Zoe Loves the Second Act

  1. Never shake hands at anyone without standing up. 2. In a negotiation, never make the first offer. 3. If they trust you a secret, keep it. 4. If they lend you a car, return it with a full tank. 5. Do things with passion or don't do it at all. 6. When you shake your hand make it firm and look that person in the eye. 7. Live the experience of traveling alone. 8. Never turn down a mint, the reasons are obvious. 9. Take advice if you want to grow old. 10. Come eat with the new person at school/office. 11. When you text someone and you're angry: finish, read it, delete it, and rewrite the message. 12. At the table you don't talk about work, politics, or religion. 13. Write your goals, and work on them. 14. Defend your point of view but be tolerant and respectful to others. 15. Call and visit your relatives. 16. Never regret anything, learn from everything 17. Compassion and loyalty must be present in your personality. 18. Don't lend money to someone you know won't pa...

  Middle age, menopause, those are years away right?!!! Weight gain, tiredness, irritability, no, they won’t happen to me!!! But they do & they have! Last October I hit 48 & felt great, then almost immediately after my birthday I started having all sorts of strange symptoms that I now know I have to put down to perimenopause!!! So, this is where women of a certain age either mope around for their lost youth or grab the bull by the horns & get on with it, right?!! But it’s not always that clear cut is it? No I’m not pining for my lost youth, yes of course I wish I had the same youthful figure & taut skin I had in my 20’s & 30’s but I’m also happy in my own skin & with the knowledge, confidence and experience I’ve gained over the years. No, it’s none of those things at all, ageing doesn’t worry me, I’m truth I’m a big believer that ageing is a privilege but, it’s the changes in ME that’s bothering me. From as far back as I can remember I’ve always ...

  To travel is one of the best life experiences you can have as there is so much to see out in the big wide world. I was extremely lucky that my career as a Professional Dancer took me all over the world dancing on some of the top Cruise Liners and it's the best thing I ever did. As well as having the time of my life and having some of the best experiences anyone could wish for, I also met my fabulous husband & father of my children on one of my contracts. Travel teaches you so many things including who you are as a person. Here are some of the most important lessons I've learnt whilst travelling the world.  TO HAVE EMERGENCY MONEY & A CREDIT CARD FOR EMERGENCIES  This speaks for itself but you never know when you could get caught in a difficult situation and having an emergency fund is vital.   TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS AND APPRECIATE EVERY SECOND  Some people can only dream of being able to see the world so if you are...

  Throughout 2022 & 2023 I’ve been doing a lot of work on myself & tried to spend more time on self care, you can’t pour from an empty cup which is what I, and many many people do every day. My kids are teenagers now with Isabelle having just started University and, whilst they still need me for many things, especially emotionally, the physical day to day things such as organising play dates etc etc gets easier as they have so much more independence now. I ‘found podcasts’ last year which I love to listen to whilst I’m driving. There’s a whole wealth of knowledge out there and It’s opened up my mind to the importance of incorporating self care in to my every day life and getting in to a good daily/weekly/monthly routine.     Gratitude & Journaling This has been a game changer for me, daily gratitude is so important. Despite difficult times in the economy, we still all have a lot to be grateful for. Daily gratitude can be shown in many ways but, I lik...

  Around 6 years ago my husband Tony & our children Isabelle & Max were constantly nagging me to agree to us getting a puppy, but I really wasn’t keen. Tony was brought up with dogs, but I wasn’t and, although I do like dogs, I certainly wouldn’t particularly consider myself a ‘dog person’. I was concerned as I’m the one who is at home during the mornings so I knew I’d be the one who’d have to deal with the puppy and didn’t feel I’d know what I was doing & it made me nervous. However, somehow or another they managed to persuade me & on December 30 th 2017 I found myself sat in our car on the way to Stoke -On-Trent to pick up our new Cavachon Puppy, a baby girl we had named Dora after my beloved Great Grandma. Tony had researched the breeder thoroughly and we got her from a wonderful breeder Jenna who does an amazing job. As soon as I saw Dora, to say I fell in love instantly is a complete understatement and I surprised myself just how much I adored her uncondit...

    FABULOUS THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST MONTH 1. Isabelle settled in well & Uni 2. A few lovely visits to see her in Leeds 3. ‘ Strictly’ has started – I love it 4. Max got lots more work experience helping backstage at the theatre 5. Tony got accepted to run the London Marathon again – nutter   LIFESTYLE, LEISURE, PLACES & HOME Taking your first child to Uni! So last week was a very emotional one to say the least! The pride we feel in Isabelle on being accepted at Uni to study Law is beyond belief, but saying goodbye to our gorgeous girl & not having her at home has been hard. I’m so so excited for her, she’s had a blast during freshers week, met loads of new friends, can’t wait for her course to start and has the world at her feet. Leeds is a fantastic city with so many opportunities & is also quite near home should she need us for anything. As a mum though it’s a strange feeling. A few of my friends are in the same position and al...

  Everyone needs their 'Happy Places', either somewhere they enjoy going to escape, a safe haven or so where that brings back lots of happy memories or brings them lots of joy. I have quite a few happy places and it's such an important thing in my life to have these places that bring me peace, joy, happiness and tranquility.   MY HOME As a lead a very busy life, whenever I get a day or evening off to spend at home I'm in heaven. The house we are in now isn't our forever home but I still love it and it's a nice place to be. I can't stand mess and everything has to have a place, I can't relax on an evening if things haven't been put away. That said, it's still a warm and cosy house and I adore having my lamps & candles lit and to create a welcoming ambience. Last Summer we purchased a Summer House for our garden which has also become a tranquil, happy place where I love to go to read.     MY MUM & DADS HOME Although this wasn...