Double Portion Inspiration

In a recent blog post I shared about my menopause journey and 5 tips for the men in our lives. Here's the  link  in case you missed it. One of the side effects that I didn't mention is weight gain. It can be such a big part of the menopause journey that it needed its own post. If you're between the ages of 45-55 (average age range for menopause), you might have noticed weight gain in your mid-section. You may also find maintaining your weight is much harder than it used to be. I started looking into the correlation between menopause and weight gain after gaining 10 pounds in 3 months. At first I thought the weight gain was due to COVID. Late night eating, less active days and cooking new recipes can wreck anyone's weight loss plans. Couple that with menopause and it's a horrible duo in any woman's life. Just know that it's not just your body going through changes.  Women are more likely to gain excess belly weight, especially deep inside the belly, as they g

We all have people in our life that are unlikable. Maybe they are annoying, unpleasant, mean, rude or just overall different than us. Ok, most people won't admit it but we all know people that are unlikable. We also encounter those that live with a different set of values. This unique world, allows our paths to cross with all types of people. We interact with those we like, love, and dislike. That's our reality. This pandemic shows how we are all interdependent on one another. I came face to face (through Zoom) with someone, and we don't share the same values. I was rubbed in all the wrong ways. Now, I naturally can deal with many different personalities but this person was just...I will save that comment to myself. How do you handle interactions with the unlikable? What if the one that's unlikable is in your own family? Again, NO one wants to admit it but it is our reality. We find many reasons and ways to distance ourselves from people, not just geographically but eve

As this year ticks away, a shared experience for all of us is that we've grieved something this year. We live in a world where we can walk into success and struggle all within the same day. This past week I have felt anxious, happy, afraid, and relieved. It's been a new skill set to navigate all of the chaos, commotion, emotions and unknown of this year. This year has been exhilarating in some moments and exhausting in other moments. I grieved not being able to see my mom regularly or feel her hug (Hi MOM! I know you are reading this). I missed being able to see my only niece go to prom or attend her graduation. The same for you - maybe it was a missed graduation, funeral, baby birth, wedding or loss of employment. Living in an intersection of two extremes takes effort. I want to encourage you quickly with words that were written in the midst of adversity . I'm naturally wired to be positive and optimistic. But this year I've thought about the person who's natural a