Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits

It’s cozy reading season, and Meagan and Sarah are swapping notes on the titles that have been making them laugh, cry, and think lately, from whodunits and magical realism to small-town cozies and at least one jaw-dropping expose. This episode - the last of 2025! - is the perfect inspiration as you plan your 2026 to-read list or choose a title or two to delve into over the holiday. Find an expande...

Is there a difference between a grain salad and a grain bowl ? And if so, who cares ? In this episode, Meagan and Sarah dive into the ultra-satisfying world of these nourishing, versatile, and delicious dishes defined by warm grains, with the ultra-necessary addition of sweet, savory, chewy and crunchy. We talk about our midlife discovery (or rediscovery) of these flexible, flavorful meals as week...

When it comes to making holiday gifts by hand, our spirits are willing, but time is short - and sometimes, our skills are weak. In this cozy early-December chat, Meagan and Sarah share our thoughts about handmade and DIY gifts - what we've made and given in the past, what we're hoping to make and give this year, and how we plan to keep it all organized. From edible treats to embroidered te...

Who says napping isn't a legitimate leisure pursuit? In this episode Sarah and Meagan share why they love naps, discuss their favorite napping circumstances, and the challenges to sneaking in those daytime Zzzzz's, ponder "caffeine naps" and nap attacks, and mine the data surrounding ideal nap length. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at http://www.midlifeladylei...

While Meagan’s loved drinking tea for a long time, lately she’s gotten really, really - we mean, really into it. In this episode we uncover some surprising things you may not know about tea (what’s the actual difference between white, green, oolong, and black tea? How did it become such a popular drink in the Western world? Are herbal “teas” really tea?) while Meagan encourages people who think th...

Sarah takes a methodical approach to TV-watching and clocks an impressive number of series each year, while Meagan enjoys random docu-series and the occasional BBC binge - but, we both love television! In this episode we each unpack our watching habits, share some shows we’ve loved (and some we could have lived without), and discuss our television goals for 2026. Find an expanded episode story wit...

If you don't read every historic plaque you pass, are you even in midlife? (Related: have we both become our own mothers in this regard?) In this episode Sarah and Meagan share our penchant for a good, old-fashioned plaque perusal, and discuss visiting historical sites, monuments and museums more generally. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at http://www.midlifeladyleisurepu...

For fun, for fitness, and just for getting around, we're big fans of getting places on our own two feet. In this episode Meagan and Sarah discuss the role of walking in our midlife leisure pursuits: where we walk, why we walk - and of course, how we feel about weighted vests. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at http://www.midlifeladyleisurepursuits.substack.com.  Thank you...

From our go-to granola to Sarah's super-healthy grain bowl to Meagan's historic cooking deep-dives, recipes are an important source of information and inspiration in our midlife kitchens. In this episode we share where we look for recipes, how we use them, and what's cooking next. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at http://www.midlifeladyleisurepursuits.substack.com...

Is there any hobby that's more midlife-coded than birdwatching ? In this episode Meagan and Sarah share how this pandemic pastime turned into what we hope will be a lifelong leisure pursuit, and share some of the books and products we use to identify and enjoy our feathered friends. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at http://www.midlifeladyleisurepursuits.substack.com.  Tha...

Sarah's a seasoned shopper for secondhand clothes; Meagan gets overwhelmed sifting through racks to find treasures. In this episode Sarah shares the methodology and motives that drive her thrift hauls, shares some recent scores, and offers a few tips for secondhand success. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at http://www.midlifeladyleisurepursuits.substack.com.  Thank you to...

In our modern world we’ve become so accustomed to looking to the grocery store for food and the pharmacy for medicine that we sometimes forget: food and medicine are all around us! In this episode Meagan shares why she began foraging for wild plants in her forties, how she got started, where she goes to forage, safety practices, and how she uses the herbs, mushrooms and berries she finds. Find an...

Sarah's house is a hop, skip, and jump from the Pacific Ocean. Meagan is a stone's throw from Lake Michigan. But each of these midlife ladies enjoys her own personal beach culture. In this episode Meagan and Sarah talk about how they "do" the beach, from floppy hats to favorite beverages, backpack chairs to beach reads. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at http:/...

For decades, most of our longer car rides involved, at the very least, a spouse - and usually, a car full of kids as well. In midlife, Meagan and Sarah are leaning into more and more opportunities for solo car travel, and in this episode we discuss where we're going, what we're listening to, and where we're stopping along the way - as well as the midlife-lady lessons we're learning...

For most of us, avocados are a once-in-a-while treat. For Sarah - whose family became owners of three mature avocado trees when they moved into their current home - they're more akin to a lifestyle. In this episode, Sarah shares what she's learned about caring for avocado trees, how her family keeps up with a steady harvest April through December, and some of her favorite dishes to make wi...

Raising backyard chickens has been a longtime dream of Meagan's, and in her 40s, she was finally able to take a flying, wing-flapping leap. Now three years into her backyard chicken adventure, Meagan shares the real poop on being a chicken tender: buying chicks and hatching them at home, dealing with losses and mean roosters, pecking-order drama and more. Find an expanded episode story with ph...

Sarah loves candles...and when it comes to scents, shapes, vessels and placement, she has some pretty specific preferences. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah each share how candles fit into the overall atmosphere of their homes, and Sarah shares her experience in making candles as well as tips on how to clean and re-use spent candle jars. Find an expanded episode story with photos and links at htt...

Meagan used to have a recurring dream in which she was paddling a small boat, close to the water, the plants along the shoreline close enough to touch. It took her until her mid-30s to realize: oh, that was kayaking! In the first episode of Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits, Sarah and Meagan discuss their experiences paddling a variety of waterways from river to lake to ocean and future excursions the...

We’re Meagan and Sarah, forty-something women who live in different states and have a lot of different interests between us. On Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits we'll be talking about all the ways we're enjoying this stage of life, and getting to know ourselves as we move through it. From travel and hobbies to food, wellness, style and more, we are leaning into leisure in midlife, and we can&...