To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Episode #338 Hello there! I'm happy you're here.  Today's episode is a conversation among midlife friends. Our guest today is Noelle Van. Noelle has been on the podcast twice before, starting with episode 24 (see below).  She is someone I appreciate having conversations with because she is authentically herself.  During this episode, Noelle and I talk about where Noelle is with getting older - the...

Episode 337 Picture us sitting down with our favorite beverage and notebooks, and I ask you: What do you want to focus on and not focus on before the clock strikes midnight on 1/1/2026? It's a question I asked myself before I recorded this episode, and this is what we're talking about today! I share a letter I wrote to myself on 12/31/24 with my goals and dreams for 2025. I talk about what is work...

Episode #335  Drinking thoughts can be frustrating after you stop drinking. I have had many conversations with women recently that prompted this episode.  If you're in "them", you're going to get through them. Drinking to quiet the thoughts only makes them stick around.  In this episode, I talk about the most common thoughts many midlife women experience, like "I could have just one," "I deserve a...

Episode 334  Hello! Thank you for being here today.  This episode offers hope to anyone seeking to change their drinking, as well as to family members who wish to support their loved ones through the process with compassion and understanding. I'm honored to welcome our guest, Amber Hollingsworth, to the podcast.  Amber is a master addiction counselor, founder of Hope For Families Recovery Center,...

Episode #333 Hey there! I'm so happy you're here.  Today, I'm talking to two of my favorite people, Leigh and Anne Walkup. The sisters are back on the podcast to share their thoughts on aging (the joys and the challenges), perimenopause, and we talk about the different seasons of life.  We also talk about recovery and sobriety in the news - it's good news and it's here to stay, as you will hear. T...

Episode #332  Hello, friend! Welcome to To 50 and Beyond, where we talk about living alcohol-free later in life. I'm glad you're here! Have you ever wondered whether you should celebrate your sober anniversaries—or those of loved ones? I sure did!  I wasn't sure if my first year was worth celebrating or how to celebrate it, but over time, I figured it out.  I just celebrated 12 years on August 11,...

Episode 331   A heartfelt message from me to you.  Thank you for listening to the To 50 and Beyond podcast. Whether this is your first time or over 400th time, I appreciate you more than words can say. I recorded this episode to share my appreciation for you and empower you to keep going towards the life you want in midlife and beyond!  I'm with you 100%!  I will be back with a new episode on Augu...

Episode 330 Hey there! I'm so happy you're here. I LOVE talking about morning routines!  Morning is your time. That's what having a morning routine is all about. It's you saying, 'I matter.' Everything else can wait. All the responsibilities and to-dos—they'll get done, just not before you take care of yourself. A morning routine that works for you is not about getting up early—unless you want to....

Episode 329 Hey there!  One of the biggest things I share is what's helped me stay alcohol free— focusing on why I didn't want to drink more than why I did. That's not easy, but it's powerful. I call it Why Power —something I started saying years ago in a community meeting: Why Power over Willpower . In this episode, I invite you to reflect on your reason why you don't want to drink. If you're lik...

Episode 328  Do you have a consistent self-care practice? If you said no, chances are there is one thing you are doing for yourself that you may not identify as self-care. By the end of this episode, I'll help you define what self-care is and feels like for you, and start calling out what you're already doing for yourself today. What you'll hear inside: The definition of self-care and how to find...

Episode #327 I'm so glad you're here! Please bookmark this episode if you need help in working through the "drinking chatter" and any romantic thoughts about drinking, if you are working on living an alcohol-free lifestyle.  If you're a woman in midlife working on living alcohol-free, this episode is for you. "Playing the tape forward" is a favorite practice of many women who are working on living...

Episode 325  Hello, friend! Thank you for being here.  If you're in your first year of sobriety, congratulations!   I'm very proud of you wherever you are on this road to alcohol freedom in midlife.  During this episode, I'm sharing the things that helped me stay alcohol-free during my first year.  I stopped drinking in 2013, choosing to go it alone. I stuck to simplicity because that is all I kne...

Episode 325  Hello! I'm so happy you're here!  This podcast is all about living alcohol-free later in life, and my guest today, Paula Muller, is living proof of living alcohol-free later in life.   Paula is an incredibly supportive member of my online community, who brought this wonderful topic of learning to love yourself more to me as a topic. When I heard it, I was "all in!"  Paula shares her s...

Episode 323 Welcome back to the To 50 and Beyond Podcast! I've missed being here with you. Coming your way are brand new episodes for the summer, starting with today's episode, which is all about staying alcohol-free on the "patio" this summer.  Your "patio" is any challenge, including a literal patio, that you are concerned may come between you and your alcohol-free lifestyle.  What you'll hear:...

Download the Daily Sobriety Toolkit to help you plan your day and stay connected to your choice to be alcohol-free.  Episode 323 Hello, friend!  This episode is one to come back to whenever you feel alone in choosing to live alcohol-free. Whether you're at home watching your favorite show where drinking is everywhere (hello, Real Housewives!) or at a party surrounded by drinkers, your choice to be...

Episode 322 Hey there! Thank you for being here. We are on a break after today. 💗 New podcast episodes will be coming your way in late spring.  This episode is dedicated to the women worldwide who are doing the work to live an alcohol-free lifestyle and build a better, more trustworthy relationship with themselves.  I see you and I stand with you. With summer approaching faster than we'd like and...

Episode 321  The purpose of this episode is to take a moment to check in with you and your relationship with alcohol in honor of April being Alcohol Awareness Month.   Whether you're alcohol-free curious, navigating early sobriety, or embracing long-term sobriety, this episode serves as both a reminder and a reflection—a chance to reconnect with the truth about you and alcohol. As a recovering "av...

Episode 320  Tired of long to-do lists and playing catch-up? Yeah, me too!  If you feel like you're working hard at catching up and have to wait to relax until you do, this episode is for you!  I've had an epiphany about the unrealistic expectations I put on myself. One day, a few weeks ago, I said ENOUGH! I'm working towards being more intentional with my time and energy to get done what is impor...

Episode 319  Hello friend! I'm glad you're here. If you're working on living alcohol-free, yay, you! It is a bada** move.  If you are or have experienced the big, confusing questions like "Who am I now? or What do I even like to do?" after alcohol, you are not alone.  When I stopped drinking at 45 after starting at 14, that first year was a complete identity crisis.  In this episode, I talk about...

Episode 318 The Midlife Sobriety Movement is here and I'm here for it! I felt compelled to share this episode because of the incredibly strong women in my community, private coaching sessions, and email network. Over the past seven years, I've had the honor of connecting with midlife women from around the world who are choosing to give up alcohol as they embark on this next chapter of their lives....

Episode 316  Hey there!  If you're working on living alcohol-free in midlife and beyond, I'm VERY proud of you! You are making a positive change in your life.  I know what it's like to live with the regret of drinking. In midlife, it's an especially challenging time to face these feelings.  If you're feeling like maybe it's too late to change your drinking, it's not!  You're not alone if you get t...

Episode 315  There will always be a reason to drink after quitting alcohol, but don't forget why you decided to stop in the first place. If you're a midlife woman working on living an alcohol-free lifestyle - I'm so proud of you! Even when you dedicate yourself to sobriety, you may find yourself questioning whether or not, it's worth it to keep going. I questioned my sobriety and tried to talk mys...

  Episode 314   Hey there! Thank you for checking out this episode.  When I first considered living alcohol-free, like many women, I tried the moderation game. I attempted to control my drinking, set strict rules, and negotiate with myself about when and how much I could drink. It was exhausting and unfulfilling! The night I quit drinking, I made the tough decision to go "all in" on what I wanted...

Reaching a point of true freedom from alcohol doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and during this time, you are creating your process in sustaining sobriety. As we embark on this new year, I want to share an essential insight: take it slow. It's essential to appreciate those small, consistent choices you make each day that contribute to staying alcohol-free. These choices are powerful and crea...