Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Following up on Episode 49: “This Is 50”, I provide listeners with an update on my commitment to “trying all the things” and to “filling up my joy bucket” to help smooth the transition to empty nester that is coming soon. 

I share the story of how I re-discovered my love of writing (which I discussed in last week's podcast with author Ann Dowsett Johnston, who is also my writing coach), and I read a piece (*gulp, this was the scariest thing I've done in a while!) that I hope will resonate with many of the busy women who listen to this podcast, about what we miss out on when we rush through life with the goal of always achieving, and don’t slow down enough to get present for the ordinary, in-between days (where all the joy lives.)

Does your life look great on paper, but it still feels like something’s missing? Grab your free Blueprint for Change Workbook here: ...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Ann Dowsett Johnston is an award-winning journalist and the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, a book named one of the top 10 of the year by the Washington Post. Ann is also now a psychotherapist, and my mentor and writing coach. 

Ann joins me for a discussion about the new face of women’s recovery, and the powerful role that writing can play for women recovering from addictions and over-drinking, eating disorders, illness, and trauma. We also discuss the new ending Ann has planned for the 10th-anniversary edition of Drink and what Ann is exploring in her second book, which she’s hard at work on now.

We discuss why, almost 10 years later, as Ann so aptly stated in Drink, alcohol is still “the modern woman’s steroid”, and how the overwhelm and stress of the pandemic has spiked drinking levels and continued to normalize women’s drinking as a...

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Join me as I interview Kathryn Elliott, a heavy binge drinker for over 20 years and recent breast cancer survivor. Kathryn shares her story of binge drinking including her frequent blackouts and resulting guilt and shame. She explains why binge drinking often goes unchecked for too long. She also shares the breast cancer diagnosis that came on the heels of her decision to go alcohol-free, and the tremendous gifts that have come from that challenging time in her life.

Now an alcohol-free certified coach through This Naked Mind, Kathryn helps others break the binge drinking cycle and find their own freedom. She provides some helpful strategies for anyone struggling to control their binge drinking. Find out more about Kathryn at: www.thealcoholmindsetcoach.com

Are you questioning your own drinking? Start here (it’s free!): www.wendymccallum.com/myths

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Sarah and I (finally - we've been patiently waiting for this chance!) interview Erika Burger, a pelvic floor physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience.

We discuss the role of pelvic floor health for women (men, and children), why we’re not talking about it enough, and the surprisingly long list of common midlife women’s wellness conditions that this specialized yet rarely discussed branch of physiotherapy can support, including vaginal pain, sciatica and back pain, bladder issues, and frequent urination.

Sarah and I share our personal stories of pelvic floor physio treatment and the incredible results we had.

This was an eye-opening conversation for both of us, so we know you will find it invaluable!

Erika Burger: https://www.thepelvichealthclinic.ca/

Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free peri/menopause checklist, here: https://www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist

This is my favourite mocktail!

Mix over ice:

2 tbsp+ elderflower syrup (IKEA sells this, as do many specialty markets and food stores - add to desired sweetness)

juice of 1/4 lime

a 1/4 cup or so of fresh mint leaves, muddled or crushed a bit

soda water to fill the glass

garnish with more lime.

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

I chat with Mitch Cobb, Co-Founder and CEO of Upstreet Brewing and Libra Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer about the alcohol-free drink market, the sober curious movement, and our shared mission to normalize socializing without alcohol.

Mitch shares how he came to start a craft brewery on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and soon after began exploring his own relationship with alcohol, as well some fascinating behind-the-scenes details on how alcohol-free beer is made and marketed.

This is a fun and light conversation around what it means to find your balance and how having a great alcohol-free alternative on hand can make that easier. 

For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy

Libra Alcohol-Free Craft Beer: www.drinklibra.ca

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Sarah and I reflect on our recent mind-blowing interview with Dr. Lori Brotto, psychologist, professor, and renowned sexual health researcher about women’s desire in midlife.

We dig into:

   the difference between spontaneous and responsive desire

   the connection between desire and stress

   the challenge that burnt-out, overwhelmed women have when it comes to responsive desire and

    our thoughts on how women can lay the groundwork for increased desire with self-care and boundary-setting.

It's a good one! 

Free Burnout Checklist: www.wendymccallum.com/checklist

Watch the podcast, above, or listen below.

Let's talk about sex, baby!

Sarah and I interview Dr. Lori Brotto, psychologist, professor, and renowned sexual health researcher about women’s desire in midlife.

This is a discussion you won’t want to miss! Topics include the difference between spontaneous and responsive desire, the impact of midlife hormonal changes on desire, the connection between stress and lowered desire, how to identify your personal “gas pedals v brakes” when it comes to desire, the importance of scheduling intimacy and sex, and the impact of mindfulness on desire. This is a jam-packed episode that will give you a brand-new perspective on desire!

Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free perimenopause/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist

Great news! Breakfast cookies are a thing, and these just happen to be gluten, dairy & and refined sugar-free, but somehow still decadent enough to eat for dessert! 

Ingredients:

2 mashed ripe bananas

1/3 c maple syrup

1/4 c coconut oil, melted

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

3 c slow cook rolled oats

1/4 c sunflower seeds

1/4 c raisins

1/3 c dark chocolate chips

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

To make: 

In a medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, maple syrup, coconut oil, egg and vanilla.

In a large bowl, combine oats, seeds, raisins, chocolate chips, chia, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well,

Add wet to dry and combine.

On parchment-lined baking sheets, drop cookies in about 2.5 tbsp amounts (about 8 per sheet), They won’t really spread much, so they don’t need a lot of space in between them.  Lightly press the top of each with a spatula to gently condense (not flatten!).

...