Blog - Alison's Notebook

Smiling woman over 60 in a red peacoat, plaid scarf, dark jeans and cuffed brown boots outside a house with Christmas lights

8 Christmas Eve Outfit Ideas For Women Over 60 (Cozy And Festive)

What are you doing on Christmas Eve this year? Maybe you’re going to a candlelight service. Maybe the family is coming to your house for dinner. Or maybe you’ll stay …

A vintage mink stole, a long mink coat with its satin lining showing, and a small mink hat with a bow laid out on a white bed

Mom’s Mink Stole: What to Do With Old Furs Nobody Wears

My sister lifted the garment bag off the hook and unzipped it slowly, as if something might jump out. Something soft and brown slid into her arms. It was our …

Smiling woman over 60 in a navy striped boat-neck top, white linen maxi skirt, straw hat and brown sandals on a beach walkway

8 Coastal Grandma Outfits For Women Over 60 (Easy And Breezy)

Do you love that easy, beachy look? Soft linen, crisp white shirts, and a big straw hat? That look has a name now. People call it coastal grandma style. It’s …

Two open boxes of Christmas decorations, a wreath and a tangle of lights on a dining table, with a laundry basket of garland on a chair

A 4-Week Plan to Declutter Before You Decorate for Christmas (Over 60)

The box said “Dining Room Lights” in my handwriting, and I hadn’t opened it in four years. It sat on the top shelf of the hall closet, behind the boxes …

Three vintage Hummel figurines, a collector plate with a snowy village scene, and a woven basket on a dining table

The Things I Was Sure Were Worth Money (Hummels, Collector Plates, Longaberger) and What They Really Sold For

For twenty Christmases, my mother gave me a Hummel. Each one came in a little white box, wrapped in tissue paper. A boy with a fishing pole. A girl with …

Smiling woman over 60 in a navy cable sweater over a blue oxford shirt, cream pants, brown loafers and a tan handbag on a leafy fall sidewalk

8 Old Money Outfits For Women Over 60 (Classic And Easy)

Have you ever seen a woman who looks polished without trying too hard? Her clothes are simple. Her colors are soft. Nothing is loud or flashy. And yet she always …

Three old stamp albums, a coffee can of old coins, coin sets in envelopes and a magnifying glass on a kitchen table

Dad’s Stamp and Coin Collections: What Decades of a Hobby Are Really Worth

Three stamp albums. One heavy coffee can. Twenty-six coin sets, still in their mailing envelopes. That’s what my father left in the bottom drawer of his desk. My mother never …

Folded crocheted afghans and an old patchwork quilt stacked in the middle of a wooden dining table, with a striped afghan over a chair

Mom’s Quilts and Afghans: Which Ones to Keep, and Where the Rest Can Do Good

My mother never sat down in the evening without a crochet hook in her hand. She kept her yarn in a basket by the bed. She watched the news with …

Woman over 70 in a navy swim dress, white linen shirt, straw sun hat and tan sandals walking on the beach

8 Swimsuits For Women Over 70 (Comfortable And Flattering)

When was the last time you felt good in a swimsuit? For many of us, it’s been a while. Swimsuits can feel tight, hard to pull on, or too revealing. …

An old film camera, a black sewing machine case, a stack of record albums, a red plaid wool blanket and a video game cartridge on a wooden kitchen table

The Old Things I Almost Gave Away That Sold for More Than I Expected

The best money I made this fall came out of my donation tote. It’s the canvas tote that hangs on a hook in my laundry room. When it fills up, …