Women's Survival Guide

Launch party, Book Club, In-Person Events!

Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video book launch for Fallout by Eleanor Anstruther!In-person is magic! I hosted Eleanor Anstruther, Alisa Kennedy Jones and friends ( Substackers, Beth Lisogorsky, Good Humor by CK Steefel, Meg Oolders attended) at my home in Boston to celebrate her new book, Fallout. Eleanor did a reading, as you can watch on the video above and these fun Notes clips and Instagram!!, and we were hooked by the story of a fifteen year old girl running away from home to join a women’s peace camp in the early eighties United Kingdom. Fallout, is based on a major moment in the UK, the Greenham Common protest. The all-women (30,000-70,000 of them) peace camp at a nuclear base from 1981-2000 in the UK is practically unknown here in the US. But, not for long. FIRST BOOK WE WILL READ: FALLOUT By Eleanor Anstruther Fallout is the book to start our club with, ladies. These are crazy times, and so were the 1980s. We were around the same age as the protagonist, Bridget, is in the book, fifteen, in the early 80s. We can relate to the characters in Fallout now as grown women looking back and as mothers of girls, or as women in protest. The Greenham Commons history is itself a major character in the book and something we women should know about and share with our kids and friends. About FALLOUT:“A radical daughter. A closeted father. A prim mother turned protester. One runaway girl sets a family on fire—and lights the way to liberation.In the bleak winter of 1982, fifteen-year-old Bridget has had enough. Enough of Thatcher’s Britain, enough of being invisible, and enough of her family’s secrets. Armed with little more than a sharp tongue and a fierce sense of justice, she runs away from her suburban life to join the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp—one of the most iconic protest movements in British history.But Bridget’s disappearance doesn’t just blow open her own life. It sends shockwaves through her fractured family: her distant, conservative mother, who’s about to fall headlong into a love affair she never saw coming, and her father—a man with secrets of his own, who’s spent a lifetime hiding in plain sight.Set at the unlikely intersection of nuclear disarmament and personal awakening, FALLOUT is a fearless, darkly funny exploration of identity, family, and midlife reinvention. With an irreverent bite that evokes Fleabag, the emotional complexity of Bad Sisters, and the political urgency of Milkman.” Simon and Schuster I adore Eleanor’s writing and was hooked when I read her memoir, A Memoir in 65 Postcards & The Recovery Diaries. She is a lot cooler than you or I and has survived to tell her own story. When shall we meet? Below is a poll to see about timing. You need to order the book here and read it. We don’t want to wait too long! The actual meeting we can do a Zoom and in person, like the book launch. I’m hoping Eleanor can join in, too!MEET ME IN THE COMMENTS!What do you feel about protests? Have you gone to any lately? Are they worth the effort? Why?PS: Graduation is coming! Gift Ideas?PPS: Bebe’s new song!! PPPs: New Premium “Notes from My Bed” post coming next week! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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💪How to be strong with Cindy Sullivan

Jan 2500:42:57Tap to summarize

MAVEN OF THE WEEK! CINDY SULLIVAN!Cindy Sullivan EverSTRONG“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”I met Cindy Sullivan many years ago when our daughters were at Beacon Hill Nursery School. I remember Cindy as tall, thin, blond, lovely…and kind. I knew she had a sweet daughter, worked full time, and was very involved with a key playground in our neighborhood. She is someone I wanted to know better. Life got going and next thing I know it’s nearly twenty years later and our daughters are seniors in college. Like so many of the women I talk to who start something new in midlife, Covid had a hand in the pivot for Cindy. It’s not surprising to think people switched it up during the year we all were shut ins. We had to do something other than watch reruns of friends. For instance, I started this blog in earnest in December, 2020. I had been working on it, but it was really the uninterrupted time that covid allowed to sit and focus that I took advantage of as many others did.Trying to have a babyYears before Covid, Cindy had been working in PR and marketing in the financial world when she hit a wall. At the time she was in her late thirties, working full time and trying to have a second baby. It wasn’t going smoothly. For any of us that have experienced infertility, it becomes all consuming. Full of huge disappointment and dashed hopes but the possibility of success keeps you in it. It’s like an abusive relationship you cannot leave. You want what they promise you but you know you might not get it and there is no way to know if you will. Your world is consumed by the thought of getting pregnant. Your marriage has that one focus. Your friendships are affected by their pregnancy successes and failures. It is isolating because it is private. You and your spouse can only discuss it so many times. You cringe at the idea of family events when they ask when number one or two is coming. You notice pregnant women. Needless to say, Cindy burnt out…thoroughly. She quit her job and for the next five years she worked with her husband in his new company. She made peace with her fertility. I don’t talk about fertility issues in this blog for the one reason that everyone I talk to is far past worrying about having a baby of their own. But, maybe I should talk more about it because the process leaves scars. In talking to Cindy I was struck by how sincerely over it she was. She found the blessings in what she had and didn’t have: A beautiful baby girl, a wonderful husband, the ability to stay in their home in a community that is wonderful but expensive and taking up a long ago dream: teaching fitness.New focus: fitness!Like so many stories at Women’s Survival Guide, there was a passion that wasn’t supportable for whatever reason. In Cindy’s case the reason was expectations. She was the first to go to college in her family, she is a type A personality and had goals to achieve. But, when the “success” side of her life burnt out, the old passion flickered to life. She knew she needed a change and she knew she had loved fitness from a young age. After attending a Gloria Stevens class with her mom at age twelve she wrote in her diary ““I want to be an aerobics instructor when I grow up.” How cute is that? She set about her new focus in the way she did with her corporate career, with gusto and a lot of degrees and certificates. Today, Cindy is a Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and Senior Fitness Specialist among others. Cindy has a niche focus, midlife and seniors, a health and wellness area that is overlooked and underserved. She still does classes for everyone, but her focus is a category called “Active Aging.” From doing her group classes she was asked to come to people’s homes and do personal training, which she still does. By word of mouth her business grew fast. We talked about how expensive personal trainers are but she has kept her fees low so that her clients can afford them. Seniors tend not to want or are able to afford expensive fitness, but Cindy adapts her fee model for them. Covid pivot:Cindy knew her senior clients were not going to be able to do in person classes or in home instruction when lock down happened. By April of 2020 she was up and running on Zoom. She began a program that she still does called “Ever STRONG” for $85.00 a month that includes coaching calls and online classes. With Covid, her life and work took on a new dimension with the internet. She started posting fun, upbeat instructive clips on instagram and her world exploded. One of her posts got four million views on Facebook! She now has 63,000 followers on Instagram! I follow her and LOVE her easy to do exercises…I particularly like this post:What’s next for Cindy?Bone density and joint health! Cindy is working on a new category of fitness aimed at improving our bone density and preventing osteoporosis. For men, too! How do we improve bone density through fitness you ask? It starts with jumping! And nutrition. She is developing twenty minute videos to keep people engaged who don’t want to commit to a longer session. Like me. Meet Your Trainer – Cindy SullivanCindy Sullivan is a certified personal trainer and group fitness specialist with additional credentials in strength, functional aging, fall prevention, and posture/mobility training. She’s trained hundreds of midlife and older clients across the U.S. and was voted Best of Boston for her work.Her motto:“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”💪Cindy Sullivan EverSTRONG💪COMING IN A FEW DAYS…Cindy’s Maven Questionnaire and a recipe she loves!💪Meet me in the comments!What I love about Cindys work is that it is doable for those of us with a short attention span. Just follow her lead and your bod with thank you!! What are you doing to stay fit? Do you have questions for Cindy? I have a few that I will post this week…ICYMI This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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Super Funny Mavens! #breakroomchronicles

Nov 2300:36:45Tap to summarize

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!For all of the negative press social media gets, there are some positives…like discovering TomBoi (Esha) and Melly and #breakroomchronicles! There is no way you can keep a straight face watching these two dance their signature moves (#wallkick) and lip-synch to outrageous songs that Esha finds. So, don’t feel too guilty about finding a pocket full of happiness on Instagram. I’m working on making mine a bit more something. Midlife friends, why do we laugh at this? If the same skits were being performed by thirty somethings I don’t think they would be funny. If little kids were performing them, I think it might be funny, but might be way not ok. What makes it funny? It’s the incongruity of two middle-aged women wearing hair nets, in pink heals and dancing badly with attitude, lip synching, on purpose, to crazy body moving songs, many of them funny in there own right (Coke Diet, No Bra, Bubblegum). When I asked why they do these skits, their immediate answer was “laughter.” With 645,000 TikTok followers, and 153,000 followers on Instagram there is more than laughter involved at this point! I tend to avoid asking about cash flow when I interview Mavens, but you know? I really should. Who doesn’t like to make a buck from their side passion? Melly says that they do not have any sponsors but sure would like some. I marvel that they can have so many followers and not a line waiting to pay them! That seems nuts. TomBoi and Melly have a wonderful chemistry both on and off screen. They work together at a Safeway supermarket in Washington state. Esha has been at the market for thirty years and Melly has been at the location for eight years and with the company for twenty-five. Melly sent the photo above and said: “This was a red carpet photo from the Sneaker Ball it was a charity event that was put on by the Legacy Foundation and held at the Des Moines Yacht Club. We were VIP guest appearances from the surrounding community. We would definitely love to become verified on TikTok. Also would love to be part of TikTok’s Cheer Choice Awards. So many goals. Working on all platforms: Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, just trying to put ourselves out there as much as possible. Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo talked about us on ExtraTv episode! We have some celebrity followers as well which is in itself pretty awesome!!”Esha’s answers to Four Maven Questions!What did you want to be when you grew up?When I was a kid I wanted to be a firefighter but now I want to be a producer.What are you excited about now?I’m excited about content creation and what it will become in the future.What books are on your bedside table?None.What do you do to relax?Listening to music helps me relax.Favorite RecipeMy mom’s gumbo, the recipe is a family secret.Melly’s answers to Four Maven Questions!What did you want to be when you grew up?I wanted to be a zoologist started college and everything and then decided to be a mom lol.What are you excited about now?I’m excited for this next chapter in our lives. I believe great things are about to happen and that we are definitely going to be recognized.What books are on your bedside table?I am a huge Agatha Christie fan. Even my cat is named after her. Murder mysteries are my forte. And True ghost stories.What do you do to relax?I spend time with my husband and family, they are my relaxation. If I have to be by myself I would be listening to music.Favorite RecipeMy favorite I cook would have to be my Butter Breaded Baked pork chops!! Bread with what you desire, butter bottom of cookie sheet put the pork chops on and then poor more butter over them. Bake and flip mid way and then continue til crispy.Li’l more info…on Esha and Mely!https://www.tiktok.com/@melly20677https://www.tiktok.com/@breakroom_chroniclesInstagram @breakroom.chronicles, @777melly777https://www.instagram.com/breakroom.chronicles/Me…in other people’s blogs!https://the-midst.com/gifts-for-womenLove this… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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Home, Dogs and Men

Sep 2800:05:06Tap to summarize

I met with Cai Cai Fritzinger (see our other interviews below) this week about her new store opening in October, Shed Home (and Man and Dog) in Manchester, MA. In a way, this is a full circle move for her. The original Copper Shed, at her home in Wenham, carried home goods including fabric and pillows by Susan Deliss and Mexican pottery. Both will be in her new location, along with many other home furnishings, games, clothing for men and accessories for dogs, too!I hope you enjoy our chatty interview with her three little dogs all about her new project! PS: Stay tuned for an upcoming Fall edit!Past Interviews with Cai Cai! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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Peeps! Come with me to my studio!

Aug 400:05:12Tap to summarize

Good morning, Peeps!Today we take a walk through my Boston Studio! I have been in SOWA for eight years! Right now the studio is a little empty as most of my paintings are either at Elizabeth’s Home Decor in Chestnut HIll, MA or Boston Corporate Art. So, I had better get back to work so my studio doesn’t look so bare. Join my Peeps Peeks by clicking below! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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Tennis Anyone?🎾

Jul 1600:02:59Tap to summarize

At a very young age I started playing tennis. My Dad gave me a wooden Billie Jean King cut-off racquet. On the court, he fed me ball after ball until eventually I developed a wallop of a forehand and killer two handed backhand. My husband tells me it was my backhand that made him fall in love with me. I used to play tennis a lot. In my thirties I wanted tennis for exercise but where I played it was generally doubles. I didn’t get a ton of exercise from doubles. That was disappointing because I wanted to sweat. I now see how dumb that was. What I should have focussed on was how fun it was to be playing a game with other women, a privilege. Screw the exercise, I could get that by taking a run. In my forties I joined the club team. At first it was fun and casual but I realized that the women I was playing with wanted to move up to the next level. It was more important to them to get better than it was to me. They played three or more times a week, including individual lessons. I played less. I didn’t take lessons. There were other things I wanted to do. In the summertime I played with a fun and quirky co-ed group of all ages. We had weekend tournaments and I won glass object d’art. I loved it. Then I tore something in my arm and had to stop. Then I enrolled in a three year MFA program and had three tween girls. I had long stopped playing “team” but, I’d still play occasionally, and it was fun. By my fifties COVID hit and for a while tennis was cancelled. When it wasn’t I’d go every now and then. But, I got out of the habit. The more I didn’t play the easier it was not to. Now here I am in my mid fifties (ish) and I haven’t been playing much at all. In fact, leaving my home to do a lot of things has been hard for me to do. My husband and I played over the Fourth of July and it was more fun than I remembered it being. And, Wimbledon is on! Yesterday I played with the summer clinic only because a friend called and said she was going. I went. It was so much fun! All women of all levels and ages. Why haven’t I been doing this more? I thought. Today, was a little round robin of all ages, men and women. I considered not going. I have stuff to do. But, I got myself to go! And, it was so much fun!The moral? Call your friend to come to something. Get out there. Get back in the mix. It’s easy not to deal with other people, but is it good for us? No, it isn’t. In fact, it is part of the current problem in our society. We have stopped enjoying strangers for fear of their politics. For fear of disrupting our little lives. I’m going to break out of my little life, at least on the weekends :) And a ‘thank you’ to Maria for calling. TTFN:LOVE for you to participate in doing the Maven5Q! From Katy Wheatley Wheatley….What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?This is tough. There are so many things I took for granted that are not around anymore, or if they are, they are so hard to access. When I was a teenager, there was a real sense of anything being possible in the future. I could go to university without being saddled with tens of thousands of pounds worth of debt……..Want to give it a try? Here are the 5QWhat is the most surprising part of being in this stage of life?What’s one new thing you’re trying to embrace in mid-life?If you could give yourself a piece of advice 20 years ago, what would it be and why?What’s something that our generation had access to that you’d like to bring back?If the next 20 years of your life had a theme, what would it be and why?Send them to moi! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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For my long suffering premium readers

Jun 2600:00:58Tap to summarize

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.comI was advised to drop the paid category by a substack guru. I see her point, I do. I don’t have tens of thousands of readers (would like that, though) and the idea of putting a pay wall to block anyone from seeing what I’m doing here seems unwise. But, I think I can do both. Have what I do at WSG free to all and then have a special category for the people that like what I am doing enough to pay a small monthly fee as an ‘atta girl. It means a lot to me and makes me think rather than turning my back on you, embrace you and share about something. Now, what should that something be? I think video. But of what? I’ve thought about reading poetry, good stuff. Dorthy Parker, Sylvia Plath, Shel Silverstein. Or, picking up some weird little thing in my house and telling a story about it, like the little carved wooden hippo in my office, or the single porcelain tea cup and saucer that was my great grandmother’s. Having a chat at my desk or going for a walk in my neighborhood? These would be short vids, but just for you. What do you think?

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Colleen Landry is funny

Feb 16, 202500:57:33Tap to summarize

Good morning, ladies! Before I release my much anticipated interview with Colleen Landry, where I giggle like an idiot the entire time (must work on professionalism), I want to remind you why WSG is here:As you know, I interview women (also available in podcast) who pivot to something new after 50 years old. Many of us do so without intention but necessity: empty nest, retirement, divorce, lethargy. Gotta do something beyond playing Candy Crush! That’s what Women’s Survival Guide is focussed on…midlife and what’s next. With that said, if you or someone you know is pivoting in her midlife (ladies only here) please, let me know! womenssurvivalguide@gmail.comLast week was my written interview with Colleen, link below. Please give it a read along with her 5 Maven Questions! read, watch, listen, share, comment, enjoy!FIVE MAVEN QUESTIONSWhat did you want to be when you grew up?I always wanted to be a teacher. As a kid, I would drag (practically by the hair) my tired and hungry friends home where I would sit them in front of my chalkboard and teach them to read. Thanks to me, they all turned out to be very strong readers, even though they've yet to thank me. Whatever. I didn't do it for the glory.What are you excited about now?I'm excited about life right now. I'm having a blast with Instagram and TikTok and could not have dreamed this in a million years! I'm open to wherever this takes me and I'm grateful for what it's brought me so far. I'm immensely enjoying this phase of life. I can pursue my interests and dreams, knowing my inferior designer and I have successfully launched two very fine young men, both of whom are doing incredible things in the world as doctors...but more importantly, they're both funny and outstanding writers. That's the main thing, right???What books are on your bedside table?I love to read and can manage approximately seven (seconds) minutes every night in bed before I nod off. It takes me a decade to get through a book; I just bought Malcolm Gladwell's latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point. I find it very interesting so far--if I could just stay awake though. I also adore anything David Sedaris writes. Kelly Ripa's book, Live Wire, is hilarious.What do you do to relax?I walk every day and that's my relaxation and thinking time. I'm always filled with ideas when I get home. I also take great pleasure from languishing in the morning, drinking coffee and reading the paper (Google it if you are a Millenial) and doing Wordle/Quordle and Dordle. I'm a fan of sacking on the couch in the evenings and watching Netflix. Oh...and I also sit silently for three hours/day as I practice transcendental meditation. NOT.What category/subject would you add to the Guide?I love the Survival Guide--such a great idea/community! Hmmm...maybe a humor category could be fun. Looking for a humor writer? Asking for a friend...READY FOR A ZOOMIE HANGOUT WITH ME AND COLLEEN? ME TOO!LET’S SEE IF WE CAN GET HER TO COME!Shall we try a Sunday? How about Sunday, March 9th at 1PM EST…why 1 PM you ask? we have west coasters, east coasters and UK/Euro. Zoom Link to follow!HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? Applause for Alisa and Heather!And…because we learn from others…Please check out my friend John Spooner’s book!“Wake Up is John Spooner’s love letter to the women in his life, from childhood to last week. These are women who have educated, mentored, inspired and even loved him, changing his life in many ways because of their special talents and practical solutions for life’s problems, great and small. It has been their empathy, compassion, and understanding, their kindness and humor that have made him better, more successful and happier than he could ever be. All this- comes so naturally to women.Men will be inspired by these women’s words and deeds rolled out in Wake Up. No surprise to the women out there who read it as well, and nod their heads.” That’s all for now,xoK This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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How Melissa Started Beacon Hill Books

Dec 22, 202400:27:40Tap to summarize

I heard about Melissa Fetter’s project long before I met her. In the late 1970s and early 80s Beacon Hill in Boston had three bookstores, all have been closed for many years. In 2020, a whisper of a plan to bring a new bookstore was heard in the neighborhood. It seemed too good to be true: An entire nineteenth-century building on the main business street was to be turned into Beacon Hill Books and Cafe!Look for tours of the store on WSG’s Instagram! AND! Beacon Hill Books and Cafe Instagram!Here we are in 2024. The store and cafe have been open for over two years and have blown the doors off all expectations. In the best of times, commercial renovation in Boston is time-consuming, expensive and unpredictable. Add COVID and an extra year of construction and a myriad of other surprises, and you’ve got yourself a master class in frustration. But, as you will see she persevered, and we all benefit. Melissa’s story is remarkable, and her pivot is inspiring.Why put a bookstore on Beacon Hill?Melissa had lived in the Boston area in the early 1980s while her husband was in graduate school here. She spent thirty years living in other places, such as California and Texas. In 2020, her husband returned to Boston to teach, and Melissa found herself an empty nester in a basically new city. What to do?Like all good entrepreneurs with some time on their hands, she looked around to see what the city was lacking. She narrowed her focus down to her new neighborhood, Beacon Hill and discovered there was no bookstore. But she also didn’t see a beautifully designed events venue, or a perfect little cafe that sells popovers. As she tells me in our interview above, she had no lifelong dream to open a bookshop. She saw a need and went about filling it. She said that the whole concept was fully formed in her mind from the get-go. She wanted an entire building on Charles Street for her concept. She wanted it to be a destination for tourists and a venue for events. She wanted a cafe with inventive cuisine (she brought in renown chef Colleen Suhanosky). She already had the look and feel in mind for the store and cafe. She set about making it happen, even through COVID. Lead by exampleBeacon Hill Books and Cafe is a top-down enterprise. Melissa has approximately sixty people working for her. She has instructed her team to greet customers upon entry into the store. Eye contact and friendly acknowledgment are a must. The staff is always ready to answer questions and help find the perfect book.The merchandising at BHB is irresistible. The quality is high and the items are useful! For instance, note pads and note cards are neatly wrapped in a cellophane sleeve, gift cards, tote bags are beyond well-designed, mugs, teas, and candles with their custom scent. Everything is created in the perfect greens and blues with a special font. The new umbrella lined in the Sister Parish design that covers the shop's walls is especially fetching. She also had a character-mascot and a book created for the children: Paige the squirrel. Available as plush animal! Adorable. Age is not a hurdleI hope you’ll watch our interview above because Melissa does a wonderful job of addressing exactly what Women’s Survival Guide is all about as it applies to her journey. She is proud of herself for creating Beacon Hill Books and Cafe and comfortable that she was the age she was when she took the risks she did. Like all the women I have interviewed, Melissa sees her age as an asset and not an anchor. Aside from gaining confidence, wisdom, and experience through life, she is not afraid of failure and not embarrassed by the idea of it. The same cannot be said for most of us when we were in our 20s, 30s and even 40s. Losing the fear of embarrassment is a wonderful side effect of menopause, I think! (Maybe we just don’t remember anything?).THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BEACON HILL BOOKS AND CAFE:* The cafe has outdoor seating in their adorable courtyard most of the year with heaters and blankets.* The interiors were designed using the fabrics and wall coverings by Sister Parish Design.* There is a children’s area on the top floor with tiny doors to open, a train that circles the ceilings of two rooms, tiny chairs, and reading nooks.* There is a separate young adults area next to the children’s section.* There are small nook-rooms for intimate reading and looking for design, cooking, travel and young adults* Beacon Hill Books and Cafe has become a community magnet and tourist must-see with an Instagram following of over 87,000.* We are so grateful to have both Melissa and her bookstore in our neighborhood. They are a gift!I will post tours of the store on WSG’s instagram @ womenssurvivalguide!!ICYMIAnd…Alisa Kennedy Jones nominated Bebe Stockwell’s latest song, Minor Inconveniences in Horizon Newsletter’s Songs that mattered most in 2024…very exciting and so grateful! Yours in books and music, Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas!!xo, Kim This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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MENOPAUSE Times are a CHANGIN' with Dr. Heather Bartos!

Dec 15, 202401:08:00Tap to summarize

MAVEN OF THE WEEK! DR HEATHER BARTOS!You Should Know This About Heather: * She’s an OBGYN surgeon and has delivered over 5,000 babies.* She joined the Navy and left with both Navy and Marine Corps Commendation (among some others).* Named one of the nation’s top five menopause experts by Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver.* She’s a mom and she is married with lots of pets.* She’s on a mission to change the conversation about menopause. * She’s a co-founder of the nonprofit Institute for Women’s Futures.* She is a Reiki Master and energy healer.Our conversations have been a lot of fun! You can see that in our interview above. But, menopause is serious for all of us experiencing its symptoms. Do you feel yourself getting far more angry more often about issues you didn’t used to loose it over? Short fused? Brain fog? What? The same goes for aching joints, who knew that was a symptom? Does your vagina feel like it’s lined with barbed wire in the Sahara Dessert? And your hair, and your skin, and your weight and your motivation to do anything. At all. ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS DON’T HAVE TO BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE. BUT….You do need to be willing to talk to your doctor or to a menopause specialist like Heather and look into treatments if peri/menopause is bringing you down. Heather says there are 33 symptoms (and counting) due to menopause. Knowing that there is potential help for most symptoms can flip the script of how we feel about ourselves now. Menopause should be seen as a ticket to ride life’s highways, not a death-to-fun sentence. HEATHER SUGGESTS:Baselines! She suggests starting in January getting appointments because then you can do them all in the same insurance year! Get to your doctors and get your baselines for things like:* Gastro/gut doc* Dermatology-get the moles checked* Cardiac-very important! EKG & calcium score* Bone density* and don’t neglect your teeth* Want to know more about menopause and the potential medications? Please check out Dr. Heather’s course in the Mothership that goes through all of it!* Can you think of anything else? Put it in the comments and Dr. Bartos will see it!Want to know more about menopause and the potential medications? Please check out Dr. Heather’s course in the Mothership that goes through all of it!FIVE MAVEN QUESTIONS!What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a disco roller skating queen!What are you excited about now? I’m excited about…the halftime show!What books are on your bedside table? The Change, Dragons and SerpentsWhat do you do to relax? Relax: in my greenhouse: it’s quiet, there are plants and I can drink coffee by myself without bugs!What category/subject would you add to the Guide? History of female rock!!!Dr Heather’s Favorite Recipe! Elote dip! Actually I love any chip and dip but this one is pretty good!It’s cream cheese, a can of corn, Trader Joe’s Elote seasoning (the short cut) and sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup): bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes and sprinkle green onion on top!MORE GOOD STUFF ABOUT HEATHER!The Empress, Alisa Kennedy Jones has recently done a fantastic interview with Heather, much in her own words. I recommend you check it out!!DID YOU KNOW….Dr. Heather Bartos is coming out with a sexy little book? It’s called Quickies! I am providing a link from The Empress web site…”Join the exclusive waiting list for the midnight release of Quickies and be entered into a giveaway to receive a personally autographed copy of the book along with a $500 gift bag from Empress Editions. New giveaways to be added as the waitlist grows.”“For me, Quickies isn’t just a book about sex; it’s a manifesto for unapologetically owning your desires and transforming intimacy in midlife. And if you’ve ever thought midlife marked the end of passion, think again—this book is here to reignite the fire and bring the fun back to intimacy. Because we all need to forge more pathways to joy when we’re in the messy middle.”Coming this Spring! Join the exclusive wait list for VIP giveaways now!AND…WE ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS…Heather’s article in DailyOm! How to Have Great Sex During MenopauseNEXT WEEK!An interview with a Midlife Pivot Maven, Melissa Fetter, founder of Beacon Hill Books and Cafe. The most gorgeously decorated and well stocked bookstore and epicurean cafe you’ll ever see. Melissa had no retail background, never worked at a book store, but she saw a need in a city she had just moved to at the age of 60. She bought a building in a historic district, gutted it, rebuilt it to code, hired a book sommelier, all during covid. A fascinating woman and an incredible success. Yours in menopause and books, K This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.womenssurvivalguide.com/subscribe

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MENOPAUSE Times are a CHANGIN' with Dr. Heather Bartos!