Tag Archives | holidays

Holiday Deals for Menopause Goddesses (And Those Who Love Them)

By on December 11, 2012 in Menopause

Christmas in Paradise © lynette sheppard

Menopause Goddess Lana Abrams is offering a special 25% off holiday sale on her wonderful mulberry silk products for our readers. I have one of her light and warm comforters and I love it! Mulberry silk is the perfect temperature control fabric for menopausal women – it’s cool and warm – whatever you need when you need it. (Like the Stanley thermos that keeps hot things hot and cold things cold – how do it know?) Here’s your link to the holiday sale: Mulberry Silk Sale. Happy Shopping!

Hyalo GYN vaginal moisturizer was recently spotlighted on our blog. If you read that post, you know how highly I think of this. My hubby applauds it too. The Hyalo GYN folks are now offering a discount code for Menopause Goddess Blog readers: visit their site, enter HYALODeal5 at checkout on www.hyalogyn.com and receive $5 off a full order. Have a romantic holiday this year.

Cool-jams wicking sleepwear has a cool new product that I can’t wait to try:  wicking smart panties that are supposed to be the most comfy panties ever. They are also  offering free shipping through December 31, 2012 and a free gift with purchase when they gift wrap your order. Visit Cool-jams.com to order and/or  learn more.

So finish your shopping for girlfriends of a certain vintage with a few well placed mouse clicks, pour a glass of your favorite libation, curl up with a good book or movie, and toast yourself on a job well done.

 

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Remembering 2011 and Creating 2012: A Menopause Goddess Guide

By on December 29, 2011 in Life Changes & Stages

A New Dawn © lynette sheppard

It’s that time again – time to peek back at the year coming to a close and to look ahead to creating a brand new year.

I used to forget to look back at how much I had accomplished, enjoyed, and lived each year. I was much too focused on what lay ahead and how I might want to improve myself. You know: more exercise, better health habits, being more organized, blah blah blah.

About ten years ago, I started making “Done Lists” at the end of each year, in order to not only celebrate what I’d lived, but to freaking REMEMBER it! With the advent of menopause, remembering became a lost art, that needed a little nudge (I used my calendar to make notes all year and that helped me re-view what happened.)

After celebrating the passing year, it’s natural to then look ahead to the coming one. Every New Year’s eve, I have this delicious feeling of a clean slate with all possibilities open. Most of us goddesses don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. We know that particular activity to be a slippery, guilt-iced slope that will only irritate us in the long run. But we do create “intentions” or “wishes”. Sometimes, especially with menopause brain, it’s hard to get started or to focus on what we want to manifest next.

Friend and sister goddess, Robin Blanc Mascari shared with us two sets of simple yet profound questions. One set is designed to help guide us through re-viewing 2011 and the other is geared to helping us envision our own 2012. Enjoy them – I really did. Answer them all or just pick a couple that feel relevant. Perhaps you’ll think of other questions that we might ask ourselves – let us know your thoughts in the comments.

COMPLETING AND REMEMBERING 2011

What was your biggest triumph in 2011?

What was the smartest decision you made in 2011?

What one word best sums up and describes your 2011 experience?

What was the greatest lesson you learned in 2011?

What was the most loving service you performed in 2011?

What is your biggest piece of unfinished business in 2011?

What are you most happy about completing in 2011?

Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life in 2011?

What was the biggest risk you took in 2011?

What was the biggest surprise in 2011?

What important relationship improved the most in 2011?

What compliment would you liked to have received in 2011?

What compliment would you liked to have given in 2011?

What else do you need to do or say to be complete with 2011?

CREATING 2012

What would you like to be your greatest triumph in 2012?

What advice would you like to give yourself in 2012?

What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results in 2012?

What would you be most happy about completing in 2012?

What major indulgence are you willing to experience in 2012?

What would you like to change about yourself in 2012?

What are you looking forward to learning in 2012?

What do you think will be your greatest risk in 2012?

What about your work are you most committed to changing and improving in 2012?

What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore in 2012?

What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2012?

Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2012?

What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2012?

Happy New Year to all menopausal and midlife goddesses! Here’s hoping that 2012 brings you peace, joy, and cooling breezes!

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The Rear View And The Road Ahead for Menopause Goddesses

By on December 30, 2010 in Life Changes & Stages

Papohaku Beach Sunset, Molokai © lynette sheppard

It’s that time again – time to peek back at the year coming to a close and to look ahead to creating a brand new year.

I used to forget to look back at how much I had accomplished, enjoyed, and lived each year. I was much too focused on what lay ahead and how I might want to improve myself. You know: more exercise, better health habits, being more organized, blah blah blah.

About ten years ago, I started making “Done Lists” at the end of each year, in order to not only celebrate what I’d lived, but to freaking REMEMBER it! With the advent of menopause, remembering became a lost art, that needed a little nudge (I used my calendar to make notes all year and that helped me re-view what happened.)

My “Done Lists” evolved into Ta Da lists (a great replacement for To Do lists.).

Still, after celebrating the passing year, it’s natural to then look ahead to the coming one. Every New Year’s eve, I have this delicious feeling of a clean slate with all possibilities open.

Most of us goddesses don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. We know that particular activity to be a slippery, guilt-iced slope that will only irritate us in the long run. But we do create “intentions” or “wishes”. Sometimes, especially with menopause brain, it’s hard to get started or to focus on what we want to manifest next.

A few years ago, sister goddess Robin Blanc Mascari shared with us two sets of simple yet profound questions. One set is designed to help guide us through re-viewing the year just passing and the other is geared to helping us envision the coming year. It seemed time to revisit them. The answers might be very illuminating.

And if there seem to be an overwhelming amount of questions? (Which can make it seem like more of another chore than a graceful looking back and forward.) Just choose 5 to answer.

I originally chose 5 and ended up so curious, that I answered them all. A pdf copy is available at the end of this blog entry   download.

COMPLETING AND REMEMBERING 2010

What was your biggest triumph in 2010?

What was the smartest decision you made in 2010?

What one word best sums up and describes your 2010 experience?

What was the greatest lesson you learned in 2010?

What was the most loving service you performed in 2010?

What is your biggest piece of unfinished business in 2010?

What are you most happy about completing in 2010?

Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life in 2010?

What was the biggest risk you took in 2010?

What was the biggest surprise in 2010?

What important relationship improved the most in 2010?

What compliment would you liked to have received in 2010?

What compliment would you liked to have given in 2010?

What else do you need to do or say to be complete with 2010?

CREATING 2011

What would you like to be your greatest triumph in 2011?

What advice would you like to give yourself in 2011?

What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results in 2011?

What would you be most happy about completing in 2011?

What major indulgence are you willing to experience in 2011?

What would you like to change about yourself in 2011?

What are you looking forward to learning in 2011?

What do you think will be your greatest risk in 2011?

What about your work are you most committed to changing and improving in 2011?

What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore in 2011?

What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2011?

Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2011?

What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2011?

Happy New Year to all you menopausal and midlife goddesses! Here’s hoping that 2011 brings you peace, joy, and cooling breezes!

year end questions

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Happy Holly Daze For Menopause Goddesses

By on December 8, 2010 in Positive Changes

I don’t have grandchildren yet. And while I love, love, love the holidays, I also dread, dread, dread the busyness of the season. (Which seems to happen earlier each year or is this just my imagination?)

So last year, I began to wonder why I get myself all worked up and frantic carrying out the mandatory rituals every November-December. It was not easy to score a live tree last winter here on my rural island, so I opted out of the pine needle, broken ornaments (cause by cattus domesticus who can’t stop playing with the shiny things),  sugary dough all over the kitchen, unwritten Christmas card mess.

And it was…heavenly.

So this year, I was way more gentle with myself. Thanksgiving was glorious at our neighbor’s house – potlucked of course. The day was lazy and filled with gratitude for us.

Theresa Venus is here on-island and we celebrated Lei Venus’s birthday with a holiday dinner of turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. There was no have-to or pressure, just an ease of fun food prep, sharing of conversation and meal, and mostly quality time spent with one another.

Wow, two holiday feasts already and no stress so far. I’m thinking that I may be on to something. Because the rituals have been comin’ apart at the seams, in the very best possible way,  it was with absolute serenity that we cruised downtown to see the Christmas parade of lights and hang out with the entire island’s population to celebrate, Hawaiian style.

I am having a tree trimming party. Which involves putting miniature ornaments on a Lilliputian fake tree (about 4 inches tall). Yes, I mean inches, not feet. I can hold it in the palm of my hand.

Of course, there will be eggnog and wine. We can sing Christmas carols. (Or not, maybe it’d better to listen to Willie K. or Na Leo Pilimehana sing.) And we’ll even have the right smells, thanks to Menopause Goddess Teri Waros’s Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions – provider of the Douglas Fir incense

You are all invited. Happy stress free holiday and Mele Kalikimaka.

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Forget The New Year To Do List. Make A Ta Da List

By on December 26, 2009 in Life Changes & Stages, Menopause in Community

fireworks for blog

New Year’s resolutions. They can be a setup for judgment, stress, and failure. While the “clean slate” of January 1 can certainly inspire us to set goals and intentions, it can also overburden us with expectation.

Before embarking on a future view for 2010, take some time to review and jot down what you accomplished in 2009. Accomplishments need not be lists of tasks completed, milestones reached, or jobs finished. (Although certainly those qualify.)

Achievements might be just as easily be shifts in attitude, changes in self knowledge, feelings of connection, or new worldviews All too often we don’t take the time to savor or appreciate what we have done, seen, or felt over the past 365 days. We don’t allow for the “Ta Da” before we rush on to the next “To Do”.

So for the next few days, Menopause Goddesses, let’s compile a list of all we have done and experienced during 2009. In this eye-of-the-storm lull between Christmas frenzy and New Year’s celebrating, let’s ruminate on the past. Give yourself a great, glorious pat on the back for all that you have done and been this year.

We can work on our walloping To Do list later. For now, shout “Ta Da” out loud and celebrate all you’ve accomplished for the last twelve months.

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A Menopause Goddess Slides Unstressed Into the Holidays

By on December 17, 2009 in Aging Gracefully, Life Changes & Stages

final frankie copy

The sun is shining brightly and we are ready for Christmas. I’ve taken my own advice and am relaxing, enjoying the season. Tonight we will go down to Teri’s store, Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions to hear the kupuna (Hawaiian elders) sing Christmas carols. You might remember Teri from the blog entry spotlighting her last year: “Daring To Dance: A Menopause Goddess Lives Her Dream”.

I’ve jettisoned the Christmas cards in favor of a photo collage that can be emailed. (And I am not completely sure that I’ll get that done. Nor am I worried about it. February 14 is soon enough for an update.)

I’ve decorated the house with those stuffed Santa, angel, and moosie dolls and hung some stockings.  It took all of about 15 minutes. (See photo with our cat Frankie snuggled up with the Christmas finery.)

I’m not baking Christmas cookies. I may not eat any holiday sweets unless someone makes me eat them. (And of course, my Menopause Goddess friends know enough to twist my arm and then forcefeed me. Thank you all in advance.)

I did manage to decorate a tree this year, possibly the world’s tiniest tree. No lights to untangle, no tinsel, and it can be used again next year. It looks so nice on my computer keyboard. Very festive. (see photo.)

xmas computer for blog
The point of all this holiday non-doing is that an outing to hear Christmas carols at Teri’s store is not a burden or an obligation that I have to squeeze in among all my other commitments and holiday prep. It’s a pure joy. My calendar is gloriously unstuffed. No menopausal meltdowns or mania have visited me this season.
I have time to appreciate the year’s end, family, cats, friends, and fun. Mele Kalikimaka, as we say here in Hawai`i, to all goddesses and their families.

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Merry Menopause Christmas! De-stress This Holiday Season

By on December 9, 2009 in Life Changes & Stages, Menopause Relief & Treatment

snow american river

Menopause and Christmas can combine to produce exponential amounts of stress. In our constant desire for peace, harmony, and joy, Theresa-Venus and I have a few ideas for more ease and less pressure this holiday season.

1.  Give the best Christmas gift ever to your girlfriends:  no gift. Theresa-Venus and I did this last year and liked it so much we are doing it again. Let’s face it. Most of us at this stage of life feel that we already have too much stuff. The pressure to buy the perfect gift, then wrap it and deliver it is more than we need and can precipitate menopause meltdown.

2.  Jettison the Christmas card or letter.  Most of us are deluged by either chatty, newsy (read long) holiday letters or a lovely card containing nothing but a signature. Some cards have only a printed signature, which may have you wondering “What’s the point?” If you wish to send a yearly update to friends and family, wait until February 14. Frankly, most of us will appreciate it so much more and it won’t get lost in the flood of holiday greetings.

3. Do not bake cookies. With our metabolic rate slowing down and the sedentary days of winter just beginning, we don’t need the sweets or the guilt that comes with eating them. Buy those packages of little carrots shaped like tubes for snacks. Mmmmmm yummy. If you must eat cookies, know that someone else will be giving you some anyway. Do not bake any. And definitely NO cookie exchanges!

4.  Do not wrap gifts. Purchase Christmas gift bags or boxes from your favorite big box or warehouse store. Place each gift in a bag and voila, all the gifts will be wrapped. You will have reclaimed several hours and taken nearly all the stress out of gifting.

5.  Decorate sparingly. Try getting a smaller tree and let the grandkids decorate it. No grandkids yet?  Consider no tree unless you feel that it isn’t Christmas without it.

Put less (or no) lights outside. Strategically placed Santa, Reindeer, and Angel cloth dolls can make your home festive with very little work or time expenditure. You can find these at your local craft fair, drugstore or even grocery store.

Unless you are preparing for a shoot for Architectural Digest or House Beautiful, a frenzy of decorating just isn’t worth it.

6.  Have a Christmas potluck. Don’t spend all day cooking as if you were creating a second Thanksgiving. Go for a walk, have a snowball fight,  play with the kids instead. Read a book aloud as a family or sing carols together.

Your friends and family will not miss any of the usual Christmas trappings and if they do? They’ll soon find that they enjoy being in the company of a relaxed, pleasant, unstressed you much more than all gifts, cookies, and decorations in which you can bury yourself.

There’s a saying most of us have heard. “This moment is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.” Sure, it’s a little corny, but it really is true. Happy holidays.

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