Black Friday 2024 – best offers compendium

By |2024-11-29T09:32:18+00:00November 29th, 2024|Categories: Christmas, Sale|Tags: , , , |

Hello and happy Friday. I think this is when most of us try to complete our Christmas shopping so I won’t talk for long. Instead I’m bringing you a compendium of the best Black Friday 2024 offers. I’m being sent them by the dozen every day so I'm sifting out the best as I go along and I’ll add more as they keep coming in. This is what's live so far - Black Friday 2023 – best offers compendium. Black [...]

Smaller gifts and stocking fillers 2024

By |2024-11-28T11:40:12+00:00November 26th, 2024|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , |

This is the last of my gift ideas posts. I woke up on Saturday feeling really stressed about presents because I hadn't bought a single one so my whole weekend was dedicated to shopping and I feel better knowing it's just about done. The trap I fall into next is seeing 'just one more little thing' pop up for the boys - I'm determined to resist this year because musketeers style if I buy one for one, I have to [...]

Travel gifts – the promise of good times ahead

By |2024-11-22T17:05:28+00:00November 22nd, 2024|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

Over the last few years I've found that some of the gifts I enjoy receiving most at Christmas are travel related. I think so many of us have everything we need by midlife that increasingly our budget goes more towards the experiential - concerts, theatre, weekends away, trips and holidays so there's something joyful about unwrapping a present that hints at pleasures to come when the dark days of winter are over. And they're gifts that give twice the [...]

Gifts for you and the women in your life

By |2024-11-25T17:07:03+00:00November 20th, 2024|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Hair & Beauty|Tags: , , , |

Ok so this is the first of three gift posts I'm doing this year and as always, I'm trying to make them truly useful rather than just the pretty but pointless ideas you see in the pages of magazines. Today's theme is 'gifts for you and the women in your life.' It consists of all kinds of things I've been meaning to tell you about and it will give you ideas for the women you love. Or, more importantly, answers [...]

Great party finds at M&S

By |2024-11-20T13:37:34+00:00November 19th, 2024|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

With M&S being on such good form this season I've been waiting with interest to see what they'd bring out for Christmas. I've seen glimpses in various press releases and then I just happened to be in the Oxford Street store when they were putting it all out. It meant I was able to spend a happy couple of hours playing around with everything - dresses, tops, skirts, accessories... and there are some great party finds at M&S. This is [...]

Making midlife outfits stand out

By |2024-11-15T16:59:40+00:00November 15th, 2024|Categories: Christmas, Style, Style Seminars|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Tuesday's intro post about getting your wardrobe ready for December's festivities was a long one but I hope you've managed to read it because this year Christmas comes in from the cold years of the Covid pandemic and there's a lot to talk about. Today I'm going to be referring back to the four pillars of festive dressing that I highlighted and bringing the theory to life. Feedback from the reader get together was that you're enjoying the posts where [...]

Updating your festive wardrobe for 2024 – bumper post!

By |2024-11-15T17:03:11+00:00November 12th, 2024|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

My goodness it feels like ages since I've worked on a post about getting dressed up. The Christmases since the Covid pandemic have been so subdued that at a retail level it hasn't made sense to stock a lot of partywear. Well I can tell you that it's all changed this season. I spent an afternoon analysing the London stores last week when I was down for the get together and they were like a huge dressing up box. It's [...]

Winter outfit building – working with texture

By |2024-11-15T17:05:16+00:00November 8th, 2024|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Bonfire night has passed and so in the retail calendar it is now officially time for Christmas to begin. At least that was the rule when I worked in various head offices, these days it starts popping up after August Bank Holiday but we won't go there. Anyway today I'm easing you into it gently with some simple elevated outfits that aren't just for Christmas, they're things that you can wear throughout the winter season and even beyond. I'm working [...]

A surprise trip to Amsterdam & goodbye to 2023

By |2023-12-19T16:46:20+00:00December 19th, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Last week I left you just before we went away for the surprise break that Mal had planned. We set off very early on the Thursday to get to Manchester airport and had a rather anxious drive there because the motorway traffic was awful so it was a rush to the gate... and just as we got there the flight was cancelled. Sudden bad weather over Europe was causing chaos. Of the many travel disruptions we've experienced this [...]

Last minute Christmas outfits

By |2023-12-08T10:28:02+00:00December 8th, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

And so I find myself at the last Boden edit of the year which feels like a milestone so I just want to start by thanking them for being such loyal supporters of this blog - and for listening to what everyone here has to say. They've had a very successful season, so much so that when it came to putting a post about last minute Christmas outfits together it was a challenge finding pieces that hadn't sold out. It [...]

Christmas 2023 finishing touches – a cornucopia round-up

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

Christmas 2023 - finishing touches You can tell I've spent the last few days completely immersed in Christmas... in a panic trying to get everything ready before this weekend's little surprise trip away. I'm nearly there now and so I'm writing this post quickly as I go along, tying up all of the last little details - Christmas 23 - finishing touches to make it extra special. Disclosure: as with the majority of blogs, products featured [...]

Small business recommendations – old and new

By |2023-12-05T17:27:48+00:00December 1st, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , |

Hello, how are you? Hanging on in there or delighted to be in the heady approach to Christmas? I'm just approaching the bridge that will take me from one state to another, I reckon I have one more week of life being ultra hectic and then I'll be able to breathe out. Thank you for keeping on reading while posts have been a little shorter, I've just about finished with my Christmas prep posts now, soon we'll be back to [...]

Christmas 2023 – letterbox gifts by post

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

Christmas 2023 - letterbox gifts by post I've had a few requests for this - thoughtful ideas that are easy to deliver through a letterbox so here we go, Christmas 2023 - letterbox gifts by post. And forgive me for being rushed this week but life's a bit full - I'll have more time to slow down and chat soon! Disclosure: as with the majority of blogs, products featured on Midlifechic sometimes (but not always) include [...]

Christmas 2023 – Quirky Gifts

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

Christmas 2023 - quirky gifts Christmas 2023 - quirky gifts. I don't know about you but I find that everyone I know seems to have everything they need these days which makes present-buying really hard. So today's post is all about little surprises - unusual gifts that go beyond a nice pair of slippers, even though they can be lovely too. Disclosure: as with the majority of blogs, products featured on Midlifechic sometimes (but not always) [...]

Christmas 2023 – gifts with a purpose

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

Christmas 2023 - gifts with a purpose Christmas 2023 - gifts with a purpose - that sounds a bit heavy doesn't it? Don't worry, I'm not taking all of the fun out of Christmas, I'm just trying to come up with ideas that are worth spending the money on. I used to get so frustrated in my magazine days when we were directed just to pull together pretty pages filled with boring socks, soap and chocolates. Now I [...]

Boden review – retailer spotlight

By |2023-11-17T14:41:21+00:00November 14th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

So many of you have said you've enjoyed the retail spotlight posts that I'm bringing you one more for 2023. After this, they'll be on pause until January while we focus on Christmas and all of the prep that it entails. So today as well as doing my monthly edit, it's a Boden review - retailer spotlight. Let me bring you up to date with what's going on there. Boden - brand background in a [...]

Christmas 23 – what’s new at John Lewis this year?

By |2023-11-10T14:10:15+00:00November 10th, 2023|Categories: Christmas, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Disclosure: as with the majority of blogs, products featured on Midlifechic sometimes (but not always) include affiliate links. This means that if you choose to make a purchase, you are helping to support the site because a small referral commission may be paid. This contributes towards hosting fees, software costs, site maintenance and other plug-ins. Midlifechic could not exist without these small payments, so every contribution makes a big difference. So how are you doing? Have you had [...]

Christmas 23 – easy outfit ideas to get you in the mood

By |2023-11-03T13:46:21+00:00November 3rd, 2023|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

It’s time to start thinking about the big day next month – yes I mean Christmas. And if you feel it’s too early, spare a thought for those of us who work in retail and had to start planning it in January! I’m easing in slowly today with Christmas 23 - easy outfit ideas to get you in the mood. Starting to think about whatever you have planned will help you to ease towards the festive feeling. I don’t [...]

Midlife lately – a January catch up

By |2023-01-27T10:59:23+00:00January 27th, 2023|Categories: Midlife, Style, Work life balance|Tags: , , , , , , |

I'm posting early because I have an exciting afternoon ahead - it's our NW reader meet-up and I'm so glad it's here to bring light into January. So how's your month going? Chilly isn't it? I think I'd rather have it this way than just damp and grey though. There's something special about this time of year when the earth seems to be sleeping until you look more closely and see the shoots starting to come through, signs that soon [...]

Wishing you a cosy Christmas – 2022 over and out!

By |2023-01-12T13:30:58+00:00December 16th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Midlife, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

So here we are with my final post of the year, wishing you a cosy Christmas. I don't know about you but we're limping towards it. We both came back from our week of work travel full of cold and I'm running on a single cylinder so I'm signing off earlier than planned. Before I go though, let's have one last catch-up. I confess photos haven't been on my mind so I've had to scrabble about to put this [...]

Midlife lately – behind the scenes

By |2022-12-09T16:35:25+00:00December 9th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Midlife, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Well I said I'd do a catch-up today and it shows how focused on Christmas prep I've been when I have photos and moments going all the way back to the end of October. As you know, I like this blog to be a reflection of a real midlife and while I've been busy getting everything ready for what will hopefully be a fun-filled Christmas, everyday stuff has been going on - as it always does. November, in particular, was [...]

Last minute Christmas details – home, style & beauty

By |2022-12-02T16:39:28+00:00December 2nd, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Interiors, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

And just like that we're in December! I'm bringing you that last of my Christmas prepping posts today, after this we'll be back to chatting about real life until the end of the year and we have a lot to catch up on because November was a funny old month for us. However we'll talk about that soon, for now I have my final post with John Lewis & Partners for 2022 and it's all about last minute Christmas [...]

Black Friday 2022 – best offers directory

By |2023-11-15T10:19:18+00:00November 25th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Sale|Tags: , , , |

Hello and Happy Friday. I think for most of us this is the  weekend when we try to complete our Christmas shopping so I won't talk for long. Instead I'm bringing you a compendium of the best Black Friday 2022 offers. I've been sent hundreds of them this week so I've sifted out the strongest discounts and I'll add to them if/when they change throughout the day. Let's get started with a Black Friday 2022 - best offers directory... [...]

Gifts for the hard to buy for

By |2022-11-18T17:05:52+00:00November 18th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

This is the last of my Christmas gift posts for 2022. I don't think any of us are planning to go overboard on 'stuff' this year and it won't be a bad thing if Christmas is recalibrated back to being more about a meaningful time with people we love than the madness of obligation that it's become since we were children. So today I've pulled together some ideas for gifts for the hard to buy for. We all have people [...]

Thoughtful Christmas Gifts For Men 2022

By |2022-11-15T16:39:06+00:00November 15th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

Hello, Happy Tuesday, I hope your week's going well so far. I'm finding the gift edits harder than ever to put together this year because we all want every pound we spend to count. However, I'm continuing with my 'everything must be either beautiful or useful' mantra and here are a few ideas for thoughtful Christmas gifts for men that go beyond the usual socks and dad joke related stuff. And as I go along, you'll probably be able to [...]

Christmassy outfits that are not just for Christmas

By |2022-11-11T20:43:25+00:00November 11th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

As we're getting into the swing of Christmas now, for my last Boden edit of the year it made sense to look at what we might wear when we're in the mood to look festive. Every year, at the end of November ( for me anyway) there comes a morning where I suddenly want to move away from my autumn clothes and add a little touch of something extra to my outfits. And that's what today's post is going [...]

Thoughtful Christmas Gifts For Women – 2022

By |2022-11-14T15:19:32+00:00November 8th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

I thought I'd start this year's gift posts with ideas for us - let's put ourselves first for once. Actually I think midlife women are the hardest to buy for so this has been one of my most difficult posts to research. We're at the stage in life where we know what we like and substitutes won't do, plus we tend to already have most things we want so unless it's a great new discovery, we're not really bothered [...]

Early Christmas moments – savouring November

By |2022-11-07T09:42:02+00:00November 4th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Interiors, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

It's always a bit of a shock isn't it? Over the last few years life has started to tip straight from Autumn and Halloween into Christmas. This year it's worth being organised though because we're all watching our budgets and nothing makes you overspend as much as a bout of unplanned, late and therefore frenzy driven shopping. So today I'm going to break you gently into a little bit of early Christmas prep with John Lewis and Partners by [...]

So that was Christmas! Hello 2022…

By |2022-01-14T14:21:57+00:00January 14th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

So that was Christmas! Hello 2022 - I'm wishing a rather belated Happy New Year to you. As you'll have gathered if you follow my Instagram account, our Christmas was lovely but not quite the one we expected because along with so many others, I went down with Covid. It meant that I took last week off to recoup some of my lost time with the boys before they went back - and to recover a bit. So there aren't [...]

What I’ve been wearing and doing this week – pre-Christmas outfits

By |2021-12-15T17:13:19+00:00December 15th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

And hello - as promised a Wednesday post which throws things out a bit but life has been going at a gallop and it's the only time I can find to fit one in. Today all I have for you are snaps of what I've been wearing and doing this week - pre-Christmas outfits. Photos are never very good at this time of year when it barely seems to be light before it gets dark again, we've had miserable grey [...]

Making the run up to Christmas feel special

By |2021-12-10T11:09:51+00:00December 10th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Family, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

Well in one way or another it's beginning to feel a bit like Christmas isn't it? I still can't quite believe it's only a fortnight away, perhaps because we don't have any of the usual Christmas counting down going on here - things like the boys opening their advent calendars after breakfast or the pleasure of adding little Christmas surprises into their lunchboxes. A few of you have mentioned that you're finding it harder to get into the mood this [...]

Winter outfits as we build up to Christmas – women over 50

By |2021-12-03T18:34:23+00:00December 3rd, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello and Happy Friday everyone. With the last few posts focusing on Christmas gifts it feels like a while since we've had a catch-up so today I bring you an assortment of outfit pictures with a bit of chat in between. It's a funny old time again isn't it? Just a week ago we went to our first Christmas party, marvelling at how normal everything felt and then within a few days there's a new named variant and we're all [...]

Black Friday directory – best UK high street offers

By |2021-11-26T10:17:56+00:00November 26th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Sale|Tags: , , , |

Well here we are again, Black Friday which whether you like it or not isn't going anywhere. At this particularly difficult point in global retail history there are some strong offers from retailers who need to get cash flowing; some will be watching it anxiously knowing that it dictates their survival. So I'm going to list the best offers here, I know some of you prefer to avoid it but that's not a moral privilege that's open to everyone - [...]

Gifts for women – big and small brands

By |2022-09-23T22:11:46+01:00November 23rd, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Hair & Beauty|Tags: , , , |

And so we come to the last of my Christmas gift posts - Gifts for women and as with the others, not everything is just for women, lots of these ideas would work for men too. I'm structuring it differently this time, starting with the big brands we know and love and then moving on to feature a few ideas from smaller brands. Ever since bloggers fell out of favour I find that very few small brands get in touch [...]

Thoughtful Christmas gifts for men 2021

By |2022-08-04T15:05:26+01:00November 19th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

Phew - it's been a busy week of blogging, I hope you're not getting sick of me. Today it's all about the men in your life and as always I've tried really hard to find things that are either meaningful or useful. I should add that a lot of these gifts would work just as well for women - and I've included some that can be enjoyed by couples too, the best of both worlds. So let's crack on with [...]

The joy of a Christmas outfit trying-on session

By |2021-11-17T16:53:49+00:00November 17th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Ah the joy of a Christmas outfit trying-on session at John Lewis & Partners - I loved every minute of it and I'm hoping I have a little something for everyone today because there are so many different ideas. But before we go on, let's recap. In my first post about dressing for Christmas this year, we talked about how the approach is changing; lots of retailers and consumers are trying to be more thoughtful about creating capsules that will [...]

Christmas gifts for teens and young adults 2021

By |2022-09-23T22:12:56+01:00November 16th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

So many of you have told me you've been waiting for the 'Christmas gifts for teens and young adults 2021' post that I'm starting it rather nervously. As always I tasked my troops with helping me but this year the first thing they warned me was that it might be the last time. You see at the moment 'new stuff' isn't cool; when you talk to millennials and Gen Z they're all buying vintage which is great... but it doesn't [...]

Christmas shopping shortcuts with John Lewis & Partners

By |2021-11-12T16:59:49+00:00November 12th, 2021|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , |

And drum roll... just like that it's time for the first of my Christmas gift posts. Today I'm taking you on a virtual shopping trip with me and showing you some Christmas shopping shortcuts at John Lewis & Partners. Over the next two weeks I'll have three more gift ideas posts including all kinds of things dedicated to: teens/young adults, men and women and I'll try to include suggestions that you might not have thought of before. I do have [...]

A different way of dressing for Christmas 2021

By |2021-11-09T17:07:24+00:00November 9th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

This is a gentler opening of my Christmas posts than I imagined back in the summer months when I first started planning my calendar with the retailers who do so much to support this blog. You see we're all going to find the landscape quite different at the upper end of the high street this year as we start to think about what to wear over the festive season. A lot of retailers are giving us a different way of [...]

Goodbye 2020 and hello lockdown 3.0

By |2021-01-08T16:20:06+00:00January 8th, 2021|Categories: Family, Midlife, Project Happier, Relationships|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Well hello! How are you? I hope your 2020 ended with a Christmas that meant something to you, even if it was a bit different - and that you feel in some way restored. Hitting a new year in a state of extreme lockdown wasn't what any of us were hoping for but we'll get through it together. Today I'm going to do a quick Christmas recap for my memory bank and then I'll share the way that I'm going [...]

Midlifechic 2020 – over and out

By |2020-12-18T18:23:16+00:00December 18th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Family, Midlife, Project Happier, Relationships|Tags: , , , |

My last post for 2020 - wow what a year. In fact I almost feel I should leave it at that because what can I say? I don't have enough perspective to review it dispassionately yet but I thought I'd share my immediate reflections here, even if only because one day I hope this will be an interesting sociological record to look back on. So I'm going to do it in my usual way, starting with the downs, moving on [...]

‘Twas the week before Christmas – what I wore and a festive appeal

By |2020-12-16T09:54:58+00:00December 15th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Well how are you? Full of beans and ready for the Christmas break or limping and just desperate to get there? I confess that I'm in the latter camp. I woke up yesterday wondering what on earth was wrong with me because I felt as though every last ounce of energy had left my body. I had a flu jab on Saturday so at first I thought it must be that but then I mentioned how I was feeling in [...]

Wrapping up Christmas – the last little details

By |2020-12-08T16:59:37+00:00December 8th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Hair & Beauty, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Thank you for your comments and messages after my last post, I'm going to reply to them tomorrow but before that I have a few last thoughts about Christmas to share. Now that my nest is full again I'm finding myself drumming my fingers and waiting for Christmas to begin but as it is, we're all still busy with work, lectures and school, limping slightly as we see the end ahead. This is the last of my posts with John [...]

Midlife lately and what I wore in November

By |2020-12-04T21:16:24+00:00December 4th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Midlife, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

It's been a while since we had a midlife lately catch up because I've been so busy with everything Christmas but it's starting to feel as though most of the planning is done now so I can come up for air. Wasn't November a funny old month? Even more of a nothingness than November usually is so I'm not sure how interesting this post is going to be but I suppose we're all in the same boat. As always, ours [...]

Cashmere 101 & why high street cashmere isn’t what it was

By |2020-12-01T17:14:16+00:00December 1st, 2020|Categories: Gift ideas, Style|Tags: , , , |

I've been meaning to write a post about cashmere for ages and with Christmas approaching, it seems like a good time. In the comments you often mention that you feel quality has declined over the last few years and wonder why. So today I'm focusing on a small family run business The Cashmere Specialist to bring you a cashmere 101 and looking at why high street cashmere isn't what it was. (In the interests of transparency, this has been commissioned [...]

Christmas gift ideas for women 2020

By |2022-09-23T22:14:20+01:00November 24th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

It's a conundrum for every woman I know. You dedicate so much of your headspace to finding gifts for everyone else that when they ask you what you'd like, you can't think of anything. And then when January comes around lots of thoughts pop into your head - things you'd like but perhaps can't justify buying for yourself. With this in mind I'm hoping to give you a few ideas today because this year more than any other is one [...]

Thoughtful Christmas Gifts For Men 2020

By |2022-09-23T22:16:01+01:00November 20th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

Just over a month to go and I think we can all acknowledge that Christmas shopping is now in full swing so today I'm moving on with Thoughtful Christmas Gifts For Men 2020. The Black Friday offers have started a week early for two reasons. The first, of course, reflects the difficulties that retailers are facing without bricks and mortar footfall to rely on. They know that people are usually more controlled when they shop online than in a store [...]

12 days of Christmas Dressing – dressed up or dressed down?

By |2020-11-18T16:38:08+00:00November 18th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

As promised, an extra post from me this week focusing on the 12 days of Christmas dressing - dressed up or dressed down? Today I'm working with John Lewis & Partners and I've decided to look specifically at the retail approach that they've taken to the tricky proposition of Christmas 2020. As you no doubt know, when lockdown hit us all so suddenly in March retailers were pretty much at the point where they'd usually have Christmas all planned out. [...]

Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 – chosen by them

By |2022-09-23T22:19:06+01:00November 17th, 2020|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , , , |

Here it is, Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 - I think I feel more pressure about this post than any other in the year as people start asking me when it's coming from early October. Once again, most of the input has come from my own crew who are always keen to put a gift list together and this year I've had some added input from girlfriends too. As always, the ideas that I'm bringing you are [...]

Christmas 2020 Boden edit – outfit ideas

By |2020-11-13T16:47:22+00:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

This is my last Boden post of the year and so you won't be surprised to hear that I'm looking at Christmas. Like every retailer, Boden have condensed their partywear collection this year because, of course, there won't be as many (if any) parties. However, as I've already said, there are those of us who are craving a reason to dress up and Christmas itself gives us all the excuses we need. If you follow my Instagram feed you'll know [...]

Christmas 2020 – how to make it feel special at home

By |2020-11-13T08:46:39+00:00November 10th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Family|Tags: , , , , , |

Christmas 2020 - how to make it feel special at home As I said in Friday's post, it's still hard to know just what Christmas is going to be like this year. If the infection rate continues to fall we may see life opening up a little more but even so, I think it's clear that it's going to be a much quieter one spent at home - if we're lucky with the people who are closest to us. I [...]

Easy Christmas chic – what to wear for Christmas 2020

By |2020-11-09T13:26:48+00:00November 6th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

And we're off, I'm officially launching Christmas 2020 on Midlifechic with 'easy Christmas chic'. Yes it's going to feel different... but isn't that great? After all, I think a lot of us have been guilty in past years of muttering "here we go again..." as soon as November comes round. The thing about Christmas in midlife is that we often find ourselves in the position of family matriarch and as such, a lot of Christmas falls on our shoulders... [...]

Midlife lately – catching up after half term

By |2020-11-03T16:50:23+00:00November 3rd, 2020|Categories: Accessories, Christmas, Family, Midlife|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Hello again - as you probably realised I ended up taking the whole of last week off. Thank you to everyone who sent a little message checking up on me, it showed me that you notice when I'm not here so perhaps I do bring some value with this blog... which is something I often wonder about. Of course we 'should' have been in Paris but as it happened I had a nasty chest infection anyway (not Covid, I did [...]

My best buys of AW 2019 – and thoughts for a midlife Christmas

By |2019-12-19T15:48:27+00:00December 19th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Midlife|Tags: , , , |

This is it, the last post of 2019. I've been trying to work out what would be most useful to you right now and so in anticipation of the sales starting, I've sifted through what I think are the best buys of AW 2019. They're the hero pieces in my wardrobe and so I've rounded up my personal recommendation of what to look out for from specific retailers' sales. I'll finish with a few thoughts about Christmas because it feels [...]

A Christmas midlife lately – outfits and happenings

By |2019-12-13T16:58:43+00:00December 13th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

It's all spinning a bit too fast at the moment, despite the fact that I declined the blogger invitations that came my way. We haven't had a Christmas as busy as this one for a long time so I haven't had time to come up with a post... all I can do today is take you along with me virtually. Allons-y! Christmas midlife lately - ordinary work day This was last Thursday (I think) when for once I had a [...]

Christmas cornucopia from M&S – things you may have missed

By |2019-12-10T10:46:18+00:00December 10th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , , |

I don't know about you but I think I can say that I'm more or less ready for Christmas now and so for my last M&S post of the year, I thought I'd put together a 'Christmas cornucopia'. I'm focusing on the things I've found that you may have missed along with some little bits and pieces to make your time extra special. So let's go on one last virtual shopping trip together - after this one, my posts will [...]

Wrapping up Christmas – a more sustainable approach

By |2019-12-06T10:58:26+00:00December 6th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , |

Today I'm bringing you the last of my John Lewis & Partners' posts for 2019, I've loved working with them again this year. Of all of the brands on the high street, they have to be the most dynamic in their determination to find a new approach to bricks and mortar retail. As I've mentioned before, they have a whole department dedicated to retail innovation which makes them exciting to work with because they're always revealing another 'well I never!' [...]

The best Black Friday offers 2019 – dates and details

By |2019-11-29T16:44:41+00:00November 29th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Sale|Tags: , , , |

Good morning on this busiest shopping day of the year. It's an unusual one this time because a lot of retailers are using it to launch their winter sale early. Others are trying to add a bit of excitement by changing their offers every few hours. I'm going to keep updating this list throughout the day so check back to see if I've been notified of anything new. In the meantime, here are the best Black Friday offers 2019 so [...]

Chic gifts for women 2019 – ideas for you

By |2022-09-07T13:39:28+01:00November 27th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

It's the last of my Christmas gift posts today and I'm looking at chic gifts for women 2019, things you might like to put on your own list. I've tried to include a range of prices but a few are investment purchases because I don't think anybody's in the mood to buy throwaway stuff this year. So, let's get going because as you know, we have a dinner to travel to. Chic gifts for women 2019 The Airwrap I'm starting [...]

Thoughtful gifts for men 2019 and midlife lately

By |2022-08-04T11:29:45+01:00November 26th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

Today I bring you the second of my three Christmas shopping posts with 'thoughtful gifts for men 2019'. I haven't had any help on this one because Mr MC insists that midlife men tend to already have whatever they need. However I've tried to go beyond the usual slippers and socks to come up with something a little different. A lot of the ideas are completely unisex so even if you aren't buying for a man, they're worth a glance. [...]

A Christmas what to wear – Boden edit

By |2019-11-19T16:50:12+00:00November 19th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

It's the last of my Christmas 'what to wear' posts today and I'm pleased to be working with Boden, bringing you my edit of their current collection. The great news is that in celebration of their 28th birthday, they're offering 28% off almost everything including the pieces I've featured in here until Thursday 21st November with code 6T2C so hopefully I'm bringing you these ideas at just the right time. I'm operating within the Four Pillars of Festive Style that [...]

Festive dressing ideas and an evening at John Lewis & Partners

By |2019-11-15T16:47:03+00:00November 15th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

A love letter to Leeds Well what a fabulous time I had last Friday talking about festive dressing ideas at John Lewis & Partners, I hope that those of you who joined me did too. I've been on a high all week, replaying our conversations in my head and just wishing there had been more time for us all to chat. For those of you who couldn't come, let me see if I can make you feel as though you [...]

Advent calendars 2019 – receive and give back

By |2019-11-12T11:29:59+00:00November 5th, 2019|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , , , |

It's a quick post from me today because I have a really heavy workload but I want to talk quickly about advent calendars 2019 and at the end of the post you'll see why I'm doing it so early. In the space of a few minutes last week I had two different emails. The first one alerted me to the fact that The Tiffany & Co Advent Calendar was on sale - for £104,000. The next one was from our [...]

Winter blue capsule from Marks & Spencer

By |2019-11-01T15:58:48+00:00November 1st, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

A winter blue capsule from Marks & Spencer And so my friends, I'm tentatively launching into the party season. I know it's early and some of you will get grumpy with me but as always my view is that it's best to get all of the planning done now so that when December comes we can just enjoy it. This way when the glossies are running features about how to avoid Christmas stress, we'll be blowing party poppers and wondering [...]

Friday cornucopia and – a chance for us to meet!

By |2019-10-24T11:56:50+01:00October 10th, 2019|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

I'm early this week so apologies to everyone who tells me that my post is part of their Friday wind-down routine, I'm juggling again and so it was now or never. So it's a Friday cornucopia today (on a Thursday... confused? yes me too) with a mixture of clothes, beauty - and... a chance for us to meet. At last! More about that at the end of the post. Hush mid-season sale - recommendations I'm going to start with the [...]

New year, new plans at Midlifechic – Happy 2019!

By |2019-01-08T16:40:51+00:00January 8th, 2019|Categories: Christmas, Family|Tags: , , , , , , |

Well hello and a very Happy New Year to you. I feel as though I've been away for ages which is good but I've missed blogging and it was lovely to hear from a few of you who emailed last week to say that you were missing the posts. Let's catch up with a quick look back at Christmas and then a focus on new year, new plans at Midlifechic. You may remember that my last post on Friday 21st [...]

Christmas outfits – what I’ve been wearing and doing this week

By |2018-12-14T17:20:22+00:00December 14th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

It's a quick post from me today because as always when we're approaching a break, I have a desk full of projects that have suddenly come in. One of them is particularly interesting and so I foolishly put my hand up for it. It's a timeline covering 1000 years of history and I've really enjoyed researching it but as a woman of many words, I'm finding it almost impossible to condense it down into a few soundbites. There are just [...]

Christmas finishing touches – little things that make it feel extra special

By |2018-12-11T11:35:14+00:00December 11th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Interiors|Tags: , , , |

Please note that this is a sponsored post in collaboration with John Lewis and Partners. As such, links are affiliated and upon purchase, a small commission may be paid to Midlifechic. The retailer pays so this costs nothing to readers but it enables me to continue bringing you two posts a week. Now that Midlifechic is being viewed over half a million times a month, It costs into the thousands of pounds to keep it running and loading smoothly. I [...]

Midlife Lately – what I’ve been doing, wearing and thinking

By |2018-12-07T17:52:15+00:00December 7th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Family, Midlife, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's been a while hasn't it and some of you have written in to ask why I haven't been doing Midlife Lately. The thing is that for me, this is not a job. As I've always said, I started Midlifechic primarily as a personal journal so that I could leave a record that my future great grandchildren might read. I was inspired to start writing after reading through boxes of family letters that I discovered after my mum died. For [...]

New Christmas outfit ideas from M&S (and the one I’m wearing)

By |2019-03-27T11:15:47+00:00December 4th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Happy December everyone. Before I go on with this post I just want to say to everyone who's been asking for a Midlife Lately - it's coming on Friday. There's a reason why I haven't been doing it and I'll explain why then. In the meantime, last week Marks & Spencer challenged me to look through their partywear and put together an outfit for one of my early Christmas events. The first party in my diary was a work related [...]

The Pyjama Fairy – a helping hand while the Cyber Monday offers are on

By |2018-11-26T16:38:51+00:00November 26th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Style|Tags: , , , , |

Hello - it's a quick post from me today because the Black Friday offers have run on into Cyber Monday so I thought I'd bring my Pyjama Fairy post forward. If you're a longstanding reader you'll know that the Pyjama Fairy always comes to our house on Christmas Eve while we're out at the panto. Even now, as soon as we get back the boys regress and race each other upstairs to see what's been left on their beds. They [...]

Gifts for teens 2018 – little ideas to make them smile

By |2022-09-23T22:22:29+01:00November 22nd, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Family, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , |

I really hope this Gifts for Teens 2018 is going to be a useful post - for me as well as for you. As I said yesterday, there isn't much around that's new. In addition teens, who have always been unbelievably difficult to buy for, now spend so much of their time in the digital world that 'stuff' just isn't on their radar. And yet they still anticipate the excitement of surprises as they look back at their childhood Christmases [...]

Chic treats for women and Black Friday 2018 offers list

By |2022-09-07T15:52:11+01:00November 21st, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

I've had so many requests for both this post and tomorrow's gifts for teens that I'm feeling the weight of expectation! I've been compiling retail Christmas gift posts since 1993 and I have to say that this year has been the hardest. Why? Because as with partywear, retailers are being very careful with their inventories this year and they're sitting on the safe side to ensure that they're not left with lots of stock to clear at a loss on [...]

10 Christmas gifts for men (and three other ideas)

By |2022-08-03T15:22:11+01:00November 20th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

So here we go, it's clear that thanks to Black Friday, this has become the key Christmas shopping week in the UK. It's been interesting because last year there was a retail revolt as a number of store groups stood together and refused to run with Black Friday. However this year has seen consistently subdued sales figures. Retailers can usually rely on 'organised mums' to start their Christmas shopping as soon as the schools return after half term but even [...]

Everything Christmas at John Lewis & Partners

By |2018-11-16T16:50:50+00:00November 15th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Interiors, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , , |

You seemed to enjoy our last virtual wander round John Lewis & Partners in May so when I was thinking about my Christmas posts, there seemed no better place to spend a day. It has to be said that they really have become the kings of Christmas in the UK. Some of my friends now say that they refuse to even think about Christmas until the TV ad comes out - they see it as the official launch of the [...]

Midlifechic Christmas edit – party shoes

By |2018-11-14T17:04:53+00:00November 14th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Another short edit from me today - this time I'm looking at party shoes. The best thing about a pair of glittery heels is that they're the easy way to instant glamour. When the phone rings with a spontaneous invitation, all you have to do is throw them on with whatever you're wearing, pick up your Midlifechic metallic clutch(!) and you're party ready. The evening is yours for the taking... after all, look at what a pair of sparkly shoes did [...]

Midlifechic edit – partywear from JD Williams

By |2018-11-13T18:28:20+00:00November 13th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , |

Well we're in full party mode chez Midlifechic. In fact as we were getting ready for yet another black-tie event on Friday, Mr MC and I concluded that it must be a sign of northern frugality that our dressiest events of the year seem to fall in October and November i.e. before venues start to add their seasonal levy! So, it seems appropriate that today's post is all about a strong northern brand that seems to be bucking the trend by [...]

Christmas Party Wardrobe Planning

By |2018-11-09T17:02:25+00:00November 9th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

So, continuing on from this week's quick post about party tops, today I'm going to have a longer look at Christmas party wardrobe planning. Thank you for your response to my post on Sunday, it's great to know that so many people are being selective about where they shop. The high street looks very different this year however, there is one big store group that we can always rely on to do the right thing and that's John Lewis & [...]

Best advent calendars 2018 – a chance to give and receive

By |2018-11-08T09:12:38+00:00November 7th, 2018|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , , , , |

As you know, my approach to Christmas is to get all of the preparation done in November so that from 1st December I can just enjoy the build up. So when people say "it's still too early," I understand but I can't help thinking that their December is going to be a stressful one. Of course because I work with retailers, my Christmas begins on about 4th January each year because as soon as we've drawn a line under one, [...]

Midlifechic Christmas edit – party tops

By |2018-11-06T17:09:53+00:00November 6th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

It's time! As soon as the blaze of bonfire night dies down, for me it's time to look ahead to the next point of light which, of course, is Christmas. So here's the plan. I'm going to bring you quite a few bitesized posts like this one today but they'll be interspersed with longer ones. They'll all be clearly headed so that even if you don't feel like thinking about Christmas yet, you can find them easily when you do. [...]

Midlife lately – winter outfits and events

By |2018-01-09T16:45:58+00:00January 9th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Family, Midlife, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

We have some catching up to do. Forgive me for the fact that this includes Christmas, luckily there aren't many sequins because we did most of our partying earlier in the month. When I left you in 2017, it was the eldest's 21st birthday and he was due to arrive home from London late that night. So, we're picking the story up as we arrived at the railway station to meet him. The 21st birthday Poor boy, I don't think [...]

Winter sale edit and a Christmassy Midlife lately

By |2018-01-08T16:38:15+00:00December 19th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Project Happier, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

T'was the week before Christmas... and I looked at my diary only to realise that I have blithely arranged for an awful lot of festive gatherings to take place... all through our house. I'm not quite sure how that happened but I have some serious food prepping to do. So, as I will shortly be mutating from Midlifechic to Midlifechef, my last post will have to be a quick one. I'm starting with a quick winter sale edit because if [...]

Winter Florals: a Midlifechic edit with John Lewis

By |2017-12-14T12:07:04+00:00December 12th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's an exciting day for our Midlifechic community - we have come to the attention of John Lewis. Because of my day job, I don't have much time to pursue relationships with brands but I have been hoping and wondering all year if they would spot us... and they have! So it is with a feeling of great honour that I have taken my first challenge from them - to create a post about Winter Florals. Knowing me as you [...]

Christmas finishing touches: making it extra special

By |2017-12-08T15:02:40+00:00December 8th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , |

Christmas has felt a bit chaotic in our house this year. When I had more time on my hands I used to shop very methodically, starting with everything planned out on spreadsheets as soon as October half term finished. Now I seem to shop from my own posts as I go along and so deliveries have been piling up in my office. It's only today that I've unpacked all of the parcels to see where I've got to! I'm just [...]

Christmas home updates – a very rare interiors post

By |2017-11-28T17:00:38+00:00November 28th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Interiors|Tags: , , , |

I was out with some friends last Friday and the group was divided between those who were decorating their houses for Christmas this weekend and those who were giving it another week. We were chatting about the pros and cons of having lived in a house for a long time. I really enjoy unwrapping my much loved decorations every year, it's all part of the tradition of Christmas. But there are so many lovely things in the shops and sometimes [...]

Black Friday 2017 best offers compendium – updated all day

By |2017-11-24T18:04:53+00:00November 24th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Sale|Tags: , , , , |

Black Friday 2017 best offers. Last year you told me you found it helpful to have a simple guide to the best offers on Black Friday. So, I've done my best to arm you in advance with posts on Christmas gifts ideas and outfits (they're listed at the bottom in case you need to refer back to them). I'll keep updating this as offers go live and change during the day. Here are the discounts you need. Black Friday 2017 [...]

Gift ideas for teens – who says they’re hard to buy for?!

By |2022-09-07T16:03:18+01:00November 21st, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas|Tags: , , |

Actually this gift ideas for teens post has been a challenge this year. Usually it's easy because the boys present me with lists full of ideas on the last day of the October half term, This year, despite persistent requests, I have only had one and it has the sum total of two ideas on it. Why? They tell me that there isn't much they actually want. Apparently there is a lack of newness out there - there are no [...]

Relaxed Christmas Party Outfit Ideas – women over 40

By |2017-11-24T06:12:47+00:00November 17th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Christmas, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Relaxed Christmas party outfit ideas. If you're anything like me, you may have one or two dressy events lined up but the rest of your Christmas will be a more relaxed affair. I think some of the best times are the spontaneous ones when someone calls and asks if you fancy popping over for a drink... which inevitably turns into three or four. So today I'm bringing you outfit ideas for when this happens. Looks that say you've made an [...]

Chic Christmas Gifts – gift ideas for women over 40

By |2022-09-23T22:25:27+01:00November 16th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Fragrance, Gift ideas, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Gift ideas for women over 40. This is an important post. Why? Because quite a few of my friends' husbands shop from it so I feel a huge sense of responsibility. So, chic Christmas gifts. Ideas for the woman who doesn't really need anything but would quite like a little something to open on Christmas Day. Before I go on, I have a couple of apologies to make. Firstly if you read via Bloglovin, I have been having some compression [...]

Best Christmas dresses for women over 40: cuts, cloth and colour

By |2017-11-22T12:11:29+00:00November 15th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Phew - I've reached the halfway point of this week's blogging marathon! I hope you're not getting sick of me, we'll be back to normal posting next week. Today I'm looking at the best Christmas dresses for women over 40 but I've chosen ones that won't expire on New Year's Eve. Bear in mind the new silhouette that I keep banging on about. The trend for modest dressing is continuing as far ahead as we can see on the catwalks [...]

Chic Christmas Jumpers 2017 and new in at Hush

By |2018-01-08T16:46:05+00:00November 14th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , |

Chic Christmas jumpers 2017 edit. So I'm back again with another item that has become a Christmas essential over the last few years - the Christmas jumper. It seems to have reached an extreme this year and as I was researching this, some of the slogan jumpers that are being sold at places like Top Shop, Next and Asos made my toes curl. There are days when I am very grateful that I don't have a teenage daughter! However I [...]

Best advent calendars 2017 – something for everyone

By |2017-11-13T17:27:56+00:00November 13th, 2017|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , , |

Best advent calendars 2017: I'm going to spend most of this week looking at what to wear over Christmas but before I move on to that, it's time to get your advent calendars ordered. Advent calendars have become a really big deal over the last few years. I still think the cardboard ones that we used to have as children were lovely, with a different Christmas scene every day but they're quite hard to find now. About advent calendars As [...]

Hush Christmas Edit – join me for a virtual evening at John Lewis

By |2018-01-08T16:46:57+00:00November 10th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Product review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hush Christmas Edit. Christmas started for me with a bang this week when I went to do a talk for Hush at the “My John Lewis” shopping evening on Wednesday. My brief was to pull out my favourite Hush pieces and discuss them. So, I took lots of lovely ladies through five specific capsules that I’d created for days that are likely to crop up in our Christmas calendar. At the end so many of them came to tell me that they'd [...]

A party dressing project – what to wear for different types of occasions

By |2017-11-03T21:11:49+00:00November 3rd, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Although I am currently enjoying the sunny skies of Marrakech, I've been working on Christmas for a while. Can you believe that I had to put some of our Christmas lights and a Christmas tree up in our house at the beginning of October? All I could think about were the problems it would have caused if the boys were still little! However, now that we're into November it feels like it's time to talk about partywear. I'm going to [...]

Losing the extra pounds gained over Christmas and other things

By |2018-01-08T17:09:09+00:00January 4th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Family, Health, Project Happier, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello and Happy New Year! I know I'm supposed to be full of perky new year's resolutions but I tend to see September as more of a time to start afresh than January. For me the decorations are down, the middle son has already gone back to school and this morning, I faced the scales which led me to a moment of self loathing because I've put on half a stone. However, when I look back at the fantastic Christmas we've had, I [...]

Just to wish you a wonderful Christmas

By |2017-03-18T22:46:04+00:00December 23rd, 2016|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , |

I intended to post today but I've run out of time. However the ham's in the oven, the cake tins are full and I'm feeling very Mary Berry. I'm not looking remotely chic though - here's the proof! I need to rush and get ready for my oldest schoolfriend's engagement party.  Finally at the age of 49 she has found her Mr Right so it will be a big celebration. But before I sign off for a few days, I [...]

Christmas Party outfits for women over 40 and a Christmas tree farm

By |2018-01-08T17:10:29+00:00December 13th, 2016|Categories: Christmas, Family, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's getting closer....Our weekend was a rush of decorating and entertaining. Here's how it went. Festive Friday I was working at home for the day but then had to go to a client's drinks party. Although they were all wearing suits because they'd gone straight from the office, I felt fine wearing a jumpsuit. It's such a saviour for things like this...not too smart, not too casual, not too dressy... Jumpsuit - this year's version; Jigsaw ponyskin heels (past season); Necklace; Earrings [...]

How to have a fun Christmas with teenagers

By |2017-03-18T23:03:27+00:00December 9th, 2016|Categories: Christmas, Family, Project Happier|Tags: , , , |

Christmas is easy when they're little isn't it. They believe everything is magical and, although it's physically exhausting, you really don't have to think very hard. But then they grow, their wishes are for bigger things and yet they still dream of the magic so I've been thinking hard about how to have a fun Christmas with teenagers. My boys are utterly resistant to anything changing. For them, Christmas is steeped in tradition and last week we had to break it [...]

Christmas outfits of the day & The UK Blog Awards

By |2018-01-08T17:11:04+00:00December 5th, 2016|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Hello, I hope you had a great weekend. I don't know about you but I'm getting a bit tired of reading Christmas gift articles so I thought I'd do another post on one of my real life weekends and share some of my Christmas outfits of the day. Christmas outfits of the day - Friday night So, on Friday night we had to go to a business event: the mayor's Christmas party. It was one of those occasions when I should really [...]

Chic Christmas Gifts For Men – a stylish edit

By |2022-09-07T16:32:26+01:00December 2nd, 2016|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , , |

Happy Friday everyone. I think this will be the last of my gift posts so today, I'm focusing on the trickiest of topics: Chic Christmas Gifts For Men. I firmly believe that the men in our lives tend to be the hardest to buy for so I hope some of these ideas help. Actually I'm not being sexist and saying these things are specifically for men because there are quite a few I'd like too (just saying that before someone complains). [...]

Chic Christmas gifts and what I’ve been wearing

By |2022-09-23T22:08:42+01:00November 29th, 2016|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , , , , , , |

I don't know about you but the mad scramble of Black Friday and Cyber Monday seems to have changed the face of Christmas shopping for me. So today I'm stepping up to higher ground and looking at chic Christmas gifts, the things that you would choose for a sister, a mother or that you might pop under a loved one's nose when they're asking what you'd like for yourself. They're items that people probably wouldn't generally indulge in and I've tried to [...]

Ultimate Guide – best cyber weekend offers 2016

By |2017-03-19T16:47:04+00:00November 25th, 2016|Categories: Accessories, Christmas, Hair & Beauty, Sale, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , |

It's the busiest shopping weekend of the year so I'm just going to get straight to the point and give you my 'ultimate Guide - best cyber weekend offers 2016' post, an easy to use listing of all the best offers in one place. I've listed the best deals first. The links should take you straight through to the landing sites. Cyber weekend - Fashion offers Finery 30% off everything (ends midnight Sunday 27/11) Hush 25% off 25 items (ends Monday [...]

Christmas Gifts for Teenagers – what to buy

By |2022-09-07T16:43:08+01:00November 22nd, 2016|Categories: Christmas|Tags: , , |

And we're off ... with probably the most important of my gift buying posts: Christmas Gifts for Teenagers. I've been surprised by the number of readers that have been in touch asking when this is coming but I completely understand. It's difficult bridging this gap between adult and child when Christmas still really matters and yet so much things are deemed uncool. So, I've worked hard on this one. Santa still comes to our house. My parents' rule was that if we [...]

Elegant dresses that are not just for Christmas

By |2017-03-19T17:38:06+00:00November 15th, 2016|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , |

It's all well and good having a Cinderella moment and turning up to a party in a sparkling gown wearing glass slippers but the reality is that most of us prefer to invest in a dress that will give us cost per wear. It's a wonderful thing to have a dress or two in your wardrobe that can cover all occasions. Women will always wear these dresses better than girls because they require a certain earned elegance to pull them [...]

Relaxed Christmas Party Outfits For Women Over 40

By |2018-01-08T17:11:55+00:00November 11th, 2016|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

It's been lovely to have had so many people asking when this relaxed Christmas Party Outfits post is coming. I thought I'd make it the first of the outfit posts that I'll be doing before we move into the excitement of gift ideas. Don't worry, they'll be ready in plenty of time for Black Friday. Before we start though, I want to recap on the trends for this Christmas. It can't have escaped you that velvet has taken over from [...]

What to wear for a formal party – women over 40

By |2019-08-09T16:59:13+01:00November 8th, 2016|Categories: Christmas, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Well hello everybody and happy November. There's no avoiding it any longer, we're on the Christmas countdown. I'm diving in head first with another party dressing feature (there will be a few). This time we're looking at what to wear for a formal party. So let me give you a bit of background. We've had a 'save the date' in our diary for a long time. A client who has become a friend is having a special celebration in a [...]

Happy Twixmas one and all

By |2015-12-28T17:39:35+00:00December 28th, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Hello everyone - I've found a quiet moment whilst my brood are in a post Christmas lull. It feels like ages since I've had time to post so here's a quick catch up with some activities (and outfits) from the crazy Christmas period. Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that the fun began for us on Friday 17th, in fact this photo sums up the mood of our Christmas. We've all been so pleased to be together again and [...]

Twas the night before the night before Christmas…

By |2015-12-28T17:47:19+00:00December 23rd, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Family|Tags: , , , |

...and I've run out of time. I had planned a post for today but sadly my brother-in-law's mum died last week so today has been her funeral. No funeral is a happy event but she was 94 and so we were able to talk about a life well lived and appreciate her. We were all together in the village church that she loved and it was yet another timely reminder about the importance of family and spending time together. Tonight will [...]

Storm Desmond – the calm after the storm

By |2015-12-28T17:50:02+00:00December 7th, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Family, Style|Tags: , , , , |

Just a quick hello from me today to thank you for all of your messages of concern over the weekend, it's certainly a been dramatic time. As I finished my last blog post on Saturday, I was telling you that all of the shops were closing in the village and the power was failing. We're based in a coastal village between Kendal and Lancaster, our house is sea facing with the canal at the bottom of the garden but luckily [...]

Hero beauty products for women over 40

By |2017-03-18T15:09:08+00:00December 5th, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Hair & Beauty, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't often do beauty posts but there are a few things I've been using recently that I wanted to share with you. I don't know about you but I'm feeling like the very cliché of a midlife woman at the moment: exhausted. Work has been relentless since I came back from holiday in August. Because my department is new, there is no path to follow, so I never know what is coming next. My new girl enthusiasm has meant [...]

The best Christmas jumpers on the high street 2015

By |2017-03-18T15:10:30+00:00November 27th, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , |

As the Christmas jumper continues to grow in popularity, I've had to overcome my frugal Northern ways and devise a method of getting value for money out of something so seasonal. I am therefore declaring Christmas jumpers to be fair game from 1st December along with sequins, feathers and glitter. Although it isn't officially Christmas jumper day until 18th December, if you want one you need to choose quickly because they're selling out fast. (By the way, if you're wondering about the post [...]

Christmas gifts for teenagers

By |2022-09-23T22:00:13+01:00November 21st, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Family|Tags: , , |

I should not be blogging, I should be Christmas shopping. For the last 14 years I have had it all done and dusted by the week after half term. This year is proving to be very different and my boys are starting to behave like the children in the Paypal ad - normally they know they are banned from going down into the cellar by now but the cellar is bare...completely bare. So, I sat down today to crack on [...]

Rediscovering Links of London

By |2015-11-18T17:23:31+00:00November 18th, 2015|Categories: Accessories, Christmas, Product review, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , |

A little while ago Links of London got in touch with me to see if I would join them in celebrating their 25th anniversary. I must start by saying that I felt really honoured that they had chosen Midlifechic and I see it as a sign of recognition of you - my intelligent, classy readers. Gradually I think that we are becoming known as a highly engaged group of intelligent women and the traction that we are starting to generate is partly [...]

Relaxed Christmas party dressing

By |2017-03-18T15:14:11+00:00November 13th, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Last week we looked at formal dresses for the lucky people who have glam parties ahead. I don't know about you but my Christmas events tend to be more low key - popping out for a meal with friends, drinks at people's houses, and a couple of trips to the theatre so I really don't need an extravagant frock. Over the last year I've developed an easy shortcut for this kind of going out and I always feel casually glam. [...]

Christmas party dresses for women over 40

By |2015-11-06T15:32:16+00:00November 6th, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I've had a few different emails about Christmas party wear this week which made me realise that I haven't given any thought to my own Christmas party either. I also spoke to one of my friends who works in the head office of one of our favourite store groups. When I asked her how sales were going she said that the usual trend had reversed - gifting and outerwear is down (presumably because of Black Friday and the mild weather) but [...]

Out with the old…and in with new year chic

By |2014-12-31T19:59:42+00:00December 31st, 2014|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

A very quick post from me to wrap up the old year and welcome in the new. Our social life has continued to be stymied by the flu bug that must surely now be an epidemic. We haven't had it yet but nearly all of our plans have been disrupted by phone call after phone call from people saying they're down with it, we feel like we're more-or-less the last family standing and we're living in isolation. It's made me [...]

The Christmas Diaries 3

By |2014-12-28T16:04:45+00:00December 28th, 2014|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

I hope you've all been having a lovely time. The others are out walking Gary so I've found a few moments to say hello. I've been enjoying having a little more time on my hands to play around with some old favourites in my wardrobe for a Midlifechic Christmas. Here are some outfits of the week with links attached for anything that is still in the shops: Book Club reunion chic! This was where I left off in my last post, [...]

The Christmas Diaries 2

By |2014-12-23T15:03:35+00:00December 22nd, 2014|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I'm back again with a quick update, it's been a busy weekend. When I left you on Friday we were off to Ambleside for a pizza and to see the long awaited last instalment of The Hobbit movies. If you ask me, it was just a lot of fighting but it was voted as excellent by the youngest who is a Tolkien buff so that's what matters. If you're a regular reader you'll remember Cinderellagate from a couple of weeks [...]

My pick of the Boden Winter Sale 2014

By |2014-12-14T10:04:45+00:00December 13th, 2014|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

After weeks of discounts you need a clear head to navigate the Boden Winter sale this year. So here it is, my Boden Winter sale 2014 edit. I've tried to make sure that there is plenty of stock of everything that I have recommended and I've picked out the best bargains. They fall into one of two categories, either wardrobe workhorses that you'll wear again and again or wardrobe heroes that will lift ordinary outfits when you need them to. [...]

Winter outfits for cold days and nights

By |2014-12-12T19:08:13+00:00December 12th, 2014|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I'm going to give you not one but two posts this weekend which means today's is going to be a bit shorter on words than usual. A few winter outfits of the day now and in time for the 9am start on Sunday, I will bring you my edit of the Boden sale. I'll be trawling through and and picking out the best buys that fall into two categories, firstly wardrobe workhorses to fill gaps and give new life to [...]

Statement skirts … and more Christmas interiors

By |2014-12-10T13:43:59+00:00December 9th, 2014|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I now declare Christmas to be in full swing. As you will remember, on Friday I was going out with Mr MC's university karate team - it certainly wasn't the sort of student night out I remember! I think they were at the very end of their funds because apart from enthusiastically accepting all offers of drinks that were bought for them, they otherwise earnestly sipped tap water throughout the evening. It was interesting though, it's a long time since [...]

Casual Christmas party chic …and interiors

By |2014-12-05T18:11:08+00:00December 5th, 2014|Categories: Family, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

And we're off - the first official Christmas 'going out' event. One of the karate clubs that Mr MC trains with is at Lancaster University so tonight we are going out with a group of students on their dojo's night out... now there's a wardrobe conundrum if ever there was one. I am absolutely old enough to be their mum and my one hope for the evening is that this isn't their first thought as I walk through the door. So, casual [...]

The best faux leather jeans for women over 40

By |2014-12-01T09:53:57+00:00December 1st, 2014|Categories: Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello dear friends I've missed you. I have been laid low. Having not had so much as a cold for years and years I can only assume that I picked up a brutal virus in London and can hear my grandmother muttering about keeping away from filthy cities. Anyway I'm back and will respond to all your comments and emails over the next few days. Now, the post that I did a couple of weeks ago about pleather leggings triggered such a big [...]

Party outfits for women over 40

By |2014-11-21T18:57:35+00:00November 21st, 2014|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Surprise! I know I said there wouldn't be a post today but I was sent a request by somebody who has a jumpsuit but feels she has worn it too often recently so I've put together a couple of alternatives which of course, I now want to buy. In each set I've created an option for a more casual Christmas Day / Boxing Day drinks look along with a full on party look. In the same way that dressing for [...]

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