The Midlife Fashionista: August 2022

Tweed Jacket Anyone?

chic over 50

Tuesday, August 30, 2022
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The COMFIEST clothes ever!

bamboo fabric

Tuesday, August 23, 2022
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When the Walls Come Tumbling Down

featured

Some links in this blog may generate a very small commission, but I only post what I love.

Ever have one of those months when everything possible could go wrong? Why does the hard stuff always have to come in bundles? Sometimes it feels like the walls are tumbling down around me.

This was August.

My Instagram account was taken down unfairly. Since you can't reach anyone directly at IG and messages go into a big dark black hole, my only hope was to hire a consultant to help me get it back. He's working on it, but after two weeks, I'm still without an account. Seven years of hard work and a following of 34,000+ grown honestly, organically, and authentically has disappeared into thin air. Poof.

If you follow me on "the Gram", you'll know that in addition to style and beauty inspiration, I use my account to generate donations and visibility for Uncommon Threads, the nonprofit I founded that supports low-income women. I also raise awareness about Kicking Cancer in Heels, a social media community of hope for women impacted by cancer. Losing my IG account feels quite wrong and downright outrageous. Saga to continue.

I visited my 97 year old uncle and 90 year old aunt who I haven't seen in a year. My uncle has been like a second father to me and it was heartbreaking to see him failing.

I got the news that treatment for my leukemia will start in November. After being in watch and wait for four years, it's time. As much as I've tried to prepare myself, I'm still anxious and quite nervous. I'm someone who doesn't even take a Tylenol for a headache!

Let's kick cancer together in this sparkly tee from @2dye4nyc with 10% of proceeds benefitting
The American Cancer Society. Order by emailing Alyse at alyse120@gmail.com

And then there's Covid. Everyone I know has reverted back to pre-Covid life, but I'm still unable to live normally. I can't attend weddings and events, go to restaurants, and be with people inside without a mask. Being immunocompromised when everyone has moved on is hard...REALLY hard. Unfortunately, when I start treatment, my immune system will become even weaker, making life even more difficult to navigate.

Oh, and did I mention that we had a little fender bender, a broken dishwasher (2nd time in a year), and that I got diagnosed with osteoporosis? Thank you August.

Having said this, I really do try to stay positive. I work remotely for Uncommon Threads doing things behind the scenes that make me feel connected. I've seen family and friends for outdoor visits (thank goodness for warm weather!), and Richard and I have escaped to Vermont several times. My daughter Alyssa and I even took Penny to Storyland (safely of course).

Dress $17.00 here.

Sneakers SO comfy here.

Similar dress here.
Penny's was handmade :)

Richard and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary at the Barnard Inn in Vermont.
It was amazing!
Cheers to the good times!

Vermont is my happy place!
Shop the jumpsuit here. It feels like pjs! Reasonably priced too.

I wore this jumpsuit to dinner in Woodstock, VT. I love how I can dress it up or down.
It's on sale--highly recommend! Sandals here.

A dear friend of mine told me that when your plate is full and you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious, to say "f&^% the noise!" I've been using her method and surprisingly it's helping to clear out the anxious thoughts. Of course a good night's sleep, exercise, sharing laughs with friends, and practicing gratitude doesn't hurt either.

How do you manage the tough times?

xx Susan

I hope you'll help me to spread the word about my blog. I'll be creating an email sign-up soon.

Thank you SO much for your support.

Monday, August 22, 2022
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Help for Hooded Lids

ageless beauty

Wednesday, August 17, 2022
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Knowledge is Power - Osteoporosis

bone health

The information shared is not medical advice. Please check with your doctor about what's best for you.

Some of the links in this post generate a small commission.

If leukemia isn't enough to deal with, I just got diagnosed with severe osteoporosis in my left hip. For years, I've been putting off a bone density test because I didn't want to expose myself to additional radiation. But now I'm kicking myself for being so stupid.

Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women than men. 14% of women ages 50-59 and 22% of women ages 60-69 have it (the percentages go up with age). It's diagnosed by a very easy simple bone density test. Basically you lie on a table for a minute or two. That's it! It shows the condition of your bones and flags both osteopenia and osteoporosis. There are medications to strengthen bones, but leukemia can make it challenging since the meds affect bone marrow. Plus I'm getting very close to starting cancer treatment, which makes things even more complicated.

I really want to spread awareness about being PROACTIVE by getting preventative tests and doing things NOW that can strengthen bones. Get ahead of health issues before they get ahead of you. Osteoporosis can potentially be serious should a fall occur. A broken hip can mean a long recovery and time spent in rehab. I definitely don't want to go down that road!

I've been doing a lot of research to see if osteoporosis can be reversed. Most of the data states that it can't be, however there are things that we can do to prevent it, or in my case, precent it from getting worse.

Weights: If you don't use weights in your exercise routine, you need to start. However, arm and leg weights are not going to do the trick to strengthen hips. I love to walk, so my doctor recommend wearing a weighted vest whenever I go out for a stroll. The location of the weight helps to strengthen the hip bones. Surprisingly, I find it very comfortable to wear and I even feel like it forces me to stand straighter.

This is the one that I wear. It's under $25.

Stomp and jump: You may look a bit silly, but stomping your feet (hard!) in place and doing jumping jacks are great ways to strengthen hip bones. Plain old walking or biking won't do it. By the way, climbing stairs is fabulous too!

Vitamin D: I've been taking Vitamin D for a long time, but a nutritionist recommended a combination of D, K and A. She likes this one because it has exactly the right proportions of each to be effective for bone health. Shop it here

Food: Did you know that sugar, salt, soft drinks, hydrogenated oils, and alcohol can weaken bones? I had no idea! I've changed my diet in a big way (I was a junk-food junkie) and although I'm lactose intolerant, I'm trying to eat more dairy such as lactose free cottage cheese, milk (A2 --easier to digest than regular cow's milk) as well as lots of dark green vegetables and pumpkin seeds (high in calcium!).

Take charge of your health. You only have one body so treat it well!

This Kicking Cancer in Heels sparkly tee gives 10% back to The American Cancer Society.

Email 2dye4nyc (Alyse) to order. v or crew neck styles available as well as assorted colors.

alyse120@gmail.com Follow 2Dye4NYC on Instagram here.

xx Susan

Saturday, August 06, 2022
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