How to love our age

Hi friends, current and new. I’m Catherine Greer, author and copywriter, and I’m up early with a coffee writing to you before anyone else gets out of bed—including the dog. I feel like I’m having a mini-holiday and I’m trying to be extra quiet so I glean a few peaceful minutes alone. (I love my own company. Do you?)

I’ve been working on my new novel, and copyedits are due this week. In THE BITTERSWEET BAKERY CAFE, the main character grapples with the fallout from her own ageing. It’s a funny book, but also true. And yesterday I was writing about why the world expects that we’ll wither away in the second half of our lives.

We’re no longer young and beautiful. We’re experienced and beautiful.

Some things are harder, but a whole lot of things are actually easier. Things like this:

  • Knowing what really matters to us.

  • Being patient.

  • Understanding how and when to forgive — especially when to forgive ourselves.

Growing older makes me think of the past. It is far too easy to mull over our mistakes. And then I realised this.

Whatever we did or failed to do, whatever happened then, and how it happened…it might as well have been 800 years ago.

We can’t go back.

We can’t choose differently.

So why not just let it go? Let it drift down like a piece of white paper we’ve dropped from our hand…because that was then, and this is now.

We grow older. We grow smarter, too. And through it all we balance the hopes and disappointments that come with a life fully lived.

This is loving our age, right? Loving the fact that we’ve lived and are living—that we have today, and now, and the opportunity to enjoy what life is offering us: fresh air, fresh chances.

We can let things go, and move on.

I hope you have the most beautiful Sunday, filled with tiny moments of appreciation, love from unexpected places, and a whole day of rest and peace.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

  • Happy Father’s Day in Australia! This guy’s the best.

  • School’s starting back in North America—and have you seen this beautiful idea? Wow.

  • Reporting back on Moo Goo from last week. I tried and love the face moisturiser. My favourite products are the face cleanser and body cream. Has anyone tried the hair care?

  • I made these blueberry muffins for my son’s early morning drive to the snow for his snowboarding trip and they were so good.

  • Driving back from the beach last week, I found this 70s Road Trip playlist that I loved. I was young in the 70s, but I had so many older siblings so I remember all the music. What about this one? Time to kitchen dance…

Have you overlooked this? I have...

Hi friends, and hello to all the new people this week! (Hi Zoe, who I met on the beach yesterday. I loved your vibe!) If you’re new, I’m Catherine Greer, mum of two adult sons, lover of wild shih tzu pups, believer in starting now and never missing a chance to dance in your own kitchen. I’m also a writer of books and a compulsive baker!

Today I want to talk about something simple that most people overlook. This isn’t deep, but it’s important so hang with me, please. Are you ready?

It’s your own legs and feet. I know — not so inspiring. But there’s this:

Our feet and legs carry everything.

They literally carry us through our lives…but let’s be honest: it’s so easy to ignore them or criticise. So today, from me to you as a friend, will you take a second to consider yours?

If we’re walking, we’re so, so lucky. If we can get outside…lucky. If we’re pain-free when we do this—lucky. And on the most basic level, if we have functioning legs and feet at all…lucky. (I’m thinking of paralympians, diabetics, veterans, wheelchair users.)

I know this is basic, but you all know me by now…and if you’re here, you believe that it matters to notice the simple, beautiful things in life.

So today…take just one minute to think about trying a few things:

  1. Lotion up. My absolute new favourite is below. You’re gonna LOVE IT.

  2. Foot stretches. Yep, it’s a thing and if we’re over 35, we should be doing this.

  3. Calf raises, standing or seated. (GREAT to do at work…did you know there’s research out now that you can reduce a glucose spike after eating if you do ten minutes of simple calf raises while seated?)

That’s all. Three simple tips to take better care of you. Are you with me? We can start right now.

I hope something unexpected and lovely happens to you today.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

Heartbreak Hotel

Hi friends, and hello to the new people this week! I’m Catherine Greer, writer of books, lover of little dogs, mama to grown sons, compulsive baker of Sunday desserts. You’re so welcome here every Sunday in my little corner of the internet garden. I do my best to give you something encouraging and upbeat every week.

But today I want to talk about heartbreak.

You know—all the stuff that drags below the water in our iceberg lives.

If we were in a room together (okay, a huge hall), and we stood up one by one telling our truth, our hearts would be so full of grace and understanding for each other. All the things we never say, the thoughts that give us sharp pains, the secret worries, the wonderings. Can you imagine what that would feel like?

I know it’s the oldest cliche around, but it bears repeating.

Every one of us.

When I wrote Small Steps are Perfect, I said it another way: “Nobody rides for free.”

My week has been a little hard. I’ve been working long hours, and I’m incredibly lucky and grateful to say that my copyedit is almost due on my upcoming novel, The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe. (The title of that book was almost WHEN EVERYTHING IS BITTERSWEET — because everything always is, right?) And yesterday, during edits, my beloved very old, well worn laptop had the neverending beachball pop up and I had a stone in my stomach because gahhhhhhh and I knew it was time to get a new computer. Later that day, I had an upsetting conversation, then another one, and all the while my worries about everything lapped against my ankles like winter ocean waves.

Be kind, Catherine—everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.

So what do we do with our heartbreak? (Asking for a friend…ha.)

I think it’s this:

  • Long walks in nature. Look up at anything that is older than you—the sky, the stars, a tree, rocks or hills.

  • Breathe. Out with worry, in with peace.

  • Love whatever is in front of us. Love the work. The person in the coffee queue. The dog that needs walking. The grubby fridge. The bed you’ve got and the new morning that comes with 24 hours of fresh chances to give life another go.

If you’re in a space of pain or sorrow today, I am so sorry that you’re there…and you really aren’t alone. We all carry our burdens like stones in our hearts.

But let’s keep going.

Let’s dust off, and continue to shine.

I’m hoping that something amazing, unexpected and beautiful happens to you today. And if nobody’s said it to you, Thank you for keeping on keeping on.

Love Catherine x

P. S. The Fun Stuff!

  • In Aussie movie theatres, we have choc tops. I’ve lived here for 26 years, so I don’t know if North American theatres also serve ice cream now? We went to see Iris and the Men…a French film, so it was racy and funny and I’m not gonna link to the trailer because not sure how that will land. So French! On now at Roseville Cinema if you live in Sydney ❤️.

  • I need an eyeshadow tutorial for beginners. I’m so bad at it!

  • This looks so yum. And healthy!

  • I finally bought the viral wide leg trousers from Uniqlo and they’re as good as everyone says. On sale in Sydney now. (I know the photos are kind of average, but the trousers are fantastic.)

  • Elvis, of course. But the best song I know about heartbreak is by Fleetwood Mac.

I Received Some Great Advice This Week

Hi everyone. I had a quick trip down to Melbourne again this week, and I took this photo of a rower on the Yarra River.

Doesn’t it look like a Monet painting?

So beautiful!

While I was there, I received some great advice and I’m excited to share it with you. Here’s the context: life has been a little busy for me lately. You know what this is like, right? Too much to do and too little time, and loads and loads of meetings.

As I was floundering around trying to figure out where to begin, a friend said this:

So simple, right?

To much to do? Feeling overwhelmed and unable to figure out a plan?

Just start by starting, CATHERINE!!!

So here’s what I’m diving into this weekend.

  • Copy edits on my new novel, The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe! Coming to you in March 2025.

  • Finding concrete pavers for some outside renovations that we have to do.

  • Family Dinner tonight, with a delicious dessert. I’m thinking of Sticky Date pudding.

  • And all the things: bathrooms need cleaning, there’s shopping to do, I need to organise my work clothes…

Whew! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to just start by STARTING.

Sending you good vibes for tackling some of the items on your never-ending To Do List. (And asking you as a friend…How are you, really? Hope all is well.)

Love Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

  • Love classical music? My son’s charity concert with Seraphim Strings is on Friday 11 October from 6:30pm at Trackdown Studios in Moore Park, Sydney. All proceeds will be donated to TOO GOOD, a women’s shelter and charity. Are you in America or the UK or Canada? Would you like to make a donation to the concert but can’t attend? You can buy tickets or donate here. Thank you, thank you.

  • I’m finally reading Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites. Reminds me so much of Atwood’s Alias Grace, and I’m loving reading about Iceland. (Note: it’s literary fiction, beautifully nuanced and themes are upsetting. But worth it!)

  • Dancing around my kitchen to this. So fun.

  • Making Sticky Date Pudding for dessert. Yum.

A Curious Thing Happened.

Hello, my friends. Thank you for letting me share your weekend! I love to drop by with a little bit of joy, and a reminder that we get a whole day in front of us. We’re the oldest and smartest we’ve ever been! We’re the youngest we’re ever going to be again!

It’s a lovely day to have a lovely day, in the words of Ella Fitzgerald…

I had a beautiful getaway last weekend filled with chilly air, delicious food, the laughter of women who have been through a lot and have survived it, a chance to dress up, a fireplace, warm matching slippers and love.

While I was away, a curious thing happened. Our beautiful hostess made some pre-dinner drinks, and when she did, she whipped out these icecubes she’d made for us in advance. Can you see them in the photo?

MASSIVE DIAMOND RINGS.

How fun is that? She could’ve done the usual—ice from the tray or even from her fridge dispenser—but she thought of us in advance and froze ice in the laughter-inducing ice cube trays.

She reminded me of something I’ve written about before, but it’s been a while.

It is so easy to forget about BEING fun.

It’s the first thing that drops off our radar as soon as stress hits, but it’s exactly what we need. I believe that pretty much anything can be done with love—and pretty much anything can be done with fun.

Maybe give that a whirl today and see how you feel?

Add a dollop of fun to your Sunday wherever you can. It’s the best way I know to be magnetic and loving to others.

Thinking of you this morning, and I’m hoping you have a beautiful day.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

Moonlight, Starlight

Hello, my friends! Giving you a quick wave from my back garden at twilight—and if you’ve read The 10 Minute Fix, you’ll know that’s my favourite time of day. This week I’m saying hello to lots of new people, so that’s why you’re getting a photo of me. Here I am, tired in Sydney.

In case no one has asked you today, how are you? (How are you really?)

Can you tell that I’m wiped out, and ready for some good times? Luckily, I’m heading away for a girls’ weekend and I can’t wait. I’ve scheduled this newsletter for you so you’ll receive it while I’m gone.

It feels like the perfect time to talk about rest.

  • Earlier bedtimes.

  • A routine if you tend to wake up in the middle of the night. (Hello, any 3am people out there? Come over for tea and cake…I’m up.)

  • A willingness to stop and let things be.

I’m talking to myself here, but maybe also to you. If you need a rest, please take one. If you have people around you who will help, ask them. Resting is about ourselves but it’s also about the people who love us.

Even if I don’t know you in person, I am absolutely certain that this is true: it’s critical to take a break when it’s time.

We need you here, shining.

We need you here, feeling good and being free.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

How Beautiful is Melbourne?

Hello, friends (and hi to all the new people this week)! I’m Catherine Greer, author and copywriter, lover of hot coffee in the morning, books that make me laugh, and long in-person chats with girlfriends…especially when the chats involve cake.

This week I travelled to Melbourne for work, and it’s a beautiful city. Cold in the winter—for us in Australia, cold is somewhere around 5-10 degrees C—but oh, so lovely.

The cafes!

The hot coffee!

The bookshops!

The people!

My trip made me think of a superpower we can all have, no matter where we live or what we do. We can choose to love things.

It’s true: I like to love things. It makes me so much happier than criticising something.

And the best news? We can choose to like most things.

  • Business trips that start at 4am and finish at 9pm two days later? I can choose to love Melbourne.

  • A sink full of dishes that somebody left in the kitchen? I can choose to love that I have a kitchen, hot running water, time to wash up (and the ability to stand and wash up).

  • Exercise that needs to be done? I can choose to love that I’m well enough to have exercise on my To Do List.

I was up and heading to the airport at 4:45am this week. And you know what I kept telling myself? I LOVE AIRPORTS. PEOPLE ARE SO EXCITED AT AIRPORTS. I decided to choose to love it.

Yes, I know it’s all a bit irritating….and I’m not telling anyone to just smileeeeeee and get on with it when things are truly terrible. But I do find that criticising always makes me feel worse. Loving things makes me feel better. And choosing to love something? That’s a superpower all of us have.

Enjoy your Sunday. I hope you can give this idea a whirl today and see how it goes for you.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

Solo Joy

Hello, friends. And hello if you’re new this week!

A beautiful reader sent me an email last week that gently suggested, “Recommendations on how to have joy solo would be appreciated.” Sarah, you’re absolutely right — and this one is for you.

Solo joy. It’s so possible.

Here’s how I would approach it.

  1. Learn what is fun for you. Hint: it’s not necessarily the same as what other people find fun. We need to think about finding our flow: what lights us up? What makes us lose track of time? For me, that’s writing and revising books. It’s baking cakes. Doing a puzzle. (It’s not going to new restaurants or travelling…but that might be fun for you.)

  2. Plan a joyful treat for yourself just so that you can look forward to it. Spend some time in pleasant anticipation, and set the scene beautifully for what you want to do. If you love to cook and enjoy a special meal, plan it for a few days from now. Anticipate it, and remind yourself you’ve planned a treat just for you. Choose music you love, set the table the way you like it, light the candles, cook (comfort food or something new or takeaway). Savour it. The planning and anticipation make it special.

  3. Be where your feet are. Feel the experience and appreciate it. Talk out loud if you’re at home. Speak words of encouragement and joy over your own life. Say what you love about the experience you’ve created for yourself with so much care. (“I love this! I love treating myself to a brand new novel and a hot cup of tea.”)

  4. Revel in the peace of being with yourself. So few people have peace and it’s completely under-rated. Our nervous systems need it: the calm nest we can create, the beautiful music, the deep breaths, the feeling that everything is okay.

  5. Top and tail your day with joy. For me, that’s hot coffee first thing in the morning and reading in bed at night (especially if I heat the bed up first with an electric throw in this chilly Aussie winter!). I love to create tiny sparks of joy for myself: the ritual of finding the next good book in the library or the bookshop, discovering my favourite coffee pod for the little Nespresso machine, using my favourite coffee mug, sitting in my favourite chair.

  6. All of us are solo in our own brains. Take a moment to ask yourself this: how am I talking to myself? Am I encouraging and kind? Do I love my own company? Here’s an important question: are you spending too much time being the mean version of yourself to yourself—Mean Catherine, Mean Juliana, Mean Helen? Or are you kind and grace-filled towards yourself, like you would be to a friend? (I need to work on this!)

It was good to be reminded about our solo friends that join us here every Sunday, so thank you for giving me the loving nudge to write about other ways of living.

It’s fair to say I write most things about my own lived experience, but that doesn’t mean I should forget about the experiences of others. If my life seems happy and full of family and moving parts, it is—but it is also hard and uphill, too. So uphill sometimes! If only you knew! On the internet, we tend to share a tiny sliver of what’s going on, and I like to be encouraging and upbeat. But I know sadness and pain, and so do you, my friends.

Solo: life can be hard. In a family: life can be hard.

My mother likes to tell me the story of everyone wearing a backpack filled with their problems. They’re able to walk into a huge room, lay the backpack down, pick up someone else’s backpack without knowing what’s inside and walk out. Whose backpack would you take? Probably your own.

This is what I know for sure: living solo is a full life. Carrying a family is a full life. All of us have people we’ve been given to love, even if it’s the neighbour next door who adores our carrot cake, commuters on the train, or the stranger who looks like they need a kind word in the fruit and veg market. We’re all connected. We find our joy where we plant it. We do the best we can with what we have in our own two hands.

No matter what you’re currently carrying, I hope today is beautiful for you. I hope you fill yourself to the brim with deliberate joy. I’m thinking of all of us around the world, flying solo and together.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

  • Sitting at my desk writing to you this morning, no makeup, freezing cold. Hiiiiii - it’s perfectly imperfect me.

  • The most beautiful way to do a simple task with love.

  • Aussie friends…I love this cable knit jumper so much. Sharing it again! The beige is even softer than the grey. Sold out in so many stores. A total winner.

  • Twice I saw a lyrebird when I was on a bushwalk one morning. Amazing.

  • You will laugh (especially if you read the caption…). I cried laughing.

Watermelon Sugar

Hello, beautiful friends! Hello, new friends! (You’re receiving this email because you signed up for my weekly newsletter — I’m Catherine Greer, author and BAKER OF SUNDAY DESSERTS).

But now our youngest son is on a journey of bodybuilding while he completes his Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Fitness at uni. His girlfriend is a Latina boxer (always trying to ‘make weight’ for fights) and a Dental Assistant. So, last weekend: no dessert.

And I was so sad!

There is nothing better for me than baking up the love. 🩷

I know it’s not social media beautiful, but I restrained myself and made a quick watermelon cake with what I had on hand. Fresh watermelon and a few navel oranges and mint from the garden.

Was it delicious? Sure. But I’d much rather have had….

I don’t know how you approach your weekends, but I try to make ours a bit of a celebration: a Sunday dinner with the extended family, a tablecloth and lots of candles to light, a special dessert, fun music blasting through the kitchen, a jive on the kitchen dance floor with my husband. Chasing the dog around the house (yep, you’ll see we’ve still got her baby gates up but Evie is one year old now, so time to take them out! Hooray!)

My quick list for bringing joy is this:

  • Turn up the music

  • Set the table with everything you love — the good dishes, the napkins, flowers from your back garden

  • Light the candles (be excessive and generous — more is always better)

  • Make a cake

  • Gather some people you’ve been given to love: good friends or neighbours, family or partners, all ages is even more fun

  • BE the joy yourself

I am so far from perfect. I’ve been tired and stressed, the floor needs to be scrubbed, my watermelon cake last week was ho-hum, some people were in a bad mood BUT we can choose to be the joy in any room, no matter what is going on in our worlds.

We can turn on a dime.

We can set aside the worries.

For just one meal, or one hour, we can appreciate all we have and shine our light for people who need to catch the glow and feel a little happier.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend — and that something surprising and delightful happens to you unexpectedly! You deserve it.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

Come Over for Coffee...

Hi my friends, and hello to all the new faces around here. Wish you could come over for a coffee at my house in wintery Sydney! It’s time for a quick intro and a photo, so all the new people see who’s writing to them.

You’ve signed up for this Sunday newsletter from me, Catherine Greer, Canadian-Australian, author and mother, wife and small dog lover. I let my hair go grey at 49, which was a bit radical at the time. I love shiny stuff (fun rings, pretty dishes, crystal glassware) and I’m so glad YOU are here today.

How has your week been? How are you really?

I’ve been uneven.

That’s to say: my workout and weights routine has gone haywire, I haven’t been as consistent with walking, and I’m feeling a bit like I’m on the downward slide.

When my life gets like this, three crazy things help me. So simple that they’re embarrassing. Are you ready?

  1. I take a sec to do my hair — wash and blow dry.

  2. I make everything smell beautiful (scented candles, perfume, the nice body lotion on my hands, legs and feet).

  3. I get outside in nature (a bushwalk, not the city streets).

And I remind myself of this. Take a breather, Catherine. Consider what really matters. Because as soon as I get stressed, my stress is what flows out of me. I get short with my family. I think too much about myself, my own worries and concerns. I ruminate. I worry until I tire myself out. And then…I speak unkindly to the people who matter most—to the people I’ve been given to love.

Because this is true:

Just for today, I’m going to be full of LOVE.

I have a Sunday to enjoy, and people all around me in this house and suburb and city who could use a little lightheartedness. It’s time to speak some FUN. To speak some joy. To be more encouraging to myself and everyone else.

I’m going to give that a whirl and see where takes me. I hope you have a beautiful Sunday, too.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

  • The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe is coming in March 2025. If you love to read for joy, and if you want a book that makes you feel good and have a laugh and see what it’s like to live in Australia, this one’s for you.

  • Breathtaking! Do you also love white sand beaches?

  • If you can’t sleep, here’s my favourite free meditation. This one works for me! 14 minutes.

  • Love this cute travel outfit.

  • The most wonderful Aussie cookbook. Easy, practical recipes. Everything is good. So worth it!

Life in Sydney Lately...

Hello from beautiful downtown Sydney! It’s been a whirlwind week for me of working in the city, with a little job searching thrown into the mix. Like I mentioned last week, time is always moving on and nothing stays the same forever. I took this snapshot when I was rushing between buildings earlier this week.

Just when I need a rest and I’d love to pack my swimmers for a holiday, Life has a way of telling me to get back into the armour and head into battle. Ooof. Times like this are exhausting.

That’s why I’m loving this gentle Sunday morning. Everyone else is sleeping in, and I’m up with a hot coffee, writing to you.

How are you today? (How are you really?)

I’m in a season where I need to gear up and grow. This spectacular shot of a cockatoo in the city absolutely captures my mood. I need to stand up and stretch my wings into the next version of myself.

So hard.

So rewarding.

Taking the first step into any unknown feels kind of terrible—not gonna lie. But also, there’s an energy that comes with change that makes us all bigger people.

More interesting.

More capable.

(Even if we feel a bit ragged, like a cockatoo pretending to be a peacock - ha!).

If you’re heading in a new direction, too—or even just thinking about it—or if you’re being forced into it, then let me say this: we can do it together, one small step at a time.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

Hello from Australia! 🇦🇺

Hi there! It’s a beautiful sunny Sunday in Sydney: the coffee is hot, it’s a rest day after a busy work week, and we’ve got a 20 YEAR OLD with a birthday to celebrate. Around here, that means I’ve already made my best, easy chocolate cake and I’ve chosen a theme for birthday dinner.

We’ve decided to go Mexican…recipes linked below! Chicken enchiladas, nachos, Mexican rice and something green. (I always have trouble figuring out what veg to serve on Mexican Night. Do you??)

Time seems to be running, but also there’s always so much to do. I can’t believe the days of being a mother of teens is now behind me.

  • All those weekends of picking up skateboarders at 10pm, loading them into the car, bringing them home for a poolside barbecue and cannonballs and laughs that went late into the night.

  • Regular sleepovers for five of my son’s mates…and all those air mattresses from Kmart and the matching duvets spread across the floor.

  • The spontaneous dinners of homemade mac and cheese and burgers and hastily cut-up carrots and hummus.

That’s the old season, and now, with a twenty year old uni student doing his second placement in Sport and Exercise Science…we’re onto the new.

It reminds me of an important lesson for us all.

It is so, so easy to want to hang onto the past. The life we have, the job, the kids this age, the perfect holiday, perfect health, our own youth, a family home.

But…we’re swept along by the tick of the clock into something new.

That was then, this is now.

And though it takes a little effort, reality tells us that we have to move on. It’s best to embrace it with excitement and dreams of promised joy.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend — with some peaceful moments to consider where you are, and where you’re going next.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff

  • All about amazing Grace! My dear friend Jenny has an incredible granddaughter — smart as a whip, so pretty, and waiting for help from the most brilliant medical researcher we can find. Grace has a rare genetic condition, ADCY5, and we’re raising $120,000 so a brilliant young Aussie researcher can help. We’re so close now at $86,178. (Our shortfall is $33,000 AUD but just $22,000 USD). If you want to help, Grace’s story is here.

All the Fun Stuff

Hi friends. It’s been a whirlwind week…or maybe a tornado week would be a better description. That’s why I am so excited for the weekend. It’s time for some Deliberate Fun.

It’s easy to sit back and hope that fun will happen to me, but usually I find the best way to have a good time and experience peace and joy is to BE the good time, and BE the peace and joy.

Today, I’ll use a few simple tricks that I know will bring happiness right into our home:

  • I’ll pop a gorgeous, bright tablecloth on the kitchen table.

  • I’ll make a delicious Sunday dessert.

  • I’ll learn something new — today it’s so simple: homemade mozzarella.

  • I’ll stop for an afternoon at-home coffee with someone I love.

  • I’ll go for a walk in the fallen autumn leaves in our suburb.

  • And I’ll notice every single thing we DO have.

I found a little quote a long time ago, and I loved it and kept it. (Apologies — not sure of the source.)

I hope your Sunday is filled with all the joy you can bring to it.

I hope you and your loved ones are well and safe.

I hope you have a house full of love: sunlight and friends, fresh air and new mornings, work and joy, people who need you and know you.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. More of the Fun Stuff!

How to Deal with Overwhelming Emotions

Hi friends. I hope your weekend has been filled with rest and peace…and some unexpected fun!

But if it hasn’t — I wanted to share my easiest trick for dealing with feeling overwhelmed. For years now, when too much is going on at once and I feel stuck or unsure, I use the One Piece of Paper Trick. I wrote about it in Chapter 23 of The 10 Minute Fix.

I take a huge sheet of paper…you can use anything, even A4, but I specifically bought one ream of A3 paper for this, and I am slowly using it through the years. I like something BIG for big thoughts and plans (and problems).

On the paper, I brain dump everything that’s going on, and I place those things in categories like Family, Work, Books, Health and Fitness, and any other topics that are on my heart and mind. Then I make lists of what is working, and what isn’t.

It helps so much to see everything on one page.

Try it for yourself and see — it’s the best way to plan and feel like you have a bird’s eye view of your life. You can group all your worries and joys in one place. A simple paper of paper can help you breathe a little easier, I promise.

And yes, I do still use my own book! I wrote it for others, but also myself, and it’s a collection of ideas I need to move forward with happiness, confidence and far less worry.

Enjoy this beautiful weekend. I hope something unexpected and lovely happens to you!

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

  • I’m trying to improve my chocolate chip cookies. I don’t know if it’s my oven or what, but my cookies are just not as good as usual. I’m going to try this recipe. Tips?? Let me know.

  • Remember this gorgeous line from Emily Dickinson? I am out with lanterns, looking for myself…

  • I know, I know, the photo looks pretty terrible, but I’ve seen this dress on so many women online and it looks AMAZING. I’m tempted to try it. (Note: they were all a bigger size, too, not super slim.)

  • A favourite song for table dancing (you know, when you’re all sitting around playing a game, or having some snacks and you shimmy your shoulders and bounce in your seat?). Also great for cleaning the kitchen. It’s the song that makes everyone sing along…wah, wah, wah….here on YouTube and here on Spotify.

A Fun Thing Lately

Hello from beautiful Sydney! Here’s a picture I took recently of the Opera House at dawn — isn’t it lovely? If you’re from overseas and haven’t visited here yet, you should consider Australia for your List. It’s such a beautiful country.

Now, onto some fun!

Lately my life has been extra Life-y, and you already know my favourite trick. When things are hard, I try to throw some good right back into the world. It somehow makes me feel like I’ve got more control that I really do. The “good” is often simple (running over to my elderly neighbour, Robert, with a piece of carrot cake, doing an adult son’s laundry when he’s extra busy, or smiling at someone in a shopping mall who looks like they need a lift.)

But here’s the other thing I’ve been trying recently.

I’ve been working on expanding my joy. When I feel happy, I try to focus on that feeling for a full minute — savour it and enjoy it.

I think of it this way.

Whatever is lovely or makes me feel happy, I imagine shining a metaphorical flashlight at it, so I can notice it and focus on it.

Does it make the worry go away? Not really.

But it makes me feel better and more balanced, and it makes me remember that life usually holds moments of peace and relief and happiness, even when things are hard.

If you’re in an extra Life-y season right now, I hope this helps you, too. And I’m sending all my thoughts your way for something beautiful and unexpected to happen to you today.

Love, Catherine x

P.S. The Fun Stuff!

  • Do you love to dance? Sharing with you a picture of… Ta Da! Our garage. Hahaha! Here’s the reason our garage is so fun. During Covid lockdown, we needed more space, so we started parking our cars outside and now we have a ‘gym’ and my favourite thing in the world…’a dance studio.’ This little string of lights from Bunnings and the peel and stick wall mirrors from IKEA make me so happy. Yes, it’s where my husband and I practice our dancing — and that’s exactly what we did for an hour on Saturday night. It’s my joy. I took a photo of it to shine a flashlight on it.

  • Open Door, Open Heart. A dear friend from Canada taught me how to make my own iced tea. Genius! Why have I never thought of this?? You can follow along here. She has the most beautiful heart.

  • My winter Aussie friends — this Kmart jumper dupe is so fantastic. Size down as it’s really quite big.

  • Wow. I’m sharing one more time because it’s AMAZING, I love the Shark Hairstyling tool my beautiful cousin gifted me for my birthday. I cannot get over how great it is. It’s pricey, but if that’s in your budget…you will not regret this. Link is here. Worth it.

A little hit of happiness for you today...

Hi everyone — and hello to you if you’re new here. I’m Catherine Greer, author and baker, Sunday dinner dessert maker, corporate copywriter and trainer, mum to two adult sons AND a stubborn little shih tzu pup. (You’re getting this email because you signed up at Love Our Age, probably after reading one of my books. Thank you! I am so, so glad you’re here.)

Today I have a little happiness tip for you, and it’s something I’ve always done with my own family. I think this is because I have sons — and they can be a bit light on the emotional details when we talk. Over the years, I’ve drifted into the habit of asking them two questions that cause the defences to tumble down.

First I say, “How are you?”

And then I say this:

Try it with someone you love and see what happens.

They’ll soften. They’ll look at you — and open their hearts.

The older I get, the more I realise that connection is the best and most beautiful thing we have. (Think about it: when was the last time YOU were asked “How are you — really?”) How does it make your heart feel to be asked that by me now?

If life is tricky for you today, I hope you have ways to give yourself a little break. I’m going to put some links to do-able things in The Fun Stuff below. Cookies! Hot chocolate! And if you need to heal or improve a relationship with someone you love, take a moment to ask them how they are…really.

Enjoy your Sunday. I hope you find all the peace you need today.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

  • First up, a tiny thing: this sugar free hot chocolate. Oh my goodness! It’s fantastic — even if you make it with water. Run to the shops and get some for yourself. It. Is. So. Good.

  • Take at look at my hair in the photo today. Guys, I have okay hair normally — it’s not my best feature by any means. BUT my beautiful cousin gifted me the BEST EVER styling tool for my birthday and all I can say is WOWWWWWWW. If you can afford this, I’d definitely invest in it. I feel so lucky to be given one, and I’d give it a million stars in my review. So good. So easy to use. In the photo above, I used the curling wand attachment and it’s just fabulous. Link is here. Worth it.

  • These gluten free cookies. Amazing, amazing, amazing and just three ingredients. You could whip them up in under ten minutes.

It's Mothering Sunday - plus more!

Hi everyone, and happy weekend!

Today is what I like to think of as Mothering Sunday…and it’s so important to say that if you’ve ever mothered anyone (kids or replacement kids or friends or people who need you, or beautiful furry besties like little Evie in this photo), then this message is for you.

I woke up today and I was so lucky…one of the girlfriends stayed over and she was up at the crack of dawn working on her tertiary Dental Assistant studies. My own kid wasn’t up yet. And she threw her arms around me and said, “Happy Mother’s Day. You’re an amazing mum.”

She’s not mine, but I’ve mothered her.

You’re probably the same — you’ve mothered friends and random kids and the elderly, and pets and even partners.

Here’s the truest thing I know about Love.

Love is what you give away.

It’s not what you wait to get.

I like to try this in action. When I’m low or blue, I give away as much love as I can. I throw it like confetti. I bury love like seeds. I fling it out my car windows and aim it at people’s tired faces when I see them in the mall.

So here’s my little tip for today. If you’re like me, and right now you need a little more love and care, GIVE YOUR LOVE AWAY.

It will float right back to you. But even if it doesn’t, it’ll make the world a softer place to be.

Happy Mothering Sunday.

Love, Catherine x

P. S. The fun stuff!

  • I’d love your support before the new The 10 Minute Fix II hits the shelves. If you love the first one, will you share a copy with someone else? The best-loved The 10 Minute Fix is here in Canada, in America, in the UK, in Germany and in Australia.

  • Love journalling? The 10 Minute Fix Journal is gorgeous, and every page is different, with over 200 writing prompts. You can get your journal here in America, in Canada, in the UK and in Australia.

  • And if you think this grey jumper is for you, it’s here and it’s so warm and cute. Also comes in cream.

  • Missing all my Canadians today. 🇨🇦 Just had the longest chat with one of my sisters….I’m the youngest of SIX kids! Remember how good it feels to reach out to the people you love.

Try this little tip today...

Hello, friends. How are you?

(And in case no one else has taken a second to ask, How are you really?)

I hope you’re taking a breath just now, and thinking of what you need, and what you might need to give to yourself.

  • An earlier bedtime?

  • A big salad filled with all the things you actually like?

  • A quick hand massage?

  • A treat?

It’s so easy for women to forget to do these little things for ourselves because we are always so busy looking after everyone else.

Case in point: take a look at this lovely little statue near Collaroy Beach in Sydney. She’s called The Knitting Girl and Care Package by artist Richard Stutchbury. It’s a war memorial that was so simple and moving it took my breath away. And yet, this little knitting wartime girl reminded me of this: women always care, care, care, care, care.

We’re taught to be the holders of care from the time we are little girls.

Sometimes I ask myself why it is so easy to forget about ourselves for months at a time. We seem to just…slip off the list.

Maybe you’re different than I am (more focused? more vigilant?) but I can easily forget to put myself on the list with health and movement and doing simple things that make ME happy. So here’s a reminder for you today: do that small thing you love. Do it for you, and with joy.

Enjoy your weekend.

Love,

Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff…

  • Sydneysiders — I went to The Collaroy for their salsa night. There’s a free class every Friday night and I love the vibe of Australians having fun. Just a thought: is it time to try something new-to-you?

  • How are your feet? If you have problems, you need to try toe spacers. I absolutely love these, and I’m so happy to report back that with four months of daily use, they have absolutely helped me get stronger feet and walk pain-free.

  • Making this delicious cake for my birthday brunch today. Yes, I’m celebrating with family and friends…

Hello...I'm back! And I missed you. 🩷

Hello, my friends.

After a four month break to recharge and reset, I’m back with regular Sunday morning (in Australia) emails straight to your inbox. If you’re not sure why you’re receiving this, I’m Catherine Greer, author of books including The 10 Minute Fix and Small Steps are Perfect, and you signed up for my weekly newsletter.

I have so many new thoughts and ideas to share with you!

Today, though, I just wanted to catch up and say that I’ve missed you. And I’m leaving you with this little question about your worries.

It’s always better to live high-vibe. Right? Right.

Enjoy your beautiful weekend. Have some fun, and be fun to live with!

Love, Catherine x

P.S. What you can expect ongoing…

  • So many of you are NEW here - hello, and welcome to all of you who’ve signed up in the last four months! I’ll be writing to you weekly with upbeat inspiration and hints and tips about wellness and happiness.

  • I’ll share new or old recipes I love - this one I can’t wait to try.

  • Little skills that look fun. I’ve always wanted to be able to do this. 🩷

Wishing you a wonderful holiday...

Hi everyone,

The gifts are wrapped, my family is together this year, and I’m ready to settle in and do a few last things for the holidays.

Rest.

Have fun.

Be fun.

And this — my most important value, and the message I always share.

What else is there, anyway?

Health isn’t guaranteed, and good fortune flows up and down, but love is the constant that we have some control over — how much we love, who we love, and who we treat as family, through blood or friendship.

From my little family in Sydney, Australia to you, I’m wishing you the best and brightest Christmas. (My boys are so tall and grown, I feel positively SHORT these days…but I’m still 5’7”, haha!)

These are my people, my whole heart. And of course, this little Christmas Evie is absolutely included in our circle, too.

I’ll see you on the other side of the holidays, my friends.

Thank you for travelling with me, and I wish you and yours the most amazing holiday.

Love Catherine x

P.S. The fun stuff!

  • This is the most beautiful Christmas song ever…you can listen here on Spotify or here on Youtube.

  • Ohhhh, I made Nagi’s Christmas Baked Salmon last night and my photo isn’t that gorgeous but WOW, it’s worth it!

  • I’m taking a little break now — and I’ll see you after the holidays! Not sure when I’ll be back, but I’m thinking mid to end January. Sending love to you until we meet again. ❤️