My son has recently taken up hiking, my sister and her husband have also completed some amazing hikes, last year they spent several months completing the Thames Path. But whenever I mention I'd like to take up hiking, my family laugh at me.  Okay on the surface that seems unkind but they know I am a fairweather walker, preferring to bimble for 30 minutes and then get a cup of tea!  A couple of years ago a friend encouraged me to join her for a walk at Cliveden, I loved it but I was exhausted, I couldn't keep up with her hiking pace.  But I have completed hikes on fitness weekend ..read more

In anticipation of spring arriving and summer following soon after (we can live in hope) I have picked five of my favourite dresses from the .  If you have holidays to look forward to or are just excited about finally shedding the layers and lightening up your wardrobe, then take a look at how I am styling these comfortable, flattering and chic summer dresses for women over 50. And remember to use my code  to get 40% off the two most expensive items in your basket (excluding items already in-offer, valid until 30th June 2024). This is a sponsored blog post. Summer dresses for women o ..read more

We are just back from a week in , these two neighbouring ski resorts in the Portes du Soleil area of the French Alps are our favourite place to ski, it's where we all learnt to ski and where we keep going back to!  In fact apart from one ski holiday in Austria, we've not ever skied anywhere else!  After a break of 6 years with no skiing due to the travel restrictions of the pandemic, we were feeling a little nervous and had forgotten some of the details that make a ski holiday work.  Skiing at this time of year can be hot, weather conditions are variable, with a mixture of sunny ..read more

My daughter and I found ourselves with a small window of opportunity for an early spring break back in March.  We knew it was a bit soon in the season for a short haul guaranteed sun holiday but as we were keen to get some down time we didn't want to do a full on city break either.  We spent hours researching different options!  How long does holiday planning take?!  We were super keen on Italy but Sorrento (our first choice) doesn't really open up for tourists until Easter.  Finally we settled on Cádiz in Spain ... we booked our flights, found an Airbnb with an outsid ..read more

We spend a lot of time asleep, approximately a third of our lives in fact!  So let's make it the best, most comfortable sleep possible.   I am always a bit wary of the enthusiastic claims that one product can change your life and make you look ten years younger, there is certainly a lot of hype about the hair and skin benefits of sleeping on a silk pillowcase, but do they live up to that hype?  I love my silk pillowcases and have been using them for years ... read on to find out why they are worthwhile investment (and get 10% off at the new Hydralun Silk Pillowcase from Bed ..read more

Lingerie for menopause and skin itching from JulieMay Lingerie ) but others are less understood, and we don't always realise these new symptoms are related to our declining hormone levels.   Oestrogen is essential in the production of both collagen and the natural oils that keep our skin moisturised.  But as our oestrogen decreases so our skin changes and can become thinner, itchier, sensitive and make us prone to developing allergies.  Dry skin in midlife is much more common, although I don't have any specific allergies, I certainly need to moisturise my skin a lot more often ..read more

Special occasion outfits from Afibel this month, I am sharing ideas for styling a selection of special occasion outfits.  From formal to relaxed, I think there is something for everyone and Afibel really do offer a huge range of inclusive styles for every BODY stocking sizes from a 6 to a 34 with designs that are both flattering and comfortable.  And don't shy away from admitting you want to feel comfortable either!  I've long since ditched the high heel shoes, the restrictive waistbands and tight shift dresses, life really is too short for shapewear and feeling hot and flustere ..read more

They say you should get your colours analysed regularly, ideally every 5-15 years because as we age our colouring becomes softer, we have less contrast to our skin and even the pigment in our eyes and lips can change.  I've been feeling very insecure recently, having grown in confidence in my early 50s, the last 6-12 months I seem to have completely lost my sense of style and happiness in who I am and my confidence along with it.  I've gone from (mostly) loving my wardrobe, to hating it!  I am also fed up with online shopping due to too many deliveries and constant returns.  ..read more

The spring season is almost here, blossom is beginning to appear, the daffodils are slowly opening, the snowdrops are in full bloom and we've even had a few sunny, mild days to lift ours spirits.  And I don't know about you but with the promise of warmer weather my thoughts are turning to my spring style.  French fashion brand Afibel are celebrating their 70th year in 2024 and they asked me to share a series of blog posts to showcase different ways to style some of their fabulous fashion for women over 50.  I'm starting with of versatile separates!  Afibel is proud to ..read more

Have you heard of EMS training!?  EMS refers to Electrical Muscle Stimulation and whilst it has been around a while, it is still a fairly new concept in the UK and not that well known yet but it is a fantastic way to kickstart a fitness programme.  I tried it out recently, I completed three weeks of EMS training sessions with Karl at Frequency EMS in Reading . And my blog post will explain more about what it is and how I got on including what it felt like! EMS training is an innovative approach that can give significant results in much less time compared to the more traditional worko ..read more