Kyle Richards’ Belted Plaid Coat While Shopping

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 11 Episode 11 Fashion

I agree with Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna in saying that shopping is the best way to take your mind off of things. I mean when I am shopping I am totally in the zone and not even thinking about any of my problems. Well maybe except for being stuck on what to buy. Thankfully when it comes to shopping Kyle Richards’ plaid coat she made it very easy on us by sharing the deets. And I’m only trying to extend that ease by also sharing it (and awesome Style Stealers) below.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to See Her Sold Out Maje Plaid Coat

Click Here to Shop Her Dior Saddle Bag

Click Here to Shop Her Gianvito Rossi Boots

Info + Photo #2 Credit: @kylerichards18

Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Belted Plaid Coat

All through my life I have listened to the radio and there are some iconic songs that immediately take me back in time.

My first memories are of Perry Como singing “Magic Moments”. I must have only been around four or five years old when I first heard it. But as soon as I hear that song I am transported back to a small house in South London where I spent the first seven years of my life.

During the 60s, radio was key in many households across the country. Before there was much in the way of kids’ TV, we all gathered around the radio for “Children’s Favourites” and learned to sing-along with crazy tunes such as “How Much is that Doggy in the Window” and “The Ugly Duckling.”

Many of my generation grew up with a Sunday lunchtime radio show called “Two Way Family Favourites”. This was a programme that linked families serving in the British forces overseas with their loved ones at home.

As we listened we learned all about exotic sounding places such as BFPO (British Forces Posted Overseas), Canada, Hong Kong, Germany and Singapore. In my family, as many others, just the theme tune “With a Song in My Heart” conjures up the aroma of a roast dinner!

Nostalgic Music: What Are Your Musical Memories?

Can you recall the first song you ever heard? I remember the first song played on the exciting new BBC Radio 1 when it launched in 1967, and I was just 13 years old. It was “Flowers in the Rain” by a group called The Move. This new radio station was developed to challenge the illegal pirate radio stations, beloved by the teenagers across Britain.

Now the establishment, in the form of the BBC, had been forced to offer youngsters a station of their own and play the music they enjoyed.

When you are a teenager, music is very important. As you go through the highs and lows of growing up, you collect songs along the way. The first time my heart was broken I listened to the Isley Brothers “It’s all in the Game” over and over again until my mother nearly went demented.

Marriage came along and lazy Sundays (when it always seemed sunny and warm) listening together with my new husband to “Summer Breeze” (more Isley Brothers), Rod Stewart “Sailing” and “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty.

What memories do you have of a song that reminds you of a time you were in love?

Nostalgic Music Can Inspire Lifelong Decisions

When my first daughter was born, her name was influenced by “Clare” by Gilbert O’Sullivan. When I brought her home from hospital, “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, was playing on the radio. How apt. When daughter number two came along in 1980, Kelly Marie was number 1 with “It feels Like I am in Love,” and I was.

Many holidays in Spain gave me a love of Flamenco and John Williams “Guitar Concerto” sums up the Mediterranean lifestyle. It transports me to long hot nights nibbling tapas and drinking wine. What summer songs have stayed in your mind?

Sadness in Life Can Be Captured by a Beautiful Song

As time went by, music stayed in my life but started to give me much sadder memories. Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s haunting rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” takes me instantly back to my dear brother in law’s funeral. He died young following a tragic accident and his funeral was heart breaking. Even now that tune will move me to tears.

Choosing music for a loved one’s funeral is such a bittersweet task. It involves spending time considering so many options. You want your choice to reflect the person you have lost. Eventually my sister and I chose “Sailing By”, the theme tune to the very British “Shipping Forecast” for our dear Dad. He was a keen sailor, so it was very fitting.

Have you found it emotional to find the right music for a funeral?

Today I continue to enjoy music but I hate to admit it, I struggle with the latest hits and prefer to reminisce to my old favourites. A sign of growing old? Maybe!

Do you have any favourite songs that bring back strong memories? Are there any genres of music that you listen to when you want to feel a certain way? When it comes to nostalgic music, what are your favorite songs? Please join the conversation.

Creating a morning routine that works for you is so helpful to living a healthy lifestyle and making the most out of each day. Each of us is made differently so we should customize our morning routines to suit us.

Mornings for me are the worst. I saw this meme that said, “Let’s just say ‘getting up before the sun’ is not a club I ever want to be a member of, ever!” I’ve never been a morning person and I know that my body requires more sleep than some people. Everybody is different and I encourage you to find the routine that works best for you.

When you find a routine and build the habit, it helps to not have to think about what to do next each morning. These tips will help you find the routine that gives you energy, makes you feel great physically and mentally, leaves you more productive, and gets you ready for whatever adventures the day brings. 

Listen to Your Body Clock

As I said, I’m not a morning person, and no matter how many books or podcasts on “success” tell me that I have to wake up before the sun, it’s not the best for my body. Each of us has an internal body clock that knows about how much sleep we need to feel our best and about what time we need to be awake and asleep to feel our best.

If your schedule allows you to, try to plan to work within these hours. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day getting the amount of sleep your body needs.

After Menopause, it can be frustrating to fall asleep and stay asleep. Give yourself a nice evening winding down routine that might include some deep breathing, a meditation, writing down 3 things you are grateful for, reading a book, no electronics, and sticking to the same time for bed each evening. 

Wake Up and Stretch

Many of us feel stiffness upon waking up, especially if we have some arthritis in our joints. Do some gentle morning stretches before you even get out of bed to ease your body into some gentle movement. Try these stretches:

Drink Your Morning Mojo

Coffee might be first on your mind in the morning but try hydrating your body first. I start my day with a “Morning Mojo.”

Pour a glass of room temperature water, add a squeeze of lemon juice, optionally grate some ginger and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Enjoy this glass as you are getting ready in the morning before your coffee.

Hydrating your body after a long night of sleep will help to boost your metabolism, give you the energy you need, aid in your body’s digestion and also help to build the habit of staying hydrated all day. Hydration helps our skin, our joints, our brain, and boosts our energy levels.

Review Your To-Do List

Ideally, you will take a few minutes the evening before to write down the top To-Do’s for the following day. Start with the biggest task you need to complete and fill in from there. In the morning, review your list and make sure you have a plan to tackle the biggest task first. Don’t let all the little stuff add up and overwhelm you and block your productivity. 

Eat a Healthy Protein Packed Breakfast

Getting enough protein first thing in the morning will help to fuel your body for the day as well as reduce cravings by keeping you feeling full longer. Try a smoothie with protein, low sugar greek yogurt with granola and berries, overnight oats, make ahead egg cups or an omelette, or Ezekiel bread with nut butter, lox, or avocado. 

Exercise

Working out in the morning ensures that you get your workout in before the day derails your “self-care” time. It also helps to boost your endorphins giving you more energy and brain power to tackle your to-do list.

Working out in the morning also helps you to sleep better at night and helps you feel more confident and happier throughout the day. Who doesn’t want to feel stronger, more confident, and have more energy? 

Developing a healthy routine in the morning is a great way to start your day off on the right foot. I love this quote from John Maxwell, “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine

For more information on feeling your best, download my free Thrive at 55 Guide!

Do you have a morning routine? How did you develop it? What works for you in the morning and what doesn’t? Can you say that your day depends on how your morning starts?

Whether it comes unexpectedly or after a long illness, losing a spouse is traumatic at best. At worst it can be debilitating. I know because, at age 35, I became a widow myself.

While many people want to help, it can be difficult to know how to approach someone consumed by such overwhelming grief. And unfortunately, the result is many people end up feeling paralyzed and offer no help at all.

If you’re struggling with how to help a newly widowed friend, here are 10 suggestions.

Bring Food, but Coordinate with Others

When tragedy hits, people tend to show up with casseroles, cookies and other edibles. That can be a perfect response. It is particularly good if your friend has kids or grandkids in the house to feed. However, good intentions can quickly overwhelm a grieving family if they receive multiple meals in a single day.

Try a website such as TakeThemAMeal.com, SignUpGenius.com or CareCalendar.com to coordinate with other family and friends. Not only does this ensure your friend is getting one meal a day, but it helps avoid duplicates of the same meal within a week.

Come and Clean Her House

It’s not unusual for someone in mourning to struggle with even basic tasks. Help your friend by cleaning the house or weeding the garden. Alternatively, arrange for a handyman to come in and take care of all the items that formerly may have landed on her honey-do list. Again, sites like SignUpGenius.com and CareCalendar.org can help a group of friends coordinate on these tasks.

Suggest Ways to Help Rather Than Ask

Here’s the catch. If you ask your friend whether she wants help, she could say no even if she really is floundering. “We’re doing ok but thanks” was my standard response when someone asked if they could do something for us. That was one-part pride talking, one-part denial.

Plus, people in the thick of grief often have no idea what they need. They are in shock and can barely get out of bed in the morning. They cannot articulate how someone can make their life better. To help them out, try not to say, “What can I do to help?” Instead try, “I’d like to come over on Saturday afternoon to weed your garden. Is that ok?”

This phrasing makes it easy for your friend to accept while still giving her the opportunity to decline if she really wants to be alone.

Send a Card When You Don’t Know What to Say

Death leaves us feeling helpless, and everything we say seems woefully inadequate. If you don’t know what to say on the phone or in person, send your friend a card. Every card I received after my husband’s death was a comfort. They reminded me other people cared and hadn’t forgotten about me.

Skip platitudes about it being God’s will or that he’s in a better place. Those things may be true, depending on your beliefs, but they are not comforting. Instead, say you’re sorry and then follow up with a sentence or two about your friend’s spouse. For example, say, “I’ll always remember when ________” or “I loved how he ________.” He was important to her, she wants to hear he was important to others too.

Talk About Your Friend’s Spouse

Along those same lines, don’t make your friend’s spouse a taboo subject. Too many people seem to want to bury all mention of the deceased. And I get that. People are concerned about upsetting a widow or aren’t sure what they would do if she started crying.

It’s awkward for us too. However, it’s even worse to think everyone has moved on with their lives and forgotten our husbands. Don’t be afraid to mention his name and point out things he’d love or happy memories you have of him. If your friend starts crying, say I’m sorry and that you miss him too. Don’t feel like you have to fill the space with any more than that.

Mark Your Calendar with Her Important Dates

At a certain point, everyone else’s life does go on. That’s to be expected, but don’t forget that your friend is still grieving. There is no expiration date on her pain.

Milestone dates like birthdays, anniversaries and the date of a spouse’s death can be especially difficult. Make a note of these dates in your calendar and when the day arrives, reach out to your friend with a card, call or text. Let her know you haven’t forgotten and that you’re thinking about her.

Offer to Take the Kids on a Fun Outing

If your friend is caring for kids or grandkids, find an opportunity to take them out for the day. A couple of my friends did just that, and it gave my kids a welcome distraction while providing me with some much-needed time alone at the house.

To make it easy for your friend to accept your offer, don’t make it sound like you’re going out of your way to make the invitation. It’s not that she would be ungrateful, but widows can be reluctant to accept help if they feel like they’re being a burden on others.

It’s easier to say yes to something like “We’re planning to see a movie and wondered if the kids would like to come along” rather than “Let us take the kids off your hands for a day.”

Invite Your Friend Out for the Day

Invite your friend to coffee, lunch or a movie. Or anything else you would have done together prior to her husband’s death. Becoming a widow can be an isolating experience. People don’t always know what to say so they say nothing at all. Don’t avoid your friend but continue to include her in activities as you did in the past.

Provide Compassion, Not Pity

This is a tough one because there is a fine line between compassion and pity. While I can’t speak for all widows, I must say that I hit a point where it seemed like everyone looked at me with sad eyes and gave the verbal equivalent of “oh, you poor thing.” It was tiring to feel like I had somehow become defined solely by my circumstances.

The first time you see a new widow, please by all means share your deep sorrow for her loss. But don’t dwell on it for each subsequent conversation. Hearing “I don’t know how you do it” over and over again is a good way for your friend to start wondering: how does she do it? Have normal conversations with her.

Understand When She Says ‘No’ Or Doesn’t Want to Talk

Everyone grieves differently. Some widows want to be surrounded by others; they want to talk about their husbands to anyone and everyone. Others prefer to stay home alone and process this loss on their own. How people deal with loss changes as time goes on.

So don’t take it personally when your friend declines your invitations or offers for help. And don’t badger her into accepting either. The compassionate thing to do is to reach out every couple of weeks to let her know you’re thinking about her. Tell her that you’d love to see her when she’s ready.

Are you a widow? What’s the best thing someone did for you after your spouse died? Please share your story.

It seems social activities are opening back up to varying degrees depending on where you live. For me here in Oregon, there are opportunities to gather, attend live events and shop without masks, at least at the moment.

As I begin to be more active, I realize that my life balance – relationships, health, contribution, and time freedom – have been out of balance. I focused on activities that I could do alone – fitness and contribution. Last week, I decided just to stop and enjoy a few days of being in touch with what I want in this new freedom of options. After all, living on purpose is living in balance.

It became clear that the domain of life I am rebuilding is relationships – and noticing what risks I am willing to take.

It’s All About Relationships

Isolation has been one of challenges for many over the last 18 months. I thought I was doing great with all of my Zoom gatherings and one on one outside walks with friends.

Then in June my paddling team was cleared to start practicing on the water. The emotion of being together again was overwhelming… and will never be forgotten. Here is an intriguing observation: once on the boat, we were in sync beyond many of our practices prior to the pandemic. Love and gratitude brought us together in a way that all our practices could not.

My two book groups met in person… The thrill of sharing food again felt almost mischievous. I even brought books to share. My heart was full with sensing and seeing the nuances of our communication.

Let us all relish and appreciate the beauty of in person connections. There is power and healing that I now honor more than ever before.

Loving People While Managing the Crowd

My first outing among a crowd of people I did not know was an outdoor jazz festival. What a relief to see all the diversity of our community intact! I relished the crazy outfits and tinted hair among us. That, of course, was at a distance.

Standing in line for food was a different story. There were few masks and no distancing. I was shocked at the panic I felt. I left the line and chose not to eat. So, even with appreciating others, there is only so much closeness I can tolerate right now. Looking back on it, I think both fear of virus transmission and just not being used to crowded conditions played a part. Have you been in a crowd yet?

My other experience was going to an indoor play. All attendees were vaccinated, and it was at 50% capacity. My friends and I were a mix. I chose to wear my mask since we were indoors. Others did not. Would you? The play was fun and intelligent… and it was so good to support and experience the arts again.

Intimacy

Finally, let’s talk about the dating scene. The first question seems to be, “Are you vaccinated?” Would you meet someone if they were not? Personally, I do… and I ask about their reasoning for not being vaccinated. To be honest, it does influence my attraction. Then, for someone where we hit it off, the hug at the end of meeting is awkward, to say the least.

I wish to discover what it will be like to continue developing a relationship with someone beyond the first couple of meetings. My guess is that attraction impacts the amount of risk we are willing to take. Isn’t it strange to even have to consider risk this early in a relationship?

What activities are you resuming? What are you noticing as we return to activities with a refreshed perspective? Is there rebalancing going on in your life?