Stress can pile up when we hold onto yesterday’s worries but letting go and focusing on the present is key. Here are three simple evergreen tips for everyday calm: 1. Be Present 2. Do a Calming Activity 3. Prioritize Health Start by managing just one stressor today. Remember, it’s about finding balance and caring for yourself—one step at a time. 🙃 #everydaycalm #calmandconfidentcollective #womenoverfortyfiftysixty #letsmakecalmyournewnormal

Today, my 43-year-old stepdaughter was laid to rest on scared ground. She passed last week, one day before my 61st birthday. Her funeral was yesterday, a day after the 41st anniversary of my daughter's birthday. My precious pumpkin that passed 31 years ago. To say that this past week, albeit this new year has come in rough for me is an understatement. There are many thoughts that are traveling through my mind right now. The full life that was lost by Crystal Denise at 10 years old and the unfinished one lost by Chanaya Nicole, a widow, who leaves three children and a host of family and friends. Both were beautiful on the inside and out. Both were humble, to whom people gravitated to and enjoyed being around. Both had beautiful smiles and hearts of gold. As I remember these beautiful souls, I can't help but the cry. I've been crying since the news of the passing a little over a week ago. Actually, I've been crying on/off for 31 years. But today the tears hit differently. I keep asking myself and GOD why are the children dying before their parents? This is not the natural order of things. I am not calm enough right now to hear or see the answer. It shall come in time. In this stage of my life, speaking to myself and others about calm and clarity, doesn't mean that storms are not going to arise. It doesn't mean that you will not be challenged. It doesn't mean that there will not be moments of temporary breakdowns, where your consentience has fallen and all resolve broken. Where rivers of tears are flowing without end, as mine have for the past week. When your mind goes to places it shouldn't. Where you have to muster all the faith, you have to bring yourself back to sanity. Back to clarity. In all this grief, there is a small ray of sunshine in that the girls, who were friends in their childhood, have been reunited. I paused, for just a moment, on whether to share this deeply personal issue here with the community. The community is new and fresh and has all the bells and whistles. It's still shiny and has promise. But on the other end, it is safe. It is comforting. I should be allowed to share as much or as little as I want. And maybe right now, I need a virtual hug because my heart is broken.

There’s something powerful about choosing a word to guide your year — not as a resolution (I’ve given up on those), and not as a performance metric either, but as an anchor. A compass. A quiet promise to myself. A new year and a new way of being. This year, my word is ALIGNED. Not aligned in the Pinterest-perfect, color‑coded‑planner kind of way. Aligned in the real way — the midlife way. Aligned in the way that honors the woman I am now — the woman juggling shifting hormones, career pivots, adult children, and the quiet ache of rediscovering myself after decades of being everything to everyone. Aligned in the way that says: - I’m choosing what feels true, not what looks good. - I’m honoring my capacity instead of pushing past it. - I’m moving at the pace my nervous system can hold. - I’m trusting my inner wisdom more than the external noise. Because here’s the truth many of us learn in our 40s, 50s, and 60s: misalignment becomes too heavy to carry. We can’t override our bodies the way we used to. We can’t tolerate chaos the way we once did. We can’t pretend our needs don’t matter. We can’t keep shrinking to make others comfortable. Midlife demands honesty — with ourselves first. And alignment is honesty in motion. It’s the moment I pause and ask: Is this choice honoring who I’m becoming? It’s the decision to rest instead of push. To say no instead of overextending. To show up online with presence instead of performance. To build a life, a business, or a routine that actually fits the woman I am now — not the woman I was ten years ago. Alignment is not perfection. It’s not rigidity. It’s not a straight line. Alignment is a practice. A recalibration. A returning. And this year, I’m inviting you to join me in that return. Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing tools, rituals, reflections, and practices to help you live a more aligned life — one that honors your body, your boundaries, your energy, and your evolution. Because we deserve a life that feels like it fits.

Balancing your own life while caring for aging parents can feel heavy. The responsibilities are real, and so is the exhaustion. Remember, asking for help isn’t weakness — it’s sustainability. Even small breaks matter. Caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint, and your well-being is part of the journey. What’s one way you can give yourself permission to rest this week? Until next time beautiful!

There’s something unique about this season of life. Women in their 40s are often carrying so much—careers that demand presence, kids who still need guidance, aging parents, relationships, households, and the invisible emotional labor that no one sees but everyone benefits from. And somewhere in the middle of all that… you’re supposed to find yourself. It’s no wonder so many women tell me they feel stretched thin, guilty for wanting space, or unsure how to slow down without everything falling apart. And that’s usually the moment when a deeper truth starts to whisper: something has to shift. That whisper is often pointing toward boundaries. Not the harsh, rigid kind we sometimes imagine — but the kinds that feel like an exhale. The kind that makes room for you to breathe again. The kind that reminds you that your needs aren’t an inconvenience; they’re part of an ecosystem that keeps your life running. Closing the laptop after dinner. Letting the dishes wait. Saying “not tonight.” Taking 10 minutes before bed to sit in silence, stretch, or simply exist without being needed. These tiny acts of self-respect recalibrate your nervous system. They soften the edges of your day. They remind your body that you matter too. And when you show up calmer, clearer, and more grounded… everyone around you feels it. Your home feels it. Your relationships feel it. You feel it. So let me gently ask you: What’s one boundary you could set this week that feels like a breath of fresh air — not another task, but a gift to your future self? Until next time, beautiful! #womenover40 #midlifebalance #calmandclarity #emotionalwellnessjourney #boundariesarebeautiful #slowlivingmovement #womenwhorise #mindfulmidlife #selfcareisstrength #calminchaos