Month: May 2026

I am a collector of stuff. I always find ways to reuse, upcycle and redecorate objects. I believe in sustainability and the second and third lives of „things“. I find shopping my home extremely rewarding: looking in drawers and cupboards for sleeping treasures waiting to be brought to life. In using what is already around me, I get to detect new potential in forgotten objects. I also believe in reinventing myself continously. Little steps go a long way. My home is an enabler of change. My space mirrors the changes that I am up to.

Here are 6 easy hacks to redecorate your home at any given time – all doable in 1 minute and without spending a dime. Just use what you find at home. As summer is approaching, most ideas are inspired by seaside souvenirs.

#1: Reusing Wreaths

Reuse a plain Christmas (or Easter) wreath to create a beachy summertime deco. Wrap the shell necklaces from Hawaii (which you never wore) around that wreath. Add shells or a starfish – here’s your fresh look for an inside wall or your entrance door.

#2: Upcycle a Plain Big Basket

Decorate a plain big basket with seaside memoirs. Use a simple string to attach the objects (so you can re-use them later on) – and here’s your unique signature basket for the entrance console or on top of an armoire.

#3: Touch Up Little Baskets

Pimp up little baskets that may hold beauty or other utensils – once more, starfish and shells do the job.

#4: Repurpose Artwork

Re-think art: artwork from the fleamarket doesn’t need to stay as is. You can change it. Scratch off paint, glue pearls, stones, photographs, postcards, dry pasta, artificial flowers or you-name-it on them. Bam, here’s your very own unique artwork. (May take more than 1 minute, but oh, the fun you will have!)

#5: New Life for Household Items

Re-purpose household stuff: my aunt once gifted me a Samowar that I never used but liked the shape of. Now, it holds my kitchenware and I get to appreciate and use it everyday. The little teapot that came with it serves as a flower vase.

#6: Re-think How You Use/Store Brooches

Re-think the way you store your brooches (if you have any). Once again, get inspired by a beach that generously displays its shells: Put your brooches on a pillow, and you’ll always see the full collection to choose from.

You can do it, too! All it takes is a little curiosity, and some „appetite“ to start the project. Rainy days help, too.

For more ideas and inspiration, see my book: 17 Steps To Being Home.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your design approach to the seasons? Do you buy deco new every year or rather repurpose objects? What is a hack that you have come up with? Share your creativity and inspiration with this community. Every idea is a stepping stone to the next fun project.

One of the strangest parts of midlife motherhood is realizing your children still matter deeply to you while also realizing they no longer need you in the same way.

No one really prepares women for that emotional transition.

We spend decades building lives around caregiving: Driving. Organizing. Encouraging. Worrying. Showing up. Motherhood becomes woven into the structure of daily life so completely that many women cannot separate who they are from what they did for everyone else.

And then, slowly or suddenly, the rhythm changes.

The phone rings less.

The traditions shift.

The family dynamic evolves.

Sometimes relationships stay close. Sometimes they become strained or distant. Sometimes they simply become different.

And many women are left asking a quiet but deeply important question:

Who am I now?

The Emotional Identity Crisis Many Women Never Expected

For women over 50, identity loss is rarely discussed honestly. People talk about empty nests in cheerful language: More freedom. More time. More possibilities.

But many women experience something much more emotionally layered.

They feel grief.

Not necessarily because they want their children dependent forever, but because a role that shaped their entire identity has changed dramatically.

Mother’s Day often intensifies those feelings.

A woman can logically understand that her adult children are busy building their own lives while still feeling emotional pain when the day passes with little acknowledgment.

That tension is real.

And it deserves compassion rather than shame.

Why Adult Children’s Choices Feel So Personal

One of the hardest emotional shifts in midlife motherhood is learning that your children’s choices are not a direct measurement of your worth.

Many women internalize everything:

• distance
• missed calls
• difficult relationships
• emotional disconnection

And underneath it all is often the same painful question:

Did I fail somehow?

But adulthood is complicated.

Adult children are shaped by countless influences: personality, relationships, mental health, life stress, culture, partners, priorities, and their own emotional limitations.

Mothers matter deeply. But mothers are not responsible for controlling every outcome forever. That realization is both painful and freeing.

Because when women stop making their identity dependent on their children’s behavior, they finally have room to rediscover themselves again.

Midlife Is Not the End of Purpose

Many women secretly fear that the most meaningful part of life is behind them.

Especially after:

• divorce
• caregiving burnout
• loneliness
• difficult family dynamics
• major life transitions

But midlife is not simply an ending. It can also become a return. A return to parts of yourself that were postponed while everyone else needed you.

Perhaps there are interests you abandoned years ago. Dreams you minimized. Parts of your personality that quietly disappeared under responsibility and survival.

This season may be asking you to excavate those things again.

Not selfishly.

Honestly.

It May Be Time to Meet Yourself Again

One of the healthiest questions women can ask in this season is:

“What do I want my life to feel like now?”

Not: “What will make everyone else happy?”

But: “What brings me peace, purpose, connection, and vitality?”

That question often feels unfamiliar at first because many women spent decades prioritizing everyone else.

But emotional maturity in midlife often involves learning how to:

• love deeply without losing yourself
• maintain boundaries without guilt
• grieve honestly without collapsing
• build a meaningful life beyond old roles

This is not about becoming hardened or detached.

It is about becoming whole.

And for many women, that journey begins the moment they stop defining themselves solely through motherhood and begin exploring who they are now.

If you are navigating emotional exhaustion, shifting family dynamics, or the challenge of rediscovering yourself after motherhood changes, my free resource Prayers for Bone-Weary Moms offers encouragement and grounding for this season.

And for women ready to move beyond survival mode and begin rebuilding life with clarity and strength, the Marriage and Motherhood Survivor Method offers a deeper next step.

Let’s Discuss:

What part of yourself have you neglected while caring for everyone else – and what would it look like to begin reclaiming it now?

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

Top Posts

Summer House Season 10 Reunion Looks

The Valley Season 3 Episode 7 Fashion

Lindsay Hubbard’s Green Striped Maxi Dress

Ciara Miller’s White Eyelet Bikini

Amanda Batula’s Red Long Sleeve Ruffle Dress

Amanda Batula’s Black Sheer Top and Pants

Bailey Taylor’s Leopard Maxi Dress

Liz McGraw’s Red Light Face Wand

Mia Calabrese’s Pink Printed Mini Dress

Kelsey Swanson’s White Floral Shirt Dress

Liz McGraw’s Orange Floral Maxi Dress

Lindsay Hubbard’s Blue Lace Top

Jo-Ellen Tiberi’s White and Blue Striped Shirt Dress

Dorit Kemsley’s Turquoise Necklace and Gold Hoop Earrings

Amanda Batula’s Cartier Watch from Kyle

Originally posted at: Amanda Batula’s Brown Suede Jacket with Lindsay

The reality of a long-haul trip can feel daunting, especially if traveling alone. My bi-annual journey between Koh Lanta, Thailand and Ottawa, Canada has two very long flights, with shorter ones at the beginning and end. In total, it’s usually close to 40 hours door-to-door if the connections are good. That means multiple airports, recycled air, little sleep, and eventually arriving feeling slightly disoriented.

Most people hear about the trip and immediately say, “No way.” But strangely, it has become easier over time. It isn’t because the flights are shorter or more comfortable, but because experience has taught me what actually matters. I’m 72 and have been traveling between my homes for over 20 years.

I no longer approach long-haul travel the way I once did. Years ago, I focused mostly on getting there. Now I focus on managing the experience well.

The Preparation Begins Before the Airport

Once I book my ticket (always economy, as that’s all my budget can handle), and understand the flights, I start preparing mentally for the trip. My goal is simple: comfort. Not style, not fashion, and certainly not looking polished after so many hours in transit.

I plan carefully for what I’ll wear long before I pack my suitcase. Layers matter because airports and airplanes are never the same temperature. Comfortable pull-on clothes are far more practical than anything with too many buttons or zippers, especially when trying to maneuver inside a tiny airplane bathroom. Socks are essential, and I always bring extra pairs. And yes, on long flights, I take my shoes off.

A few days after booking, I check the airline website for meal selections and seat assignments. I used to prefer a window seat, but now I always try for an aisle, preferably one with an empty seat beside me. The freedom to get up easily matters far more than the view outside the plane.

I also organize my medications carefully and make sure anything important is easy to reach in my carry-on bags. Toothbrush, moisturizer, tissues, wet wipes, extra hair scrunchies, chargers, and snacks, all become surprisingly important after enough hours in the air.

And snacks really do matter. Long-haul flights never seem to provide quite enough food, especially during awkward overnight stretches when nothing is being served. I usually bring fruit, nuts, and cookies, and gum for takeoff and landing. Yawning doesn’t always solve ear pressure problems.

Experience teaches these things quickly. Forget something important once, and you rarely forget it again.

Learning to Settle into the Flight

The first half hour after takeoff is always busy for me, and intentionally so. It keeps my mind occupied while the plane climbs, but more importantly, it helps me mentally organize the long hours ahead.

I check the entertainment system, browse the movies, look at the flight map, and usually see if there’s a wing-cam available. I decide what I may want to watch while I’m still fresh and awake enough to enjoy it. I also think about the other things I brought with me, like my e-reader, Sudoku book, or current crochet project.

I come up with a tentative plan for what I’ll do as the flight progresses. Oddly enough, this small ritual changes the entire tone of the flight.

Long-haul travel feels much easier when I stop thinking about the destination for a while and simply settle into the experience itself. Once I mentally divide the trip into manageable pieces, time seems to move more naturally. Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into the habit of checking the clock every few minutes and wondering how it’s possible that only 20 minutes have passed.

Over time, I’ve also learned that movement matters. I try to get up regularly, walk around a little, stretch near the galley area, drink water often, and avoid sitting frozen in one position for hours at a time. Small habits make a tremendous difference later.

Preparing to Arrive

About 30 minutes before landing, I shift gears mentally again.

I use the bathroom before the rush begins and carefully check my seat area for anything that may have disappeared during the flight. Shoes slide around under seats. E-readers slip into side pockets. Crochet hooks seem to develop a life of their own.

I make sure my passport, boarding pass, and any transit paperwork are easy to access before the plane lands. After a very long flight, even small disorganization can suddenly feel overwhelming.

If I don’t have a window seat, I often watch the wing-cam during landing. There’s something calming about seeing the city slowly appear below after so many hours suspended somewhere between countries and time zones.

And then suddenly, it’s over.

Small Things Matter More Than We Think

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that attitude changes the emotional tone of long-haul travel more than almost anything else. I smile at people. I thank the flight attendants when they bring meals or drinks. I try to stay patient when airports are crowded or flights are delayed. Everyone around me is tired too.

Long-haul travel will probably never become easy, not exactly. Forty hours is still forty hours. But experience changes how we move through it.

I no longer try to fight the trip or rush through it mentally. I work with it instead. Preparation reduces stress. Familiar routines create comfort. Small habits help the hours pass more smoothly.

And after enough trips, even a journey across the world begins to feel manageable.

Click for free access to my Substack, Retired Way Out There, where I publish a bi-monthly newsletter and provide handouts.

Let’s Chat:

What is your experience with long-haul flights? What’s the longest flight you’ve been on? Do you have particular habits you’ve developed for longer flights?

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

Top Posts

Summer House Season 10 Reunion Looks

The Valley Season 3 Episode 7 Fashion

Lindsay Hubbard’s Green Striped Maxi Dress

Ciara Miller’s White Eyelet Bikini

Amanda Batula’s Red Long Sleeve Ruffle Dress

Amanda Batula’s Black Sheer Top and Pants

Bailey Taylor’s Leopard Maxi Dress

Liz McGraw’s Red Light Face Wand

Mia Calabrese’s Pink Printed Mini Dress

Kelsey Swanson’s White Floral Shirt Dress

Liz McGraw’s Orange Floral Maxi Dress

Lindsay Hubbard’s Blue Lace Top

Jo-Ellen Tiberi’s White and Blue Striped Shirt Dress

Dorit Kemsley’s Turquoise Necklace and Gold Hoop Earrings

Amanda Batula’s Cartier Watch from Kyle

Originally posted at: Lindsay Hubbard’s Army Green Cargo Pants