IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to have a coffee and a chat - I'll tell you all about what's been happening in my world this month

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to celebrate the end of December, Summer is well  underway down here in Australia - so, why not share a lovely Summery virtual cup of coffee with me while I update you on what's been going on in my life lately. I love a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, so I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news.

SATURDAY SNIPPETS #3

Saturday Snippets - where the best things I've seen this week come together in one place

INTRO

Hi everyone, this is my last post before Christmas and I'm on the countdown to seeing my family all arrive for Boxing Day. Here are a few things that I've been seeing on the internet lately - I hope you enjoy them too - feel free to pin them or share them with other people if they resonate with you. I've turned off the comments on these posts because they're just a fun Saturday post to look at, enjoy and move on - hopefully with a smile on your face or with something to think about. 

YOU ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

I wonder whether we have more to offer this world than we give ourselves credit for?

TAKING A FRESH LOOK AT OURSELVES

I read two quotes recently (within a few days of each other) that gave me something to ponder upon. I wondered whether we have more to offer this world than we give ourselves credit for? I find it really interesting that I can see the great character traits that others have, and yet fail to see them in myself.


5 SOLO GETAWAYS THAT CAN RECHARGE YOU

Have you ever thought of travelling solo? Here's five great ideas for getaways to recharge you.

INTRO

I was approached recently by a company who is keen to promote the idea that you don't have to be part of a couple to enjoy travelling. If you're single there is still a whole world out there waiting for you to explore, and solo travel may be the way to go. It may take a little bit of a mindset change, or maybe you need a few suggestions to get you started - today's post offers five different types of getaways to inspire you.

3 REASONS WHY BLOGGING IS LIKE BUYING SHARES

Buying shares and writing a blog have quite a few similarities. Here's three reasons why blogging is like buying shares.

BLOGGING AND INVESTING

A few years ago a friend suggested that we start investing in shares because bank interest was so appallingly low and share dividends were much more lucrative. I'm a huge advocate of playing safe and shares always seemed a bit risky, but our friend recommended that we buy "safe" shares in banks because they won't blow up in our face like the more speculative areas are prone to do. It seemed like sensible advice and we've since used some of our savings to buy some "safe" bank shares.

SATURDAY SNIPPETS #2

Saturday Snippets - where the best things I've seen this week come together in one place

INTRO

I love sharing little snippets and this is my weekly round up of the interesting quotes and pictures and memes that have caught my eye lately. I hope you enjoy them too - feel free to pin them or share them with other people if they resonate with you. I've turned off the comments on these posts because they're just a fun Saturday post to look at, enjoy and move on - hopefully with a smile on your face or with something to think about.

LOOKING BACK AT A MONTH OF GRATITUDE

I took on the 30 Day November Gratitude Challenge and this is how it worked for me.

NOVEMBER AND GRATITUDE

November was National Gratitude Month. I wouldn't have known this if it wasn't for a post I read in October from Leah on her blog - My Cup of Cocoa. Leah had created a Gratitude Challenge in previous years and was sharing her updated version which really caught my eye. I ended up printing off her 30 Day Gratitude Challenge and pinning it to my fridge to remind me what to look for each day. And this is what transpired....

SATURDAY SNIPPETS #1

Saturday Snippets - where the best things I've seen this week come together in one place

INTRO

I love sharing little snippets on my Facebook page - but the Facebook algorithms pick and choose who gets to see them. I find that incredibly annoying, so I thought (while my Social Saturday posts are having a rest) I'd do a weekly round up of the interesting little quotes and pictures and memes that have caught my eye lately. I hope you enjoy them too - feel free to pin them or share them with other people if they resonate with you. I've turned off the comments on these posts because they're just a fun Saturday post to look at, enjoy and move on - hopefully with a smile on your face or with something to think about.

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to have a coffee and a chat - I'll tell you all about what's been happening in my world this month

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to celebrate the end of November, Summer is on its way down here in Australia - so, why not share a lovely end of Spring virtual cup of coffee with me while I update you on what's been going on in my life lately. I love a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, so I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news.

THE VIEW FROM MIDLIFE MOUNTAIN

Thousands of years ago the Greek philosopher Epicurus said: “Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.”

INTRO

Today is the very last of my Social Saturday guest posts and I have the lovely Lisa Ricard Claro to send us off with a great post about the lessons she learned from downsizing her home to something more manageable for Midlife. She's also offering a fabulous prize to three lucky readers at the end of the post - how great is that? So, without further ado, let me pass you over to Lisa.

CAN BEING SAD BE GOOD FOR YOU?

Recent research suggests that experiencing not-so-happy feelings actually promotes psychological well-being.

HAPPINESS AND SADNESS

I write a lot about happiness - it's a topic that I'm very fond of. I'm learning that we create our own happiness and it's important to take responsibility for how we choose to react to the circumstances and people in our lives. However, there's two sides to every coin and I'm learning that it's okay to be sad too.

CREATING BOUNDARIES IN MIDLIFE

I've learned to define my boundaries by a) What I'm responsible for and b) What I'm NOT responsible for and I thought I'd share how I'm breaking that down at the moment. It's where I'm drawing my line in the sand.

LEARNING TO CREATE BOUNDARIES

Boundaries were a whole new realm for me when I discovered them a few years ago. I think most of what I've learned has come from Brené Brown and her thoughts on having the courage to draw a line in the sand and say "No" - even when we know it will disappoint others. To place value on our own needs and health for a change.

IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS AND TIME FOR A CHANGE

It's been four years of blogging and I think it's time for a change of pace

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?

I started this blog in November 2014 - four years ago! It seems like only yesterday I had the whim to write my thoughts down somewhere. I had no idea where to start, didn't bother doing all the research and soul searching that others did before they began blogging. I just picked the cheapest, simplest blogging format out there and jumped right in.

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER - ANOTHER YEAR WISER?

The world has turned, a year has passed and it's time for another birthday - what have I learned in the last 12 months?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

The world has turned, a year has passed and it's time for another birthday. I should be older and wiser than I was in November last year, so what have I learned in the last 12 months? It feels like the answer is "not much", but there have been a few things I've absorbed and I thought I'd share them - lessons can be challenging, but if we use them to grow and develop then they weren't for nothing.

MY MUM'S LIFE AND BEAUTY HACKS

As Midlife women, we are models to our children - Christin Lee talks about her Mum today

INTRO

Today my Social Saturday guest is Christin Lee from Insider Envy. Christin approached me to see if I'd be interested in her writing a guest post, and I was a little tentative because she is younger than my usual demographic. But she sent me this wonderful post and I just had to share it - her Mum sounds lovely and it warmed my heart to read the love shown in Christin's words. I hope you enjoy it too.

IT TOOK ME 40 YEARS TO BECOME A SECRETARY

Today I'm writing about why it took me 40 years to become a secretary - when most women who started as secretaries have moved on in their careers.

TODAY I'M A GUEST ON LIFESTYLE FIFTY

My good friend Jo Castro is featuring Midlife bloggers and their stories on her Lifestyle Fifty blog. Today it's my turn to talk about why I was a late starter and became a secretary 40 years after most Midlife women had moved on from that particular career.

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to have a coffee and a chat - I'll tell you all about what's been happening in my world this month

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to celebrate the end of October, Spring is well and truly underway down here in Australia - so, why not share a lovely pink and Springy virtual cup of coffee with me while I update you on what's been going on in my life lately. I love a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, so I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news.

HOW DECLUTTERING CAN JUMPSTART YOUR LIFE

Taking the time to de-clutter can have a positive effect on your life - not just your home

INTRO

Today's Social Saturday guest is Kristin from the Badass Kittens Club. I met Kristin when she left a comment on one of my posts and I thought "I have to check out a blog that has such a cool name!" - and I wasn't disappointed. Kristin even has a really funky little black cat logo that makes me smile every time I see it. Today she's joining me to talk about one of my favourite topics - decluttering.

ARE YOU LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL?

Are you living life to the full with peace, purpose, paring down and passing on to others?

INTRO

This month I've been looking at the writing of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and how that relates to Midlife - or in today's case, Life in General. Over the last few weeks I've written about her quotes that relate to Midlife, Writing, and Relationships (I've included links in case you missed any of them).

Today is the last of the series and it encompasses living life to the full - probably from the viewpoint that less is often more - we don't need to be overfilling our lives to live happily.

RIGHT NOW, SHE'S JUST LIVING HER BEST LIFE

Right now, she’s just living her best life. She’s focused on herself. She’s falling in love with who she is.

AN INSPIRING QUOTE

I found this quote on The Minds Journal the other day and I thought how beautifully it reflected how we should be living in Midlife. It's time to focus on ourselves and find those things that bring us joy - forgetting what others are thinking or doing with their lives, and drilling down to what makes us who we are.

GOOGLE AND THE INTERNET IN MIDLIFE

Do you ever wonder what we did before Google and the Internet?

INTRO

Today's Social Saturday guest is Lise from Caribbean Cruise Digest where she blogs about (you guessed it) cruising the world on ocean liners - a subject which she is an expert on after taking 40 or so cruises. I feel like a complete stay at home in comparison! Today Lise is taking a slightly different tangent and asking a question that has often occured to me as I enter a question into Google search.

ARE YOU LIVING IN LOVING AND SECURE RELATIONSHIPS?

Are you living in loving, secure relationships with sound expectations?

INTRO

Throughout October I'm sharing some wonderful thoughts from Anne Morrow Lindbergh and how they are reflected in my own journey through Midlife. If you missed the first two posts you can catch up on them HERE (Midlife) and HERE (Writing) and today's post is on Relationships.

There are three different kinds of relationships referred to in the quotes I've chosen - Marriage, Children, and Friendship, and I'd like to share a little on each.

LIVING TALL IN A SHORT WORLD

When the world caters to shorter people - how do you live tall?

CONFESSION

Sometimes I envy short women. I'm sure they have lots of things they could list that are downfalls of being "height challenged" but there seems to be an assumption in our world in general that women are a certain height and clothing in particular is geared towards women all  being 5' 4" (164cm) and the rest of us just need to compensate for that.

BECOMING THE HEALTHIEST VERSION OF OURSELVES

Becoming Healthy - Take care of the inside, and the outside will take care of itself.

INTRO

Today I have Jean from Delightful Repast guesting with me for Social Saturday. Jean has a blog full of wonderful recipes that look and taste great, but also meet her standards for healthy eating. It's tricky getting the balance right, but Jean does it beautifully. 

Today she's sharing her thoughts on eating to stay healthy in Midlife and also a couple of tips on movement as well - something we all need to keep doing.

"ONE WRITES NOT TO BE READ, BUT TO BREATHE"

Why do you write/blog? is it to breathe and share your story?

WHY DO WE WRITE?

Last week I mentioned that I was feeling inspired by the writings of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and what she had to say on several different areas of life. The first was her views on Midlife and today I wanted to look at some of the thoughts she has on writing - which transfers across beautifully to why many of us blog.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU ARE PROUD OF?

Have you ever asked yourself "what is something about me that I'm proud of?"

ASKING THE HARD QUESTION

Sometimes I wonder if I actually practice what I preach.

A few weeks ago I saw a Facebook post from Sue at ST60 & Beyond, where she asked what we liked best about ourselves. Sue was looking for an acknowledgement and recognition of what characteristic I had that I was really proud of. You'd think it would be a walk in the park for a 50+ year old woman to answer this wouldn't you?


MIDLIFE PATIENCE IN AN IMPATIENT WORLD

Allowing Midlife to be a time to learn patience and serenity

INTRO

I've met so many wonderful Midlife bloggers from all over the world, and Lori Jo (from 50 with Flair) is one of the latest. She's only been blogging for a few months, yet has leapt in with both feet and her blog looks like she's been doing this stuff for years! I thought she might have secretly had a professional put it together for her, but that's not the case at all! She has figured out all the background stuff and on top of that manages to take some amazing fashion photos of herself with a camera, timer and tripod - what a woman!

Today she's sharing something a little different to her usual stylish posts and is talking about something we can all relate to - the need to keep working on our patience levels!

ARE YOU SHEDDING YOUR SHELLS IN MIDLIFE?

Midlife is a time of learning to shed the shells that no longer serve us

INTRO

I discovered another author recently whose words spoke to my heart on many levels. I thought I'd use my October Thursday posts to share Anne Morrow Lindbergh's wise words and mix it up with a few of my own. I've sorted some of her thoughts into four different topics - Midlife (today's post), Blogging/Writing, Life in General, and Relationships. I hope you enjoy reading them.

A SMILE IS THE MIDLIFER'S SECRET WEAPON

A smile is a Midlife woman’s secret weapon against invisibility

SMILE!

So often we hear Midlife women bemoaning the fact that nobody sees them anymore. They feel invisible and they feel overlooked. But really, it doesn't take much to step out of that "grey zone" and to be recognized as viable and worth being paid attention to. It's not rocket science - the answer is so simple and it begins with a smile.

70 IS JUST THE BEGINNING

When turning 70 reminds you that there's still a lot of living to be done

INTRO

Today's Social Saturday guest is the lovely Donna from dbmcnicol.com . She's another one of the wonderful women I've connected with through the AtoZ Challenge. Meeting fabulous Midlife bloggers has been such a great byproduct of the AtoZ - and Donna is not just a blogger, she's also an author of some reknown - you can check out her novels when you click on her blog link.

In between riding motorbikes, living the RV life, doting on her Golden Doodles, and generally being amazing, today Donna is talking about what getting older means to her - she has such a great attitude and I think we can all learn from her example.

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to have a coffee and a chat - I'll tell you all about what's been happening in my world this month

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to celebrate the end of September, Spring should be on its way soon down here in Australia - so, in the meantime, why not share another virtual cup of coffee with me while I update you on what's been going on in my life lately. I love a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, so I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news.

BEING A GRANDMOTHER IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET

Why didn't anybody tell me how wonderful being a grandmother would be?

THE BEST KEPT SECRET

Nobody tells you how wonderful being a grandmother is. I don't remember anyone saying to me "it's amazing being a Grandma/Nana!" I had no idea grandchildren brought so much joy into this stage of life.....until I had my own.

HAPPY AND CONTENT WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

Discovering how reducing your Social Media can free up space in your life

INTRO

My guest this week is Tomi from Think.Write.Inspire. When she saw that I was looking for Midlife bloggers to guest post for me on Social Saturdays, she very kindly offered to join the fun and suggested this post might be a good fit. I thought it was a great read and hope you enjoy meeting Tomi and reading about her encounter.

BUT YOU CANNOT GROW IF YOU ARE BITTER

Is bitterness holding you back from leading your best life?

"BUT YOU CANNOT GROW IF YOU ARE BITTER" 

I saw this quote recently on Pinterest (have I mentioned how much I love quotes, and how much I love Pinterest?) It was such a short little quote, but it struck a chord with me because I see so many people who are stunted in their lives because they allowed a hurt to grow and colour their outlook on life.

ARE YOU BECOMING MORE IN MIDLIFE?

Becoming more "Me" - finding who the real "Me" is and doing all I can to enable that woman to reach her potential.

I'M NO LONGER "LESS" AND I'M BECOMING "MORE"

Last month I wrote a post about not making myself small any more. What I've found with the whole Midlife post 50 journey is that it's time to become more "Me" - finding who the real "Me" is and doing all I can to enable that woman to reach her potential. Not always sitting in the background watching life happen, but embracing opportunities as they come my way and doing my best to live my best life possible.

MIDLIFE SCATTERBRAIN

Today's guest is Min from Write in the Middle and she's discussing brain fog in Midlife.

INTRO

Today's lovely guest for my Social Saturday series is Min from Write of the Middle. Min is another Aussie blogger who happens to live on the opposite coast of Australia to me - it seems most Aussie bloggers are East Coasters - it must be something in the tropical air over there that leads to the proliferation of Midlifers who blog. One day I'm going to buy a plane ticket and head on over to meet them all.

In the meantime, Min is here today sharing about something I'm sure we can all relate to.

RENEWAL AND REFOCUSING IN MIDLIFE

Rather than Midlife being a time of panic and behaving reactively, it can be a time of renewal and refocusing on what is now important

INTRO

Last Thursday I shared a post from my lovely husband Ross where he asked "Are You Having A Midlife Crisis?" At the end of the post he said he'd be back with some healthy ways to handle this season of life - especially if you feel that there are questions and issues that Midlife has triggered.

So today he's looking at strategies we can use to deal with any crisis we may be facing.

WHEN YOU CRUSH YOUR HUSBAND'S INNER 20 YEAR OLD

MIdlife is a time of coming to terms with the fact we aren't 20 any more

MIDLIFE MISCONCEPTIONS

Have you noticed that although we're in the second half of life, quite often we still feel like we're 20? When I look in the mirror I don't see a middle aged woman, I see a morph of that woman blurred in with the 20 year old I used to be. Maybe that's why I'm always taken aback when I see photos of myself and I look a lot older than I expected!

THE JOYS OF ROAD TRIPPING

Jo shares some of the secrets to a successful road trip - it's all in the planning

INTRO

Today I have the lovely Jo Tracey from Rambles of a Hungry Writer, as my Social Saturday guest. Jo is a fellow Aussie (although she lives on the East coast and I'm way over in the West). She is the author of several novels, is a bit of an astrology expert, and I'm surprised she found the time to write this post after spending several weeks swanning around France in an open top coupe and wining and dining in exotic locales. Then she headed off on a long drive down the Australian East Coast (the woman gets around!) Today she's sharing a few thoughts about her road tripping experiences.

ARE YOU HAVING A MIDLIFE CRISIS?

A Midlife Crisis is sparked by, “an emotional reaction to the realisation that life has time limits.

INTRO

My lovely husband Ross wrote a guest post for my Social Saturday series in July titled Silence, Solitude, Simplicity and Surrender. His thoughts were appreciated by those who read the post and I saw a couple of other short articles he'd written and posted to Facebook and thought I'd share one today and the other next Thursday. They relate to Midlife and the concept of a "Midlife Crisis" - something I don't feel like I've had, but it's definitely an issue for a lot of us in the 50+ age range. 

So, here's Ross's thoughts on having a Midlife Crisis.

I WAS A VICTIM OF THE DREADED MAN FLU!

The dreaded man flu can strike at the most unexpected moment

GETTING SICK

I am rarely sick - maybe once a year at the very most, and this might be a good thing because I'm not a great patient - I hate being unwell and I want to be back on my feet and getting on with life rather than swanning around on my sick bed with a cold compress clutched to my fevered brow.

ZIP-LINING IS IN MY GENES

Trisha Faye is guest posting about her family setting the bar high

INTRO

I met Trisha Faye through the April A to Z Challenge and she is also a regular contributor to our #MLSTL Link Party on Wednesdays. Every year I wonder why I let myself get caught up in the maelstrom of blogging daily for a month, then I meet lovely new bloggers like Trisha, and I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.

 Trisha did her A to Z Challenge on her Embracing Life Tribe blog, but she does most of her blogging on her other site Trishafaye.wordpress.com and that's where I usually go to check out what she's been up to. Today she's writing about being inspired by those who are older and still active (her Mum makes similar comments to the one's I hear from mine!) So, on that note, here's Trisha...

THE 4TH OF THE FOUR AGREEMENTS

Agreement Four - Always do your best and you avoid self- judgement and regret

INTRO

Don Miguel Ruiz wrote a best selling book called The Four Agreements - I really appreciated his insights and thought how well they could be applied to Midlife. So throughout August I've been covering them one at a time. Here is the 1st Agreement, and the 2nd Agreement and the 3rd Agreement (if you missed them). Today it's the Fourth (and final) Agreement and what Midlife has taught me in regard to it.

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to have a coffee and a chat - I'll tell you all about what's been happening in my world this month

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

It's time to celebrate the end of August, Winter should be on its way out soon down here in Australia - so, in the meantime, why not share another virtual cup of coffee with me while I update you on what's been going on in my life lately. I love a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, so I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news.

50 SHADES OF FAYE

My mum Faye is guest posting on the blog today - find out why it's titled "50 Shades of Faye"!

INTRO

My surprise guest poster this week is my Mum, Faye. She is a larger than life version of me - she's more social, more generous, more colourful, and wayyyyy sexier than I could imagine being when I'm in my 70's. She has a wide circle of friends, belongs to several chapters of the Red Hat Society, has travelled the world, and is currently enjoying having a Friend with Benefits who is much younger than her. 

I recommended she keep her post to a PG rating - I didn't think we wanted too much detail in regard to her regular coffee dates with her FWB that we refer to as "tea and crumpet" because it does my head in thinking about it (she shares wayyyy too much!) If you need any more details in regard to her life feel free to ask her in the comments! So let me introduce you to Faye....

FIFTY SHADES OF FAYE

Hi, I'm Leanne's Mum, Faye - she has asked me to write a guest blog post for her and suggested the above title. So here goes....

THE 3RD OF THE FOUR AGREEMENTS

Agreement 4 - Don't make assumptions. Ask questions and communicate

INTRO

Don Miguel Ruiz wrote a best selling book called The Four Agreements - I really appreciated his insights and thought how well they could be applied to Midlife. So throughout August I'll be covering them one at a time. Here is the 1st Agreement, and here is the 2nd Agreement (if you missed them) and today it's the Third Agreement and what Midlife has taught me in regard to it.

5 FANTASTIC QUOTES ON NOT BEING PERFECT

So today I'm sharing 5 fantastic quotes on celebrating imperfection. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do

DITCHING PERFECTIONISM

Last Monday I wrote about escaping the Perfectionism Trap and I included a couple of quotes in my post. As I was cruising around the internet I was noticed there were several other quotes that really resonated with me in regard to ditching our need to be perfect.

So today I'm sharing 5 fantastic quotes on celebrating our imperfection. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do - and feel free to pin any that speak to you.

HOW TO RESTOCK IF YOU'VE OVERFISHED YOUR POND

When we are feeling listless and dissatisfied, it’s a sure sign that our ponds need to be restocked.

INTRO:

Today I have Karen from Profound Journey guest posting for Social Saturday. I met Karen through the AtoZ Challenge in April (it was the best Challenge so far for connecting with other fantastic Midlife bloggers!) Somewhere along the way, we just clicked - I think because Karen takes the time to write a thoughtful comment and to reply to those on her blog in a considered way too.

Karen is a deep thinker (hence her "Profound Journey") and today she shares how to re-fill your well when the levels feel low.

THE 2ND OF THE FOUR AGREEMENTS

The 2nd Agreement - Don't Take Anything Personally Nothing others do is because of you.

INTRO

Don Miguel Ruiz wrote a best selling book called The Four Agreements - I really appreciated his insights and thought how well they could be applied to Midlife. So throughout August I'll be covering them one at a time. Last week it was the 1st Agreement and today it's the Second Agreement and what Midlife has taught me in regard to it.

ESCAPING THE PERFECTIONISM TRAP

Are you a recovering perfectionist like me? Or are you still in the trap of trying to keep all the balls in the air?

THE PERFECTION TRAP

Recently I wrote about Midlife being a process of re-creating from the unraveling. It's such an important concept for me, and I hope it struck a chord with other Midlifers. We aren't falling apart, we are growing and blooming and becoming more authentic every day. But one of the biggest issues I've had to deal with in the process of finding my true self was the whole Perfectionism trap.