Lifestyle Maven | Page 2 of 24 | The UK lifestyle blog for your fabulous 40s and beyond

How to be happy – 5 keys to happiness

July 15, 2018 290 Views 0 Comment

“Tell me what you want, what you really, really want?” said the life coach, channelling The Spice Girls. I took several deep breaths. I pondered some of the options: health; wealth; contented family; work/life balance; to look amazing in a bikini… Yes to all of … [read more]

Fashion

How to prevent double boob, side boob and other lingerie malfunctions

June 27, 2018 399 Views 2 Comments

Full service history I’ve had all my bits examined this month. The annual mammogram and breast clinic consultation has coincided with my long-overdue smear test, so I feel like I’ve undergone a full service. There was breast cancer in my immediate family. She’s well and … [read more]

Food

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

June 15, 2018 402 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 647 Views 6 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 1069 Views 10 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 907 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 1727 Views 7 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 1607 Views 4 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 2050 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 1495 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]

1 2 3 4 … 24

Wisdom

How to tame your inner demon

January 12, 2018 3852 Views 13 Comments

The demon in my head I have a voice in my head and she’s a real bitch. She’s a demon and she is very busy, chattering and chipping away at my confidence. She beats me up from the inside, keeps me dwelling on past events, … [read more]

Fashion Fun Wisdom

The Ethical Christmas Gift List

December 08, 2015 2404 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]

Wisdom

Bring me sunshine

November 05, 2016 2242 Views 12 Comments

I was invited to speak at an event this week, attended by all my University friends. And I wish with all my heart that none of it had ever happened. You see, the event was a funeral, the speech was a tribute and all my friends … [read more]

Fashion Popular posts

5 tips to help you find your personal style

February 11, 2016 2890 Views 12 Comments

“I have nothing to wear”. How many of us start our day by muttering this under our breath? The experts say that we only wear 20% of the clothes in our wardrobes. I have been hoarding clothes for years and I reckon I only wear … [read more]

Popular posts Wisdom

Is fear of failure paralysing you?

October 15, 2015 1519 Views 12 Comments

I’ve been meaning to tackle the issue of fear for a long time. I mean the sort of fear we feel in our professional lives, which prevents us from doing anything new or making changes to our circumstances, even when we’re unhappy continuing with the … [read more]

Beauty

The honest blogger’s review of the NEWA skincare device

May 25, 2017 12922 Views 11 Comments

Face yoga is a thing now and it’s dividing opinions in the health and skincare industry. Some say face yoga is as beneficial as Botox or surgery and that facial exercises help banish fine lines and sagging, by increasing blood circulation under the skin. Critics … [read more]

Fashion

Autumnal fashion shoot

October 01, 2015 1641 Views 11 Comments

I am not claiming to be, nor do I have any desire to become a fashion blogger. This post is taking me totally out of my comfort zone. I won’t bother you with my insecurities and I’m not fishing for compliments. This post was born … [read more]

Popular posts Wisdom

A brave man’s legacy

May 04, 2017 5274 Views 11 Comments

So this is not my average frivolous rant, or product review. This is important. My brother in law, who I will call ‘Alan’ to respect his family’s privacy, has suffered four years’ of cancer. It began in his tonsil and eventually spread to his lungs … [read more]

Wisdom

Running to catch up

September 23, 2016 1925 Views 10 Comments

I bloody hate exercise. It was all so easy in our twenties. In those heady days my friends and I managed to stay relatively slim and fit, by surviving on toast and vodka and going clubbing at least once a week. We focused on starting … [read more]

Fun Wisdom

Mastering the art of iPhoneography

May 18, 2016 2262 Views 10 Comments

I recently rediscovered the photos I took while travelling across Africa during my gap year in 1991. The way we captured and interacted with our photographs was so different then. Putting a physical film in the back of my camera meant I had only one chance … [read more]

1 2 3 4 … 23

How to be happy – 5 keys to happiness

How to prevent double boob, side boob and other lingerie malfunctions

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

Succulent double salmon fish cakes

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

The honest blogger’s review of True North cosmetics

5 de-stressing tips for busy people

Gin is the answer. What was the question?

The ten commandments of great sleep

A break from technology: our digital detox

Welcome

Welcome to Lifestyle Maven, the midlife lifestyle blog.

Can we keep in touch?

Please support the blog

Welcome

Welcome to Lifestyle Maven, the midlife lifestyle blog.

Can we keep in touch?

Please support the blog

Privacy Overview

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Privacy and Cookie Policy