), skirt @boden_clothing (ad/gifted current)
2. Top @zara (current), Jeans @me_andem (sold out)
3. Dress @me_andem (ad/gifted)
4. Top @johnlewis, jeans @marksandspencer, trainers @nikeofficial (all current)
5. Top, jacket, trousers, bag @johnlewis (ad/gifted current)
6. Top @arketofficial, trousers @cosstores (all current), trainers @adidasoriginals
7. Dress @@me_andem (ad/gifted current), sandals @massimodutti (old)
8. Top @boden_clothing (ad/gifted current); jeans @me_andem (old)
9. Jumpsuit @me_andem (ad/gifted current)

#agelessstyle #over50style #midlifechic #midlifeblogger #fathersday #wiw #ootd

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May 19

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It’s my birthday today - lunch out and they brought a ‘cake’ (the clue lies on the label - it’s my Heinz birthday!)

Last year flew by - some things went very right, some went very wrong - as they do for everyone - but the good thing about this stage of life is that you’ve learned to ride the waves and roll with the punches.

Midlife is such a time of reflection and (this is key) - IF you manage not to let the punches make you bitter, you find yourself growing into a better version of you. It’s a chrysalis phase, you shed the smooth skin and taut body but you can become a glorious, fully-lived version of yourself - whatever that looks like.

So, today I’m grateful to be growing older - too many people I’ve known and loved haven’t had the chance to do that. I know that another year of living is the biggest gift there is.

And on a lighter note, it’s been so long since I’ve posted any outfits on here that last week a friend asked me if I still even wear clothes!You’ll be relieved to know that I do - so here are some of my favourite outfits from my year of being 56.

Here’s to being Heinz 57…

#birthdaythoughts #birthdaywisdom #agelessstyle #midlifeblogger #midlifestyle #57 #olderandwiser #midlifechic

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May 17

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Ad/press trip So there I was on a cold, wet evening in April flicking through my emails when I saw one from @gg2theworld saying:

“we’ve had a cancellation on our women-only sailing trip to Thailand…

can you join us…

…in 10 days’ time?!”

And as luck (and a certain amount of panic!) would have it, I could.

Cue a solo adventure. I went away from home on my own for the first time in 25 years to sail a catamaran on the Andaman Sea with a group of women I’d never met before.

This gives you a flavour of what we did. The stories behind it are all in tonight’s blog post (link in bio). And next month I’ll be talking about how it felt to travel like this in midlife.

What I’ll say for now is that as an outgoing introvert it was a challenge for me (a wonderful one, granted) but I’m so glad I did it on so many levels.

Since lockdown I’d found myself ‘settling’ too much - this blew the midlife dust off me and I feel more in touch with my younger self again. I don’t know whether you can relate to that loss of bravery that can creep up on you in the middle years.

So I ask you - what was the last thing you did, big or small, by yourself?

#midlifeadventures #midlifetravel #midlifeadventure #agelessstyle #emptynestadventures #solotravel #womenonlytravel #travelblogger #thailand #andamansea

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Apr 16

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[Ad/press trip] As you’ll know if you’ve seen my blog or Stories, I’m away on a women only trip to Thailand with @gg2theworld and this gives you a feel for the first few days we spent in Phuket.

None of us knew each other before we travelled but we quickly established a bond - the conversations have been deep and open and the laughter has kept on coming.

Even though we’re from opposite sides of the world, we’ve found that we have a lot in common. It’s a coincidence that we’ve all dedicated our last few decades to building businesses with our husbands as well as raising our families and caring for our elderly parents as so many women do.

And now we’re taking a bit of time for ourselves - to work out who we were and more importantly, who we are now.

Midlife is just the beginning of everyone’s ’part 2’. It’s the point where if we can, we should all try to aim for what we really want, whatever that may be - because we have less time ahead of us than we have behind us.

I would never have thought about travelling alone before this - it just wouldn’t have occurred to me to spend time or money on myself. It’s something I haven’t done for over 25 years and I’ve missed my husband a lot.

As many of you know I felt incredibly nervous about heading out here into the unknown but the conversations on this trip have helped to open up my mind and think hard about the next two or three decades.

I’m building new hopes and dreams. Being with other pioneering midlife women has made me feel braver - I’ve finally said ‘yes’ to the book I’ve been asked to write and hopefully that’s just the beginning.

So if time away, just for you, is something you’ve wondered about, I urge you to give it a go. It’s your life and your future - and it won’t come around again. So give it a go.

#midlifeblogger #midlifeadventures #midlifewisdom #midlifetravelblogger #womenonlytravel #solotravel #thailandtravel #thailandtrip #agelessstyle

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Feb 10

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23 years ago today.

As I said in my blog post last night, if you’re lucky, the person you choose to spend your life with will turn out to be both your safest place and your biggest adventure.

Along with all the standard ones, our wedding vow was ‘to put a smile on each other’s face every day.’ On the good days it’s been easy, on the difficult ones less so - but we’ve done it 😅.

Thank you for 23 years of smiles Mal.

I’d never have thought it would be possible to love you more than I did then.

But I do ❤️

#keepsmiling #midlifechic #wedding #anniversary #longlastinglove #marriageadvice #thismuchiknow #over50blogger #relationshipadvice #loveyoulongtime

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Feb 4

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A 10 year evolution of style. It’s a quiet celebration for me today - 10 years ago I pressed ‘publish’ on my first ever blog post.

I was 46, my parents had just died and I was juggling 3 little boys and a fledgling business.

I felt like a walking shadow.

I started my blog as a personal project to ‘get my groove back’ as I called it at the time. I began with my clothes because I felt looking better from the outside would be a good starting point.

My family took snaps of outfits, I put them into blog posts and discovered so many other women in the same boat, trying to work out who they were as they headed into the confusing new reality of midlife. Many of them have become friends.

So here you can see how my style has changed over 10 years - scroll back to 2014 and we’ll start at the beginning.

2014 - my first snap wondering if my old corporate wardrobe still worked (it didn’t!)
2015 - learning that colour helped, my look was still very formal though
2016 - feeling braver - head to toe in red but still very classic
2017 - my 50th birthday - I was learning how to dress for my shape
2018 - the biggest style win was meeting @hair_by_premlee. Still the 5th most important man in my life!
2019 - 5 years on and things were coming together - I knew my shapes, colours and had the confidence to add a bit of drama
2020 - when everyone’s style was casual, going for my first haircut after 5 months of cutting it myself over lockdown
2021 - the empty nesting year - shaking off the last vestiges of mumsiness
2022 - learning I can still wear black if the cut is right and I lift it with a bit of colour
2023 - still experimenting - I know what suits me but every so often break out into something different like a mini-skirt

10 years of blogging has been a journey out of grief and the cosiness of mum life. Thank you to everyone here who’s lived through the ups and downs with me over on Midlifechic.

And to every woman here let me say that your 50s are what you make them. Don’t let anyone tell you who you should be, what you should wear or how you should behave.

Just be you.

And if you feel lost, start a project and find a way back to yourself.

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Jan 18

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Everyone seems to be reintroducing themselves on here so I thought I’d join in with 10 pictures that sum up the everyday me

1. I’m Nikki Garnett, I’m 56 and I talk a lot about midlife and how good it can be – as well as the challenges it throws up sometimes

2. I have not just one but four very important men in my life, my husband and 3 sons - they are at the heart of everything I do

3. Here’s Alfie the cat and Ted the dog – they’re important too

4. My career highlight - 9 years as editor of Selfridges magazine (this was me at 33, you can tell I didn’t want to do this photo!) - now I work as a consultant to brands, helping them understand the midlife customer

5. My blog Midlifechic, my passion project talking about growing wiser with style (link at the top)

6. Strength training is something I’ve grown to love. My fitness mantra? “Don’t let the old woman in!”

7. Home. I live off the beaten track in a village on the breathtaking North Lancashire coastline

8. And I love travelling – I did a degree in languages so it’s great to brush the rust off when I can

9. Newcastle upon Tyne - my favourite city in the world – I’m at my happiest there, I love the people, their humour and the craic

10. Disco - my guilty pleasure… from @nilerodgers to @jungle4eva… especially at a festival with a chance to dance in the sunshine

If there’s one thing I want this Instagram account of mine to say it’s that the older you get, the more fun you can have. So live!

Find what you love and don’t listen to anyone who suggests that you’re too old for anything.

Work out what it is that lights you up. You can’t beat a list so tell me - what’s the one thing you love that you’re going to do more of this year? You never know, you might give someone a whole new idea - and change their year.

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Dec 26

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Happy Christmas everyone!

Today (Boxing Day) feels like the first time for ages that I’ve been completely empty headed… which means I don’t have anything remotely profound to say but here are some of my favourite Christmas moments.

Over the last week I’ve just been making the most of having my boys back at home after a year of seeing nowhere near enough of them and it feels so good to have the house filled with their chat, mess and laughter again (maybe not the piles of smelly trainers by each door but I’ll live with that).

Anyway I just wanted to take a moment to catch up with you and say thank you for staying with this much neglected Instagram feed of mine this year - I haven’t posted anywhere near often enough but my day job’s been frantic and there just hasn’t been time - I’m determined to get back on track with #aglessstyle in the months to come though.

Until then, I hope your Christmas has been everything you hoped it would be so far… and that you have happy days rolling out ahead of you all the way to 2024 and beyond.

#midlifechic #christmas #christmas2023 #familychristmas #christmasstyle

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Sep 26

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Greek Island hopping part 1

There’s something about your grown up children heading off in new directions that makes you long for adventures of your own isn’t there?

This university term sees our youngest moving on for a year in Spain so as he goes in his own direction we’ve packed rucksacks of our own, taken 3 weeks off work and explored the Cyclades Islands.

Our first stop here was Santorini - geologically beautiful - I’m so glad I’ve seen it but… it was overcrowded and overpriced so we didn’t stay long.

And that’s been the joy of this trip so far - the ability to go where want to, when we want to and how we want to… recapturing our 20 year old selves by retracing 1980s inter-railing memories… travelling light and feeling free.

It’s been so much more than a holiday - we’re not travelling to escape life, we’re travelling so that life doesn’t escape us… for a little while at least. Hopefully one day we’ll travel for even longer.

#greekislandhopping #emptynestadventures #midlifetravel #midlifetravelblogger #agelessstyle #agelesschic #over50travel #over50blogger #midlifechic #santoriniview

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Sep 7

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Midlife lessons 1001 🫨 – midlife gets even better when you make new friends who share the same interests as you - in this case travel, food, wine and dancing…

This was our weekend in Porto spent with friends we made a few years ago through my Midlifechic blog. We live far away from each other so we usually only manage to get together once a year and I guess it was a risk booking a long weekend with people we’ve only known for a little while but as you can see it went brilliantly.

And if ever there’s a time to take risks that might bring happiness it’s in midlife when you have (a little) less time ahead of you than you have behind you.

I’m noticing a bit of a branching off in midlife - some people choose to grow older comfortably while others still have energy to burn, neither way is right or wrong. I’ll always love my old friends but I’m finding quite a few of them don’t want to stay up late and laugh till their sides hurt any more like I do so I’m learning that if I put time into doing the things I love, I find a new tribe. And with that I give a very big shout out to the 49,862 women who read my blog every week and the conversations we have there about living midlife to the full.

So here’s to friendships old and friendships new, to doing life your way and squeezing the pips out of it, however old or young you are.

#porto #friendship #emptynestadventures #midlife #travelblogger #midlifechic #over50style

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Aug 4

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Ad/PR trip Are you looking for a UK holiday base that works even when it rains? This was our weekend in Cornwall and the weather gave us a little bit of everything but it didn’t stop us having a good time.

We were staying in a very luxurious lodge thanks to @lovatparks who are the UK’s first B Corp certified holiday park company. The lodges are huge which is great when you just want to relax in your own space and they have them in Norfolk, Suffolk and The New Forest as well as Cornwall. Ours was surrounded by woods and wild flowers, it was just a stunning place to be.

You can rent a lodge like ours or even own one and if you want to offset the cost, Lovat will manage the lettings and keep everything pristine for you so it’s a great way of owning a second home without damaging the local community.

I’m talking all about what it was like and what we got up to in this week’s blogpost on Midlifechic. Link at the top ⬆️

#LovatParksOwnership #OwnWithLovat #staycation #Cornwall #ukholiday #britishholiday #emptynestadventures

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Jul 24

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Ad/PR stay| Well it isn’t often that I’m reluctant to be driving back to The North but Cornwall - you may just have converted me to southern ways! Here are a few moments from a relaxing weekend in Penmarlem. We have a very busy work time coming up and won’t see much of each other for the next couple of months so it was just what we needed… a bit of time to reconnect before the madness begins.

And I’d forgotten just how beautiful Cornwall is… very English and yet quite distinct too. It gave us great walks, good hearty food and a whole lot of laughter… largely thanks to its crazy weather (and our daft dog Ted who was in mad holiday mode).

In the rush to travel it’s easy to forget what we have in this country isn’t it? - wild seascapes… rugged cliffs…wooded walks… fish and chips…cream teas… Cornish pasties… fudge… (you won’t be remotely surprised to hear I’m travelling home in an elasticated waist!)

Disclosure - we were invited to review @lovatparks, the UK’s first B Corp holiday park group. They have a total focus on luxurious but sustainable British holidays. You can rent their lodges or even better, buy one of your very own. You can find them in a few different UK destinations; Penmarlem was a peaceful escape and yet close to everything this beautiful part of Cornwall has to offer.

#LovatParksOwnership #OwnWithLovat #emptynestadventures #emptynesttravel #cornwall #fowey

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Jul 14

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Pockets of family joy from yesterday and the middle boy’s graduation. I hadn’t expected the whole thing to feel so emotional but as I watched him go up onto the stage to collect his scroll, all I could think of was the tiny boy coming home from his first day at school as this whole education journey began.

I’m so proud of him for making it to this final stage - the UK’s education system doesn’t make it easy for creatives to thrive and they often have to fight so very hard to make their way through the exam driven curriculum. It was really sad to see how few Arts students there were graduating yesterday because we need them.

I know that STEM subjects are important but I doubt that there’s anyone, anywhere in the world whose life isn’t made better every day by a song… a story… a picture… or something great on TV…

So here’s to all of the students graduating in 2023 who began their university days during lockdown without the freedom of the usual student experience. And a special cheer to the creatives - you bring so much to the world and you aren’t appreciated anywhere near enough.

And our particular love to our boy - you did it! We were so pleased to be there with you yesterday and as you step out into your world, you’ll always have the four of us behind you. You make us laugh. You make us proud. You often make us roll our eyes too but we love you. Well done my boy, well done.

#graduation #graduationday #familylove #agelessstyle

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Jul 7

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I know I said I’d post while we were away last week but in the end we decided to switch off and have a complete break - sometimes you just need to put your phone away and live your life don’t you?

Anyway here are a few outfits for those who like pictures - and the full story (with outfit details) is in this week’s blog post, link ⬆️.

We ended up scrapping our ‘to see list’ and just enjoying city life… but which city was it… can you tell?

#agelessstyle #styleover50 #holidaystyle #citybreakoutfits

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Jun 2

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Another birthday celebrated (56 this time) with a little road trip to find the youngest who’s at uni in Dijon.

I posted most of these outfits on Stories but a few people said they’d like to see what I packed a bit more clearly so here you go - and yes it did all fit in a carry-on case. All details are in today’s blog post on Midlifechic - link at the top ⬆️.

Anyway who needs French sunshine when we have weather like this at home?… (and let’s hope I haven’t just jinxed it!)

#agelessstyle #midlifeblogger #midlifestyle #wiw #ootd #holidaystyle #summerholiday #summerinfrance #burgundy #frenchtrip #holidaypacking

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Apr 19

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Today I’m celebrating little businesses everywhere that go the extra mile for their customers. For me it’s a new optician and I’m not sure what it tells you when a high point of your week is getting new glasses but… they’ve encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone towards stronger shapes.

There’s a theory that your face changes as you age… I’m not going to say it deflates and drops 🤦‍♀️… just that you have more defined contours and so you can take a more architectural frame.

My new optician helped me to find new shapes and then worked hard to get my prescription exactly right (actually the one I had from a big, highly advertised chain was so far off it’s almost a scandal). They also went the extra mile to get me new prescription sunglasses made in a matter of days when we were going away.

Now I’m slowly replacing all of my glasses and sunglasses. It’s expensive starting again but it’ll be worth it. Even though it’s an hour’s drive for me to get there (@hardwickoptom), I’m happy to do it for the extra service they give.

So here’s a shout out for all of the small businesses who care more than the big ones because if ever there was a time to think extra carefully about where you spend your money, it’s now.

Do you have a caring independent retailer that you’d like to give a shout out to here? It doesn’t matter where they’re from, there will be people from all over the place reading these comments…

#glasses #loveglasses #glassesstyle
#agelessstyle #smallbusinessuk

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Apr 6

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What’s new @johnlewis

Ad – hasn’t it felt a bit more like spring over the last few days? It’s made me feel ready for a wardrobe switchover so I spent a happy day trying out new jeans shapes last week – there are so many different cuts around at the moment that it’s hard to know what’ll suit you without a bit of experimentation. Anyway I’ll be your guinea pig - flick through my pictures and see how different shapes looked on me.

As well as doing a try-on I spent an hour with one of JL’s independent beauty experts learning new midlife make-up tricks - she showed me ways of playing with products to give my face a bit of a lift – I hadn’t realised that bronzer can work better on a midlife face when it’s placed slightly above the cheekbones… and that blusher can work a bit of magic when you know how to apply it correctly to your changing face.

There isn’t space to give you all the detail here but you can read about the fit of the different jeans and see more of the make-up application tips in my last two blogposts on Midlifechic, link ⬆️. Hopefully by the end of it you’ll feel inspired for the sunny days that are just around the corner.

Whatever you’re doing I wish you a lovely long bank holiday weekend, I have all 3 of my boys home so I’m logging off and spending my time with them – Happy Easter everyone.

#agelessstyle #myjohnlewis #midlifebeauty

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Mar 19

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I'm feeling a bit wistful today because it's the first time in my 55 years that I haven't spent Mothering Sunday with either my mum or my sons. But sometimes life works out like that. Sometimes when things don't turn out as you'd hoped, you just have to reframe them.

My mum died a long time ago and although we didn't always have the easiest of relationships, we did in the end. As I grow older I find it easier to understand the difficult time she clearly had during menopause and it explains a lot... so today I’m looking back on the often fierce love that she had for me and I'm grateful for it.

As for my own boys, they're out in the world living their lives, just as I wanted them to. I've spent good times with each one of them this month, today it's just bad luck that they have imminent work and uni deadlines.

I think we all know that the love between a mum and her children bends and stretches but it doesn't break. The feelings are there 365 days a year, not just on one day in March - even when you don't have a mum any more.

So if today isn’t turning out to be the perfect Mother’s Day for you… of flowers and lunches and Hallmark cards… just remember that. Because the love between a mother and her children is like starlight - it never dies.

#mothersday #motheringsundayuk #motheringsunday #mothersdaythoughts #motherlove #mumlove #remembering #family #mumofboys #mumof3 #mumofsons #mothersdayeveryday

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Mar 17

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Oh March - it’s nearly always a bit of a letdown isn’t it? Full of the promise of spring but never delivering…

… I’ve set myself a mission to spend every weekend away from the lure of the sofa and a boxset so this was last weekend, chilling in Newcastle. In my view there isn’t a better city in the world with warmer people… Liverpool comes a close second but tell me if you know another!
Anyway this is what we did:

1. Arriving just in time for last orders at our favourite pub. As well as a lot of lovely messages after my Story last week I had a few saying I shouldn’t wear a mini at 55 - well guess what? I’m wearing a different one today!
2. Saturday morning coffee in my favourite spot
3. A shortcut to the shops (you just can’t beat the OG Fenwick’s in my book)
4. The first al fresco lunch of the year (with snow on the ground - only slightly chilly🥶!)
5. A spot of culture at the Great North Museum (which has very little to do with the North but never mind)
6. A Saturday night movie (all the love for @everymancinema)
7. A cocktail on the way home (had to be done)
8. A Sunday market breakfast ‘Geordie banger’ (enough said)
9. Lovely morning spent with Mum-in-Law (it was a dementia ‘good day’ 😍)
10. And lunch with the starving student (so good to see his smiling face again ❤️)

This weekend holds something completely different. March (and mini skirt haters) you won’t get me down - so keep an eye on my Stories ⬆️😉

#newcastle #jesmond #newcastleupontyne #midlifewoman #midlifeblogger #travelblogger #lifestyleblogger #over50styleblogger #emptynest #wiw #ootd #agelessstyle

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Mar 10

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Mar 1

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Jeans are the thing I’m asked about most often on my blog so as I pulled on the pair I wear more than any others this morning, I thought I’d talk about them here because they’ve been my everyday favourites for over four years now.

I know lots of people struggle to find a pair they love that fit really well and get even better with each wash. These are a mid rise, slim straight cut with subtle fading down the front that makes your thigh look narrower.

They come as full length but I have mine cropped to an inch above my ankle bone which is the spot that works best for me on an everyday basis. It means I can wear them with trainers or boots in the day or dress them up with heels for going out at night.

You can click through to them from the pictures, they’re the Silverlakes from And/Or @johnlewis and this is not a gifted or paid for post, just a genuine recommendation with a few pictures of different ways I wear them at this time of year.

The thing is you don’t always need to buy new do you? You just need to buy the right thing and then wear it till it falls apart.

#jeans #jeansstyle #jeanswear #myjohnlewis #agelessstyle #midlifestyle #midlifestyletips #over50style #over50blogger #midlifefashion

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Feb 28

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Paid partnership with @rodenstock_official

As lots of you know, I’ve always used a standard high street optician for my glasses but my eyes have never felt quite right if that makes sense. And as I find I’m now wearing them more and more often it really matters.

Last week though that changed and I want to explain why.

Did you know that 98% of people are wearing glasses with lenses that don’t fit their eyes?

That’s because the lenses are measured from only one point in the middle of the eye. But we move our eyes all the time and to see clearly we need to have focus in our peripheral vision too. We need to be able to see more than just what’s right in front of us.

To fix this problem Rodenstock have created biometric vision.

Using a special ‘DNEye Scanner’ they measure not just one but over 7000 data points from every part of your eye.

It creates a unique biometric model so that your lens will fit you - and only you.

You can choose from Rodenstock’s wide range of fashionable frames which are then digitally scanned on your face to make sure they sit perfectly.

All of the data is transferred to the manufacturing stage and your lenses are crafted so that they’re completely bespoke for your eyes.

When you put your new glasses on it feels like rolling back the years - you can see everything clearly again. It’s crystal clear from every angle whichever way your eye turns - at dusk as well as during the day.

It really is so different to wearing standard, mass produced lenses. You can find Rodenstock at high quality independent opticians around the world.

#rodenstock #rodenstockeyewear #strongvoiceseurope #bigvisionforall #glasses #glassesstyle #glassesgirl #newglasses #agelessstyle #positiveageing

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