Episode 297 Are you planning a vacation and want to stay alcohol-free but feeling unsure if you can manage it? I've been there too. When I stopped drinking, I struggled with the idea that a vacation could be enjoyable without alcohol. For me, alcohol and vacation were intertwined in my belief of what made a trip fun. It took one sober trip to realize that vacations could be just as enjoyable without alcohol. In this episode, I share seven of my favorite tips for preparing for a sober vacation, along with strategies to help you stay on track during and after your trip. What you’ll hear: Why w ..read more

Episode 296 free download. This episode is for the Sober Gal who wants to spend her summer with that Sober Gal vibe - freedom from alcohol. Freedom to do more things SHE wants to do. Invest and give herself back the time, money, and energy alcohol took from her and have fun on her own this summer - no alcohol required.  ➡️Do you feel like you’re missing out because you don’t have a glass of alcohol when you’re sitting on your patio?  ➡️Are you starting to give yourself a summer pass for drinking because you’re on vacation?  ➡️Saying things like - I’m traveling internationally; a ..read more

Episode 295 In this episode, I share my personal journey and experiences with sobriety, addressing the common question: When does sobriety stop being hard? I’ve shared my story since the beginning of this podcast. I had a tough time in the first and second years. I went it on my own. In 2013, I didn’t know about podcasts or books about sobriety. Change and transition are tough, even if you appreciate change in your life. When we’re talking about our bond with alcohol and transitioning out of having it in our lives, it’s tough.  No matter how much or how long you spend drinking, we all fac ..read more

Episode 294 In this episode, I’m answering a question from a To 50 and Beyond listener, Maggie. Maggie sent me an email and said: I’ve heard you talk about your social anxiety when you were 14 and started drinking as you got older. Did having anxiety hold you back from quitting drinking? And how did you manage it once you stopped drinking?  Anxiety has been one of the most difficult things I’ve had to experience and manage throughout my life. I didn’t talk to a doctor about my anxiety until I was in my 40s. I wanted to hide it. Pretend like I had everything together, and even during publi ..read more

Episode 293  Day One. There is so much possibility there. I love day one! I don’t love how “starting over” can make you feel when you are working so hard at staying sober in midlife. In this episode, I discuss the feeling of starting over and how you can feel and reframe it. I also share my experience of starting over on Day One for the last time. If you are in a program where resetting your clock is required, stick to your program. This episode is for the gal who is DIYing sobriety like I did. If you’re tired of going back and forth with your drinking, I understand how you feel. I’ve got ..read more

Episode 292  I enjoyed drinking alone, and I know that being alone can be a challenge when you stop drinking.  Whether you live alone or find drinking alone an enjoyable “reward,” but you don’t want to continue drinking, this episode is for you. Today, I’m answering a question from a To 50 and Beyond listener, Kim, as part of my six-week Q&A series.  Kim sent me an email saying:  I go about 30 days without drinking but find it hard to keep it going, mainly because I live alone. No one will know if I drink, so I often give in and tell myself—I’ll have just a little (you ..read more

Episode 291 Today, I’m answering the question: What if my drinking isn’t “bad enough” to quit?  I’ve heard this question from midlife women for years and asked myself this question for two years. f you are on the verge of going alcohol-free but aren’t 100% certain that your drinking is at a place where you “need” to remove alcohol completely, this is the episode for you. Even though my drinking was considered “bad enough” to quit on paper and in my heart, it didn’t mean that I stopped. For two years, I tried to justify and compare my drinking to others whose drinking was worse than mine ..read more

Episode 289  Hey there, friend!  This episode comes straight from my heart and is for the moms and grandmas of the world who feel regretful about their drinking.  I share what becoming a mom was like, how I started drinking the day I came home from the hospital, and why I quit drinking for myself, not my son, but stay sober for him today.  I also talk about how I'm living with the regret of my drinking as a mom.  In honor of Mother's Day and where I am today on my motherhood road, I wanted to talk about this topic to let you know you are not alone.  My favorite th ..read more

Bonus episode  Hello friend! I'm popping in today to share with you a new free resource I created, The Daily Sobriety Toolkit.  I'm so excited to share this toolkit with you!  The Daily Sobriety Toolkit is your trusted companion to help you plan your day and stay connected to the reason why you are choosing yourself over alcohol today. Not forever. You can grab your toolkit here.  Thank you for listening!  I will be on a break until May 8, 2024. See you back here then.    Do you need extra support in going and staying alcohol-free?  Learn more about my c ..read more

Episode 288  I first came across Dr. Dawn’s Instagram account and was immediately drawn to her passion for helping others and the way she teaches and shares her wisdom - which is why I reached out to invite her back to the podcast to help us understand more about what hormones are the hormones that are the key players during menopause and how alcohol affects our hormones during this time. Dr. Dawn is a Naturopathic physician with extensive experience in the treatment of substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, and is doing work in ketamine therapy, which she tal ..read more