Candiace Dillard’s Tote Bag at the Dance Studio

Real Housewives of Potomac Season 7 Episode 3 Fashion

Whether or not your team Gizelle or team Candiace with this whole Chirs debacle, I think we can agree we love a fourth wall angle. Almost as much as we love spotting cute accessories as it’s happening. Like Candiace Dillard’s tote bag she was carrying as she was walking out. Which is def about to slide into our DMs shopping carts.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Dior Bag

Originally posted at: Candiace Dillard’s Tote Bag

Karen Huger’s Small Fendi Purse at the Nail Salon

Real Housewives of Potomac Season 7 Episode 3 Fashion

I thought it was sooo cute that Karen Huger and her hubby went for a little manicure date. We support taking self-care actions no matter what they be (even for gal pals Tiff and Fi). But we hate to tell ya Ray… we 100% are lookin’ at your wife. Especially because she has great fashion, such as her small Fendi purse. Which of course is some eye candy we are def about to devour.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Fendi Purse

Originally posted at: Karen Huger’s Small Fendi Purse

How much time do
you spend lamenting steps taken – or not
taken – as you navigate life in the decades past 60? On the other end of the
spectrum, how much time do you spend celebrating your successes?

Have you ever set
on a path to accomplish something (big or small), put in enormous time and
energy, but then forgotten to take the time to reflect and celebrate once
you’ve reached your goal?

Goal Setting

Research shows that
goal-setting is extremely important to fulfilling dreams and also describes the
need to set small achievable goals leading up to the BIG GOAL.

And here’s the most
often-missed step – it’s equally important to acknowledge
and celebrate your successes in order to stay on track! Failure to acknowledge
meeting small goals makes it more difficult to continue moving forward towards
large goals.

The Quilly Awards

I just returned
from a trip to Los Angeles to accept a Quilly Award for becoming a best-selling
author for my latest book, Success Formula – Secrets for Health, Wealth, and
Success, written with a collection of authors including Jack Canfield (of
the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series).

It was an amazing event
at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel in downtown Hollywood, CA; complete
with a formal awards ceremony and red-carpet interview.

I met some
wonderful people working in the field of health and success coaching, and as
authors we were treated like stars for those several hours in the spotlight.
I’ve got to say – that was fun! But here’s the
deal – I almost didn’t go.

Too Busy

When I got word
several months ago that the Success Formula hit best-seller status, and
there will be an award ceremony, I was excited, but I was really busy and just
sort of let the excitement fizzle out.

Then I got word
that my chapter, Healthy Aging Success or Sabotage, won the publisher’s
Editor’s Choice Award. Again, I was very happy and grateful – but too busy to
stop and really celebrate and let it sink in. Few of my friends even knew about
it.

I didn’t post any of this on Facebook and didn’t even take time to share it with the wonderful community of supportive women at Sixty and Me! So, if you’re curious, here’s a free chapter download!

What’s Up with That?

As I wavered about
whether or not to attend the award ceremony, my husband basically asked me, “What’s
up with that? Why would you work so hard toward a goal, achieve it, then just
act as if it wasn’t any big deal?”

Why, indeed? I’m
not sure I have an answer, except to say that part of it is likely rooted in
not wanting to be perceived as “braggy or self-promoting” – does that sound
familiar, ladies?

But another part of
the equation is that I had never taken the time to build celebration of success
into my personal formula when setting and achieving goals! Kind of ironic
considering the book title!

Commit to Celebrate

What about you? Are
you more than happy to talk about and celebrate achievements your family,
friends, colleagues, and even acquaintances have made but reluctant to talk
about and celebrate your own successes?

If you’re in the
habit of writing down your goals, do you include how exactly you plan to
celebrate when you achieve each of them? (If you don’t write them down – now’s
the time to start that important habit!)

Break your goals
down into smaller, easily achievable bits, and then reward yourself for
sticking with them and getting to the next step, then the next, and the next. Celebrating
your achievements doesn’t have to be big and splashy, but it does have to be
specific and deliberate!

Consider
identifying an accountability buddy (or group) that you share your goal(s)
with, then include them in your celebrations. Acknowledge and record your
success on a chart, timeline, vision board, or even a sticky note on your
bathroom mirror, saying, Great job, _________! You accomplished _______!

Make It Energizing

Achieving small
goals en route to your big goal should be constantly energizing. That means
different things to different people, so choose an acknowledgement and
celebration that brings you joy, offers an opportunity to connect with others,
provides a sense of Ahhhh – whatever it is that uplifts YOU!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What was the
last goal you accomplished? Did you share it with others? Did you celebrate?
What would feel like a great celebration the next time you accomplish a goal? Can
you commit to that celebration? Please share with our supportive community.

The concept of an “encore career” is spearheaded by the US non-profit called Encore.org. If you come to this article wondering what on earth I am talking about, here is their definition:

“An
‘encore’ or ‘encore career’ is continued work in the second half of life
that combines social impact, purpose, and often, continued income. While
many people see their encore work as a ‘career,’ others associate the
career language with the ‘achieving’ stage of life. For that reason, we
talk about an encore role, work, or activity – or simply ‘an encore’.
[…]

“An encore can be paid or volunteer, and doesn’t
have to be limited to the nonprofit sector. And it’s much more about life stage
than age. That said, the encore stage
sits squarely in those years that used to comprise retirement.”

Starting a new career at any age requires a major decision and
some conscious effort. To assist with your decision making, I thought I would
outline some of the pros and cons I experienced as I started out in a new
career when I found myself suddenly retired at 60.

It is interesting to note that many sources place the cut-off age
for starting a NEW career at 61, so I take that to infer that if it is work in
an industry you know, with a change in focus, hey, you can start at any age!

An Opportunity to Follow Your Heart

With an
encore career we get the opportunity to follow our hearts, something most of us
find easier in our 60s than we did in our 40s, when we had mortgages, school
fees, and car payments hanging over our heads.

This means,
as an encore we get to do something we are passionate about, and it may not
necessarily feel like “work.” We see many examples of later-bloomers all around
us – Judi Dench and Maggi Smith, together with Morgan Freeman, are a few well
known ones.

Consider the Pros

• Flexibility in what you do and
  how much you do each and every day.
• You can choose projects that
  are meaningful to you, give you a sense of contribution or feeling of giving
  back.
• Most of us have a deeper sense
  of self after 60, so we tend to manage people more effectively than we did when
  we were younger, and we experience more reward.
• It is an opportunity to receive
  income for doing what you love.
• Maturity brings an
  understanding that it is not how hard you work, but how effectively you work,
  that matters.
• We tend to have more clarity and
  focus than we did when we were younger.

Don’t Ignore the Cons

• It is tough out there competing
  with Millennials and Gen X-ers who seem to be genetically programmed with tech
  know-how. It is more important than ever to keep abreast of the developments in
  technology and that can feel overwhelming at times.
• This is the time in life when
  you need to reduce debt and generate income, not create more overdue balance.
• Loneliness can be a factor if
  you work on your own. Building a supportive community becomes essential.
• If you don’t have a large
  network with useful contacts, you may struggle to get things going.

When You Do the Balance

For me, the pros far outweigh the cons. I have found it very lonely at times, and I have spent more hours than I can count trying to master and keep up with technology, but when I retire after a day of doing what I love, I am eternally grateful.

At nearly 70, I am more grounded, realistic, and generally more mature than I ever was on my journey to 60. Perhaps I needed a reminder of this yesterday, as I struggled to persuade LinkedIn to accept my photograph for a new business page!

So,
look on an encore career as the opportunity to earn money doing what you love,
and then grab that opportunity with both hands.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your current state of work? Are you retired, still working
actively, or have you started on an encore career? How is that working out for
you? Please share your stories with our community.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Revlon’s magical hairdryer and brush-hybrid has been generating buzz for the past three years, and for good reason. It’s a high-quality hair styling tool that is easy to learn, fast to use, and fair on the wallet. The game-changing product you never knew you needed has garnered rave reviews and even been deemed a salon blow-out alternative. That’s why it’s so notable that the already budget-friendly Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer is on sale right now for a total of 46 percent off for Amazon’s Holiday Beauty Haul Event—just make sure to hit the extra coupon code on the product page before checking out.

The hot air brush—usually $59.99—is now under $32. Yes, a hair tool that gives salon-level blowouts is under $32. This is not a drill. It’s got plenty of fans to back up the hype, too. The dryer has a 4.6-star overall rating and more than 334,000 five-star ratings on Amazon.

I recently snagged myself a Revlon One-Step. I have notoriously frizzy hair, and despite many to traditionally blow dry my hair with a hairdryer and brush, I could never master the perfect blowout. I totally gave up a few years ago and just started air-drying my hair.

The brush, which is honestly larger than I expected, blasts hot air through holes on the brush. You can choose from three different heat settings or a cool dry setting. I personally use the lowest setting. It boasts tufted bristles with nylons pins that help to detangle and style at the same time. I feel like I have more control when I dry my own hair than I ever did with the chaotic classic dryer. My hair turns out soft and smooth, so I’m giving this brush two very enthusiastic thumbs-up.

RELATED: Jennifer Aniston’s Volume-Building Brush That Prevents Breakage Is Just $7 Thanks to This Incredible Deal

Courtesy of Revlon.

Revlon One-Step Volumizer Hot Air Brush

Style and dry in one, simple step with Revlon’s One-Step Volumizer Hot Air Brush, now on sale for over 46% off. Save time and effort with this styling tool, sure to make hair smooth and silky in as easy as one, two, three.

Courtesy of Revlon.

Revlon One-Step in Pink

This is the second lowest price you’ll find for Revlon’s popular hair tool, so you should take advantage of this ah-mazing deal ASAP.

“I despise blow drying and styling my hair because it’s so long and freakishly thick,” wrote one five-star reviewer. “It takes me over an hour with a normal hair dryer to dry and style when I do put forth the effort to do so… which isn’t (wasn’t) often. Ponytails were my go-to 99 percent of the time. 20 minutes. That’s how long it takes me to do my hair from wet out of the shower, to straight and sleek locks using this thing. Best purchase I’ve made this year!”