Hélène’s

I recently spent a long week-end with my daughter Bianca at a beautiful spa in California. Beyond the standard fitness classes, we also enjoyed less common experiences like mountain hikes and...

I snapped at the pool guy who was giving me a hard time for not adding water to our rental's leaky pool. I hung up on the Blue Cross Blue Shield rep who left me on hold for 1/2 hour while he was...

On day 1 of my husband's ski trip last week, he had a freak accident and tore the ACL in his right knee. Now he's back home and we've had to re-orient our lives to address this unwelcome surprise....

I just finished a one-hour virtual sing-along and it was so much fun I couldn't wait to tell you about it! Today's session featured the songs of the prolific composer and performer Carole King. Do...

Last week, I posted in my free Facebook group, Empowering Women in Midlife, about my paid offering, the recently rebranded THRIVE Coaching Community for Women 40+. I was excited to share that this...

A few months ago, my husband Peter and I went to beautiful coastal Montauk, NY for the weekend. On our flight back to Chicago, only 1/2 hour from landing, the captain got on to alert us that we...

I have a difficult relationship with gifts. I love discovering special gifts that the recipients might enjoy but not find or buy for themselves. That takes quite a bit of thought and research. I...

Oh yes, she did. We were staying overnight in Chattanooga (the halfway point on our drive from Chicago to Sarasota) at the lovely pet-friendly Westin Hotel. We had taken 1-year-old Marley for a walk...

We each have our own way of coping with the crap in our lives. I used to eat. SUGAR and CARBS were my go-to. Ice cream sundaes. French toast doused in butter and syrup. Warm chocolate chip cookies....

Earlier this year, I shared a personal crisis with a long-time friend of mine over dinner. She showed interest and asked questions. She got teary-eyed as she listened. She assured me that she was...