Lifestyle Maven | The UK lifestyle blog for your fabulous 40s and beyond

What’s hot in kitchenware, as seen at the Exclusively Housewares show

June 15, 2018 87 Views 0 Comment

The foxtrot The last couple of weeks have been like a foxtrot – slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. This has led to virtual silence on the blog (although lots going on over on Instagram if you’ve missed me!). Half term week was spent relatively calmly. … [read more]

Food

Succulent double salmon fish cakes

May 29, 2018 401 Views 4 Comments

The challenge of family cooking My kids are like chalk and cheese, in that one will like chalk and the other will like cheese. One likes art, the other science. One wants his eggs fried, the other scrambled. Marmite? Yup, you guessed it. Finding food … [read more]

Wisdom

The self-employment survival guide: what I’ve learnt in four years

May 20, 2018 778 Views 6 Comments

This was the view from my bedside table four years ago. Nothing extraordinary about having an alarm. Except that this would be the last time it would wake me up early for my commute to the office. Four years ago this week, I worked my … [read more]

Beauty

The honest blogger’s review of True North cosmetics

May 13, 2018 603 Views 4 Comments

Lagom: the search for balance I believe the key to a happy life is balance, and yet I find it incredibly hard to achieve. My problem is lack of consistency. My recruitment work comes in peaks and troughs, making planning very difficult. I’m either frantically … [read more]

Wisdom

5 de-stressing tips for busy people

April 27, 2018 1522 Views 6 Comments

Swan, koala or cat? I remember being asked in an interview in a former life “If you were an animal, what animal would you be?” This is one of those awful psycho-nonsense questions that hiring managers like to ask to mix things up a bit, … [read more]

Food Fun

Gin is the answer. What was the question?

April 18, 2018 1366 Views 2 Comments

Family time I don’t think I’m alone in feeling a rush of relief when the kids returned to school after the Easter break. We had a fabulous holiday in Turkey – more on that later – but I hadn’t spent a moment alone for over … [read more]

Fun Wisdom

The ten commandments of great sleep

March 16, 2018 1727 Views 2 Comments

You may think I’m slightly obsessed with sleep, having written about it several times on the blog already. But I revisit the subject today for good reason: it’s World Sleep Day, plus March is National Bed Month – which I’m celebrating with a well-earned nap. … [read more]

Food Fun

A break from technology: our digital detox

February 18, 2018 1265 Views 8 Comments

There is one subject we argue about more than any other in our house: Technology. Now C is at secondary school, he has his own phone. We reasoned that he needs it to keep in touch with us when he’s out with friends. We didn’t … [read more]

Beauty

My beauty heroes: the skin issue

February 11, 2018 1715 Views 6 Comments

It’s been a while since I posted about beauty. I’ve been working on my personal development, hence my focus on the ‘wisdom’ section of the blog. For several months I’ve been trying new skincare products. Some made promises they couldn’t keep, others caused trouble for … [read more]

Wisdom

How to sleep well

February 02, 2018 2299 Views 10 Comments

I have had many periods of poor sleep during my life. The biggest cause of sleep deprivation? Parenthood, obviously. Looking back, I know that I got away lightly with my kids’ sleeping patterns and that some parents suffer years of disturbed sleep with their … [read more]

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Popular posts Wisdom

The blogging hierarchy

July 03, 2016 4011 Views 35 Comments

“What is a lifestyle blog?” This question comes up in my life a lot. Most recently, at two very different events. The first was at a networking event for all sorts of professions and the consensus around the room was one of blissful ignorance. Lifestyle … [read more]

Popular posts Wisdom

8 reasons to love (and hate) being self-employed

May 07, 2016 4377 Views 24 Comments

Two years ago this month, I quit my job of 11 years and walked away from two decades of full time employment, to start up my own business. That means that I’ve already been self-employed for 10% of my working life and feel like I’ve … [read more]

Fashion

My O bag makeover

December 13, 2016 8272 Views 19 Comments

With the expense of Christmas looming – I’m entertaining 13 people, more of that to follow soon – now is not the time to be obsessing about new handbags! But what’s a girl to do. I have a habit which must be fed. While sharing … [read more]

Fun Popular posts Wisdom

11 things only parents of boys will understand

March 01, 2016 3511 Views 18 Comments

Nothing prepares us for becoming a parent and looking after small children. Sure, there are practical manuals about caring for babies and toddlers; and then the psychology books take over, helping us get through those ‘difficult phases’. But no one in my immediate circle really … [read more]

Wisdom

Is Reiki a universal panacea, a placebo, or a scam?

July 11, 2017 4613 Views 16 Comments

Reiki – is it the panacea of all ills the human race has been waiting for, or just a harmless placebo? What is Reiki and does Reiki work? Reiki is an energy healing system, with its roots in Japan. The first time I had a Reiki treatment, … [read more]

Popular posts Wisdom

Why mid-life women are leaving their jobs in record numbers

July 19, 2016 5591 Views 15 Comments

Self-employed people: they’re everywhere. Opening up boutiques, or industriously working on laptops in coffee shops, or beavering away in their home offices. Of course, they had always been there, but I’d been safely tucked away in my office, busily not noticing them. Each new chapter … [read more]

Popular posts Wisdom

Life is short, eat the cake

April 03, 2016 3283 Views 14 Comments

I’ve been off the grid for over a week, while I try to process several devastating pieces of news from friends and family. I won’t go into details, to protect those who are more directly affected. Suffice to say, following a period of mid-life wallowing, … [read more]

Popular posts Wisdom

How to start a blog

October 05, 2016 3112 Views 14 Comments

Cat from Sorting Self, who organises personal development events for local mums in North London, invited me to give an informal presentation about blogging. The event was earlier this week. Despite having given several lectures on blogging and (ironically) presenting techniques to a group of … [read more]

Puppy love. Is having a puppy like having a baby?

February 10, 2017 2942 Views 14 Comments

I grew up with dogs. Shetland Sheepdogs were our breed of choice. They were lively, gentle, loyal and incredibly hairy (a bit like me – apart from the gentle bit). Whisky was my favourite. I teased him relentlessly, but he was my best friend. His … [read more]

Fashion Fun Wisdom

The Ethical Christmas Gift List

December 08, 2015 2208 Views 12 Comments

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, even though for bloggers, Christmas started with the press shows in July. Last year I wrote several gift list posts, including a specific list for beauty fans and another full of bizarre, unusual and downright crazy gifts … [read more]

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