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In this on-the-road episode of Faded to Fabulous, Vicki Kirby (nurse practitioner and menopause specialist) and Kim Lovely (registered dietitian and certified life coach) explore midlife stress hormones and nervous system regulation, sharing how perimenopause/menopause can intensify feeling overstimulated, wired-but-tired, anxious, irritable, and unable to sleep. They break down the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic vs parasympathetic), why the goal is flexibility rather than constant relaxation, and how poor sleep can drive a vicious cycle of cravings, skipped workouts, and heightened cortisol patterns. They discuss practical basics like box breathing, nourishing meals, reducing late-night sugar, appropriate exercise intensity, and when menopause hormone therapy (especially progesterone for sleep and stabilizing estrogen) may help, while noting that persistent dysregulation may also involve mental health or unprocessed trauma. The episode includes a field trip to a Himalayan salt cave Bien Soigne in Salem, New Hampshire, where the owner, Kay Charron, explains respiratory and relaxation benefits and upcoming touchless wellness additions, and the hosts wrap by teasing a two-part series.

00:00 Road Trip Podcast Setup
00:28 Morning Routines and Supplements
02:38 Skincare and Hotworx Plans
03:23 Podcast Intro and Disclaimer
04:44 Birthday Yum and Catch Up
06:07 Midlife Stress Field Trips
08:15 Nervous System Basics
09:29 Why Midlife Feels Harder
11:56 Sleep and Dysregulation Cycle
13:43 Sleep Apnea Surprise
14:47 Cortisol Myths and Reality
16:22 Building Stress Resilience
19:47 Breathwork Box Breathing
22:20 Hormone Therapy and Mental Health
24:12 Rethinking Self Care
26:01 Pause Before Saying Yes
26:47 Cold Plunge Debate
27:17 Breathwork That Fits You
28:52 Adrenal Cocktail Myths
29:28 Magnesium and Menopause
30:35 Food Pillars for Calm
31:54 Blood Sugar and Sleep
32:52 Exercise for Dysregulation
33:12 Salt Cave Visit Begins
34:12 Why Regulation Matters
36:12 Salt Cave Health Benefits
38:14 Touchless Wellness Expansion
41:02 Magnesium in Himalayan Salt
43:38 Did the Salt Cave Help
44:46 Wrap Up and Part Two

Bien Soign

350 North Broadway
Salem, NH  03079

(603) 890-3244

https://biensoigne.com/

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In this on-the-road episode of Faded to Fabulous, Vicki Kirby (nurse practitioner and menopause specialist) and Kim Lovely (registered dietitian and certified life coach) explore midlife stress hormones and nervous system regulation, sharing how perimenopause/menopause can intensify feeling overstimulated, wired-but-tired, anxious, irritable, and unable to sleep. They break down the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic vs parasympathetic), why the goal is flexibility rather than constant relaxation, and how poor sleep can drive a vicious cycle of cravings, skipped workouts, and heightened cortisol patterns. They discuss practical basics like box breathing, nourishing meals, reducing late-night sugar, appropriate exercise intensity, and when menopause hormone therapy (especially progesterone for sleep and stabilizing estrogen) may help, while noting that persistent dysregulation may also involve mental health or unprocessed trauma. The episode includes a field trip to a Himalayan salt cave Bien Soigne in Salem, New Hampshire, where the owner, Kay Charron, explains respiratory and relaxation benefits and upcoming touchless wellness additions, and the hosts wrap by teasing a two-part series.

00:00 Road Trip Podcast Setup
00:28 Morning Routines and Supplements
02:38 Skincare and Hotworx Plans
03:23 Podcast Intro and Disclaimer
04:44 Birthday Yum and Catch Up
06:07 Midlife Stress Field Trips
08:15 Nervous System Basics
09:29 Why Midlife Feels Harder
11:56 Sleep and Dysregulation Cycle
13:43 Sleep Apnea Surprise
14:47 Cortisol Myths and Reality
16:22 Building Stress Resilience
19:47 Breathwork Box Breathing
22:20 Hormone Therapy and Mental Health
24:12 Rethinking Self Care
26:01 Pause Before Saying Yes
26:47 Cold Plunge Debate
27:17 Breathwork That Fits You
28:52 Adrenal Cocktail Myths
29:28 Magnesium and Menopause
30:35 Food Pillars for Calm
31:54 Blood Sugar and Sleep
32:52 Exercise for Dysregulation
33:12 Salt Cave Visit Begins
34:12 Why Regulation Matters
36:12 Salt Cave Health Benefits
38:14 Touchless Wellness Expansion
41:02 Magnesium in Himalayan Salt
43:38 Did the Salt Cave Help
44:46 Wrap Up and Part Two

Bien Soign

350 North Broadway
Salem, NH  03079

(603) 890-3244

https://biensoigne.com/

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On this episode of “Faded to Fabulous”, the hosts share a “yuck and yum” before discussing decluttering in midlife and the reality that adult children often don’t want inherited collections. One host describes suddenly managing her mother’s Alzheimer’s-related crisis after a fall, including clearing out a two-bedroom condo and car, which prompted her to purge her own stored holiday items. Guest Paula Whittier, co-founder of Home Shifters and a longtime memory-care professional, explains how she and partner Kim Cyr help seniors and families declutter, prepare moves, coordinate sales, and support clients with dementia, including assessments, quotes, and staged decisions (donate, trash, consign, auction, keep). They discuss emotional and family conflict dynamics, the importance of proactive planning (POA, clear directives, mediation), practical tips like moving the person first to assisted living, and offer contact information and free senior-care resource support.

00:00 Sneak Peek

01:45 Welcome and Yuck Yum

02:30 Gray Hair Fixes

03:26 Decluttering Midlife

04:39 Meet Organizer Paula

06:04 Why Kids Want Less

08:43 Balancing Sentiment

11:12 How They Start Jobs

14:02 Midlife Client Stories

16:22 Paperwork and Flood

17:51 Storage Then Sort

19:08 Psychology of Stuff

20:25 Grief and resentment

21:29 Starting tough talks

23:23 Family conflict and money

24:38 Proactive planning tools

27:18 Mediating with facts

29:23 Holiday visits and guilt

29:59 Moving day priorities

33:13 Adult kids dumping stuff

34:35 How to reach Home Shifters

37:58 Final thanks and wrap



For more information on decluttering, organizing, or helping your loved one transition to the next stage of life reach out to:

HomeShifters LLC

Paula Whittier 📍 603-305-3305

Kim Cyr  📍 603-494-0196

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In this episode of Faded to Fabulous, midlife experts Vicki Kirby and Kim Lovely focus on the “top of the sandwich” in the sandwich generation: aging parents—and the wake-up call it creates for planning our own futures. They stress being proactive before a crisis (like a fall) and share practical conversations to have early, including wills, living wills, healthcare proxies, account access, bill-paying, and clear wishes around long-term care. They discuss common barriers like resistance, fear, and cognitive decline, plus hard topics such as driving safety, complicated parent relationships, and caregiver stress. The hosts share cost realities for nursing homes, assisted living, and in-home care, explain Medicaid spend-down and the five-year look-back, and encourage boundaries about what adult children can realistically provide.

00:00 Proactive Care Talks
00:16 Podcast Welcome
01:36 Sandwich Generation Focus
02:44 Yuck and Yum
03:31 Online Criticism Stories
06:13 Aging Population Stats
07:21 Start the Hard Conversations
08:37 Key Planning Questions
09:26 Handling Parent Resistance
11:44 Small First Steps
13:45 Costs and Care Options
14:37 Home Care Reality Check
15:30 Medicare and Money Talk
15:44 Medicaid Spend-Down Rules
16:52 Planning Your Own Aging
17:11 Wills and Healthcare Proxies
18:12 Trusts and Power of Attorney
19:24 Retirement and Long-Term Care
21:31 Stubborn Parents and Decluttering
22:21 When Seniors Should Stop Driving
22:58 Dementia and Safety Decisions
26:11 Tough Family Dynamics
27:24 Setting Boundaries and Wrap-Up

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On Faded to Fabulous, host interviews women’s financial coach and educator Pam Richardson about “Money in Midlife,” focusing on why many women feel fear and avoidance around finances at 50 as retirement approaches alongside responsibilities like children, aging parents, divorce, or sudden widowhood. Pam shares her personal money recovery story after overspending, debt, and multiple inheritances, and explains how shame and underlying emotions drive avoidance, including resistance to wills and estate planning. The conversation covers student loan burdens, the common fear of running out of money, and how money habits differ by personality. Pam advises younger women to protect themselves with “yours, mine, and ours” accounts and recommends regular “money dates,” open family discussions, and planning to balance future security with living now. She highlights financially confident behaviors: negotiating, assembling a financial “dream team,” tracking numbers, and learning from risks.

Find Pam at: [email protected]

00:00 Midlife Money Wakeup
01:32 Meet Pam Richardson
02:16 From Inheritance to Recovery
04:27 Why 50 Feels Scary
05:57 Avoidance and Money Shame
07:29 Owning Financial Power
08:45 Widowhood and Preparedness
10:28 Aging Parents and Passwords
11:02 Wills Trusts and Inheritance
13:38 Debt and College Loans
15:45 Fear of Spending in Retirement
16:06 Debt Personality Test
18:06 Advice for Younger Women
18:35 Separate and Joint Accounts
20:12 Money Dates and Vision
21:27 Balancing Saving and Living
22:54 Now Not Then Mindset
25:12 Habits of Confident Women
26:59 Weekly Bills and Scarcity
27:56 Closing and Contact Info

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Faded to Fabulous Episode 25: Cheers to 25! Listener Voices, Real Stories

Vickie and Kim celebrate the 25th episode of Faded to Fabulous with reflections on creating the podcast, gratitude for listeners, family, Studio Labs, and behind-the-scenes producer Keegan as she leaves for her first full-time job, and they welcome Megan to help with marketing and production. They invite feedback, tease a possible women’s retreat next year, and emphasize their mission to share accessible midlife care and education worldwide. Guest Shellie Rand shares how the podcast feels relatable, her active life, caring for family, and her menopause journey. Guest Tammy describes long-term stability in marriage and work, using GLP-1s alongside strength training, navigating perimenopause, and the importance of advocating.

00:00 25th Episode Kickoff
01:03 Gratitude for Listeners
03:11 Thanking Keegan
04:10 Meet Megan
04:47 Kim’s Thank Yous
07:25 Next 25 and Retreat Tease
08:15 Introducing Shellie Rand
10:19 Podcast Impact and Body Acceptance
12:04 Menopause Journey and HRT
15:41 Midlife Mindset and Boundaries
17:45 Advice to Younger Self
19:02 Closing Thanks and Yoga Talk
19:37 Yoga Wisdom Moment
19:50 Namaste and Third Eye
20:00 Meet Tammy Episode 25
21:25 Tammy Life and Stability
22:09 Food Struggles and GLP-1
24:09 Strength Training and Menopause
25:05 Hot Flash Wake Up Call
27:47 Starting Hormone Therapy
31:48 Talking Intimacy and Partners
35:17 Podcast Ahas and No Naked Carbs
37:27 Advice to Younger Self
39:09 Gratitude and Farewell

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Finding Yourself Again One Adventure at a Time with Tracy Miller

On this episode of Faded to Fabulous, Kim and Vicki interview holistic health and life coach Tracy Miller, founder of the Women’s Wellness Exchange and creator of Adventures Within. Tracy shares how she reinvented her work over 20 years and, during COVID after being laid off, began hosting nature-based retreats that emphasize safe, optional adventure for women—especially 50-plus—such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and whitewater rafting, plus travel experiences like France. She discusses common barriers women face, including busyness, guilt about leaving family, and fear of trying new activities, and stresses giving oneself permission and removing pressure. The conversation explores midlife identity shifts, grief and letting go, vulnerability, and using discomfort as a signal for growth, with Miller advising women to “shake things up,” seek silence, and create space through solo time or travel. She directs listeners to adventureswithin.us and mentions future trips and ideas like mother-daughter retreats and destinations such as Patagonia and Peru.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:29 Tracy’s Coaching Journey
02:27 Adventures Within Origins
03:52 Retreats and Safe Adventure
05:21 Barriers and Permission
09:29 Midlife Identity Shifts
13:51 Letting Go and Grief
17:38 Shake Things Up Reset
21:04 Solo Travel and Ripple Effects
22:41 How to Join and Closing

To start your own adventure please visit: https://adventureswithin.us/

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Swiping, Healing, Hoping: Dating After Divorce in Midlife

In this “Faded to Fabulous” episode on dating after divorce, the hosts share SurveyMonkey results and discuss “gray divorce” (divorce increasingly common ages 45–60, roughly doubled since the 1990s), noting that one in four divorces involve adults over 50 and women initiate 65–70% of divorces. Survey respondents were largely from long-term marriages (mostly 10–20+ years); common hardest parts included managing kids, finances, custody time, loss of the family home for gatherings, judgment, and starting over. Reported divorce reasons included marrying too young, alcoholism, abuse, infidelity, emotional neglect, and growing apart. Dating topics included fears (rejection, trust, body image, blending families), app fatigue, and “icks” like fish photos, poor communication, sexting, old photos, and unsolicited explicit pictures, plus red flags such as love bombing and lying; many emphasized knowing what they want, being picky, and learning independence, with a positive story of finding love at 64.

00:00 Biggest Dating Icks
00:28 Podcast Intro and Topic
01:31 Why Survey Anonymously
02:42 Gray Divorce Explained
05:16 Remarriage Stats and Trends
06:49 Divorce Realities and Survey Results
10:29 Dating After Divorce Questions
11:39 Modern Dating Terms
12:07 Ghosting Breadcrumbing Intentions
13:37 Catfishing and Online Risks
13:47 Catfishing Cautionary Tale
15:17 Survey Dating Status
16:17 Fears and Insecurities
16:55 Upsides of Midlife Dating
17:48 Apps and Profile Icks
19:23 What I Wish I Knew
20:21 Red Flags and Love Bombing
21:05 Lessons and Community Support
22:10 Age Gaps and Lifestyle Match
24:43 Hopeful Love Story Ending

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From Stiff to Strong: Mobility meets motivation

In this episode of Faded to Fabulous, the hosts welcome Emily Boynton, owner of The Fit in Derry, personal trainer, longtime student of women’s nutrition, and aspiring certified life coach, who shares how women’s health became central to her life after losing her mom to health issues. Emily describes The Fit as a co-ed, safe, supportive gym focused on strength, conditioning, mobility, flexibility, injury prevention, and programming that helps people move better. She discusses her past struggles with body image, why tying worth to looks is risky as standards change, and encourages women to “wear the bathing suit” and live without constant self-scrutiny. Emily explains why resistance training is non-negotiable (“badass and bone density”), emphasizes it’s relative and accessible, and offers strategies for moving from knowledge to action, managing discomfort, shutting down negative self-talk, and building self-trust through safe, purposeful challenge and fun, gamified workouts.

00:00 Worth Beyond Looks
00:21 Podcast Welcome
00:50 Meet Emily Boynton
02:27 What Makes The Fit Different
04:00 Body Image Journey
06:08 Wear The Bathing Suit
06:35 Badass And Bone Density
09:58 From Knowing To Doing
12:16 Let It Be Hard
13:18 Getting Back In
14:22 Come As You Are
16:16 Quieting Negative Self Talk
17:06 Try Fail Grow
18:28 Trusting Future You
20:02 Coaching With Joy
20:47 Games That Make Fitness Fun
22:08 Gratitude And Sendoff

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Through Menopause Together: Marriage, Mood Swings and Menopause

On Faded to Fabulous, Vicki welcomes guest "Farah Faucet" and Kim’s husband Michael for a conversation about menopause, support, and partnership. Kim shares how menopause-related hair thinning led her to invest in extensions, boosting her confidence and reinforcing her mantra that women don’t have to live with fixable issues. She recounts receiving little menopause care from providers and feeling isolated, anxious, and mood-dysregulation, with heavy frequent cycles until Michael urged her to find support. Michael describes being naive about menopause, “turtling” during conflict, and learning that men can feel isolated too. They discuss improved communication post-menopause, practical teamwork in daily life, advice for partners not to take symptoms personally, and the value of education and treatment plans.

00:00 No Menopause Support
00:16 Podcast Welcome
00:33 Hair Extensions Reveal
02:57 Doing It for Me
03:56 Meet Michael
04:47 Kim’s Menopause Highs
05:40 Low Point and Advocacy
06:45 Isolation and Mood Swings
07:42 Michael’s Perspective
09:40 Partners Need Education
11:54 Family Menopause History
13:05 Who’s Coming Downstairs
14:08 Midlife Changes and Parenting
15:18 Owning Confidence at 61
15:43 Michael as the Caboose
16:59 When Communication Broke Down
18:39 Quieter Season Together
20:53 Advice for Menopause Partners
24:38 Hormones and the Goldilocks Zone
25:22 Favorite Things and Pride
28:09 Wrap Up and Call to Action

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