I just discovered Instagram.

Why is this such a big deal? Well, for years I was a scrapbooker. I’m talking the paper, scissors and photo adhesive squares kind of scrapbooker. It was a hobby I discovered just after my 3rd child was born and boy did I dive in quick. In a matter of months, I had accumulated more stickers, paper, eyelets and die cuts than any one person could use. I enjoyed thinking outside the box when it came to layout techniques and was fortunate to have some of my work featured in scrapbook magazines (shout out to any of you former Creating Keepsakes and PaperCuts readers!).

Continue reading for a couple of my favorites.

I can wait to start sharing my wellness journey with you. First up? An infrared sauna. This was A-MAZ-ING! Even scheduled a second session before I was out the door.

I had been eager to try an infrared sauna for at least 6 months. I first read about them in a fitness magazine which gave a laundry list of health benefits, including increased energy, improved circulation, skin purification (yes!) and pain relief.

After hearing me mention this one too many times, my husband purchased a 10 session infrared sauna package for me as a Mother’s Day gift. (so sweet) He even offered to join me for my first session.

As an avid cyclist, he was interested in the benefits for muscle tension and metabolism. As for me? It was all about the skin benefits. I was hoping for improvements in skin complexion, tone, elasticity and overall appearance. I was all about how the red light stimulates collagen and elastin production and the sweating helps with skin cell turnover. Hold on….let me say ‘stimulates collagen production’ again…yep, that’s what I am talking about.

I’ve been reading blogs for about 5 years. I stumbled on my first one while searching for the perfect sugar cookie icing recipe. A site called Cupcakes and Cashmere had the answer! But wait a second….what is this?! A digital magazine? No? Its a “blog”??

I didn’t know what a blog was, but I was hooked. I spent 30 min reading posts that ranged from home decor ideas to style tips. In the days ahead, one blog after another was added to my daily reads. And in the years that followed I have been inspired by many lifestyle and career bloggers. Incredible women who have been willing to let the world into their lives and share everything from style inspirations to career struggles…from home decorating to travel excursions.  Each evening, I make a warm cup of coffee and spend time catching up with my “virtual” friends through their blog posts.  As someone who recently turned 50, I have enjoyed living a ‘younger’ life through these wonderful women.

I did, however, struggle to find such inspiration from women my own age. Those of us who have seasoned careers, who are or have been married, who may be (or soon will be) empty-nesters, and who are looking to bring more meaning to the second half of our lives. I struggled to find blogs that addressed self-care and beauty needs for older women (did I just call myself old…ugh). Or those that highlighted fashion styles that are youthful yet appropriate for women in their 50’s. The same applies to wellness, travel and career tips for women my age.