Month: December 2025

Click Here for Additional Stock in Her Top

Click Here for Additional Stock in Her Skirt

Style Stealers

!function(d,s,id){
var e, p = /^http:/.test(d.location) ? ‘http’ : ‘https’;
if(!d.getElementById(id)) {
e = d.createElement(s);
e.id = id;
e.src = p + ‘://widgets.rewardstyle.com/js/shopthepost.js’;
d.body.appendChild(e);
}
if(typeof window.__stp === ‘object’) if(d.readyState === ‘complete’) {
window.__stp.init();
}
}(document, ‘script’, ‘shopthepost-script’);

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Originally posted at: Heather Gay’s Yellow Crochet Cover Up and Skirt

On my return from New Orleans, friends asked, “Did you stay in the French Quarter and party on Bourbon Street?” These days, Netflix thrillers fill my nights, with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of Merlot. On a pre-Katrina trip, I heard jazz at Preservation Hall, shopped in Jackson Square, and took a cemetery and voodoo tour. This time around, I feasted my way across Crescent City, but not all in the French Quarter, spending most of my time in the Warehouse District, Central City, Downtown, and the Garden District.

Warehouse District

Bordered by the French Quarter, the Warehouse or Arts District features galleries in repurposed warehouses, excellent museums, and restaurants of James Beard Award-winning chefs. I spent three nights at the Old No. 77 Chandlery Hotel, conveniently located adjacent to Compère Lapin.

Compère Lapin

Named after a mischievous rabbit from traditional Caribbean and Creole folktales, restaurant Compère Lapin is owned by Chef Nina Compton. Chef Compton blends traditional New Orleans fare, adding influences from her Caribbean home in St. Lucia. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America and was runner-up in Top Chef Season 11. Compton also took home the James Beard Award in 2018 for “Best Chef: South.” I started with the frozen Hurricane Buster, packing a sweet, alcohol-forward passionfruit punch, with a maximum of two per customer.

Chef Compton’s excellent credentials became clear in the small bites, most notably the snapper collar with jerk peanut sauce, tasting sweet and savory. For my main course, I ordered the curried goat with cashews, sweet potato, and gnocchi. The meat was tender with just enough spice, and the curry powder lent depth and warmth. The gnocchi melted in my mouth.

Just a few doors down the street, the Peacock Room hosted singer Robin Barnes.

Peacock Room

The Peacock Room feels like a living room, with royal blue comfy couches and walls adorned with parrots and peacocks. Robin Barnes, named “The Songbird of New Orleans,” belts out “Billie Jean is not my lover” from her repertoire of funk, bounce, and Zydeco music. She walks the room, sharing the microphone with audience members, encouraging them to sing with her. I had my first Sazerac of the trip, considered the original cocktail with Peychaud’s bitters and rye whiskey.

Mother’s Restaurant

A long lineup of eager eaters stared me down at Mother’s Restaurant as I skipped the line (one of the perks of being a travel writer). The restaurant is known for its baked ham. I had a crawfish etouffee omelette with cheese grits. I’d never eaten crawfish before. They are smaller than shrimp and less chewy. The enormous biscuit came with house-made raspberry preserves. I had to pace myself, as more delicious food was coming.

Next up, Deelightful Roux School of Cooking.

Central City

Deelightful Roux School of Cooking

New Orleans Chef Dee Lavigne founded Deelightful Roux School of Cooking, the first Black woman to do so in New Orleans in over 80 years. In 1949, more than a decade before Julia Child’s debut, Chef Lena Richard hosted a cooking show, breaking gender and racial barriers in the kitchen. Chef Lavigne follows in Chef Richard’s footsteps with her recipes. For example, she updates Richard’s original shrimp bisque recipe, using modern tools, keeping the Creole flavors intact. Through her cooking school, Chef Lavigne preserves Black culinary history.

My class prepared Creole jambalaya, smothered okra, and bananas foster. I learned how to smash garlic with a scraper, to toast Cajun spices in the pot before adding liquids, and to flambé bananas for the bananas foster.

My favorite dish was the bananas foster over vanilla ice cream. The caramelized bananas were sweet and buttery, with a hint of spice. It was delish! The school is located inside the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, showcasing the fascinating history of cuisine in the southern states.

The legendary Dew Drop Inn also takes visitors back in time.

Dew Drop Inn

Part of the ‘Chitlin Circuit’, clubs and theatres that welcomed Black Musicians in the 1930s through the 1960s, the Dew Drop Inn also made the Green Book, a guide for Black travellers during segregation. During that time, the club booked performers such as Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Little Richard, and Sam Cooke. Beside a restored red leather barber chair, a full wall shows photos of the nightclub and performers. Also on display is civil rights history.

Each of the 17 bright, beautifully decorated rooms is named for a different musician. At the buffet brunch, I discovered my new favorite dessert, bread pudding (I had 4 pieces!). A band performed rock and roll through the different decades.

Following the Dew Drop Inn, I visited The Jazz Playhouse, where I sampled gator bites (they taste like chicken) and shrimp etouffee fries.

French Quarter

Brennan’s

Founded in 1946, Brennan’s elegant decor mimics that of a French Orangerie (an indoor orange grove) with soft green trellises framing pastel murals of 19th-century aristocrats. A black-and-white checkerboard-patterned floor, white pillars, and deep red leather chairs complete the look. I tried the turtle soup, which was thick with small pieces of meat, and the bananas foster, created at Brennan’s in New Orleans in 1951.

New Orleans shines as a culinary and cocktail destination. Treat your taste buds to all that it has to offer.

If you go:

• Visit Mardi Gras World for an insider’s view of Mardi Gras floats and the best King Cake.
• At Vue Orleans, you’ll learn the history and cultures of New Orleans.
• Check out the Sazerac House for a tour and tasting.

A new Amtrak service takes passengers twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama.

Author’s Note: This trip was sponsored by New Orleans and Company, but all experiences shared in this article are personal.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you been to New Orleans or any of the southern states and tried some local bites? Which destination has your favorite foods? Do you favor sweet or savory foods?

I’m sure you’ve heard about the body positivity movement that’s been all the rage for the past few years. There are many women, especially social media influencers, who feel that it’s appropriate and acceptable to promote wearing whatever you want as long as you feel confident and love what you’re wearing regardless of body size.

Many women who support body positivity are heavier and may traditionally be viewed as unhealthy. However, they tend to debate the possibility that they are unhealthy because of body size.

Thus, there are many women, usually on the thinner side, who think it’s encouraging the world to accept fat as healthy.

And of course I have thoughts…

An Alternative to Body Positivity

Rather than debate the issue, I’ve chosen to delineate the two trains of thought. As a result, these are some of my thoughts:

You Choose What Works for You

I trust that individuals who believe in body positivity are able to practice the associated beliefs and it’s not my business. It is my opinion that people have a right to believe what they want to believe, wear what they want to wear, and I’m not going to judge.

I Choose What Works for Me

As someone who has been overweight most of my life, I personally know of the health risks, but I’m not going to judge your health. Instead, I’m going to focus on the body neutrality mindset and my health. That allows me to think about all the wonderful ways my body works for me while I also try to get healthier.

These two trains of thought let you be you, and me be me. And it’s without the need to argue, fight, or put others down.

We can all accept and have respect for our bodies in different ways.

Now Let’s Learn about Body Neutrality

Body neutrality focuses on respecting the body’s functions and capabilities rather than its appearance, viewing the body as a vessel for living life.

Key aspects include:

• shifting focus away from self-worth that’s based on appearance.
• practicing self-compassion and grace without the need to be a (traditional) beauty queen.
• promoting healthy living habits for your overall well-being.
• providing an alternative to body positivity by being more accessible for those who struggle with unconditional self-love, or for women dealing with chronic illness or body shame.

Key Principles of Body Neutrality for Aging Women

Body neutrality is perfect for aging women since we experience frequent changes in our bodies. Sometimes these changes are hard to accept. Learning to love yourself during menopausal years and beyond can be challenging – think about those saggy breasts and floppy batwings, not to mention weight gain and dry skin.

So, let’s look at the core principles of body neutrality for aging women and see how we can apply them during our grown-up years:

Focus on Function Over Form

Appreciate what your body can do, such as walking, breathing, or digesting, instead of how it looks.

Detach Self-Worth

Recognize that your value is not tied to your physical appearance. This mindset shift will allow you to have a neutral stance on your body image.

Realistic Self-Appreciation

It’s okay not to love every part of your body; the goal is to be respectful and not self-critical.

Acceptance of Change

Acknowledge that bodies naturally change over time and that this is normal, rather than viewing it as a negative.

How Body Neutrality is Going to Help You in Your Grown-up Years

How do you like that I keep calling these our “grown-up years?” I’ll share more about this in a separate article, but my daddy used to tell me I finally sounded like I was “growing up” … when I got into my 50s and 60s! He was a funny man! He found it hard to think of my sister and me as adults even as he approached 90!

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

If you adopt a mindset of body neutrality, you’ll be able to worry less and celebrate more as you begin to develop improved body confidence. These are 10 examples of changes you’ll notice in your attitude toward your body:

1. You’ll be able to celebrate what your body can do for you rather than what you can no longer do because of your body.
2. You’ll learn to exercise because it feels good and provides you with energy, not because you feel pressured to achieve a certain look.
3. You’ll be able to practice mindful movement such as yoga, tai chi, and stretching to calm your mind and body rather than to keep up with trends.
4. You’ll learn to be more patient and compassionate with yourself because you genuinely trust that it’s normal for your body to change, especially as you age.
5. You’ll begin to prioritize your well-being by focusing on being healthy and nourishing your body with a balanced diet instead of focusing only on appearance.
6. You’ll be able to challenge negative thoughts about your body because you know your body is doing amazing things for you.
7. You’ll be able to choose clothes that fit well and make you feel comfortable without worrying about a size label.
8. You’ll be able to practice mindful consumption by curating your social media feed to reduce exposure to unrealistic beauty standards.
9. You’ll be able to connect with positive people who love and accept you for who you are, not for how you look.
10. You’ll send a quiet, positive message to those around you that physical appearance is not connected to a person’s worth and it’s only a small part of who they are!

Psychologist Susan Albers with the Cleveland Clinic encourages women to make peace with their bodies.

“Body neutrality is a middle-of-the-road approach between body positivity and body negativity,” says Dr. Albers. “As the term suggests, it is neither loving nor hating your body. It’s based on the notions of acceptance and having respect for one’s body rather than love.”

I think this is an excellent summary of the body neutrality mindset. If you want to talk more about it, reach me at susan@sassysisterstuff.com.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How have you felt about your body in the past? As you have aged, have your feelings changed? Would you say your current mindset about your body draws on the principles of body neutrality or something else? What are your thoughts about body positivity vs body neutrality? Have you participated in any conversations about this topic? Please leave your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

What if one simple ritual could bring your family closer, spark laughter and storytelling, ease future burdens, and make room for what truly matters?

This holiday season, when your family is finally gathered under one roof, consider trying something new – something meaningful, heartwarming, and surprisingly joyful.

Across the country, families are embracing a powerful new tradition called Family Decluttering Day.

Once a year – or once a quarter – families gather to sort through memories, share stories that might otherwise be lost, lighten emotional and physical burdens, and ensure that the legacy they leave behind is intentional, not accidental.

This isn’t about “getting rid of things.”

It’s about connection, clarity, and peace… together.

Why This Tradition Is Spreading So Quickly

As The Downsizing Designer, I’ve seen a quiet shift happening in thousands of households:

• Baby Boomers want to downsize proactively.
• Adult children want to avoid future overwhelm.
• Women 50+ are craving simpler, freer, more intentional living.
• Seniors want to share their stories while they’re here to tell them.

Almost everyone is realizing:

• Homes are holding too much.
• Time together is limited.
• Waiting until “someday” creates unnecessary stress.
• No one wants to leave behind a burden.
• Families want connection, but don’t always know how to start.

Family Decluttering Day bridges these needs beautifully.

It transforms a difficult, often-avoided topic into something warm, shared, meaningful… and yes, even fun.

It turns decluttering from a huge, overwhelming task into a series of small, heart-centered moments.

A Story That Reflects Today’s Reality

Janet, 72, had lived in her home for 38 years. She wasn’t ready to move, but she felt the weight of everything stored in her closets and basement – the holiday decorations, photo albums, and boxes labeled “Miscellaneous 1994.”

During Thanksgiving, her daughter quietly suggested:

“Mom, maybe we can just do one small decluttering project together. Just one box… and we can talk through it.”

Janet hesitated – she didn’t want to burden her daughter or turn the holiday into a chore. But they tried. They chose a single box. Inside they found:

• Photos from her daughter’s first dance recital.
• Handwritten recipe cards.
• A homemade Christmas ornament.
• A newspaper clipping from her daughter’s first job.

Every item opened a doorway to a story.

Her daughter recorded her mother talking about those recipe cards. The whole family gathered to listen to the memories behind that little ornament. They laughed, cried, and reminisced.

It took just 35 minutes – but something shifted.

That night, her daughter said, “Mom, we should do this every time I’m home.”

And they did.

One box at a time – on Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s Day, and random weekends in between. Their bond deepened, the home grew lighter, and their decisions became intentional.

This is what Family Decluttering Day looks like. This is why it’s spreading and why families are embracing it.

How to Create Your Own Family Decluttering Day

1. Choose Your Rhythm

• Once a year during the holidays
• Quarterly
• Monthly
• Whenever the family happens to be together

There’s no “right” way. Consistency is what makes it meaningful.

2. Start with a Simple Ritual

• Light a candle
• Say a prayer
• Share a moment of gratitude

This signals that the focus is connection – not pressure.

3. Pick One Small Category

This is the secret to success. Not the entire basement or attic. Just one box, drawer, shelf or small collection (ornaments, tools, books, photos).

Small wins become big progress over time.

4. Let the Stories Lead the Way

This is where the magic happens.

• Your mother’s apron
• Your father’s everyday watch
• Wedding photos tucked in old letters
• Concert ticket stubs
• Books with scribbled margins

The items are simply the doorway. The stories are the true treasure.

5. Decide Together, with Love

Choose as a family:

• What to keep,
• What to pass down,
• What to donate,
• What to release with gratitude.

This prevents future overwhelm and brings tremendous peace.

6. Close with Appreciation

Try:

• “One thing I’m grateful for today…”
• “One story I want to remember…”
• “One thing we did today that mattered…”

It creates closure, connection, and warmth.

Why Baby Boomers, Seniors, and Women 50+ Are Embracing This Ritual

Family Decluttering Day gives:

• A sense of control over their legacy.
• A way to share stories while they’re still here.
• Relief from decades of accumulated belongings.
• Deep connection with adult children and grandchildren.
• A feeling of being seen, heard, and valued.

For adult children, it brings:

• Clarity,
• Connection,
• Prevention of future overwhelm,
• A gentle way to help without taking over,
• Preserved stories that might otherwise disappear.

For women 50+, it offers:

• A rhythm of letting go.
• A path to simpler living.
• A way to honor the past while designing what comes next.

This tradition meets everyone exactly where they are.

Why This Could Become the Next National Tradition

Family Decluttering Day solves emotional, practical, and generational challenges – at a time when families deeply crave meaning and connection.

Instead of inheriting thousands of unknown items, feeling overwhelmed, avoiding difficult conversations and arguing over who gets what families choose clarity, compassion, connection and peace. One small moment at a time.

Family Decluttering Day brings people together. And in a changing world, that is exactly what we need more of.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you heard of this new family tradition? What box or drawer would you feel inspired to look through with your adult children?

Sleep matters more than you think.

Most women assume that if they are struggling with their weight after 60, it must be because of their eating. The holidays only make this belief stronger. There are family gatherings, rich meals, disrupted routines, and the kind of emotional triggers that make even the calmest of us feel overwhelmed. What often gets overlooked is something far more powerful and far more fixable: sleep.

Sleep is one of the most important factors in weight management, especially for women navigating menopause and beyond. Yet it is also one of the first things to slip when life gets busy or stressful. If you have ever found yourself exhausted in the morning, craving sugar by mid-day, and wondering why your willpower seems to disappear after dinner, you are not imagining it. Poor sleep affects your hormones, your hunger cues, your metabolism, your mood, and your ability to make choices that support your health.

Menopause Changes the Way You Sleep

Hormonal shifts during and after menopause change how the body manages sleep. Lower estrogen and progesterone can disrupt the quality and depth of rest. Nighttime anxiety becomes more common. Waking up at two or three in the morning is something many women tell me they have simply accepted as part of aging. Do remember to have your daily water earlier in the day if you find yourself getting up to pee during the night.

Add holiday stress on top of this and you have the perfect storm for cravings, emotional eating, and weight gain.

Travel and Jet Lag Disrupt Your Rhythm

Because the holidays are a season of travel, late nights, and emotional intensity, this is often the time when sleep becomes the most compromised. Traveling across time zones brings another layer of disruption that can throw your internal rhythms even further off balance. Jet lag tends to hit harder after menopause because your natural sleep-wake cycle is already more sensitive.

A few simple shifts can make a meaningful difference.

• Gradually adjust your sleep and mealtimes by an hour or two before you travel so your body begins to ease into the change.
• Stay hydrated during flights and choose light snacks with protein to keep your blood sugar stable.
• When you arrive, get outside as soon as possible because natural daylight is the strongest cue for resetting your internal clock.
• If you feel yourself getting sleepy too early in the evening, try a short walk or gentle stretching to help you stay awake until a reasonable local bedtime.

These steps do not have to be perfect. They simply help your body settle, recover, and find its rhythm again.

I always fight to stay awake when I travel west, and to go to bed at a normal local time when I travel east. On a recent trip to Spain, flying through the night and arriving at 9:00 a.m. (which was 3:00 a.m. for me) was a definite challenge. A short nap during the day helped.

Your Body Is Not Betraying You

Here is the truth I want you to hear clearly. Your body is not betraying you. It is communicating with you. And when you learn how to work with your body’s changing needs, everything gets easier.

When you are sleep deprived, cortisol rises. Cortisol is your stress hormone, and it tells the body to hold onto fat and to seek quick energy sources. That means more cravings and a stronger pull toward foods that offer fast comfort. Ghrelin, your hunger hormone, increases. Leptin, your fullness hormone, decreases. This is why after a poor night’s sleep you can feel hungrier all day, even if you ate plenty. It is also why willpower alone will never solve the problem. Your biology is simply doing what it is wired to do under stress.

Small Shifts That Make a Big Difference

The good news is that small, consistent shifts can help you sleep better, especially during the hectic weeks of the holidays. Quality sleep is not about perfection. It is about supporting your nervous system so your body can return to a place where it feels safe to rest.

One of the most effective tools I teach my clients is creating a simple nightly wind-down ritual. It does not need to be elaborate. The goal is to signal your brain that it is time to step out of the day and into ease. This might include a warm cup of herbal tea, a few minutes of gentle stretching, or a brief breathing practice. Even two minutes of slow breathing can lower cortisol and help calm a racing mind.

For me, it is listening to Neville Goddard videos. I do not know why, but I fall asleep within 15 minutes of listening. Find what works for you. I used to listen to rain sounds. You can also purchase an inexpensive white noise device.

The Power of Self-Hypnosis and Daily Rhythm

Another powerful technique is self-hypnosis, which is simply focused relaxation that helps shift the body into a restful state. You can do it sitting up or lying down. What you are doing is guiding your mind toward a place where the body feels supported, grounded, and safe. Women tell me again and again that when they practice it consistently, they fall asleep faster and wake up less often.

What you do during the day matters, too. Morning sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm. Eating enough protein supports blood sugar stability, which in turn helps with nighttime calm. Moving your body, even gently, reduces stress and helps you sleep more deeply. None of this requires perfection. It simply asks you to meet your body where it is today.

Letting Go of Holiday Pressure

Because it is the holidays, give yourself permission to release the pressure to get everything right. This season already comes with more than enough expectations. Nourish yourself in ways that feel realistic. If sleep has been a struggle, even small improvements will leave you feeling more grounded, less reactive, and less pulled toward food for emotional comfort.

The Real Gift of Rest

Most importantly, remember this. Your body is always on your side. What feels like a problem is often just a sign that your needs have changed. Sleep is not a luxury. It is one of the deepest forms of self-care you can give yourself. When you honor that need, your hormones respond. Your appetite steadies. Your energy returns. And your health begins to shift in ways that feel sustainable and empowering.

Better sleep is not only a pathway to better weight management. It is a pathway back to feeling like yourself again. And that is the real gift this season can offer. Everyone will be happier if you are less grumpy, tired, and prone to anger. It is a gift for everyone this holiday season.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How often do you wake up energized from a good night’s sleep? Do the holidays rob you from sleep?