Category: lifestyle

“I make up to $500/month selling macrame!” Featuring Deb Mellema, Macrame Nest

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

EDB3EC3F-6C3F-43B9-86F0-F57409E2411E_1_201_aDeb Mellema couldn’t have guessed the craft she loved doing as a teen would provide a creative outlet and cash in her 50s.

“When my 30 year-old daughter said she was excited about this cool new thing she’d seen on Pinterest called ‘macrame’ (a crafting technique that uses knots to create various textiles), it made me laugh because I’d grown up doing it!”

Read my latest lifestyle clip,  all about Deb Mellema’s small business Macrame Nest in full here at Woman’s World July 2020 Deb Mellema, Macrame Nest.

Enjoy The Perfect Picnic With These 5 Things

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

3C109CA4-21A1-44A4-B06F-6B98528AD187_1_201_aThe simple things can be that much sweeter with the right gear.

The grass and food in the great outdoors — it’s a humble concept, and yet Kate Winslet says going on a picnic is one of the things in the whole world that makes her happiest. Curious?

It’s time to heed summer’s soft call to trade your air-conditioned lair for nature and experience the rejuvenation that comes with placing a tasty spread on a blanket under a tree.

Read in full at AARP The Girlfriend.

How Worry Was Hurting Me And Those I Love Most

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

4F5A12B4-200D-41D1-94CD-547A2A5F0FACNote: This article was scheduled for today’s publication months ago, well before the world turned upside down with the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike ever before, it’s nearly impossible not to feel the weight of stress and worry bearing down. If you’re like me, there was always “enough” worry to contend with before the pandemic erupted. How much harder it is today to breathe deeply and stay calm while stuck indoors, digesting the daily news and facing the unknowns of coronavirus fallout. This personal story includes wise words from a friend and from a seasoned therapist, but if needed don’t hesitate to call the CDC stress-anxiety hotline for help.

IMAGE CRED: @KatieAbey

On social media I recently posted the meme, “Didn’t get much sleep last night but I did get a few solid hours of anxiety in,” followed by a trail of laugh-cry emojis. Many responded, piling on with a lot of LOLs and high-fives, much as I’d encouraged.

But truthfully, I wasn’t laughing on the inside. Worry wasn’t just waking me at night. Its presence was coloring my mood and clouding my judgment about what to say and how to say it. My worry was more than my problem — it was seeping into my family life and poisoning the air. It started innocently enough when my first child was born and intensified as my second appeared.

Read in full on AARP The Girlfriend.

 

 

I Love This Deep-Dish Pizza So Much I Even Made It for Thanksgiving

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

“Imagine receiving a deep-dish pizza pan and bootleg recipe for Chicago-style Giordano’s pizza as a wedding gift. Twenty-eight years ago, we did, and it’s been the most cherished of all our wedding gifts. We’ve amassed dozens of memories, hosted countless guests for dinner parties, and have made it the centerpiece of book-club dinners and high school friend reunions. We made it the night before our youngest left for college, at his request.

But one of the most memorable pizza parties was the time we skipped the turkey and served deep-dish pizza for Thanksgiving. It was such a rare and unexpected Thanksgiving day that our guests still talk about it.”

Read in full at The Kitchn.

3 Skin-Care Tips for Dealing With Melasma

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

“In my 40s I noticed my skin gradually changing to reveal light splotchy shadows around the sides of my face and over my upper lip. Summer’s unforgiving sunlight seemed to intensify their appearance. My dermatologist diagnosed me with a mild case of melasma, a skin condition that commonly appears when hormones are in flux, and prescribed Retin-A.

Now in the throes of perimenopause at 50, my melasma continues to be on my mind. In my youth I battled zits to achieve a great complexion. Today, my focus is on addressing discoloration in order to maintain healthy, clear skin.”

Read in full on AARP Disrupt Aging.

House fire sparks loss and gratitude

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

“While away on vacation, a phone call woke Becky Ogorek, 59, and her husband Keith in the early hours of July 18, 2016. Their sleepiness vanished when their neighbour back home said, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but your house is engulfed in flames.” The neighbourhood was frantic as she worried that the car parked in the driveway could indicate that someone was inside.

Except for their oldest daughter, the Ogoreks were gathered together on vacation at a cottage in Michigan. The oldest, in her late 20s, had flown back to Indianapolis to attend a work conference and was staying at her parent’s home. What Becky and Keith found out in the following heart-wrenching minutes was that she’d spontaneously decided to squeeze in an overnight with cousins in Chicago. She wasn’t home. No one was in the house when it had literally burst into flames.” 

Read in full on Forever Young News.

The Girlfriend’s Guide To Renting Out Your Home While You’re Away

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

My Texan girlfriend Paulina is one smart woman. She has demonstrated how to parlay their home investment into disposable income for her family of four. Five years ago, she listed their Austin home on the popular short-term home-rental site Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO), and her efforts have paid off.

You can list your home for rent not only through VRBO, but also through Airbnb or HomeAway vacation rental marketplaces. But you need to know what you’re doing.

Read in full at AARP The Girlfriend.

The Girlfriend’s Guide To Threading

Published on by KathrynLeave a comment

I first encountered threading while living in the Middle East for a few months. Middle Eastern women vastly prefer the art of threading, an ancient method of hair removal, over waxing. Why? By using two pieces of 100 percent cotton thread to whisk away hair, threading is natural. Yaaass, bring on the applause! No chemicals. No strong cocktail of potentially irritable ingredients. Nope, just a spool of thread. Gliding quickly over the skin’s surface, the intertwined strands of thread instantly remove hairs from the root of the follicle, so regrowth is slow, meaning threading lasts longer. Fewer appointments = more $ and time for other things — like sipping latte with your girlfriend, girlfriends.

Hmm. Not bad.

And? My brows were gorgeous, shaped to perfection. Threading allows for greater precision than waxing because the threading tech can create the perfect brow-shape for your face by swiping away one hair here or a short row there.

Read in full on AARP, The Girlfriend.