Blog - Alison's Notebook

Smiling older woman with blonde hair in an emerald green A-line coat, black mock-neck sweater, black jeans and knee-high boots waving on a small-town street in fall

7 Tummy Hiding Outfits That Look Polished, Not Baggy

Do you ever stand at the closet and wonder which top will hide your tummy today? Most of us have been there. Our middle changes as we get older, and …

Older woman in an emerald green satin blouse with a French tuck, dark jeans and leopard flats reaching for apples at a fall farmers market

7 Ways To Tuck In A Shirt (With A Full Outfit For Each)

Have you ever tucked in a shirt, looked in the mirror, and pulled it right back out? You’re not alone. A tuck can look puffy, too tight, or just not …

Box lined with white tissue paper holding nine small teddy bear figurines on a kitchen table, with the lid beside it

Giving While Living: Handing Things Down Now So You Can See Them Enjoyed

Every Mother’s Day, when my daughter was a little girl, she gave me a small bear. She picked each one out herself at the card shop. Her dad helped her …

Smiling older woman with silver hair in a white shirt, dark jeans and red flats sitting on a bench in front of a glass conservatory

How To Style A White Shirt (7 Fresh Outfits For Women Over 60)

Do you have a white shirt in your closet that you hardly ever wear? Maybe you bought it because everyone says you should own one. But now you’re not sure …

Upstairs hallway with an open bathroom, bedroom and linen closet, and a laundry basket of towels and a box of old bathroom bottles on the carpet

Easy Rooms First: A Room-by-Room Guide That Makes Decluttering Doable After 60

It was a Saturday morning years ago, and I had made up my mind. Today was the day I would clear out the spare room. I picked it because it …

Paper grocery bags, a marker and a box of things to give away on a kitchen table

Decluttering on a Fixed Income: Free Pickups, Free Help and What’s Worth Selling

The bins were clear plastic with blue snap-on lids. I bought six of them before I had cleared a single shelf. This was years ago, back when I thought getting …

Smiling plus size older woman with short silver hair in a green wrap top, black pants and black flats walking on a Kansas City sidewalk at golden hour

Big Belly Outfits (7 Comfy Looks That Flatter Your Middle)

Do you ever pull on a top, look in the mirror, and wish it fit you better around the middle? Lots of women carry a little more weight in their …

Three handwritten lists taped inside an open kitchen cabinet door, with a cup of coffee and a pen on the counter below

Good Days and Hard Days: Matching Decluttering Jobs to Your Energy After 70

“Some days I can clean out a whole closet. Some days I can’t open a jar of pickles.” My friend from church said that to me over coffee last month. …

A stack of old colorful mixing bowls on a wooden kitchen table beside a box of trash bags, with a chair pulled out

Decluttering on Your Own Terms After 60 (Before Anyone Pushes You)

The biggest mistake I ever made with my mother happened in her kitchen, with a box of garbage bags in my hand. She was in her late 70s. Her house …

Smiling older woman with short platinum hair in a sapphire blue sweater dress and nude heels walking past a historic Newport house

How To Look Rich And Classy On A Budget (7 Simple Secrets For Women Over 60)

Have you ever seen a woman who looks rich and classy, and wondered how she does it? She may not be wearing anything fancy. Her clothes just fit well, look …