Let's Talk Midlife Crisis Podcast
Hosts Ashley & Traci are creating a community and empowering women going thru midlife and aging, exploring the topic of midlife crisis an all its complexities. This is a space where we can come together to share our stories, our experiences, and our perspectives on this pivotal moment in our lives.
Whether you're going through a midlife crisis yourself, going through menopause, dating in midlife or just interested in learning more about this fascinating topic, we invite you to join us for insightful conversations with experts, personal stories from real people, and practical advice on how to navigate this challenging time.
Our goal is to create a community where we can support each other through the ups and downs of midlife, and help each other find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in the second half of our lives.
So buckle up and get ready for an engaging and thought-provoking journey into the world of midlife crisis. We can't wait to share this adventure with you!
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Let's Talk Midlife Crisis Podcast
The Hilarious Journey Through Menopause
Ever wondered what happens when you mix East Coast travels, grandkids, and menopause gummies? Brace yourself for a whirlwind of stories as Ashley shares her journey from a picturesque wedding in Lititz, Pennsylvania to heartwarming family moments in New York City with her son’s big move to Manhattan. Meanwhile, Traci juggles the delight and chaos of school runs with her grandchildren, battling daycare dramas and the mystery of sleep deprivation, all while contemplating the wonders of menopause gummies. We uncover the triumphs and trials of balancing family, travel, and personal well-being with a humorous touch.
Embark on a hilarious adventure through the modern dating landscape, complete with quirky tales from dating apps and delightful encounters at "Dinner with Strangers." Connect with us as we muse over the idea of a menopausal Barbie and share candid experiences of midlife surprises like sudden facial flushing. Embrace these natural changes with us and engage in our lively community discussions on social media as we champion confidence and camaraderie in the face of life's unpredictable midlife transitions.
As talked about on this episode
Menopause Barbie (go to any of our social channels)
Sign up for FREE menopause gummies. Reach out to Emily at Still for Her
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Hello and welcome to let's Talk Midlife Crisis with your hosts, ashley and Tracy. Today I just want to catch up with Ashley. I haven't seen her in a couple of weeks. She has been traveling and doing a bunch of fun stuff. Happy fall, ashley.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, it was really nice to. I have been traveling a lot. It's. It's nice to be home, um, but yeah, it was nice to go. I was on the east coast so I got to leave the heat for a little while, which was so nice because I was losing my mind, um, and the weather was great and I came back and it was still pretty. It was we were still in the 90s when I got back last week, but yeah, now I mean, it was actually cold yesterday, so it was chilly, it was windy, it was chilly.
Speaker 1:I was thinking that you brought some of that cool weather back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I did. It feels great Awesome.
Speaker 1:Now. So you went to PA right and Paige officiated a wedding.
Speaker 2:She did yeah.
Speaker 1:How did that go?
Speaker 2:It was the Philly area, just outside of Philly. We actually the wedding was in Lancaster and it was actually a small town called Lettitz, so adorable. If you ever go to the East Coast you have to check out all the cute small towns. There's another town called Pockstown and Lettitz was adorable. I'd never been there before. Very quaint, cute little main street with shops and diners and we stayed in a little boutique hotel. The wedding venue was gorgeous.
Speaker 2:You know, it's just so green out there and you don't really need a lot of decoration because just the environment.
Speaker 1:All the foliage Right, foliage right right, which we don't have here. We're in the desert, so I know, I know.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it was, it was great. It was a lot of fun. Page killed it. She did a great job I knew she was laughing and crying and oh yeah, so it was. It was beautiful, it was a beautiful wedding. And then we we stayed for about a week back near the Philly area and spent a lot of time with her family, and then I went up to New York for four days to spend some time with my son. So it was a much needed vacation.
Speaker 2:A little crazy, you know trying to see everybody and get everything in, but right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome oh awesome, oh my gosh. And how is New York this time of year?
Speaker 2:was great. I you know it's, I've already been and done all the touristy stuff. So when I go visit my son um, he's currently in Brooklyn, um, he just takes me to the local places that he likes to hang out and it's. It's nice, because I've seen a lot of areas that I have never seen before. You know, they're not crowded with tourists and at one point I was like, are we still in the city? Because it was just so quaint and cute and you know, there weren't cars honking constantly, it just it felt like a normal town.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:But he's actually moving this weekend to manhattan um, he'll be just a few blocks from central park on the east side no way yeah yeah, very exciting. I got to tour the apartment. Um, it's really cute, it's? I just blows my mind how small those spaces are right right, but you know, now he's in a studio and this one's a one bedroom, so they're really excited to have a door to their bedroom.
Speaker 1:Oh, they're moving on up.
Speaker 2:They are. Yes, wow, that was a lot of fun. You know, I didn't do any shows or anything like that, it was just kind of time I wanted to spend with my son. I think next time I go I'll try to do a couple of things like shows and stuff like that. But nice, nice it was a lot of fun. What have you been up to?
Speaker 1:You know, not a lot Actually. The grandkids, there's problems with the daycare, so I've been having them here while I work and doing school pickup and and drop off and all different things. So I, exactly, I'm actually pretty wiped out, to be honest, doing all that.
Speaker 2:So since you've had to do that stuff yeah, oh gosh, shoot me now.
Speaker 1:I swear nothing. I hate more than the school um pickup and drop offs. Oh my gosh. I do not miss it and I told you it's been a few years so my oldest grandkids, I think, were in the same school. They all go to the same school that my kids went to but my daughter was dropping them off or whatever she told me, because they were at the grade school, but she said that a mom got arrested, what I don't know.
Speaker 2:All the details, told me, because they were at the grade school. But she said that a mom got arrested. Oh what?
Speaker 1:I don't know all the details, but I could just imagine because it was just waiting to happen. So, anyhow, I know, right for the kid. I was hoping it was a small child so that they wouldn't know, but but holy cow, holy cow, I know. So I, um, I wanted to tell you so I'm having a hard time sleeping lately, not going to sleep usually, but then I wake up early and just all this weird stuff. So, anyways, uh, and Emily at Still For Her is actually offering free samples of her gummies and she has a new product out now that doesn't have any THC in it, but they're the menopause gummies that I did sample before and I really, really liked, and I was thinking about that. And then I got an email from her saying there was an opportunity for her to send us more free gummies if we'll do reviews for her. Oh yeah, absolutely so also wanted to share that with everyone out there. If, um, if you're interested at all, it the link to her website will be in the description of our podcast, but, um, okay, so this is hilarious. I want to share this with you and I wanted to do it live because I want your, I want to it to be raw reaction, raw reaction.
Speaker 1:So I am sleeping finally sleeping good last night and um, and all of a sudden I hear my phone going off, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping. And I'm thinking, wtf, like you know what is happening, right. So you get a ding, and then what is it? Two minutes later you get another ding, right, and then I hear ding ding again. And it's funny because the first ding I thought I know who this is. It's my friend, we'll call her Susan. And I pick up the phone and all I could see was her name and I'm like, oh, now I knew it wasn't any emergency, because if it was, somebody would have called Right. But it's like it's dark out. It's like, oh, my gosh, the butt crack. It's not even dawn yet.
Speaker 1:And I didn't know until later, when I did get up, what time the text came through. And again, this is a Saturday, people Saturday. So I had the day off work. I just wanted to sleep in and I get this text, and it was at 5.50 am. No, yeah, yep, oh, no, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. And so I, of course I just looked to see that it was her, and then I put the phone down and waited until later, when I got up and then I was like oh, and I kind of knew it was her anyway. But but then I I was not pleasantly surprised, but I was surprised that one of our friends had also sent out a text.
Speaker 2:I know we I'm, we're all in these group texts you know, like you, I was really looking forward to hopefully sleeping in a little bit. Um, and yeah, my phone dinged and it woke me up and I'm like, okay, should I stay up or right, should I try to sleep more?
Speaker 1:Yep and by the second one. So then that text that we both got came at 6.29 am.
Speaker 2:I was able to go back to sleep.
Speaker 1:I wasn't no Well, it's hard to say, but I didn't crawl out of bed till 8 o'clock. So, first and foremost, people, if it's the weekend, hold text till at least 8 am. Nine, I think, is a reasonable hour to send a text, right.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, on a weekend, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I mean, even if I'm not sleeping. I don't want to be bothered by messages that are, for the most part, usually not important. I know.
Speaker 1:That's true. Nothing is you know. Is that important that it can't wait a couple hours? So that's my first message I want to get across. Okay, now, the beauty of it is, susan, you're forgiven because she sent through a text that says is this real? And then look at this dot dot dot with the big eyeballs. So look at your phone.
Speaker 2:Stop, no, yes, menopausal Barbie.
Speaker 1:Menopausal Barbie. That's hilarious, isn't that hilarious? So there's a link in our description of this podcast, or go to any of our social channels to find it. It is hilarious, you'll see a picture of it and there's actually a video out there and it says I don't know if you can hear it. Yeah, I can hear it. We'll turn the music off. We'll turn the music off. It says comes with a matching fan stretchy bands no-transcript.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. And the box says ages 40 and up.
Speaker 1:Right, oh my gosh. So, as much as I was annoyed with her sending that text at what could be called inappropriate hour, I thought it was awesome and I told her that, which was, of course, by this time, 9 or 10 am, and I said that you've earned a spot as a guest on our show. Oh yeah, so we'll coordinate. She's actually hilarious, hilarious, and I hadn't seen her for a while, and she joined us at a brunch not too long ago and, oh my gosh, she just looked fabulous. If I would have been walking down the street I wouldn't have recognized her. Really, she just she lost so much weight and sadly enough, I'm not generally one that notices that and in such a bad way, like somebody will lose a tremendous amount of weight, like life-changing amount, and I'll see them for the first time and I'll just be thinking to myself something looks different you know, like what's different but right away with her, I noticed that she had lost a bunch of weight.
Speaker 1:It was very apparent. She looked tall and thin, slender and beautiful, and she has these um, and she got new glasses, which are the big, chunky black square frames that are very trendy now. But anyhow, she's actually a hoot and so, yeah, I told her that she's earned a spot as a guest on our show. Oh, that's exciting. Good for her. She says she already has some content about dating and we touched on that a little bit at brunch and she was hilarious. She was hilarious and I'm not going to do any spoilers, but and wait till she gets on the show. Yeah, it was just too funny, too funny, but I had to share that with you Speaking of dating?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So didn't you say you were downloading an app or something? Okay, how's that going?
Speaker 1:So I did download an app and you know it's not going so well. Um, it's, and the sad thing is that I looked, I saw it online and it's called date, my age and um, and of course it baited me with all these gorgeous guys, older, silver foxes, and I was like, oh my gosh, so I sign up, and I think I've only actually been back on it once since I've signed up, and that was at least a month ago, maybe two. I get all of these messages from men, like in Argentina, there's a ton, either a ton of single men in Argentina or just some kind of scam crap going on in Argentina.
Speaker 2:Well, can you filter it so that they're local?
Speaker 1:I do. I had it filtered, you know, by my city and the radius and all that kind of stuff. And then I just noticed I was getting all those types of you know responses. I hadn't reached out to anybody yet and then, probably a couple of weeks ago, I thought, you know what, let's get on there, we're gonna have to, you know, put some time into it. So we get, I get on.
Speaker 1:And I find this guy. I thought, oh well, he's cute, he lives in the city that we live in and so I reach out to him and I'm pretty sure that he's never, you know, responded, which is fine, and he could very well be like me, that just isn't even back on there anymore and doesn't check their personal email often, because I don't, but anyhow. So, yeah, it's really fizzled out. And then we a friend of mine, jackie we had signed up for the dinner with strangers that one of our guests, nina, was talking about. So we signed up for that, where they match you with strangers and with similar age, you know interests and things, and then you go to a restaurant you know and meet with them and anyhow. So we both signed up and they don't tell you where you're going until the morning of the event. Okay, so she texts me a screenshot of her where her event was and it wasn't where mine was, and I was just so put off by that we all, we both selected the same types of things, but anyways.
Speaker 1:So I bailed, and it's so funny because God bless her and she knows it, but she's the blow-off queen. But this time it was me. I was like, eh, you know, let's just reschedule and we'll try to maybe be together when we're doing it, or at least on the phone. But honestly, I don't think it will probably get to be at the same venue. I didn't realize there was going to be so many. I thought it would be one venue and maybe a bunch of different tables, right, and you would just be sat at a table.
Speaker 1:So, anyhow, we're gonna try to reschedule that for the end of this week or, excuse me, the end of this month, which is October. It would be a good time to have Susan on, because we can a maybe have Jackie on as well, or have maybe another back to back episodes about dating, because that's what Susan wants to talk about as well. She said she's very prepared and, like I said, she's hilarious, my friend Jackie's hilarious. So I think those will be some good episodes. But so Jackie and I are going to try to reschedule, even if we don't make it to the same event or the same venue. There's also an opportunity through the organization to meet up afterwards at a designated place for drinks. But it's not like her and I can't, you know, meet somewhere and go have a drink as well. So, but yeah, so that's been going on um, a lot of nothing there, but I know it.
Speaker 2:I'm excited to hear how that goes because, I think that's probably a little less intimidating than dating apps and like meeting up with someone specifically for a date you know yeah. I think that that would definitely be more comfortable for me if I were in that position.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and on the website, of course, and this is so terrible. This is who I am and you'll find out more in our next episode, because it's going to be a topic. I hate apps. I hate doing stuff on my phone. I have the font as big as you can get it, but I just would rather do it on my computer. And I have the font as big as you can get it, but I just would rather do it on my computer. So, and I have a Mac, so it pretty much acts the same as my iPhone and I can, you know, open a lot of apps and do different things. So I was on there, which is where I signed up. I didn't have the app on my phone, like my friend, but it said things like all you have to do is say hi, like sit down and say hi, that's it, it's dinner. So I think I could look if I don't have an interest in my table. I'm interested in my food all day long.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:I could just eat, and then you know, it wouldn't be perhaps rude or uncomfortable. Right, I'll just eat, and maybe somebody will talk to me. But yeah, yeah, yeah, it'll be interesting but I thought it was nice.
Speaker 1:I mean, when you're, when you're put in settings like that, um, and you have various people, there's always someone that's gonna strike conversation you know, and you know what it might be me give me a little cocktail, yeah, yeah, well, and I probably would, especially if there wasn't anyone there that I was specifically interested in. Then I think I would probably be able to like, cut the rug and just, you know, have a good time and have. Yeah, I have the whole table, like you know, cracking up, but if somebody was there that I was interested in, I don't honestly know how, yeah, how much, I would be able to, you know, act the same way.
Speaker 1:But yeah you never know, but I also want us, uh, for our episode today. I would love, um, for our audience to take a part of it. We want you to get involved too unless you're driving in atlanta at this time but after you listen to the episode, head over to social media and share your thoughts. We were talking about the Barbie, the menopausal Barbie, and I don't think a mental image can do it justice. I think you actually have to go online, you have to see it. You have to see it because it says, you know, comes with matching fan and stretchy pants and bail money. And I did look it up a little bit. There's actually not a menopausal Barbie. There are a bunch of. It was on Pinterest, it's on TikTok, the one that and maybe I didn't send that one to you, I just sent that one, the one to you that had the picture, because I didn't know if you had a TikTok account- I do, do, I just never get on there.
Speaker 1:Right, and even though you don't get on there, you could still open it, but I wasn't sure, so I just wanted to show you. But yeah, it's on TikTok. It does look like it's a person, though, doesn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And a lot of these. I'm just scrolling down through Pinterest and a lot of these are it's like costumes, you know. And the man is midlife crisis Ken.
Speaker 1:That is awesome. There we go, yes, yes, and I was going to ask about it, ken. There were a lot of comments on the TikTok one that I saw about where's Ken and, but that's funny, midlife crisis, ken. He's probably driving a sports car. That's hilarious. But, what else? What would you, uh, what essential item would you add to her kit?
Speaker 1:I don't know, I want to say a bottle of wine personally I was gonna say dr pepper, isn't that sad that I just want my soda. But yeah, what would you think? Join us for the conversation on our social channels. You'll see this post. Leave us a comment of what you would add to your Her Kit, her menopausal kit. But I just thought that was the funniest thing and what a great way to wake up this morning. It was a good laugh. It was a really good laugh. It was a really good laugh. So what I think would be fun is we'd like to ask for your stories, your advice or funny moment, one of those I can't believe this is happening midlife experiences, whether it's about handling chin hairs, facial hairs, dealing with hot flashes in the middle of meetings, or the day you decide enough is enough and throw on those stretchy pants which I'm not wearing stretchy pants right now, but they're drawstring Does that count?
Speaker 2:Yes, it counts. I'll never forget the first time. So I kept feeling this like hair on my chin and I could tell it was coarser than the peach fuzz that I have and he just I kept messing with it and I kept thinking I need to remember to plug this and I I forget what setting I was in, but it was public and I was engaging with people you know face-to-face conversations, and I think it must've been later that day. I got home and I felt it again. I thought, oh my gosh, I'm going to pluck this now. It's driving me crazy. Go to the mirror and it's literally like almost a quarter of an inch long black hair from like the bottom of my chin, like a pube, coming right out. It's so long it started starting to curl.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I know, and I stupidly kept messing with it, so I know people noticed it because I kept touching it and I just I'll never forget that was the first time I found it and it grows back all the time and now I'm on top of it. But but it was the first time I discovered it and I was just mortified. I thought, oh my gosh, people were probably white, like why does she keep playing with that long black hair on her face?
Speaker 1:Right, right. I went to the hair salon once and my girl that does my hair got the tweezers out and plucked out my face and said I can't have you walk around looking like that. I think it's kind of harder for that one hair where you know, I told you I had like total razor stubble. It was horrible and very coarse. But I would like to say that I've only went to one laser treatment. I'm going again next week, so it'll be my second one, but even after the first one I can tell a difference. You know it's not coming in. It was just gross to touch my face. It's like who is that? It was like a man's face with how coarse and how much of it there was. And then over to like this left side. It felt soft right, but it's like because it was like a beard, it was so long, like you were just talking about. But anyways, I'm still in the process of doing that. My hairdresser had to pluck it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you guys have any stories like that, please share. It's funny to hear everyone's experiences. It's mortifying, as some of the stories are.
Speaker 1:Right, right, Well, especially, you know, talking about hot flashes in the middle of meetings. Because there is and I wanted to do the research before our show today but I just ran out of time but there is a staggering number of women that are in the workforce that are going through menopause, so there has to be a ton of funny stories out there.
Speaker 2:Well, and I think too, just you know in public, public in general, like when you're you know at dinner with friends and you're you know talking to them, and suddenly you know in public in general, like when you're you know at dinner with friends and you're you know talking to them, and suddenly you feel, I mean, I'll feel it, it just comes from my waist up and my face. I know it's beet red.
Speaker 2:I know it is, I can feel it. It's hot to the touch Right and I'm sitting there trying to pretend like it's not happening, having a conversation, and I know they're going. Is she okay to pretend like it's not happening?
Speaker 1:yeah, having a conversation and I know they're going. Is she okay? I know I know mine starts from the head down, but it doesn't matter. And the first thing you think of is when you look around is like do they notice? Can they tell? Yeah, it's so embarrassing, but it's just the fun, and this is what we talk about all day long, every show, and how to embrace it, because that's all you can really do, right? Yeah?
Speaker 2:it's happening. It is what it is.
Speaker 1:It is what it is and that just about wraps it up for today. Thank you for joining us on. Let's talk. Midlife crisis embrace the change.
Speaker 2:join the conversation on our website at letstalkmidlifecrisiscom, or our facebook or Instagram and YouTube channels. We'd love to hear from you guys.
