Checklist for a Fun Sunday

Hi everyone, and welcome new people. It’s time for Sunday Funday around here…despite lockdown and feeling a little crummy from my vaccine on Thursday.

Here’s a checklist to make your weekend fun:

1. Afternoon tea: this is always a good idea. Fresh scones, cream and jam, put on the coffee or the tea. Perfect even if you’re on your own. Aussies have the most fun lemonade (7-Up) scone recipe.

2. Kitchen dance: by yourself with your earbuds in, or crank up the tunes. I loved rediscovering David Bowie this week… “Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes…”

3. Make a dessert with Sunday dinner. These Lemon Pudding Cakes look amazing.

4. Go for a walk in the starry evening. Learn the story behind Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

5. Remember your favourite story as a kid: I loved The Little Red Caboose and “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” Which stories have stayed with you your whole life? Remember them now for an instant happiness hit.

6. Polish your nails? See how often you take pleasure in noticing your hands. I love this Essie Lovie Dovie nail varnish! What a fun colour.

7. If you can, treat yourself to a little something-something. You know what you love: flowers, down time to relax, a delicious treat. Here in Australian winter, I’ve been cutting camellias to enjoy!

8. Give someone a compliment. Grab your phone, send a text now…3,2,1 go!

9. Remember your feet! Lotion, give yourself a foot massage, do some foot stretches. Our feet hold us all day long and need a little TLC and respect.

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are.

We’re still here, we’ve got some people to love and really, that’s all that matters.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• How are you doing? Really, how are you? (I hope someone asks you in real life today, and takes the time to listen…)

The Best Advice I Ever Heard

Hi friends (and new friends who’ve found me from my book, The 10 Minute Fix!) I’m glad you’re here.

I’m Catherine, writing from Sydney, Australia: 55 and still going strong…freckles, wrinkles and a few extra Covid Lockdown Kilos but hey, here we all are: authentically us. Right?

Today I wanted to share some of the best advice I’ve ever heard. This little bit of wisdom is super old, but here it is:

This means that if we’re not failing, we’re not even in the neighbourhood of success.

It’s hard to remember when we fail at something that failure is necessary. It means we’re in the game. Success and failure go together, and you can’t really have one without the other.

We’re learning either way, but the truth is that we learn so much more from failing. Gahhhhh, I don’t like this but it’s true.

I love to be the pourer of the coffee or the bubbly, the friend who whips up a celebration cake, pops on a dress and some earrings and says, “YAY! Let’s celebrate!”

I’m wired to be a forever-cheerleader.

BUT we all fail. I certainly do. Oh, I could tell you some stories and cry you a river…

Failing is never fun, but it’s the quickest path I know to growing and learning. The key is to stay in the same neighbourhood and head off in a new, revised direction.

If you’re trying something new—or if you’ve recently had a ‘wee upset’ (like my British friend calls it)—I hope you’re still walking. Move, move, move, anyway you can. Keep that trajectory forward.

Thinking of all of us Aussies today (lockdown continues but our weather is lovely), and everyone overseas enjoying summer dresses and having barbecues. I’m going to make that Blackberry Cake from last week, walk our puppy, and work on a NEW book written just for you! Yipppeee.

I hope you’re well.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Cry Me A River with the amazing Julie London. Her voice!

• Aussies, grab a package of frozen blackberries and you’ll have everything you need to make the most delicious cake from last week. Summer people, you’re in blackberry season. Lucky you.

• Vegan and healthy-healthy friends—can you help? I sometimes search for good desserts to serve vegan friends (because I’m a compulsive baker). Do you have anything to share? Email me here. All I have is the best recipe for Delicious Raw Brownies.

• Pink trackies above…I had a tracksuit almost identical to this one when I was 17, and I bought my sisters the matching blue, green and pink pastel sets for Christmas. This one is so soft and cuddly, and Aussies, it’s here on a fabulous sale (not an affiliate link). Thanks to my stylist-friend for letting me know! Love!

Hello, Sunday!

It’s a chilly morning here in Sydney, after a wild day yesterday. Our family is home, doing the usual during this extended Covid time: working on a puzzle of America, making nachos for dinner (yum!), watching some Netflix, reading in bed, working on my new book…

How are you?? If it’s summer where you are, enjoy!

Every Sunday I have a little family tradition: I make dessert with dinner. These past couple of weeks, I’ve made the delicious Plum and Blackberry Cake you see above. Can you believe I didn’t take a picture of what it looks like baked? It’s just as pretty, served with some thickened cream and dusted with icing sugar.

For summertime people, plums and blackberries are fresh for you. Here in Australia, you can easily use a bag of frozen blackberries (skip the plums) and the cake is still perfect.

Can I share?

Plum & Blackberry Cake

• 4 eggs, separated

• 185 grams sugar (divided into 150 g and 35 g)

• 110 grams flour, sieved

• 80 grams melted butter

• fruit: 4 plums (I slice off the ‘cheeks’) and a punnet of blackberries (OR 3/4 bag of frozen blackberries, around 400 grams)

Preheat oven to 160C (or 325 F). Line a 22 cm cake tin with baking paper.

• Whisk egg yolks and 150g sugar until thick and pale. I use a mixer!

• In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, add in 35g sugar and whip until smooth and triple in volume.

• Mix the egg white, flour and melted butter into the egg yolk mixture. Don’t overmix.

• Pour batter into cake tin. Place plums on top and intersperse with blackberries. Be sure to poke some blackberries into the batter with a skewer.

• Bake for 40-50 mins, depending on your oven. Check that a skewer draws out clean in the centre and the cake is golden.

• Cool until just warm, and serve dusted with icing sugar and more blackberries. I also put pouring cream in a little jug on the table so people can add it if they love it.

That’s it! Trust me, this cake is totally worth it. It may look a little tricky, but it’s not — all you’re doing is whipping egg whites and egg yolks separately, combining it all together, popping in the fruit and into the oven.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a restful weekend. We’re cozy in Sydney, and I’m longing for summer…

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Hi to the new people this week — I do send recipes I love a few times a year, so hope you’re okay with that! I’m a baker and always have been :) I find it so relaxing and creative.

• A favourite extremely short poem about plums! “This is just to say…”

• I’m thinking of getting this long black beach cover up for our pool days! Roll on, summer.

• But right now, for Aussie winter, this lounge-around-home-after-a-bath set in blue looks super cosy. That long fuzzy cardigan looks so warm! Sorry, the pic is a little vavoom, but you’ll get the idea — ha! :)

• My fun baking photos on Instagram here! I loved posting on Insta for a long time, and now I rarely do…but if you scroll my feed, you’ll find apple pie, macarons, cakes, cookies, all the things…

My 17 Year Old Son Cut My Hair During Lockdown

A special hello to all the new people this week! I’m Catherine, and you’ve likely found me from my book, The 10 Minute Fix. Thanks for joining us as we Love Our Age together! I’ll send a note like this every week on my Sunday morning (Australia) or Saturday evening (America, Canada, UK).

But first: oh, Germany! The floods look terrible…and I hope the rains stop by the weekend.

Our news is that lockdown continues here in Sydney and I got pretty desperate on Thursday. I think hair stylists are considered essential services but I didn’t want to be out there in Covid-ville.

That’s why I asked my 17 year old son to cut my hair. Eeep!

He’s done it before (totally untrained, I might add). It was a teeny bit NERVE-WRACKING but my hair is easy—a simple bob with no layers—and he did a good job.

I may have kept shouting instructions (you know how much teenagers love this, right??? To be told what they already know???).

Oh we had some fun in that bathroom, I can tell you…

I don’t think teenage eyes could roll back any further in their sockets than what I saw during my haircut.

You guys know I’m my natural grey, right? I stopped colouring when I was 49, so I’ve been completely silver since I turned 51. In the photo above, my hair looks dark when wet but it’s more of a light silver. At 88, my beautiful mum is completely Mrs.-Santa-white, so here’s hoping!

I’m not saying you should do what I did—and honestly I love the look of coloured hair—but in case you’re curious, here’s what I also love about being grey:

1. I like my silver hair. Yes, I do look older than my friends but I don’t mind.

2. My colour-free hair is so much healthier. (You won’t believe the difference if you stop colouring.)

3. It’s easy.

4. I also love the ‘grab bag’ effect: your silver colour might be absolutely beautiful but you just don’t know that about yourself yet!

Here’s the After haircut selfie. Not bad for a 17 year old skateboarder, right?

To compensate for my lack of colour, I find that I need a little more make-up and definitely darker eyebrows…but I’m forever grateful for less time in the stylist’s chair. That’s just me!

Hope you’re well in your part of the world. However you decide to do it, let’s love our age together :)

Catherine x

PS.

• Thinking of you if you have friends or family in Germany. xo Also cannot wait til Covid settles down here in Sydney, and now Melbourne is isn’t great either. I hope you and yours are coping with our extended lockdown.

• We’re doing puzzles to feel connected to the world. We’re finishing our first map puzzle, and I just ordered Europe and America. Thought it was good for me to brush up on my Geography, plus people are drawn to a puzzle on the coffee table like moths to a flame. It’s a great way to relax, chat and be together. These trays from IKEA (see below) are perfect to sort puzzles. They’re stackable!

• Here’s an article on How to Learn Geography quickly. Pro tip: big stuff first!

• Do you like pearl earrings? Smaller similar ones to mine here!

• New people: I love that you’re here! For fun and inspiration, check out LoveOurAge.com. Older posts you may like: when you can’t sleep and how to take a micro-break anytime.

I Refuse To Be Sad During Sydney Lockdown

Hi from extended lockdown in Sydney, which has not been improved by the rainiest rainy weekend. This photo is from the freedom days (not this lockdown), when we could go try on cute jumpers and fake leather pants…

But I refuse to be sad.

I’m doing my best to make the most of lockdown and it looks like this:

• Losing badly at Scrabble while table dancing, listening to upbeat Simon and Garfunkel and Johnnie Cash, and doing the kitchen two-step with my son so he remembers how to dance if we ever get to attend a family wedding.

• Doing an easy puzzle of the world on the living room coffee table.

• Walking the puppy in between rain showers.

• Hauling in the veggies from Harris Farm. Have you ever seen a Broccoli Romanesco? Me either. Doesn’t it look like something you’d pick up on the beach, or find on a column in a cathedral? Nature made this. Amazing.

I’m also writing—stay tuned on that—and eating chocolate, drinking lots of coffee, and finding ways to keep our spirits up.

If you’re in the middle of summer and freedom, enjoy! If you’re weary, feeling small…sending you hugs from Sydney.

Love Catherine xx

PS.

• Upbeat Simon and Garfunkel…gee, but it’s great to be back home….

• Fun tip with tights…you know how they always work their way down, down, down and are so irritating? This winter I bought footless tights to wear with socks. Oh my word, so much better!! (See below). Nothing slips. Truly comfortable. I love these fleecy warm ones and these cooler ones, too.

• My favourite watch is here—I really love the rose gold + silver.

• My Melbourne friend, Emma Bowd, has a new picture book called Wonderful Shoes. So gorgeous for your mini people.

• Emma’s illustrator is the lovely Tania McCartney. Take a peek—such a gorgeous book!

You Can Start Over...

Hello, everyone.

What a week. In my little corner of the world, we’ve been under pressure. Covid lockdown continues in Sydney, and I’ve been growing and learning (which always means embracing hard things…ugh!).

When I feel off-course, I literally read my own book.

It’s true.

This is my favourite chapter of The 10 Minute Fix because I need it for myself. Maybe you need a little reminder, too. In a world where we can feel the pressure to succeed, and where we rush to make everything work, there’s something to be said for claiming our right to start over.

With a partner. A child. A work situation. A dream. All of it—sometimes it takes a few tries, and we need to give ourselves grace on the journey.

We can be easier on ourselves. What a relief.

I hope you rest today, and remember to have some fun (in the way that truly feels fun for you!). It’s a big weekend for North Americans…thinking of you all!

Love Catherine x

PS.

• A beautiful poem about the night from Robert Frost. Love!

• I bought this Essie Expressie quick dry nail polish and I love it! Try In The Time Zone or Breaking The Bold. Nail polish is always an easy, fun way to perk yourself up. And if you make a mistake, just swish-swish it off and start again.

• Happy summer if you’re in the other hemisphere. I wish! Winter’s getting to me this year. This little white dress would be cute to throw on after swimming!

• You’ve been such a huge support for my book—thank you!

Hello, We're in Lockdown...

Last week, I saw this beautiful photo of a mountaintop. I can’t tell you the exact source, but it was posted by Earthfocus. I wanted you all to see it, too.

The world continues to surprise us, and there’s so much beauty to enjoy if we look for it. Australian winter has been full of sunny, crisp days with camellias blooming, and cold, starry nights. Sydneysiders have mostly been healthy, but now we’re heading into full lockdown so we’ll all be expected to stay at home for two weeks and wait for Covid to subside.

It’s a time to turn inward.

Work on our projects.

Be kind to the people we’ve been given to love, whether that’s cranky forced-to-be-home teens or family via zoom, co-workers on Teams meetings or the grocery and Amazon delivery guy.

I’m trying to summon up a mindset of appreciating this lockdown: we’re healthy here, we have a freezer that’s full, books and board games and work we can do remotely. But still—lockdown always makes me want to plan a dinner party, do a day trip, go shopping for a dress—the opposite of what we’ll have to do.

If you’re freewheeling into summer in the other hemisphere, enjoy your barbecues and gatherings. If you’re living in our lucky country Down Under, I hope you and yours are healthy and well.

And if you’re in my hometown of Sydney, I’m wishing you a peaceful time in the next two weeks. I hope you get a lot of little jobs accomplished: wipe out the fridge, clean up your desk, soak the school shirts in nappy san, crack open the Monopoly or Scrabble. I hope you and yours are okay.

We face what we have to face, and even lockdown can be useful.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Something to learn: books I’ve been planning to buy are Flavour, a cookbook by Ottolenghi (love the cover) and Atomic Habits by James Clear. I borrowed Atomic Habits from my library but I need my own copy as a reminder.

• Something fun: new socks. When was the last time you went through your own sock drawer and made sure you had enough new socks? I regularly do this for everyone else I live with but my own socks were woeful. So I did a full ‘range of socks’ shop for me. Feels so good to replace them all at one time! Look how pretty.

Up in the night?

Hi everyone! If you’re new, it’s Catherine Greer (author of The 10 Minute Fix) writing to you. Happy rainy Sunday if you’re in Sydney — so wintery and chilly!

Last night we went to the Darling Harbour Winter Festival and celebrated our youngest son’s 17th birthday. The teens went skating on a very wet, slushy temporary ice rink, then we had dinner and finished off the evening with a ride on this giant ferris wheel. Fireworks were cancelled due to the rain, but look — there was a snow machine! The Canadian in me chuckles at the Aussie in me…

But here’s the point: then I was up in the night.

What do you do when you can’t sleep?

For me, sleeplessness starts innocently with a review of the day. I was excited that our son had such a great night with us and his beautiful girlfriend, and I had a good time being out on the town. But soon I was up with all the worries of the world sliding into my brain — even though everything is going well. We have all the basics of happiness right now: health, jobs, a home, kids on track, the usual ups and downs but nothing heartbreaking…and still, I couldn’t sleep.

So this is what I do, and maybe these tips will help you, too:

1. I direct my thoughts from the past into the future. I find when I think about the past, usually I start to feel some regret or a little hopelessness, but when I wonder about the future and all the good that can happen, I feel better.

2. I stretch in bed. Nothing fancy here, and obviously it’s not so good to wake up a partner, but I often stretch right in bed when I can’t sleep. I’ve tried to find you a good link to some of the stretches that I do, and this is the best I could find. You might want to try some of these.

3. I remind myself that there’s nothing wrong with being tired tomorrow. Then I let my mind stay awake as long as it needs to, and I gently corral my thoughts into a more positive space.

That’s my go-to for sleeplessness. If you have any brilliant ideas, I’d love to hear them!

Happy Sunday, and I hope you’re going to enjoy this beautiful day.

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• More info on the Darling Harbour Winter Festival here.

• Have to share this amazing workout / yoga tank top I bought and absolutely love. Great for under workout clothes, too — so much support and really amazing. I got the black but I’m going back for the other colours. If you pair it with high waisted leggings, so good!

Take A Micro-Break

Hi everyone! Yes, Covid’s still hanging around our part of the world, and I thought you’d enjoy seeing this Aussie take on social distancing. Remember to stand at least one adult kangaroo’s distance from each other, okay?

Love this sign—it’s so Aussie in its humour and we all need to laugh more during these times! My husband and I saw it in Leura this weekend and I quickly snapped a photo for you. On the spur of the moment, we hopped in the car mid-afternoon and drove to the Blue Mountains because we needed a holiday. Instead, we took a micro-break.

This is the most brilliant idea.

When a true holiday just isn’t possible, can you take a micro-break instead?

Our micro-break consisted of road trip music and conversation, a quick drive to the mountains mid-afternoon and a stop at a quirky cafe for sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and a chai latte. Heaven! The whole trip took three hours.

Micro-breaks are possible for all of us, even in our own homes.

• A bath with a candle.

• An evening walk under the stars (if you normally watch TV).

• Afternoon tea with your china dishes.

• A drive somewhere, anywhere.

• Getting up to see the sunrise.

Anything different and outside of our routines can feel like a beautiful little micro-holiday. Try it if you can. Weekends are the perfect time to explore something new.

Happy Sunday, everyone. I know it’s not easy just now with Covid nipping at our heels, but let’s do our best to love these days together.

Catherine xx

PS.

• Fun stuff: we visited Josophan’s Fine Chocolates in Leura! Here’s their bespoke recipe for Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Oatmeal Cookies. What’s not to love?

• I bought a new notebook this weekend: it’s simple but I love these guys. I tear through them at a pace of about four a year.

• And my favourite, favourite, favourite pencils are here. I think of them as writers’ pencils: my beloved Blackwing 602s.

Bigger or smaller?

Happy Sunday!

Look what I found yesterday…our dog, lounging on my laptop. Cute and totally unposed, though it looks like I put her there. In fact, I’d just gone to the kitchen for my third cup of decaf and came back to find Holly like this. She’s almost eight now and I hope she lives forever.

Today I’ve got something very simple for you: a little thought I’ve been having about my own happiness.

Our brains love keeping us safe and helping us do the same things over and over. For me right now, it’s time to try something new.

If you’re in the same place, ask yourself the bigger or smaller question. I know that happiness follows growth and stepping out, whatever the outcome, and that when we’re learning we feel the most alive.

Beginning again or daring to try is harder than seeking happiness, but it is always worth the journey.

I hope your weekend is uplifting, inspiring, and a whole lot of fun!

Love Catherine x

• I just finished a smart, rollicking, fun novel about Seattle — Where’d you go, Bernadette. Wow, Maria Semple can write and since we used to live in the Pacific Northwest, this book was a winner for me!

• Can’t wait to read Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.

Tricking You?

Hello, new friends! Welcome to Love Our Age…I’m Catherine Greer and you’re here probably because you just read The 10 Minute Fix. I’m leading with a selfie today so you can see me! I’m always signing up for blogs and then not really knowing who’s writing to me :) So here I am, Catherine, standing in my study in Sydney mid-way through a big writing day.

I drink a lot of coffee, my friends. :)

Hi to everyone, all of you who I know and love, and new people from around the world and in my city.

I’m so glad you’re here! I have something really juicy to share today — an idea I read a couple of weeks ago that truly changed me. (You can find Mel Robbins at melrobbins.com)

I had to unpack this and ask myself if it’s true.

Yes, thinking about writing sometimes does make me feel like I’ve been writing — even when I haven’t put a word down on a page. Thinking about solutions in dealing with a teen really does make me think I’ve done something to improve our relationship…but I haven’t actually DONE ANYTHING at all.

I’m not suggesting that it’s not helpful to think.

I’m agreeing that my thinking and even deciding often tricks me into believing I’ve already done the thing and moved closer to my goal when I haven’t.

Do you do this? Think and plan and then somehow get tricked into believing that you’ve acted on your plan?

Most of life is about the doing.

Moving closer to our goals? Doing.

Getting healthier? Doing.

Writing a book? Doing.

Changing jobs? Doing.

Starting a business? Doing.

Improving a relationship? Doing. Acting.

I’m so excited about this idea. Here’s why: because now that I see it, I can change it. I can think and plan—of course—but also make sure that I act.

Enjoy your beautiful weekend! I’ll be here today helping a teen with a ton of assessments (not just worrying about him) AND doing some writing on my new book. Can’t wait for you to read it! If you enjoyed The 10 Minute Fix, you’ll love this one…

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• I overbought a ton of pears…wondering if I can make a pear pie for Sunday dinner? Does that sound terrible to you? Maybe mix it with apple? Here’s my apple pie recipe from my author website and blog. I am a serial baker—haha!

• It’s the book birthday of The 10 Minute Fix! That little book has been sneaking its way into women’s hearts around the world for exactly one year. If you want to celebrate with me and gift a copy to a friend, you can get it here in America, and here in Canada, and here in the UK and here in Australia. I love that this small book is helping women feel a little better about everyday life. To me, that’s everything. xo

How To Rest Your Nervous System

Hello, my beautiful friends who are probably also busy and maybe a little tired, can I give some unofficial, un-expert tips on what’s been working for me to rest my jumpy nervous system? If you feel a little tired or overwhelmed, this might help.

I’m not a healthcare professional, but here’s what I do for a quick rest and reset.

1. Exhale, deep sigh.

2. Touch (hand massage or hug…even hug yourself).

3. Hand on heart and breathe.

Let me explain: these are three little tricks you can use to calm down your nervous system while you’re in the middle of something hard. For example, you can use them mid-meeting, mid-argument, or in the middle of receiving bad news.

You can also set them up like a practice — that automatic response you do to soothe yourself.

• Exhale deep sigh — this one comes with a warning that if you do it regularly, you can become a little irritating to your partner! (I don’t want to be a person who sighs all the time — haha — and it was actually my husband who inadvertently taught me this one because his sighing was driving me CRAZY and when I asked, “Tell me about that sigh thing you do…” he said it was to release stress.) Anyway, exhale-deep sigh works, so go ahead and try that one now. Your nervous system will relax and you’ll get a moment of immediate release.

• Touch / hand massage / hug / hug yourself — this one is brilliant. Hand massage works anywhere. It’s unobtrusive and feels amazing. Hug yourself is perfect if you’re lying in bed worrying and can’t sleep. It will remind you that you’ve got your own back, that you’re always there for yourself, that you’ve “got you” no matter what. Hug someone else is as lovely as it always is, whether that’s a little person or a big person.

• Hand on heart — this one is like a touchstone for me. It reminds me that I’m okay. I can do it anytime, anywhere, and usually combine it with an exhale. Another great combo if you’re in bed worrying is ‘hand on heart plus hand on tummy’. This is a great time to do whatever your belief system urges you to do: meditate, pray, send good thoughts to someone.

I hope these little tips work for you. So simple, right? Yes they are, but I know from experience that small steps are perfect.

Enjoy your weekend,

Love Catherine x

PS.

You guys, I share fun stuff I love in the PS of my notes to you just because it makes me happy and I hope it brightens your day! I’m not a big influencer, and if I post an affiliate link to a product on amazon, it means about twice a year I get sent a $15 amazon gift card. That’s the extent of any earnings from affiliate links, but I just wanted you to know. :) If I link to Aussie items, these are never affiliate links — just beautiful, useful things. So, this week…

• If you’re Aussie, go check out these coffee mugs from Wheel & Barrow. I love them so much!

• For winter, my fuzzy sherpa-lined heart socks were a gift from my Aussie bestie this week, and oh man, I love pulling them on during morning coffee or if I go to bed with freezing cold feet. Similar ones here.

A Simple Reminder

Hi and welcome to Love Our Age! If you’re new this week, I’m so happy you dropped by. I’m in pjs with hot black coffee as I write to you, thinking of so many things.

• Goals.

• Plans.

• What we achieve and what we aspire to achieve.

I don’t know about you, but I’m heading into a season of getting some writing done. I’m excited about a novel I’ve been writing for you—my first try at adult fiction—and it’s aligned with the encouragement and wisdom in The 10 Minute Fix. It’s a story about a woman who finds her strength…it’s about reinventing ourselves in the middle of our lives and starting something new. The message? You’re not too old, and it’s never too late.

How are you doing? Is spring or fall making you think of pursuing something fresh and new?

Whatever you decide, I hope you remember the six words on this t-shirt.

Be good to yourself, inspire others.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: the first one has to come before the second. It’s the old ‘put on your own oxygen mask first’ cliche, and it’s true. Take care of yourself this weekend, have a few treats, be good to you.

You deserve it. We all do.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Some fun for you…my favourite salad ever! You need fresh corn and quinoa and it’s worth it.

How's This For Yellow?

Today is Mother’s Day in Australia…and it can be both beautiful and hard, for all the reasons we don’t often share.

So let’s take a detour today to include everyone. I’m showing you this gorgeous yellow sweater because it’s almost winter here in Australia and maybe you want one? Maybe you need a lift? (A reader asked me why I share ‘affordable’ items I love and it’s because some of you have emailed me to say you’re finding life a little challenging and an expensive sweater isn’t going to help…but a cheerful one just might. So that’s my why :) — inclusion, fun, love for all of us!)

Isn’t it soft and pretty? And if you’re overseas and fully into Spring, hallelujah! You deserve it after your long Covid winter.

Wherever this note finds you, celebrating spring or fall, or all the people who mother others—and remembering mums and children who have passed on—I’m thinking of you. Life is complicated and emotions can run so very deep. In the lead-up to Mother’s Day, I read some lovely words this week written by Dr. Hillary McBride about what we share and what we keep inside.

I hope you’re doing okay today, celebrating lives well-lived and all the ways people can care for one another, or just quietly giving yourself the biggest, warmest hug.

Wishing you sunshine and soft yellow jumpers, people to love and beauty to enjoy.

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• Yellow jumper is here if you’re in Australia. Photo below shows that it’s nice and long, with a scooped hem at the back. I’m 5’7” or 170cm tall.

• Fun yellow dress is here if you’re in Spring, Spring, Spring!

• Red nails…weird for me, but do you like it? Similar colour here. Can’t find a similar fun ring for you but look at this little daisy ring. Cheerful, right?

Happy Birthday, Honey

Hi everyone, and hello new people this week! Welcome to LoveOurAge.com … my little corner of the internet that’s all about encouragement, feeling better, getting older, trying new things and appreciating what we have.

Today is my 55th birthday, and I don’t know about you, but I love my age. Honestly, I do. I am so much smarter, wiser, and more authentic as I tuck each new year into my life.

Do you feel like the same you, but somehow better as you age?

As I grow older, I know so much more about life. I love learning and figuring out what the next stages of life could hold for me…writer, baker, candle-maker? Poet? Singer? Ukulele player—haha!? All I know is that I feel best about myself when I’m gaining skills and growing.

Today, for inspiration, I’m offering these beautiful words from Jamie Varon…in case it’s time to rethink your dreams and start something new. We can all take small steps in a new direction, explore what we love, and have a go.

I believe the best is yet to come…and I’m here Down Under cheering for you! If you write a book, let me know because I’m gonna buy it. If you make an album like my friend Katie Rushing in America, I’m gonna get it. Start a business? Tell me…I’m there. I believe in you, even when it’s tricky to believe in yourself, or when you’re trying something new.

Thank you for enjoying what I bring to the table. Thank you, too, for supporting and sharing The 10 Minute Fix. That book is becoming the little engine that could: it’s chugging its way into women’s hearts around the globe and cheering them on with some encouragement and love. I so appreciate you gifting it and telling your friends about it. Your support means the world to me—thank you.

Here’s to another 55 fabulous years! Let’s love our age together…and dream big and small, at the same time.

Catherine xx

PS.

• This is the cake I make for every family birthday. You’ll never find a better traditional, moist, delicious chocolate cake. You’re welcome! The secret? Coffee and olive oil.

• Let’s kitchen dance to an amazing song from 1962 (I was born in 1966): Solomon Burke’s Cry To Me. You’ll love it. Happy Birthday to me!

• Yellow roses from my Canadian mama…if you know, you know! #the10minutefix #chapter64 Giving the roses a hug because Covid, but wish I were hugging you instead, Mum.

Those Gluten-free Italian Almond Biscuits!

Ahhhh, ricciarelli!

These gluten free, easy-to-make almond biscuits are unbelievable. Last Sunday I promised you the recipe, so here goes. If you’ve got vegans in your home, then you’ll need to find a replacement for the egg white.

Ricciarelli

• 300 grams (3 cups) almond meal

• 250 grams (1 cup, heaping) icing sugar

• 2 egg whites

• zest of one lemon — important!

Mix all ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Form into chunky rectangles and roll in icing sugar. Bake at 180C (or 350F) for around 10-12 minutes.

So quick, so easy, truly delicious.

Enjoy your Sunday, my friends. And hello to all the new people here this week! (You’re receiving this email newsletter because you found me via my book, The 10 Minute Fix! I’m Catherine Greer…author, baker, mum, wife, lover of little dogs, soul sister.)

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• Do you need a little chuckle? I laughed until I cried at the reviews for this handbag. Seriously worth reading. Here’s a sample below…you’ll cry-laugh, too. (It’s sold out, my friends. Truly.)

You Won't Want to Miss This...

Hi my friends,

Are you ready for something lighthearted and gorgeous? I know some of you might be, with Covid lockdown…

I have three things to share today.

1. “When you’re weary, feeling small…” This week, Austin Kleon (American artist and author of Steal Like an Artist) featured this INCREDIBLE video of Paul Simon demonstrating how he wrote “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” I get chills…if you watch it you will literally see genius happening. Oh, please watch it here. Four minutes long.

2. This blouse. If you’re in Australia, it’s champagne-coloured, soft, drapey and so pretty. I walked out of my room with it on, and my older son (owner of the bikini comment, “Well, that’s a real poke in the eyeballs!”) said, “You look nice — like a pirate.” By the way, he’s 20, not 2!!! I laughed until I cried. Also comes in slate blue and this weird browny-orange that’s not for me, but the champagne is everything. Size up, okay? You’re aiming for pirate - ahoy! It's $15 here (you can have it home delivered). Worth it.

3. Italian Almond Biscuits called ricciarelli — see below. Gluten free and so delicious that it’s absolutely CRAZY they have only four ingredients and are so easy to make. I’ll share the recipe next week if that’s okay. I know we’re here to talk about encouraging things, and…well sometimes cookies are encouraging. Am I right?

I am wishing you all the beautiful things today — pirate blouses and gluten-free cookies and geniuses that walk among us like Paul Simon. It’s all I can give you, all the good things I could think of.

I’m here, wondering how you’re doing.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• The full version of Bridge Over Troubled Water.

• A photo of the almond biscuits…oh yum. Recipe coming next week, I promise. So easy.

• If you have a friend who needs a lift, I’d be honoured if you shared my book, The 10 Minute Fix: 100 simple ways to feel better now. Order here in Canada, Australia and America. Thank you! Word of mouth is the best way to share the love.

The Lesson of 'Not This'

Hello, internet friends…hope you’re enjoying your weekend.

I’ve started making mint tea for myself, similar to this beautiful way it’s served at my local cafe. It feels like abundance—stuffing all that mint in the tea pot (that’s how I make mine at home). Something for you to try if you have mint in the garden. Fresh mint tea is just surprisingly better: not difficult, just better.

Today I’ve been thinking about how we change, and what we need to invite into our lives to grow into the next version of ourselves. It always makes me think of Elizabeth Gilbert’s words turned into a beautiful card by the amazing Emily Henderson at Em and Friends. You can find this card here.

Through every season of my life, I’ve run headlong into some Not This moments. Maybe you have too. And because we don’t know what’s next, it’s easy to feel like we’re stuck…but we’re not.

We’re feeling ‘Not This.’

All we need to do with Not This is sit for a while—for as long as it takes—and listen until our truth shows up.

I don’t know about you, but it’s so easy for me to argue with my own deepest truth, to try to convince myself that I’m not hearing what I’m hearing, that I shouldn’t feel this way, that I’m maybe too old or inexperienced. I worry that I lack the talent, connections or opportunities.

But the deepest truth hangs around and whispers to us: Not this…it’s THIS. Try this. See what happens.

We can get better at so many things: waiting a bit, listening to our hearts, knowing our deepest truth, taking a small step forward. That’s my plan right now. I hope it’s yours, too.

Enjoy your weekend. I’m cheering for us all.

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• My favourite book by Elizabeth Gilbert is Big Magic, and I’ve been meaning to read her novel, The Signature of All Things, published in 2014. City of Girls was not for me—that’s how I always talk about books and art because I know how hard they are to create and every book is for someone. You may love it…America in the 1940s.

• Tea and a book…always a beautiful combination!

Have a Relaxing Easter...

Hi everyone, and happy Easter weekend. For all the new people this week, hello, I’m Catherine and thank you so very much for joining me on this journey. As you can see from this ‘mum on the floor chatting’ photo, I don’t do a whole lot with our Easter celebrations and decorations at home…but I’m spending my time talking with my kids, we saw some favourite friends and had a beach walk yesterday, and today I’m baking cinnamon buns.

I hope you’re doing okay wherever you are.

Do you feel like you need a break, a real break? I do. This weekend I promised myself two things:

1. Laugh and talk as much as possible.

2. Keep my thoughts and conversation about the future (not the past).

So here’s what I’m up to this weekend. And you’ve been warned: I am a baker, so my relaxation always includes a little cinnamon and a hot oven:

• I made the best Rosemary, Lemon, Greek Yogurt cake in the world to take to our friends’ home yesterday and the recipe is here. Don’t you love the edible gold leaf and flowers on top?

• Today, no hot-cross buns for me. I’m making cinnamon rolls. This time I’m trying the recipe from The Food Nanny. Linking it for you in case you want to join me!

• We’ll go for a long walk with Holly, the best little shih tzu on the planet, and then another long walk together. We’ll enjoy coffee and cinnamon rolls, and some chocolate.

• I just finished reading Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist and now I’m starting on Sue Monk Kidd’s The Book of Longings. I love reading and feel rich when I’m surrounded by a stack of good books. Do you?

Lockdown craziness is still happening in too many parts of the world, and I’m sorry. In Australia, we call ourselves ‘the lucky country’ and I’m so thankful for the government’s quick measures that stopped the spread of Covid.

If you’re at home this weekend and looking for a little cheer, I hope these simple things I love will help you find it. Bake a little, read a little, walk if you can. Gently move your thoughts and conversation into your future and not the past. Together, with time, we’ll all get through this and we’ll be flying around the world to visit the people and places we love once again.

Happy Easter, and I’m thinking of you!

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Cake pictures…and that beautiful edible flower topping. My friend Claire bought it for me on holidays in Byron Bay. You can get it here online in Australia and for everyone overseas, there’s something similar here.

• Another one of the Gold & Flower sprinkle bottle…hope you can find it. So pretty and you use so very little! Thanks again to beautiful Claire for gifting it to me.

How To Be An Imperfectionist

Hello from Australia! I took this photo a few weeks ago of my favourite beach snack…not strawberries, definitely not something healthy. I chose a chocolate croissant. If I could, I’d probably choose to have one of these every day, but sadly this is adulthood and so I try not to eat like my inner child is in charge of me. :)

Still, it makes me think about all the times that I try to be more perfect (strawberries on the beach) but where I land is something far less ideal.

That’s why I loved these words from the amazing Nedra Tawwab, bestselling author of the new book Set Boundaries, Find Peace. I hope you like them too.

Today is a beautiful day to let our shoulders relax, to accept the gift of the weekend, and to let ourselves be slow and free.

I hope you have a Sunday filled with your favourite things, and that you can give yourself room and time to be imperfect. I’m going to do the same…I’m busy working on a new book for you and writing always means making peace with our imperfections. We’ll see how this one unfolds, and I can’t wait to share it.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• If you’re in my corner of Sydney, the best chocolate croissants are at the Vietnamese Australian fusion cafe, Pottery Green.

• Nedra Tawwab’s new book is here — I think it was an instant NYTimes bestseller.

• Do you love learning and reading? I love reading so much and I’ll always buy and borrow books. To me, it’s miraculous that we can learn so quickly and efficiently…if you’ve got a good book to share, let me know.