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 [...]

A midlife weekend in Porto with friends

By |2023-09-01T17:52:56+01:00September 1st, 2023|Categories: Project Happier, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Well hello, I hope you had a lovely bank holiday weekend. As you know we spent ours in the sunshine with Gillian and Stephen who started off as Midlifechic readers (well perhaps not Stephen) but have now become firm friends. With disrupted travel it's been a hectic week since we got home so I'm inviting you to join us for what will have to be a whistlestop tour of our midlife weekend in Porto. A midlife weekend in Porto -  [...]

A relaxing weekend in Cornwall’s Daphne du Maurier country

By |2023-08-05T10:45:18+01:00August 4th, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

We spent the weekend before last in Cornwall, as you know. We hadn't been there for 20 years, in fact the last time was in August 2003 when the youngest was only days old. Back then I'd booked a lovely cottage in St Ives with space for both sets of grandparents, thinking that it would be a good way of keeping the older two entertained while I was getting used to having three to juggle. You see I was [...]

High summer outfit ideas – ageless style

By |2023-07-21T17:34:34+01:00July 21st, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Now I realise there's some irony to high summer outfit ideas if you're in the UK at the moment because summer seems to be having a holiday of its own and focusing all of its power on Europe. It can't be easy if you're over there in the intense heat but isn't it crazy that such a short distance away we're living through days of high winds, torrential rain and even hail? It's made it a bit tricky deciding what [...]

A midlife week in Amsterdam – empty nest adventures

By |2023-07-07T16:44:45+01:00July 7th, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

I'm opening this post with an apology because I said that while we were away last week I'd be over on Instagram - but sometimes you have to put the key people in your life first and we needed a complete break. Life since Christmas has felt pretty non-stop for us. I've mentioned a few times that I didn't think we were going to have the chance for any kind of proper holiday until the autumn... and I know we [...]

Boden’s high summer drop – a try-on & midlife lately

By |2023-06-16T15:25:33+01:00June 9th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

A Boden outfit try-on today and it's always the one that gives me a bit of a lump in my throat because we've arrived at the last of the high summer drops. After the June deliveries, retailers will be moving into sale and then season transition which brings more autumnal colours and a change of mood. Anyway let's not think about that until we have to, for now we've reached the apex of clothes for warm sunshine and amazingly [...]

Geneva to Dijon road trip – what I wore and did

By |2023-06-02T17:13:57+01:00June 2nd, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Today I'm going to tell you about our little French adventure. As you know we took a few days off a couple of weeks ago to go and see the youngest who is living in Dijon, studying at l'Université de Bourgogne. Of all the French unis he could have chosen, he opted for the one that's the most difficult to get to from here and with the little bit of time we could carve out from work there were [...]

Summer holiday outfit ideas – ageless style

By |2023-05-26T18:39:59+01:00May 26th, 2023|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Ah summer holiday time. Those of you who follow my Instagram account know that we had a very busy but very lovely few days in France last week. I'll tell you all about it when I've had time to go through the photos but today let's think about summer and what we might wear now that the days are softening and trips away are in sight. With different kinds of holidays in mind I'm looking at what John Lewis have [...]

Summer outfits for different occasions

By |2023-05-13T13:18:45+01:00May 12th, 2023|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Do we dare say it? Has the weather finally turned? This has been the coldest spring I can remember but last Saturday, after a morning of heavy rain, the sun suddenly appeared. And it was hot which was lucky because we needed to take photographs of Boden's latest summer drop while we were out and about and I'd been anticipating shivering in between the showers. At the moment we don't have a big summer holiday booked, work permitting we might [...]

How I packed light for a week on Kenya’s coast

By |2023-04-28T16:45:16+01:00April 28th, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

My week has been completely railroaded by work projects I'm afraid. I had to go down to London and then over to Newcastle for meetings which means I haven't had time to put the cornucopia together that I wanted to do. I had two choices - I could either not post at all or show you the photos from our final week in Kenya. I'm hoping it might help you to get into the mood for sunnier days and times [...]

The Masai Mara – Kenya Safari review part 2

By |2023-03-13T16:54:25+00:00March 10th, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Travelling to the Masai Mara - Kenya safari review Oh my goodness the weather! Let me take you to the sunshine as a reminder that it's out there somewhere and will be with us soon. So, as I ended last week's Kenya safari review post, we were having an early night before our long journey to the Masai Mara. It was a break of day start and it took all morning to get there. You may remember that we'd [...]

Kenya safari – what to expect & what to pack (part 1)

By |2023-03-13T16:56:17+00:00March 3rd, 2023|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

I don't know how I'm going to encapsulate our Kenya safari trip but since I've started writing one thing's become clear - even though it was only a week it's going to take two posts! I talked about some of the lessons learned in last Friday's post and I have some absolutely stunning photos because Mal was in his element. But I have to face the fact that scenic pics, however beautiful, are boring for anyone who wasn't there. [...]

Sandals Resorts for midlifers – a good holiday option?

By |2022-09-23T20:28:36+01:00September 23rd, 2022|Categories: Midlife, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

And so I'm back from the unexpected gift that rounded off what has been a fabulous summer - a trip to St Lucia with the team from Sandals Resorts. When I left you at the end of my last post I was feeling both nervous and excited. I was delighted to have been invited but a bit surprised too because I've always seen Sandals Resorts as a honeymoon destination - so let me tell you how we found it. I [...]

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

By |2022-09-11T13:31:26+01:00September 11th, 2022|Categories: Family, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Pre-script Since I wrote this we've travelled to St Lucia and on the flight over we heard the sad news that the Queen had died. It felt right not to publish this the following day but a few people have been in touch saying that they'd be grateful for a break in the sad news that surrounds them. So I hope I won't upset any of you by sending this live now. It's difficult being away and not feeling part [...]

Holidaying with your adult children – a time of adjustment

By |2022-09-02T17:41:02+01:00September 2nd, 2022|Categories: Family, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Well how lovely it is to be chatting to you again. It's odd but life feels as though it slips through my fingers when I'm not blogging; time's tendrils gather round me and without being logged, the memories evanesce. So my next two posts will be an indulgence for me - I need to squirrel away our happy Kalkan times because the boys' lives are really moving on and I can't see us the five of us having the opportunity [...]

Looking good in summer – beauty tips and outfits

By |2022-06-01T16:10:18+01:00June 1st, 2022|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

And so we have a big weekend ahead in the UK with a languorous four day break for the Queen's 70th Jubilee - whether you're a royalist or not it's hard not to admire her as a woman who's shown lifelong strength and dedication. Today's post isn't about the red, white and blue though, it's the last of my summer posts with John Lewis & Partners which always makes me feel a bit sad because next time I get together [...]

What I’m wearing at home and abroad

By |2022-05-27T17:00:12+01:00May 27th, 2022|Categories: Family, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As promised it's a catch up today with a bit of an outfit round-up. I know you've seen snippets of our short break in Lanzarote but I'll tell you a little more about that and then talk about what we did for my surprise birthday weekend. So without coming over all Foreign Office, today's post is all about what I'm wearing at home and abroad. There are a lot of pictures and I've tried to keep the writing as short [...]

Ageless style – summer holiday looks and birthday thoughts

By |2022-05-13T18:11:03+01:00May 13th, 2022|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

We're back from our week in the sunshine and I'm so glad that we took the time while we could because we're heading into another busy few months of work. It continues to be an interesting time in retail as everyone tries to second guess the zeitgeist for AW22 - it's looking as though it's going to be a bumpy ride so I don't know about you but I'm determined to make the most of every moment as spring and [...]

Bright colours to lift spring outfits – at reasonable prices too

By |2022-05-03T12:45:18+01:00May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I wonder if you can tell that I was in holiday mode when I put this post together. Our decision to head to the sunshine after the last few full-on months prompted a bit of a panic in terms of finding time to pack. And, as our departure date grew closer the weather forecast wasn't looking as good as I hoped - it was more akin to a British summer than one a four and a half hour flight away. [...]

Edgar House review – a British bolthole for large groups

By |2022-03-11T17:20:48+00:00March 11th, 2022|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's time for a catch-up and to log how much the world has changed (yet again) in such a short space of time. So before I move on to talking about a very special family weekend away, I want to acknowledge it. As you know, I write this blog as a form of diary so for the sake of record it's now two weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine sending Europe and the rest of the world into a state of [...]

Midlife Guide To Greek Island Hopping 3 – Mykonos

By |2021-10-29T15:55:19+01:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Midlife Guide To Greek Island Hopping 3 - Mykonos Today I have the final instalment of my Midlife Guide To Greek Island Hopping and I'm going to keep it as short as I can because I sense you've had enough of it all now. After six very laid-back days in Ios it was time to move on; the island was closing and anyway, we'd spent enough time there. We were feeling rested and ready for somewhere with a bit of [...]

Midlife Guide To Greek Island Hopping 2 – Ios

By |2021-10-19T17:29:11+01:00October 19th, 2021|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Midlife Guide To Greek Island Hopping 2 - Ios As promised, here's the next instalment of our Greek Island hopping adventure, moving on to a very different spot, Ios. I have a mixed up week ahead because I have to go down to London for longer than originally planned so I won't have time to write a post on Friday. I thought I'd let you know now because lots of you tell me that you read my Friday night post [...]

Midlife guide to Greek Island Hopping Part 1 – Crete

By |2021-10-12T17:07:49+01:00October 12th, 2021|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

And, rather regretfully, we're back. What an incredibly reinvigorating time we've had Greek Island Hopping. I knew the work would have piled up for our return and so I wouldn't have much time to write about it but so many of you have asked for tips and information that I've been putting notes together as we've gone along. It means that this post might be a little less lyrical than I'd like it to be and I'll have to spilt [...]

British City Staycation – Newcastle Part 2

By |2021-08-20T19:29:56+01:00August 20th, 2021|Categories: Midlife, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Happy Friday! Although it already feels like an age ago, today I'm bringing you my British City Staycation - Newcastle Part 2. I left you last week as we were hit with the news of Mum-in-law's diagnosis and everyone in the family was reeling. I'm grateful to all of you who've sent advice and links to the various organisations you recommend. The doctors have told us that the most urgent thing for now is to get the LPAs in [...]

British City Staycation – Newcastle Part 1

By |2021-08-13T16:24:51+01:00August 13th, 2021|Categories: Family, Midlife, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Well hello, it's good to be back and talking to you after our two weeks away. I'm wondering how this post is going to work because a few of you will already have seen the photos on Instagram but of course there was no space on there to give you the full story behind them so I hope it will still be interesting for you. As you know after various holiday cancellations we decided to spend two weeks over at [...]

Linen for a British summer & midlife lately

By |2021-04-16T17:13:16+01:00April 16th, 2021|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Well hello, I hope you've had a good couple of weeks. Ours have been busy - I never want to paint another wall again, especially with Mr MC as my foreman, he has levels of perfection that way exceed my skills (and thankfully I think we're agreed on that so I may be reassigned to something that plays more to my strengths... such as shopping!). So how has 're-entry' felt for you this week if you're in the UK? Different [...]

What to wear for a UK staycation & great summer reads

By |2020-07-15T16:59:58+01:00July 15th, 2020|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I'm early this week because today's post includes quite a few pieces that have just gone into the sale and I wanted to get them to you before they all sell out. I'm heading down to London in the morning, Friday will finally be haircut day for me and Mr MC is coming too (to London, not the hairdressers). We'll be making the most of a couple of nights away because I want to be able to walk everywhere rather [...]

Chic heatwave dresses and good sale buys

By |2020-06-19T13:25:41+01:00June 19th, 2020|Categories: Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

We have a post with a purpose today, it's all about chic heatwave dresses because Meg wrote in to say "I have a colleague who's been looking effortless in the heat when we have our Zoom meetings. I'm still struggling to make the transition from office to home and I find I'm sweating in front of the camera wearing the structured ponte dresses I usually wear to work. Can you help me to find the kind of thing I'm looking [...]

A Midlifechic reader weekend at The D’Azur

By |2019-10-25T17:23:50+01:00October 25th, 2019|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

And so my first proper get together with readers finally happened last weekend in the particularly glamorous surroundings of the French Riviera. A lot of new readers have joined us recently so I'm just going to backtrack a little to explain how it all came about. Earlier this year, friends in London introduced us to Darryll and Bettina and they invited both us and the boys to stay with them at The D'Azur, their villa in the South of France. [...]

A long weekend in Jeréz, Spain’s sherry city

By |2019-10-09T17:19:06+01:00October 4th, 2019|Categories: Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Oh it went so quickly, our weekend break in Spain - and well done to Jenny who was the first to guess our destination of Jeréz. We decided on this trip on our wedding anniversary in February when we were looking through the 'wallpaper roll of dreams' that we made when we were first married. Amongst other things it lists all of the places that we hoped to travel to and because we've spent so many years choosing destinations that [...]

Road trip to Brighton – summer’s last gasp

By |2019-09-17T18:17:22+01:00September 17th, 2019|Categories: Family, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

As I mentioned last week, I have one last chapter of our 'summer of last hurrahs' to tell you about. When we got back from our teen FOMO-riddled two weeks in Turkey, I was puzzling over how to approach future holidays with the boys when Travelodge got in touch to ask if they could help me with a summer post. Immediately the idea of a road trip sprang to mind and so they suggested we [...]

Summer holiday destinations with teens – Turkey #2

By |2019-08-16T17:32:31+01:00August 16th, 2019|Categories: Family, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , |

Hasn't the weather been awful this week? Let's go back to Turkey! Join me in the sunshine for the second half of our holiday - there are a lot of photos so I'll try to let them tell the story without too much rattling on. At the end of the last post, I left off when just six weeks before we were due to depart, I discovered that we had nowhere to stay for the second week. Thanks to the [...]

Family holidays with teens – Turkey 2019 #1

By |2019-08-09T21:24:05+01:00August 9th, 2019|Categories: Family, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

Well hello... it's been a while so I hope you're still there. We're back from the longest of our summer trips this year which was a fortnight in Kalkan on Turkey's Turquoise Coast. As you know it's the place where we find we can completely switch off. We first went there in 2000 when the eldest was just a toddler so we've seen it change over the years. This time I have to say it was very, very busy. Kalkan [...]

A long weekend with teens in the French Riviera

By |2019-07-05T17:06:08+01:00July 5th, 2019|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

At last I’ve had a chance to go through the photos from our long weekend with teens in the French Riviera - we took so many that it’s going to be better for me to let the pictures do most of the talking or this will go on forever. A long weekend with teens in the French Riviera - Friday As I mentioned when I was busy planning what to pack, we were invited to stay with Darryll and Bettina [...]

Last minute travel buys – M&S June edit

By |2019-06-14T16:58:03+01:00June 14th, 2019|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Retail Review, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I'm trying not to mention the weather but... I am finding myself glad that we have a couple of escapes to the sunshine booked (although last time I looked, it was even raining in Turkey). Anyway I'm working with M&S today and the focus is holidays. We've spent enough time on here planning holiday wardrobes so I thought I'd look at last minute travel buys, the little extras that make all the difference. I love doing posts like this because [...]

M&S SS19 – what’s new and a trying-on session

By |2019-05-21T16:15:41+01:00May 21st, 2019|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Whenever I work with M&S the feedback you give me is that you find it helpful to be guided through their huge inventory. So, today I'm going to do a trying-on session of some of the things that have caught my eye recently and then I'll talk you through a few M&S updates. As always, they've had some huge successes and I appreciate it can be frustrating when online stocks are limited so I'll highlight when you may need to [...]

What to pack for a long weekend in the French Riviera

By |2019-05-17T12:13:18+01:00May 17th, 2019|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

What to pack for a long weekend in the French Riviera: I'm killing two birds with one stone today because as I mentioned on Tuesday, as soon as the exams finish we have a few different breaks planned so I need to be organised. We're having some little adventures because I've realised it's the last time I'll be able to plan these things for sure. The middle son is hoping to go travelling next summer and I've no idea where [...]

Swimwear, beach and holiday packing with John Lewis & Partners

By |2019-05-14T16:47:47+01:00May 14th, 2019|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

Who's looking forward to a holiday? I certainly am. As soon as the dreaded exams are over, we've decided to have a summer of fun with the boys so I have a few different things to plan for. We're aware that with one finishing school and the other graduating there may not be another stretch of unplanned time like this so we're going to make the most of it. In the meantime though it feels like eat, sleep, revise, repeat [...]

New for summer at The Midlifechic Boutique

By |2019-05-07T17:09:12+01:00May 7th, 2019|Categories: Accessories, Sale|Tags: , , , , |

Hello - I hope you had a lovely, if chilly, Bank Holiday weekend. As promised it's just a quick post today to reopen the shop with a medley of pieces I've gathered or commissioned on my travels. I still can't quite decide whether I want to build a retail venture or not - I don't really have the time to do it but I do think there's an opportunity for a new retail model and it frustrates me when I [...]

A return to Marrakech – what I packed (and what we did)

By |2019-03-27T11:16:30+00:00February 15th, 2019|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Let me take you to Marrakech for a blast of warmth and downtime... it's a long post but there's a lot to say. As you know, for the Christmas before last Mr MC gave me a jar of money and a promise of time away together in 2018. We'd hoped to go somewhere in October but with the sad news of his brother, it wasn't to be. And so we made a plan to head off for our wedding anniversary in [...]

Beach holiday packing post mortem – Kalkan part 2

By |2018-08-26T16:48:07+01:00August 26th, 2018|Categories: Family, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

And so here we go, the last taste of high summer on Midlifechic before we move on to Autumn. That means we should talk a little bit about beach holiday style before we move into cosy jumper and boots territory. So here's my beach holiday packing post mortem. Packing for a beach holiday - conclusions As an experiment, I packed differently this year. You may have noticed that about 95% of my holiday wardrobe focused on dresses. Once I'd worn [...]

Make-up that doesn’t melt in the heat – tried and tested

By |2018-07-27T17:41:03+01:00July 27th, 2018|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Travel|Tags: , , , , |

I initially decided to do this 'make-up that doesn't melt in the heat' review in anticipation of our forthcoming holiday but with the sun continuing to blaze down on us in the UK, I've had perfect testing conditions at home. You see last year when we went away, it was all a bit of a frantic rush to pack. I was annoyed with myself for forgetting a few important things and subtle make-up that would withstand the heat was one [...]

A late summer holiday capsule

By |2018-07-20T17:05:28+01:00July 20th, 2018|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , |

As we reach the tail-end of the summer sales, stocks are running low and autumn styles are suddenly appearing. There are only a few brands you can turn to if you still want to buy a late summer holiday capsule and one is JD Williams. I've been working with them for a year now as a member of their Colour Council which means that every so often, I pop up on their website with a few style ideas. During this time [...]

Last minute summer holiday buys – and a luggage saving tip

By |2018-07-04T10:16:18+01:00July 3rd, 2018|Categories: Accessories, Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , |

I hope you're enjoying the glorious summer that I ordered for you all the way back in the dark days of March - I told you it was going to be a corker didn't I? You find me feeling a little weary today. I don't know how it is where you are but everyone in the north is in full-on spontaneous party mood and we seem to be going out almost every night. It's lovely but I need to up [...]

Holiday dresses for hot summer nights

By |2018-06-19T14:50:01+01:00June 19th, 2018|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

A quick one from me today because having said that my schedule was calming down, I'm now heading off to London again. The light at the end of this current tunnel of madness is our holiday in Turkey so I've been having one last look around at holiday dresses for hot summer nights before the sales start. Here's a shortlist of the best hot weather dresses I've found that still have stock available. Holiday dresses for hot summer nights Before we [...]

City break with teenagers – 4 days in Valencia

By |2018-06-06T17:29:13+01:00June 6th, 2018|Categories: Family, Midlife, Project Happier, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello, I'm back. My schedule is still slightly disrupted but it's good to be blogging again. Let me tell you all about our trip to Valencia which turned out to be very simple and very relaxed - just what we all needed. This is one of those posts that is a bit of a personal journal as well as a midlife style blog. As you know, one of the reasons I write is for any future great, great grandchildren of [...]

The best swimwear for your body shape after 40 – and a hunt for a dress

By |2018-05-25T17:00:57+01:00May 25th, 2018|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

Wait! Before you go any further you're going to need a pot of tea. This is a long post but I'm going to be disappearing for a bit so I thought I'd leave you with plenty to think about while I'm away. Today we're having another wander round John Lewis, this time with holidays in mind. I particularly wanted to look at how to find the best swimwear for your body shape after 40. So, a couple of weekends ago [...]

Capsule holiday wardrobe 2018 #1 – dresses as the focus

By |2018-05-15T20:59:44+01:00May 15th, 2018|Categories: Accessories, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

Right, I've started my research and stock of high summer clothes is already looking low in some places so it's time to crack on with the capsule holiday wardrobe 2018 posts. Quite a few retailers have told me that although sales of ordinary clothing have been depressed by the slow start to spring, holiday clothes have been selling well for a while. It seems that people have found consolation in thinking ahead to their sunny holidays and it makes sense. [...]

What to wear for a festival over 40 (or just relaxed summer dressing)

By |2018-05-04T16:56:20+01:00May 4th, 2018|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Yes you've guessed it, we have a festival coming up so I'm thinking out loud again. Luckily for us it isn't a wet wipes / queue for revolting loos / lose your tent kind of festival. It's a taxi ride away from home so we can go along until whatever time we please and then return to the comfort of our own bed each night. So of course I'm now thinking about what to wear and imagining that it's going [...]

Summer 2018 at Hush and Uniqlo – a Midlifechic edit

By |2018-05-01T14:26:28+01:00May 1st, 2018|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I have a big project on at work so it's a speedy post from me today but I just wanted to bring you an edit of some of the 'new-ins' now that it looks as though spring is finally arriving. Let's look at Summer 2018 at Hush and Uniqlo. Hush Summer 2018 Hush have launched their summer collection today. As always, they have included loose, flowing pieces that can be tricky to style. However they are balanced by figure defining [...]

Trying on my Boden order – SS18 keepers and returns

By |2018-03-23T16:52:00+00:00March 23rd, 2018|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Right everyone - the clocks go forward this weekend, it's officially spring (whatever the weather thinks) and I have barely done any shopping this season. You rely on me to keep the inspiration coming so I've given myself a kick up the bum by doing an old Midlifechic favourite - the Boden order try on. Before I start I must point out that this is not a sponsored post or collaboration with Boden in any way. They still refuse to [...]

Midlife adventures – The Ice Hotel Transylvania review

By |2018-02-13T17:31:19+00:00February 13th, 2018|Categories: Project Happier, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

I've finally managed to plough through the hundreds (yes honestly) of photos we took on our midlife adventure in Transylvania. There's just so much to show you that even after some serious culling there are a lot of them. So I'm going to try to make sure this Ice Hotel Transylvania review isn't too wordy. Join us virtually through the pictures... and even the occasional video. Before I start though, I just want to say that I have two pieces of fashion [...]

The best place for a family holiday with teens

By |2020-01-17T13:56:32+00:00January 23rd, 2018|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Travel|Tags: , , |

The best place for a family holiday with teens. I spent a few hours over the weekend wrapping up the final details of our main summer holiday as the sleet hammered down outside. I think I've already mentioned that we've decided to go back to Kalkan, our favourite spot in Turkey. We're aware that our days of school summer holidays are numbered. In fact we only have two more years after this one when we will be tied to the [...]

Marrakech in 3 days with teenagers

By |2017-11-22T12:15:16+00:00November 7th, 2017|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Marrakech in 3 days with teenagers. Before we dive fully into Christmas madness, I thought you might like to join me for a few days of sunshine. As you know, we had a little trip to Marrakech last week. It was a plan that we came up with back in the spring when we realised that my 50th birthday was going to be somewhat subdued because it fell, as it has done all of my life, in exam season. Why [...]

A family holiday in Kalkan and what mattered most

By |2017-08-18T17:23:36+01:00August 18th, 2017|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello, I'm back! It's always a bit strange starting the first post after a holiday. It reminds me of the first day of term when you used to feel a bit nervous about going back to school even though you were going to be reunited with all of your friends. I hope you've had a good few weeks. I'm just going to write one post about our family holiday in Kalkan this time because I'm going away again next week [...]

Last minute holiday packing: beachwear, beauty and books

By |2017-07-28T17:25:27+01:00July 28th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , |

It's a last minute post from me today as our house / catsitters have arrived and we're heading off on our holidays. I've been working really long hours over the last couple of weeks just to get everything finished so I feel ready for a break. We're going to our favourite Turkish resort of Kalkan. It's our first family holiday without the effervescent eldest and so I thought we'd go somewhere that we know well. It's going to be very, very [...]

Summer clothes to buy now – for home and away

By |2017-07-14T19:58:21+01:00July 14th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , |

I've been very organised with planning my holiday packing this year but there are just a couple of spaces that I need to fill. Plus the weather forecasters are saying that we have another heatwave on the way so I've been scouting around for summer clothes to buy now - by which I mean ranges that are not in the sale. This is what I've found. Good for changeable weather Baukjen released a small new collection this month and I've [...]

Summer outfits of the day… and great sale offers

By |2017-06-23T14:49:02+01:00June 23rd, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Let's have a quick catch up today. I say quick because I lost a whole day's work this week thanks to lightning striking the local substation. It meant that we had no electricity on Wednesday from 11am until nearly midnight. The schools were closed and, as always, at first it was fun. We played boardgames and then lit the barbecue so that we could munch our way through the melting freezer food. By 9pm though, when we had reached the [...]

Holiday packing for women over 40 – part two

By |2018-01-08T17:01:06+00:00June 13th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Shoes, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Hello - as promised, I'm back with part two of my holiday packing posts for women over 40. It has taken a very long time to put it together so I'm mostly going to let the pictures do the talking. Thank you to everyone who got in touch to say there was a mistake in the downloadable packing list. I have a junior designer in the office with a red face but really it's my fault for not checking it [...]

Holiday packing for warm climes – women over 40

By |2017-06-10T20:37:49+01:00June 9th, 2017|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

Well if the UK's future was unclear when I left you last time, it is even more so right now! However, as women over 40, we know things will sort themselves out one way or another. In the meantime after a week of unsettled news and weather, I've found myself focusing hard on the thought of escaping it all for a sunny holiday. I had an email from a longstanding reader saying that she keeps a print out of this [...]

Spotlight on Baukjen – sunny days and nights

By |2017-05-16T14:58:27+01:00May 16th, 2017|Categories: Retail Review, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm very pleased to be working with Baukjen again today. You may remember that they were the first of my brand Spotlight Posts back in February and this time they've sent some of their Spring / Summer 17 collection for me to review. As always, when I work on a Spotlight post I like to assess whether a range can work hard for me by covering my key wardrobe requirements: work, weekend and evenings out. Baukjen Spring / Summer working wardrobe Starting with workwear, [...]

Can you create a holiday wardrobe from Marks & Spencer?

By |2017-05-12T17:55:50+01:00May 12th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I've set myself a completely different kind of challenge today. Let me tell you how it all came about. Over the last Bank Holiday weekend, Mr MC and I were reminiscing about the different holidays we've had. He asked me which was the best one and although it was hard to choose, one that really stands out is our first holiday abroad as a family when the youngest was very small. He asked me why I'd chosen that one and there [...]

10 Things Tuesday – an early Summer edit

By |2017-05-09T18:04:03+01:00May 9th, 2017|Categories: Accessories, Shoes, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Well a huge thank you from me to everybody who supported the sale on Saturday. I had no idea it would be quite so manic, nearly everything sold out in 20 minutes (the last few pieces will be live here until Friday when it closes). I have finished wrapping and dispatching everything and so it is all on its way. I apologise in advance if it smells very strongly of roses. The youngest was keen to be involved so I [...]

Looking at Boden and Hush plus Bank Holiday discounts

By |2018-01-08T17:03:30+00:00April 28th, 2017|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , |

So, as you know, yesterday I went down to the Boden press show to see their Autumn collection. I'll tell you a bit more about that at the end of this post and show you a few pictures. Before I set off though, I thought I'd better have a look at their site so that I was up to date with their current collection. There were a few things I hadn't seen before and I ended up placing an order [...]

Chic buys of the year 2016 – the Midlifechic Awards!

By |2017-03-18T22:54:46+00:00December 16th, 2016|Categories: Sale, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The end of year sales are starting so it's time for my annual Awards, defining my chic buys of the year 2016. Being an analytical person I like to reflect on where I've spent my budget and whether it was worth it. The surprise difference for me since I started blogging has been my changing history with Boden. I've transitioned from spending most of my budget there in 2014 to spending a lot in 2015 and returning about 50% of it, to barely [...]

Kefalonia with teenagers – Part Two

By |2017-06-09T16:11:43+01:00August 26th, 2016|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

So let's get on with the second instalment of "Kefalonia with teenagers." The first week of our holiday flew by. For a change of scene, we hopped onto the ferry that trundled into the harbour every morning and headed over towards the mainland for an afternoon. Prices were about 30% lower than in Fiscardo so we had an especially nice lunch and did a bit of kaftan shopping. The distinctive thrum of a Greek ferry engine transported me right back to [...]

A holiday in Kefalonia with teenagers – Part One

By |2017-06-09T16:10:53+01:00August 25th, 2016|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello - I'm back, it feels like a long time since I've posted. So - as a lot of you guessed, our mystery destination was Kefalonia in the Ionian Islands. I managed to keep it a secret until a few days before we left when I had to give the boys a small clue in case they read my last post. As it was with you, the one I chose was too easy - Hellas. In an instant they knew [...]

Final reductions at Boden and Hush – my edit

By |2016-08-04T14:43:13+01:00August 1st, 2016|Categories: Sale|Tags: , , , , |

Hello - I wasn't going to post today but then the final reductions at Boden and Hush popped into my inbox. I've looked through them with a will of cast iron and these pieces are either new to the sale or further reduced. I think they are worth a second look. Boden - newly added to clearance My absolute number one is these Sienna sandals. Metallics are so easy to wear with anything that they're especially good for holiday packing. You [...]

My capsule holiday wardrobe – what I’ve packed

By |2016-07-30T13:24:27+01:00July 30th, 2016|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |

There is tumbleweed blowing through the streets of our village. Everyone we know seems to have packed up and gone away for the Summer... except us. When I booked our holiday, it was such a relief that for the first time in ages our dates weren't dictated by the dreaded exam results day that I planned it for later than usual. We're doing our best to have fun in the Lakes which, after all, is a holiday destination for lots of [...]

How to have a happy family holiday with teenagers

By |2016-07-08T21:36:32+01:00July 8th, 2016|Categories: Family, Project Happier, Relationships, Sale, Travel|Tags: , , |

I had an email last week from a reader, Sue, asking about how to have a happy family holiday with teenagers. She said “you seem to manage to really enjoy your holidays with your boys. When my two were little I used to look forward to them being bigger, I imagined that holidays would be more relaxing but actually I find them really stressful. Now that they're both teenagers they just seem to be bored and we end up having [...]

Playing chicken with the Hush sale

By |2016-06-30T12:13:22+01:00June 29th, 2016|Categories: Retail Review, Sale|Tags: , , , , , |

As you probably know, there is 20% off at Hush until midnight (Thursday 30th June) with code SMILE, so my hunch was that the Hush sale would start on Friday, however I have now heard that it will be Tuesday 5th July. Looking through the site, many of the items are already sold out or in a low stock position. I've been through what I think are the best buys, assessed the stock levels and I'm having a little wager [...]

Women over 40 – what to pack for a hot beach holiday

By |2016-06-15T09:49:15+01:00June 7th, 2016|Categories: Style, Travel|Tags: , , , |

I don't know whether it's because of the sudden burst of hot weather in the UK or simply because it's holiday season but Summer clothes are now disappearing from the shops so I'm writing this 'what to pack for a hot beach holiday' with some urgency. In Friday's post we took a fantasy trip to the Brittany coastline for a breezy holiday with unpredictable weather. Today we're jetting off a little further so we need to pack for a hot beach holiday. [...]

Women over 40 – what to wear for a holiday by the sea

By |2017-03-18T22:21:24+00:00June 3rd, 2016|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Style, Travel|Tags: , |

It's time. By the end of June, the sales will be starting and all the good clothes will have gone. We need to think about holidays and what to pack so today we're focusing on what to wear for a holiday by the sea. I can't tell you where we're going this year. You see last year I booked a very luxurious villa in Turkey thinking that it might be the last holiday we would have as a family of [...]

Two days in Paris, the city of love

By |2016-10-26T10:21:32+01:00May 27th, 2016|Categories: Project Happier, Relationships, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , |

Paris is always a good idea - you'll be pleased to know that our trip was good. So good in fact that I've had to break it up into 3 consecutive posts, Paris by day followed by 2 Parisian nights. So, how do you spend two days in Paris when you already know the city well? You revisit a few of your favourite places and make the rest up as you go along. This was our weekend... When we woke up on [...]

Simple t-shirts with the luxe factor

By |2017-03-18T22:21:23+00:00May 10th, 2016|Categories: Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

You may remember that we were going to the Hacienda Classical concert on Sunday. Before I tell you a little bit about it I'll explain why I wanted to do this post. The event was going to be outside. I had planned what I was going to wear in advance and it consisted of lots of layers that I could take on and off. Then, as you'll know, the sun came out unexpectedly in the UK last weekend and it [...]

Simple summer broderie collection from Uniqlo

By |2017-01-02T13:26:30+00:00May 7th, 2016|Categories: Accessories, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

Now that the sun has finally appeared, I imagine everyone will be shopping frantically so I just wanted to show you this simple summer broderie collection from Uniqlo. Why? Because the pieces are less than half the price of broderie from some of our favourite retailers. I really resent paying £60 for a little white cotton top. Maybe it's just my laundry skills but I find that they only last one summer before they go chewing gum coloured and need replacing. These [...]

Hope Fashion London – a career opportunity for you?

By |2016-05-04T16:13:17+01:00May 3rd, 2016|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

As you know, I'm really keen for my blog to help other midlife women to succeed in the second half of their lives. As such, there are certain brands that capture my imagination because they are run by women like us who have put everything on the line to follow their dreams. They include Finery, Winser, RachelWears, Baukjen, M+EM and Hope. Today I want to talk to you about the baby of the group, Hope Fashion. I introduced you to [...]

Great summer buys for women over 40

By |2016-04-22T07:04:20+01:00April 22nd, 2016|Categories: Accessories, Hair & Beauty, Product review, Shoes, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My last two posts have been practical ones, focusing on summer essentials - tailored cropped trousers and summer sandals so today I thought I'd do something a bit more frivolous. I'm writing especially with Nicky B in mind. For those who read the comments section, you'll know that she is my longest standing and most regular commenter. She has been with me since the very beginning (shortly followed by Nicola R who is also very special to me) and I [...]

Chic but comfortable Summer sandals 2016

By |2016-04-21T23:45:20+01:00April 19th, 2016|Categories: Retail Review, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

I think that you have to be more careful buying summer sandals than almost any other kind of footwear. After all, you are wearing them with bare feet so they are in direct contact with your skin. Any friction is not only going to hurt your feet but it is also going to create inflamed patches and hard skin which isn't a good look. Without you really noticing, the arch of your foot starts to suffer during your 40s. This is why [...]

Fashion for women over 40, looking at Mango and The White Company

By |2016-04-22T00:44:19+01:00April 7th, 2016|Categories: Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Last weekend I finally achieved my Marie Kondo session and decluttered my dressing room. I had felt a bit cynical  about the book's title "The life-changing magic of tidying" but in fact it is gradually feeling a bit life changing. Our bedroom is now very minimalist and I'm finding I'm sleeping better as a result. I sent ten bin bags of clothes to the hospice that cared so well for my mum and dad in the last weeks of their lives. [...]

New Spring fashion for women over 40 from John Lewis

By |2016-03-18T22:27:36+00:00March 18th, 2016|Categories: Retail Review, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

We've had bright sunshine all week in the Lake District. The daffodils are out, the lambs are gambolling and it feels as though a new season is finally rolling in. This always makes me feel as though I have nothing to wear. Suddenly the core wardrobe of camel and grey that I've loved all winter feels dark and dull so I'm very much in the mood for some new season shopping. Last Autumn I focused on specific retailers which you seemed [...]

A holiday in Kalkan plus should women over 40 wear bikinis?

By |2017-06-09T16:19:35+01:00August 14th, 2015|Categories: Family, Style, Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Hello dear friends - it's been a while but we're back from our holiday in Kalkan. The daily grind has resumed and before the glow wears off, let me take you with me to Turkey for a whirlwind tour of our lazy days and nights. Before we get on to outfits I must remind you that my life was so very hectic in the weeks before we went away that, unlike last year when I shopped and planned outfits for [...]

Holiday chic part 2 … and how it all got better

By |2017-06-09T16:23:31+01:00August 24th, 2014|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Well I hope you're all having a lovely Bank Holiday weekend. Mine is rather quiet because Mr MC has gone over to Newcastle for a karate course (we're well and truly back to normal) taking the 2 smalls to see their grandma. The 17 year old is packing in his restaurant shifts before he goes on rugby camp next week so it's just me and the cats - thank goodness for them! I thought I'd cover off the rest of the [...]

The first day of holiday – how it all went wrong!

By |2014-08-20T17:55:29+01:00August 20th, 2014|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

The reason I didn't blog on holiday. I don't know about you but I spend ages imagining the first day of our holiday throughout the winter months, planning it really carefully to make sure it's perfect. This year it wasn't. As you know our plane was delayed and so instead of a good night's sleep in a nice hotel, we had to force ourselves up after just 3 hours. I had barely nodded off because Mr MC, high worshipper of [...]

Holiday chic – what I wore for travelling to Spain

By |2014-08-18T16:00:21+01:00August 18th, 2014|Categories: Family, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Well hello, we're back...shivering...blimey! Holiday chic already feels far far away as I tell myself I can't possibly put the heating on in August! Thank you to those of you who kept in touch via Instagram, it was lovely to hear from you. As you've gathered I didn't blog while we were away - there's a story behind that and it involves a very unfortunate loss of equipment but I'll come to that in a later post. So, a quick one today [...]

Go to Top