Instagram – On the road @midlifechic
Have you thought about a break in Mexico City? Vibrant streets, fabulous food, and layer upon layer of history? Let me show you just how much you can pack into 5 days. (All details on my blog but here’s a taster)
The weird thing is that not many people I’ve spoken to in the UK have thought of travelling through Mexico.
And yet it has it all - all the culture and all the fun too. Because there’s tequila… and then there’s dancing…
And at this stage of life there should always be dancing
#méxicocity #mexico #midlifeadventures #midlifetravelblogger
25 years ago today!
Happy silver wedding anniversary my precious husband. Thank you for 25 years of everything.
I thank you for all of the sunny days we’ve had, bursting with joy and laughter and dancing.
And I thank you for the tough times too - when life’s been full of struggle and loss and disappointment.
You are the person I turn to when I’m bursting with joy… when I’m wracked with sorrow… when something needs fixing… when I need you to make me laugh… when I’m tired… when I’m lost… and every other time in between.
And now I look forward to spending the rest of my life by your side.
Because I love you Mal Garnett.
Always.
#midlifelove #silverweddinganniversary
It’s one of those midlife moments that can easily slip by but my eldest son hitting his 29th birthday today means I’ve been a mum for exactly half of my life and it feels important… probably only to me but there you go.
So happy birthday my precious boy, I’m so glad we’re spending it with you. Thank you for making the second half of my life such a big adventure ❤️
#midlife #family #midlifemusings
#AD The results are in from my Full Body Plus Health Assessment with @vistahealthuk.
You might remember that my big worry was my family history of early onset cardiac problems - have the preventative measures that I’ve taken over the last 20 years in terms of diet and exercise (and dancing!) helped me to have a better outcome than my parents and siblings?
And were there any surprises?
Watch and see!
I’ve come away with a clear picture of what I need to do right now to try to keep on ageing positively, to make sure that I have lots of life in my years.
I now feel much more confident about what I can do… and where I need to exercise a bit of caution. With a whole new year ahead it’s great information to have.
#VistaHealth #MidlifeClarity
Ad| I’ve been test driving knits from cosy @seasaltcornwall in the wintry far north where festive spirit is already flowing over.
And it’s cold - you need good knitwear up here - even though you don’t see a lot of jumpers ‘oot on the toon’ on a Saturday night!
1,2 & 3 A Christmassy knit for markets and mulled cider - bring your own pasty… (undoubtedly not as good as the Cornish ones)
4,5 &6 A Fair Isle cardigan for lunch out and I found an old copy of Heidi that on the bookshelves… (who remembers rushing home to watch it on TV after school in the 70s? Isn’t hard to compute a life without catch-up?)
7,8 &9 Wrapped up for a winter walk with a view… (not of Cornish cliffs… but urban landscapes have their own beauty don’t you think?)
#agelessstyle #winteroutfitideas #knitwear #styleover50
A fantastic chat as always with my friend @claudiabradby who is always on my desert island disc list of people I love to talk to.
We talked about the issue of midlife confidence, how hard it is to hold it and yet how important it is to make the most of this stage of life because ‘if not now… then when?’
And we told the story of the jewellery collection we’ve worked on together which is designed to be a mantra that reminds you just to be happy with who you are.
You can find our ‘bien dans ma peau’ collaboration on Claudia’s site now
#AD As I mentioned a little while ago, I’ve been planning to go for Full Body Plus Health Assessment with @vistahealthuk. This is what happened when I went to the clinic for my private health screening.
I’d already had a chat about my health and family history with one of their GPs. Given that we have a high incidence of cardiac issues at a young age, he recommended that I have a CT scan as well as blood tests and a full body MRI scan.
That way with my family’s cardiac issues in mind, we’d know exactly how well my heart’s faring up as well as my brain, my spine and my other organs.
The thought of it was a bit daunting but I felt as if I was taking control of my health. On the day, everything was quick and efficient, all I had to do was lie-down and listen to the radio for a couple of hours.
Now I just have to wait for the results which will arrive in the next few days. They’ll give me a really clear picture of how well everything’s working, if there’s anything that needs following up with and I’ll be able to work out if there are any lifestyle adjustments I need to make.
It could be life changing. I’ll tell you more about what they found soon - watch this space.
#VistaHealth #MidlifeClarity
#AD I think a lot of us who’ve reached midlife start to realise that it’s a new beginning - a time when life begins to open up… and if we’re lucky the years ahead look full of promise with opportunities to work less and have a lot more fun.
It’s when you start to plan for new hobbies... dream of big trips... and all your other ‘if not now, whens’ - you’re ready to embrace every experience.
So I do my best to stay well but I’ve been wanting to truly understand my body better by knowing what’s going on underneath which is why I’m going for a complete health check with a Full Body Plus Health Assessment from @vistahealthuk.
They offer private diagnostic and health screening services with same-day scan appointments and no waiting lists - all over the UK.
Over the next few weeks, you’ll see what happens when I have my appointment - and what changes it tells me I need to make if I want to squeeze this next stage of life to the pips.
Apparently three quarters of midlifers worry about their health and many find it hard to prioritise the basics, such as getting the right amount of exercise and healthy food - and I’m the same… I do my best but I’m busy.
So, this is going to be a slightly scary but very interesting project - is your future health something you ponder over - or are you confident that all will be well?
#VistaHealth #MidlifeClarity
2025’s running on double speed - I saw a house taking their Halloween decorations down today and replacing them with Christmas 😳.
I thought I’d better get my October moments in quickly - most of them in the glorious city of Newcastle where the sun (nearly) always shines and the people definitely always smile.
My happy place…
#newcastleupontyne #midlifechic #agelessstyle #over50blogger #wiw
Ah summer 2025… you finally showed your face in The North… and then you were gone again - I guess that’s it!
I have loads of photos that haven’t seen the light on Instagram so I’m madly adding my 20 favourite summer outfits and moments before we’re all wrapped up in jumpers again.
From these pictures you’d think my summer was full of perfect moments wouldn’t you? But it hasn’t all been sparkles and sunshine - our family’s shared a hefty dose of the sadder side of life as well.
And that’s why I prefer blogging to Instagram… because I can tell the stories behind the pictures- every Friday.
When you look at a picture-led platform like this don’t forget that it doesn’t tell you everything… but it is a great way to remember that there are always pockets of joy.
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(PS thank you to my husband Mal for the photos and the moments. You have the eye of Avedon and the patience of a saint!)
#agelessstyle #over50blogger #midlifechic #ootd #over50style #summer25 #midlifestyle #wiw
Throwback to the Midlifechic + Claudia Bradby overnighter last weekend when 40 midlife women came to Birmingham as strangers and left as friends.
We crammed so much into our two days - a bit of shopping, a bit of history, some serious chat about the ups and downs of midlife as well as a lot of other conversations, laughter and even a bit of a boogie!
So many people see ageing as a negative thing but this was absolutely about the sheer joy that you can find in being an older woman and it multiplies when you get together with like minds.
I’ve written all about what we did and why in this week’s blog post on Midlifechic - that’s the place to go if you’d like to join us at our next event and be part of a community of thinking midlife women (who just happen to also like clothes!).
A huge thank you to @Malmaison for hosting us and to every single one of you who came along with an open heart and an open mind ❤️
#midlife #agelessstyle #malmaisonbirmingham #over50women #midlifeadventures
The happiest of days this week - my youngest son graduating scores me a hat-trick… (and brings a huge sigh of relief that they’re now all finally off the payroll!)
I’m so proud of him and everything he’s done to get to this day - my brilliant linguist with his degree in French and Spanish… but it’s a bittersweet time as well.
Everywhere I look there are parents with children enjoying the school holidays and it’s struck home that the whole rhythm of life as a family that revolves around term times is now over for us - once and for all.
So those of you who read my blog won’t be surprised to hear that tonight’s post is all about that - mixed emotions… and how it feels when your lastborn graduates.
Endings and new beginnings are always strange times for parents aren’t they? Or is it just me?
#midlifechic #mumofboys #graduation #leedsuniversity #graduationday #agelessstyle #over50blogger #familylove
