Sleeping and Menopause

I didn't need to read an article to know that in the last couple of years, my sleep patterns have definitely taken a turn for the worse. Often it is difficult for me to fall asleep, and I can't remember the last time that I slept through the night. I am still perimenopausal, so I still have periods. As my period draws near, my sleep disturbances are worse as are my night sweats. At that time, I am always grateful for my wicking pajamas and nightgowns.

In my surfing today, I came across an article that provided more validation of my plight and the plight of many other perimenopausal and menopausal women, and I wanted to share it with you. It is titled Getting a Good Night's Sleep is the Biggest Problem For Women Entering Menopause. It states that "Sleep disruption is the most common and severe symptom reported by middle-aged women when their periods change and they start moving into the menopause, according to a study in the April issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing." Click Here to read more.

Looking for more articles pertaining to menopause, perimenopause and assorted issues important to Baby Boomers? Click Here!

Ticker Factory

Happy Sunday Everyone! How many of you have a long weekend? I do! Yeah! I wanted to pass along something I found that is fun. It is called the Ticker Factory.

If you are like me and you need to physically scratch things off your "to do" list, then you may like this. Since I am in the process of some serious weight loss, I need to do everything I can to keep myself motivated. This site allowed me to create a cute way to chart my progress. Wow...going public really makes me accountable now!



You can do a count down for just about anything! Count down your days left before vacation; count down the days until you retire; chart your progress towards saving a certain amount of money....the possibilities go on and on. Give it a try!

Wicking Sleepwear Extravaganza

Lunar Radiance is celebrating Memorial Day weekend with a free shipping extravaganza!

All weekend beginning Saturday, May 24th thru Monday, May 26th we will be having a FREE SHIPPING extravaganza.

Throughout those days and for limited time periods, one product will be set to ship free. The product chosen for free shipping will change throughout the weekend! You could check in at 2 a.m. and find the Colleen wicking pajamas being offered with free shipping, or visit our store at dinner time and find the Dee Dee wicking nightgown has free shipping. It's kind of like free shipping roulette!

Want to say "Nightie, night" to night sweats? Just check in frequently throughout the holiday weekend and enjoy free shipping on one of your favorites!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Calling All Empty Nesters

As many of you who regularly visit my blog know, this coming August I will be an official empty nester. This past week, my daughter and I attended one of the many college orientations. The college representatives did their best at providing the parents with tips for helping their college freshmen make the transition into college life, but what about us?

I must admit, I am intrigued by the idea of having a life of my own again. It has been a long time since I have not had daily, hands on responsibility for my children. What will it be like to not have to cook or clean up after someone other than my husband and myself? What will it feel like to not have daily, physical contact with my daughter so that I know she is ok? As a mother, as many of you know, all you need to do is look at your child and you can tell if something is off. Now I will have to resort to a tone of voice or the words in an email to determine if things are on or off course. These questions have been keeping me awake as much as my night sweats did before I found wicking pajamas!

So I am looking to my readers for advice; not just for myself, but for other baby boomers as well, who are moving into the next phase.

• What should I/we expect over the next few months as we prepare?
• What did you find helpful as you made the switch from full time parent to part time parent?
• What was the best part and what was the worst part of becoming an empty nester?
• If you have already become an empty nester, you are an expert, please share your expertise!

Happy Mother's Day My Boomer Friends

Happy Mother's Day to all! This post is being written from the Buffalo-Niagra International Airport. My husband and I are returning from the wedding of his niece. He traveled solo on Friday and I met him yesterday because I needed to stay behind to see my daughter off on her Senior Prom on Friday evening.

The activities of this weekend are so appropriate for Mother's day weekend because weddings and proms are such a mother daughter thing. On Friday, I bursted with pride as I watched my somewhat tomboyish daughter transform into a spectacular beauty. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was so lovely, and poised and again I was reminded of how she is just steps away from beginning a new and exciting part of her life. This is what I have been doing for the last 18 years....preparing her to move on as a self assured young woman. What better mother's day gift could I have asked for than to witness another step forward.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law watched as her daughter married. I watched Judy as her eyes glistened with tears of happiness and pride. For her this is another key moment in her life as well as the life of her daughter.

What beautiful mother's day gifts Judy and I received this weekend, and they are not the kind that can be bought, but they are the ones most precious.....they are memories that will never be forgotten.

Great Dress....No Stress

My husband's niece is being married on May 10th and of course this requires a new dress. Since I started Lunar Radiance, I have not gotten nearly enough exercise. Consequently, I have put on a few pounds. This lack of exercise, combined with menopausal belly has left me less than excited about the prospects of shopping.

This time I decided to approach my shopping trip with a new point of view. Instead of conjuring up a ton of negative chatter in my head I decided to just accept that my body is where it is right now. Instead of limiting myself to my usual "black because it makes me look thinner" I was open to pattern and color. I asked my best baby boomer girlfriend, who I trust to give me an honest, yet encouraging opinion, to go with me......and presto.....I found the perfect dress for the occasion! It has color, pattern and even a belt!

Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves. We see all of our flaws and forget to play up the good stuff. I still have a decent pair of legs, so I opted for something that highlights them. It felt good to take this different approach and it was quite freeing.

Now don't get me wrong.....I know that I will feel better both physically and mentally when I shed my unwanted pounds, but that doesn't mean that I have to participate in the self loathing that many of us so often do.

Try being kind and accepting of yourselves ladies. Look for the beauty that you have, play up your many assets and push out those negative messages. Let's all dress with less stress!

Transitional Moments

Yesterday my daughter turned 18. My baby will soon graduate from high school and in a short 4 months will be off to college. How did this happen?

When talking about how to celebrate her birthday, I requested that we do something one last time....have a sleepover. When she was young, I used to dread those sleepovers. I was always daunted by the prospects of keeping a gaggle of young girls occupied. This year I wanted it. Initially, my daughter thought it was "corny" but when she ran it by her girlfriends they were all for it.

Last night and this morning I found myself surrounded my 4 amazing young women. They are all bright, focused and full of anticipation of the upcoming events of prom, graduation and college. Three are future science majors and one is an impending children's book illustrator. Every once and a while I would stick my head in an overhear snippets of conversations.....the regular girl stuff and said a quick "thank you" to the universe for blessing me with a daughter who has remained innocent and enjoyed her youth. Neither she nor her friends have been spoiled by ugliness. Their faces are fresh and optimistic.

I graduated from high school 22 years ago, and although it didn't seem it at the time, options were limited. The possibilites available to our daughters seem endless to me, and it thrills me to see them embracing them.

Those of you who visit my blog regularly know of the trepidation I am experiencing over my pending "empty nest." I really wanted this pajama party as much for myself as for my daughter. I knew she would have fun, but I wanted to have one more night to watch the look on her face as she opened gifts, laughed and enjoyed being carefree.

This time, I looked upon the sleepover as one more opportunity for each of us to create a memory as we both prepare to move on, just like we should be.