Going on holiday without alcohol can feel terrifying – especially with family dynamics, all‑inclusive buffets, and airport Wetherspoons in the mix. In this episode, we unpack sober holidays with real stories, practical tools, and a lot of honesty (and laughter).

We talk about:

If you’re worried about staying alcohol‑free on holiday, you are not alone, and you don’t have to white‑knuckle it.

Grab a cuppa and let's chat.

X

For support and community:

In this episode of Love Sober Podcast, Kate talks with Victoria Vanstone, founder of Sober Awkward, writer, podcaster and author of A Thousand Wasted Sundays.

Victoria shares her journey from Reading pub culture and wild backpacking years (including blowing off part of her finger with a firework) through motherhood, anxiety and the moment she realised she could “step off the roundabout” and choose a sober life.

Kate and Victoria explore people‑pleasing, self‑abandonment, ADHD and rejection sensitivity, perimenopause and midlife rage, and how sobriety becomes a messy, beautiful “welcome mat” back home to yourself.

Links & Resources

Victoria Vanstone / Sober Awkward

Kate & Love Sober

Books & ideas mentioned

https://www.soberawkward.com/

Vic's new book 'Mumming - A Year of Trying to be a Better Parent' is out now! 

Grab a cuppa and let's chat x 

What if the cracks aren’t something to hide?

In this episode of the Love Sober Podcast, we explore the Japanese art of kintsugi — the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold — as a powerful metaphor for the sober journey, midlife healing, and self-compassion.

Together, we work with a kintsugi kit and reflect on the principles of imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness. We talk honestly about what happens when life doesn’t go to plan, when coping mechanisms stop working, and how recovery asks us to show up gently, consistently, and truthfully — one day at a time.

Rather than striving for perfection or a “fixed” version of ourselves, this conversation explores the possibility that healing might actually deepen us. That the places we’ve cracked open can become places of wisdom, softness, creativity, and connection.

In this episode we explore:

This is a gentle, reflective conversation for anyone navigating sobriety, burnout, perimenopause, emotional healing, or simply the messy beauty of being human.

You do not have to become perfect to begin again.

Where in your life are you being invited to soften rather than fix?

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend or leave a review — it helps more women find the conversation.

Let's grab a cuppa and chat

Kate & Helen x 

In this episode I speak with the wonderful Kate Codrington about menopause as a powerful life transition rather than a “decline”. We explore the idea of Second Spring, the seasonal map of midlife, sobriety, rest, grief, nervous system repair, women’s circles, and the emerging path into elderhood.

Menopause as a transition, not a decline

The end of people-pleasing

Sobriety and menopause as awakenings

Rest as deep medicine

The foundations matter

Grief, loss and the seasons

Elderhood and contribution

Kate Codrington’s books:

Kate’s podcast:

FIND KATE AT https://www.katecodrington.co.uk/

If this conversation speaks to where you are, my six-week group programme Love Your Sober Summer begins on 21 June. We’ll explore summer triggers, socialising, holidays, rest, nervous system support and how to feel more like yourself without relying on alcohol. Small group, six live coaching calls, seasonal tools and support. More at lovesober.com.

Episode 1: Tiny Joy for When Life Feels  F***ed

Welcome back to the Love Sober Podcast — the podcast for the sober and sober curious.

In this first episode of the new season, Kate is joined by new guest host Helen Lees for a heartfelt conversation about tiny joy — those small, sensory, grounding moments that can help us through grief, overwhelm, cravings, stress, and the sheer weight of life.

Together, Kate and Helen explore how alcohol can disconnect us from real pleasure and presence, and how sobriety helps us gently rebuild a toolkit of comfort, connection and self-resourcing.

They talk about grief, motherhood, nervous system care, sensory rituals, dopamine, play, cravings, and the surprising power of tiny things — from soft clothes and candles to pesto, poached eggs, cold water, dogs, lipstick and woodland light.

This is an honest, compassionate conversation about finding anchors in difficult times, and learning how to stay in the solution, one small moment at a time.

In this episode, we explore:

Mentioned in this episode:

Reflection questions from this episode:

If this episode resonated, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch:

Links:

What if you could meet yourself with the care you always needed? In this episode, I talk with Cybele Botran about the transformative practice of reparenting.

Cybele is a trusted guide for women on the path of emotional healing. She is a Certified Trauma-Informed SHERECOVERS® Coach, an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and a Mother Hunger® Trained Facilitator. Her work centers on reparenting as a powerful modality for transformation. Through one-to-one coaching, courses, groups, and retreats, Cybele creates supportive spaces where women can reconnect with their most tender selves.

✨ Where to find Cybele

Instagram 

Facebook

LinkedIn

https://www.cybelebotran.com/

🌿 Retreat Invitation 🌿

A Luxury Healing Retreat for Sober or Sober Curious Women to Reclaim Their Power

https://www.rachelbradyyoga.com/luxury-cornwall-retreat-sober-yoga-women

My substack 

AMAZING OFFER!!! Email me for a £333 discount code for the retreat at [email protected]

Midlife isn’t a crisis — it’s an initiation. In this episode, I explore the Queen Phase archetype, why sobriety is a midlife superpower, and how we can rise into this season with clarity, energy, and sovereignty.

👉 Join Midlife Alchemy Mentoring — a 12-week journey for sober women in midlife. Early Bird ends 1st Sept. Secure your place here 🌿 EARLY BIRD ENDS SEPT 1st use code ALCHEMY20 to claim. Only 5 places left. 

Grab a cuppa and let's chat! 

Kate x 

Welcome to the Love Sober podcast, a supportive space for the sober and sober curious.

In this episode, Kate Baily interviews Maggie Klaassens, a certified alcohol-free coach and founder of The Sober Summit and Sober Circle community.

Maggie shares her inspiring journey to sobriety, navigating Mommy Wine Culture and Covid and her motivation to create the free transformative online event The Sober Summit (23.04.25 -25.04.25) and the powerful impact of being part of a supportive sober community.

Join us as we explore the benefits, challenges, and tools of the sober lifestyle, and discover the empowering journey towards living an alcohol-free life.

Grab a cuppa and let's chat!

KX

Register for your free seat at THE SOBER SUMMIT online event on April 23-25 2025. Here 👇👇👇👇👇

https://soberlifecollective.spiffy.co/a/7m3cxEn1BG/4343

Follow Maggie in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesobersummit/

In this episode I talk to Casey M Davidson about how to fall in love with Sober October. We discuss habit change, early sobriety tools and the practices that have helped us to fall in love with our sobriety. 

Casey McGuire Davidson is a Certified Life + Sobriety Coach who helps busy women quit drinking and create lives they love without alcohol at Hello Someday Coaching and the host of The Hello Someday Podcast.

The Hello Someday Podcast For Sober Curious Women is a Top 100 Mental Health podcast, ranked in the Top 0.5% of all global podcasts with over 1.5 MM downloads.

Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Good Morning America, NBC News, CNBC and over 100 sobriety, motherhood, mental health and wellness podcasts and publications.

Links: Love Sober Community 

Love Sober Coaching

Love Sober Life School 3 month program for Holidays, Christmas and Dry Jan 

Grab a cuppa and let's chat.

Kate x

In this episode I talk to the founder of The Menopause School, Fiona Catchpowle who gives us a masterclass in understanding hormonal health & ageing, peri menopause, menopause and holistic health, HRT and alcohol plus practical ways to empower us to make choices for our health. 

Fiona Catchpowle is a Menopause Doula and the Creator and Founder of The Menopause School -  a centre of excellence for holistic practitioners to become menstrual health informed.

Even with a background in Biology and Holistic Therapy, Fiona’s own experience of menopause was like hitting a brick wall. How could it be possible to reach 47 and not know about something called perimenopause? Had she missed the menopause memo?

It soon became apparent that there was no education, formal or otherwise, for menstruators of any age to learn about the menstrual health journey and how to best support themselves. 

Driven to make a change in menstrual and menopause health education, Fiona built The Menopause School.

Fiona is on a mission to change the face of menopause care by creating a global collective of Menopause Doulas who will guide, nurture and support others along the menstrual health timeline from periods to perimenopause and beyond.

Social Media Links

Facebook

@TheMenopauseSchool

https://www.facebook.com/TheMenopauseSchool

Instagram

@TheMenopauseSchool

https://www.instagram.com/themenopauseschool

Twitter

@menopauseschool 

https://twitter.com/MenopauseSchool

LinkedIn

@TheMenopauseSchool

https://www.linkedin.com/company/themenopauseschool