40ish - Lounge Sets, Compost Bins & The Midlife Glow-Up

Episode Date: October 6, 2026

This week on 40ish: we kick off with the ultimate sign that Christmas is approaching: booking the Ocado Christmas delivery slot and immediately announcing it on the family WhatsApp. Because nothing says festive spirit quite like securing your sprouts three months early. We hear from a listener who discovered 40ish at 47 when she was feeling miserable and alone, and says the podcast helped her feel seen, empowered and much more positive about midlife. In Midlife News, there is promising new research into a potential non-invasive test for womb cancer and reducing the need for invasive investigations such as hysteroscopies. Hooray!  This week's dilemma: the lounge set. Is it a tracksuit? Is it a co-ord? Is it pyjamas that have been promoted to daywear? Our listener wants to know whether an oatmeal wide-leg M&S lounge set is chic, chavvy or practical midlife dressing. We investigate the great lounge-set rebrand and discuss where women over 40 can find clothes that are comfortable enough for the sofa but respectable enough for the supermarket. Finally, the midlife meltdown that proves we really have entered a new phase of life. One listener is turning 48 and for her birthday, her husband has given her her heart's desire: a 300-litre outdoor garden compost bin with a flip latch. Honestly? She couldn't be happier.Forget diamonds. Forget handbags. Apparently, the road to midlife happiness is organic waste management. Because this is 40ish: midlife, but make it compostable. 💌 Send us your dilemmas and rants: [e-mail]📱 Follow: @40ish.podcast Try AG1 now at https://drinkag1.com/selfcare and get £20 off your first order + 5 AG1 Travel Packs for on the go, a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2, and the Welcome Kit for FREE. No risk with the 30- day money-back guarantee.  Find all details about the health benefits in the link. Study results are on file with AG1, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Okay, when I sell my business, I want the best tax and investment advice. I want to help my kids, and I want to give back to the community. Ooh, then it's the vacation of a lifetime. I wonder if my head of office has a forever setting. An IG Private Wealth advisor creates the clarity you need with plans that harmonize your business, your family, and your dreams. Get financial advice that puts you at the center. Find your advisor at IG Private Wealth.com.

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Download the 26 Performance Playbook and discover why Spotify belongs in your media plan. That was a serious sigh. It is because buzzers. I know she doesn't look tight, but Lauren has been very naughty this weekend. Yeah. Have I?

Yeah. You besiexting me. Hi, Lauren and Nicole. I know you love to have a chat about not knowing what to wear, so please can you be sexting me? both weighed in here and helped me regarding. Okay, we're ending on our most 40-ish moments. Mine is very simple and very straightforward.

And I say it every September and this September should be no different from ones that came before it. But scared. Don't be scared. Hello everybody. Welcome to 40-ish. I'm Nicole Goodman. And I'm Lauren Mishkan.

This is the podcast tackling the chaos of 40-something life, diving into the next. use your stories, your dilemmas, and bringing our own stuff and nonsense. Nonsense, meltdowns, moaning, joy, discoveries. Discoverers. Empowerments, involvements. Wow. It's been a big week. It hasn't.

It hasn't. Clearly. I don't want to give fools advertising, so it has not. It has not. You know, just all the stuff that you manage at midlife, you hear from us, we hear from you. It's a two-way conversation. We love hearing from you. Thank you for always being in touch.

And if you do want to be in touch, you can send us your emails. Hello at 40ish.com.com. UK. And what a lot of the listeners do is they send in the things that they're melting down about, the things that they're moaning about, the things that they have questions about, dilemmas. I mean, we had someone writing in last week telling us about how she held a very serious band's finger for about five seconds. That was just the funniest story of ever heard.

She's like, why did I do that? And that has tickled me all week. It was brilliant. We had a woman today who sent us a video of someone trying to chop butternut squash squash and it flying all over the house. Yes. Because she was listening to your butternut squash recipe for last week. Yeah. So yeah, it all goes on.

You can also DM us on Instagram if you want to. Hello. No. What's the DM? At 40ish. Dot podcast. You always say that they can DM us. Then you never give the handle.

That might be my mind. So follow us on Instagram. They know how to DM us. Well, they might not. Why? Because they're midlifers. No, they might not follow us on Instagram. Oh, then you should be following us on Instagram.

We have more listeners than we do followers on social media. That's true. So there you go. Can't follow us on Instagram. It's quite fun there. It's where all the really stupid stuff happens. I'm going to read you the listener meltdown, but I'm going to tell you something in advance of me reading this

that it is written by my actual friend. And it is real. Interrupting this episode very quickly to say that if you are loving 40ish, we would be so grateful if you could share this episode or this show with a friend. The more ears we reach, the more we can keep bringing 40-ish to all the brilliant midlife women who need to hear it. Hi ladies. I didn't think this was a midlife meltdown until I heard myself saying it out loud to my friend. The friend, by the way, is me. Oh, spoiler-related. But I now know that I am firmly middle-aged. I'm turning 48 next week.

Last year my husband bought me a day trip to a spa, the year before he bought me an LED face mask. Yeah. This year, he has bought me my heart's desire and better still, he built and assembled it and put it in its rightful place. I'm about to be the proud owner of a 300-liter outdoor garden compost bin. It is eco-friendly, an organic waste converter with, wait for it, a flip latch and it's for my allotment. I am chuffed to bits. Why is that a meltdown? Because she realized that it's like...

Yeah, she's arrived. That's her heart's, her true heart's desire. Yeah, she's so happy about it, but actually the meltdown is, oh my God, I'm so old. But she genuinely told me this with such glee. Like, he is building it today. I was like, what is it? I'm thinking, like, has he bought her an outdoor sauna? A hot tub or something?

She's like, it is a compost. Outdoor sauna. I was silenced. And then I said, you know, that is deeply middle-aged. She's like, no, 20-somethings have composters. I was like, do they, Catherine? Do they? 20-somethings don't go to the allotment, or do they?

I'm not very in the allotment world. I mean, I've been to her allotment. I didn't see a lot of... You're not a 20-something. No, but what I'm saying is whilst there, I didn't feel like the oldest person there by any stretch. So you're basically proving my point. I'm saying it's not for the youth.

No. I mean, they're all. We're agreeing. We're agreeing. There are like, listen, there are some hipsters on the allotment. There are. But it is more a place for the sort of older slash semi-retired slash retired person. Well, it's for the people that have time to be on an allotment.

I mean, she has a full-time job and two children's like. That's why she needs the allotment. Yeah. And the composter, I guess. But anyway, she, I felt like it was a peak midlife moment there. You know? Peak. peak

So what's your meltdown? Oh I wrote it down Then I deleted it Why? Because the last time I Brought something of a similar ilk I was mocked

Is it about shoes? I was teased It's about shoes You openly Shamed me on the podcast For being so boring So I thought if I bring it again That's the podcast

If I bring it again is the podcast. I'm setting myself up. I'm setting myself up. Okay, I understand, but that's why people listen. They like us bantering. They like us bouncing off of each other. I can do it with a slant of kindness if you'd prefer.

You won't. I will, I will, go. I went to a 50th on Saturday night. I'm going to be there, yeah. I went to a 50th on Saturday night. I'm going to be kind. It was in a pub. So I wasn't, like, again, what does one wear?

The 50th a few weeks ago, it was cocktail. So dress up heels of the full works. This one was in a pub very low key. But still, a 50th, you don't want to like go in a sweatshirt. So I thought, okay, I'm going to go with me old faithful, my black denim jumpsuit. You know the one. You look great in that. Classic.

It's got a lot of elastic in it. You look great in that. Because it's got a lot of elastic in it. So I thought that is the easiest thing. Put that on, pair of trainers. Done. I am done. Yes.

we have three and a half minutes before we're leaving the house I put it on the zip which by the way goes from the neck right down to the nanny it is broken it is gone it I do yeah yeah there's that yeah right but I don't know at what point it broke because the last of my war it was fine there was never an incident of breakage yeah it broke in the wardrobe it's literally broken folded in the wardrobe yeah there was nothing I could do right absolutely so it's gone so I'm gutted I can't bring a broken zip story to hear because last time I brought a broken zip on a jumpsuit story

I was you know ripped to shreds you have just brought a broken zip story to the show I know so the meltdown was I then had a minute and a half to decide what to wear to a 50th tub to find a new outfit oh that's hard that's rough that is rough but also didn't have too long to kind of worry over it because had to leave house what's you going oh I went in leather leggings leather leggings leather leggings and a denim shirt. I literally just suck it on in two seconds, same trainers and left the house. It was fine.

It was actually completely... What am I taking... What am I... Sorry. The fact that I brought another broken jumpsuit zip story to this show. Because last time I did that, you were not happy.

But that is the truth. No, no. It wasn't that I wasn't happy about it. It's that you told every minutiaeat detail about how you then took it to the dry cleaners. Your dry cleaners. My dry cleaners. Oh, you were so happy when you left the dry cleaners.

It was the fact that you told me about it. It like took up the majority of the morning. And it's like, you know what? You're an intelligent woman. You're a really funny woman. You are full of the chat. You are full of laughter. We have the, like, there is no one I prefer spending time with than you.

Honestly, not that morning because you were like dull as fucking dishwater that morning. Because all you want to talk about was the zip. It's like, you are better than this. Where is my friend? To be fair, it was, it was pre-HRT. Was it? Yeah. But now you see, what do I do?

Because I reckon replacing the Zip is going to cost as much as the jump so it costs in the first. No, no, no, no, no. No. No. No. Do I fix it or not? Do I fix it or do I let it go? Which, I don't know what to do.

It's sitting in my bedroom. All right, you know what? Please. I do have something to add. Go on. because it wasn't an expensive jump suit, was it? It was a Zara jump suit. Okay.

Maybe what, 45, 50 quid, maybe. Right. So a new zip on a jumpsuit, I know, is going to cost about 30 quid. So, but, right. Yeah. Hold on. Yeah. So I had a, I cannot believe we now.

I've dragged you in, but I have, but it's happened. Do you see how easily it happens? Well done. You're welcome. Well done. So much more. but here we seem to be. Yep, yep.

You're all ears, aren't you? Yeah. Look at your little face. You're so excited to hear. No one else is going to solve this for me. So I had a jumpsuit from ASOS, a hooded track suit all in one. I remember it.

Gray. Yes. Okay. The zip broke. It was, this jumpsuit must have been, I would say no more than 25, 30. quid, okay? It broke maybe three years ago.

I loved this all in one hoodie. It was a great, all in one hoodie to stick on and it had like an elasticated way so it had a bit of shape, like stick it on when you're around the house, you're in a tractsuit, you're not in a tractsuit, you could pop out to the shop, still feel quite dressed, you're okay. Takes you sort of anywhere midweek. Yeah.

Won't wear it out for dinner. Yeah. Zip broke. Fuck it. I thought, I'm not replacing that. That was a cheap jumpsuit. Yeah. This jumpsuit has been hanging up in my wardrobe for three years. Why didn't you get rid of it once you'd made the decision? Because I love it. Oh no.

That is some hoarder mentality right there. You see, no, now that's not kind. Either fix it or get out, get it out your wardrobe. I have been supportive thus far. Have I not? You have, but it's taking up retail space. No, so it's all right for you to be mean to me, but I can't be mean to you. I'm genuinely asking you for advice.

I'm about to give it to you, but you're so big. busy telling me I'm a hordron judging me that I'm not sure I want to give it to you now. No please I need the advice. Say sorry. I'm so sorry. Promise you never do it again? No, definitely, definitely. Not promising that.

Anyway, it's sat in my wardrobe for three years. Okay, just let go of the Twitch. I know that's very difficult for you to imagine, but it did. And every time I look at my wardrobe, I just thought, I really miss that one piece hoodie. I miss it. So what did I do? Three months ago I took it to the dry cleaners

and I got the zip fix It cost me £28.99. Yeah. But are you so thrilled? What? It's actually been too hot to wear it It was still like semi-summer. Yeah.

But yeah, I am so thrilled. I did put it on a few weeks ago but again it was like it was just too hot. I am very excited to wear it and the fact that I'd bought it about six years ago it doesn't feel too because I've now got like a new jumpsuit. What I'm basically saying is

Fix the zip. Yeah, you're right. Fix it. It's going to serve me this winter and also I'm not going to get a new jumpsuit for 28 quid, am I? And also that jumpsuit, you look great in that jumpsuit. So keep it. And sometimes you just can't,

you'll look for that jumpsuit everywhere and you will never find it. That's what I thought. Okay, off to the dry cleaners, I will be. Thank you. You're welcome. Right, what's your meltdown? My meltdown is, well, I've got a few.

I've got a few. Okay. I've got a few. Okay, I'll go. All right, I'll go over this one. That was a serious sigh for what it is. Because Quazas, I know she doesn't look the type, but Lauren has been very naughty this weekend.

Have I? Yeah. Have I? Yeah. You've been sexting me. Don't you? You've been. sexting me. Yeah, I've been sexting me. She has been sending me some raunchy WhatsApp that really is

not for the public consumption. You're not going to read them out. I am going to read them out. I have to. So rude. I have to. I'm not sure they'll be able to take it. Better put a trigger warning at the top of the show. This is the message I got from Lauren the other day. Because often like Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we don't speak that much because we're not really working or we're doing our own thing and we don't really need to be in communicado the whole day, do we? Monday to Thursday, I'll speak to you 100 times. So was it Saturday? I don't know.

I think it was Saturday. So I haven't really spoken to you maybe for 24 hours. And by the way, Lauren's not like a gushy texter. No. Hi. Like my friend Sarah is so good. Hi. You always get hi.

Miss you. Love you. How are you? You would never get that from me. I mean, I'd think. you'd think I had like some problem. I would be calling Ollie saying you need to go and check on Lauren. Either someone's hacked her phone.

Yeah. Yeah. Or there's something going on with her mind. Yeah. I get, not hello, how's your weekend? Kids okay,

Daisy okay, everyone okay, nothing. I get. I don't even know what's coming. I get, send me link to your mop and your ice cream cake recipe. and squash recipe.

I had already asked you for that, though. I think that was just a reminder. So I wrote back, stops, stop. I wrote back, stop sexting me. Did that make you laugh? Yeah.

Yeah, but you didn't like, didn't show me. I didn't tend to laugh at you. No, you didn't show me because I thought that was really funny. Yeah, it was funny. Yeah. Thank you.

You see, no words of affirmation gone from Lauren. None. So it was like, wow, we used to have such fun together. Now all you want me is for my link to my steam op. But you did send it. I did send it. I did send it.

And I did use it. The steam op or the link. The link. Should we talk about where it's going? Yeah, where have I put that link and why did I want that link? Yeah. I'll tell you for why. Go on.

Because you know how we mention endless amounts of staff on the 40th. podcast well and what happens is some of the quazers then DM us or email us oh can you send the link to that washing line can you send the link to your recipe can you yeah where is that eyeliner from what are those shoes you're talking about so in our substack which by the way is called the midlife club there is going to be a newsletter that goes out on the reg and in the newsletter will be all the links to all the stuff that we discuss in the show. So, this week's newsletter has the links to your family favorite ice cream cake. Yeah.

My raspberry and chocolate ice cream, Tareen, the Oreo cake that I made the other day, the white kitten heels, your steam mop. It's all in there. It's all there. All the stuff that we are discussing on here, we have decided we're putting it on our substack. Yeah. But what we need from you, Quazas, is to come and subscribe to our substack.

I am not into substack. In fact, the other day, I tried to get into our substack and you then messaged me saying, are we being hacked or are you trying to get into our substack? There was so many emails, weren't there? Here's another verification code. Here's another one. Here's another one.

It's taken, I don't even know why. Anyway, I'm in now. Great. I'm in. Cool. Yeah. So it's called the Midlife Club. So they go onto Substack and they just look for the Midlife Club and they'll find us.

That's exactly it. And there's a photo of us. us. There is. Laughing. Yes, that's the one. Apparently, Quazas,

Lauren, so I went into Substack today to see like where our paid subscription is, where our subscription is. And Lauren's doing really well.

She's written loads of articles on there and we've got like nearly 700 subscribers on there. So it's growing nicely at a steady pace. We haven't been doing it for a few weeks.

So, and Lauren puts all her musings down there. If you like, you'll like Lauren writing if you like the show. So I definitely encourage you to come over. Now apparently our paid subscription is starting

Tuesday. Tuesday. Well it would have gone at last Tuesday. It will but also at the last Tuesday. Yes, but the joy is you can come and be a founding member. What does that mean? It means you get a whopping great discount

and it means the price for you will never rise even if the price went up in five years time. and you get to be a founding member So how much is it? It is five pounds a month. Five pounds a month. So it's five pounds a month. You can pay monthly or you can pay annually

and founding members get a whopping discount. Nice. So come and be a founding member of the Midlife Club. Nice. Do you know what has got the most love of everything I've done on Substack is a photograph of my colour-coded bookshelf.

I cannot tell you the outpouring of love from the Substack community. They're like, this is, I'm all over this There's rainbows, there's a bar underneath it It's like the stuff of dreams Yeah, it's all you need These are my favourite things, books, alcohol And order

Yeah, and rainbows Rainbows are not your favourite thing No, not my favourite thing, the Substack community The Order is my favourite thing Order, yeah Anyway, come over, it's fun It is fun on Substack if you're into it It's very non-performative

Yeah, oh What fucking relief that is Yeah No one cares. Everyone says just whatever they want to say And they're all really nice. There's no council culture over at Sub-Saint. No, they're also really nice.

They're just nice people. Yeah. It's a good place. Okay. When I sell my business, I want the best tax and investment advice. I want to help my kids. And I want to give back to the community. Ooh.

Then it's the vacation of a lifetime. I wonder if my out of office has a forever setting. An IG Private Wealth advisor. creates the clarity you need with plans that harmonize your business, your family, and your dreams. Get financial advice that puts you at the center. Find your advisor at IGprivatewealth.com. New from Nespresso. Blend wellness into your coffee routine with a coffee plus range infused with functional benefits. Choose the coffee you love with added B vitamins, like coffee plus B12 to help support immune function, and coffee plus B6 to keep your day moving. Or go with the flow.

and choose ginseng delight. Our new double espresso with ginseng extract. Whatever lies ahead, don't change your morning. Let your morning change you. Discover Coffee Plus on espresso.com. From morning hockey with a cup of coffee to timbits and road trips. Tims and Canadian tire have always gone together.

Now it's official. You can now earn Canadian tire money at Tim's. Link your triangle rewards and Tim's rewards accounts to earn twice with every Tim's run. Terms and conditions apply. Visit Tim Horton's. a slash triangle for details. A little disclaimer for you, Quazas, just before we dive into your dilemmas, we are not doctors or

healthcare professionals. So if there is an issue that you are seriously struggling with, please contact a qualified expert. Hi, Lauren and Nicole. I know you'd love to have a chat about not knowing what to wear, so please can you both wade in here and help me regarding lounge sets? That's funny because we're just talking about your jumpsuit. Yes, that could definitely go in the lounge set category.

Continue. In my day, it was just called a track suit. I don't quite get this rebrand to calling them co-award sets or lounge set, but that is basically what I am after for the two days I am at home, but might also pop out to run errands in. This is so weird. That is weird. It's not the sort of thing I usually wear.

For the record, I'm 51 and I have my eye on an oatmeal set from M&S with a wide leg. Is it a bit chavvy or is it okay? I'm sending you the link so you can see. I will not be offended if you hate it. And also, where would you both go to buy something like this? Thanks, Jenny. Well, what do you mean like this? It's MNS.

Well, let's look at the link. Okay. Okay, all right. I'm looking. So it's like an MNS. I mean, I would call it a track suit. One may call it a co-awards set. I actually have this.

You don't. I do. This actual set? No, I don't have the M&S version. So, I don't know if you know, but earlier in the year, I had a hysterectomy. What? Yes, I know.

No way. I know. I never mentioned it. Why didn't you tell me? I just wanted to keep it low key. It was really low key. And I had to buy tracksuits.

Yeah, recovery tracksuits. Yeah. We actually bought matching so I could come and convalest with you, but then I didn't get to do much convoyressing because you were in a right state and then you were fine. So I kind of,

I thought we were going to have loads of fun timing on that. She tracksuits to watch Gilmore Girls and even more teasers. And I could basically just hang out, not post-operative, whilst you were post-operative, but it just didn't work out that way. But the day that you came over,

I was basically smack down on Trameter. Yeah. It was basically like going to a crack den. Nicole was like under a blanket on the sofa. I just told her a story and she just nodded, nodded slowly at me. I couldn't speak that. No. I was in so much pain.

You were not in a good way. And then you were like, you told me this whole story. I don't know what it was about. It was so self-fulfilling because you basically had to come in and tell me this whole gossip story. I can't even remember. I don't know what it was either.

I was off my face, so I'm definitely not going to remember. But it was like, you were just, you just needed me to know. It didn't matter what state I was in. You just had to tell me, didn't you? And I gave you more teaser bunny. and I was just I just sat there

off your you are off your test and you were like you literally just like 20 minutes talking this whole thing and I don't think I moved

and you were like are you in there are you okay I'm like not really not really no you were not okay but you're right I think I need you to leave now now I'm looking at this track suit

this is the one we both have Yeah, I've still got it. So I bought another one very similar to this And it was from, I don't know why, is it Jenny? Did she say it was Jenny? Jenny, you're asking us where you would buy this from But you've also given us the link of where to buy it from.

No, I think she means like if we think this one's gross, where would we go for a nicer one? But I think this is absolutely standard. If you want to look at up quasi, actually I'm going to put it in the substack newsletter so you can all look at it. But it's the M&S scuba wide leg lounge pants. Yeah. They're basically a wide leg track suit button with a seam down the middle and an oatmeal sweatshirt.

I mean, it's absolutely fine, isn't it? Yeah. It's not chavvy, I don't think. I'm going to look at it in the dark chocolate. But do you know what? I actually don't like it in the dark chocolate. No, I'm fed up this autumn. I'm going to just say it.

I'm fed up with turd-colored clothes. I'm done with it. I was knocking everywhere. brown. They're everywhere. I just want to say I'm making a stand for that because I never went down the brown route. My sister very much committed to the brown route, which I was found really surprising

because I school uniform was brown. Oh my God. I would have thought she'd be allergic. Yeah, no, she likes brown. So I thought that was funny. That's a total side note. It's not really. I'm done with the turd clothes. The only time I do prefer a chocolate over a black is in a daytime eyeliner. Like today.

Right. I like this track suit. I like it too. It's fine. Yeah, I like it too. It's definitely not going to change the world. No. My track suit that I bought and I actually bought it in a few different colors,

but the one that I liked the most was also a wide leg pant. And I'm not joking, every single time I put this track suit on, someone says to me, oh my God. Without a doubt, someone says to me, oh my God, you've got so thin. Great. Well, I haven't got so thin. I'm exactly the same. but what it's the wide leg on you.

Look, the wide leg. It's just the way it is cut. Right. It just, that means it would be horrible on me. Why? Because we just wear the complete opposite. We have completely different shapes.

It's from reserved, right? It's from reserved. The quality is not good. You can link to that. No, this one's okay. Oh, that one's all right. This one is okay. In the 80s, when my mum used to come home from work,

she worked in Harley Street, so she was always in a business suit. I'm talking proper stockings, a pencil skirt. a blazer the full works when she came home to relax she'd always put on this white sweatshirt remember this was like wham days it was a white sweatshirt and it had a crosset in big black letters crucial crucial right and now my friend and i was quite a statement yeah now i think about it what was she trying to say i'm home from work and i want to be in my sweat in my comfy sweatshirt

no crucial that's interesting it is isn't it when did you buy it? Because my friend who is a therapist would say that that was not a coincidence and she definitely she was definitely attached to that word in some way. I'm going to ask her later. But anyway, my friend and I now still like 40 years on, when we are thinking about I just want a cozy comfy sweatshirt, my friend always says, all I want is the crucial sweatshirt. All I want is the crucial thing.

And I'm like, I totally know exactly what she means because of the kind of boxy cart and the neckline and everything else. It's like, well, you always need friends. that know those intricate details about your family. Yeah, yeah. Like, where did that come from, Jackie? It was a banger. Does she know?

I'll ask her later. I will ask her all about it. Feedback. It's actually really sweet. It's from Marie. She says, Hi, Lauren and Nicole. I love your podcasts.

I started with 40-ish as I'm 47 and was lost. I felt miserable and alone. And now I feel empowered and delighted. Oh, that is so gorgeous. Thank you. I have friends slightly older than me and we've all been talking about our experiences which has strengthened our friendship. One lady has recently trained as a PT and nutritionist. I was her study subject for nutrition and now she's my PT. I'm now listening to Self Care Club.

I always do the back catalogue and I'm currently on August 2022. Oh, she's got a long way to go. Wow. Maybe we could give her a word of warning of which ones to avoid. I would have to go through the whole back catalogue. You've helped me on the journey to start loving my body, not looking back and concentrating on the now. I've started the gym to lose weight and now I'm proud of how strong I am. You don't walk around with the scales above your head.

So true. No one sees your clothes size, only how they make you look. If you wear your clothes well, you will feel well. I was made redundant this year and I've gained weight, but I've gained strength. I'm in a much less stressful job and home life has improved. I've been meditating and performing Reiki on myself as I'm a practitioner, but I've never taking it up as a job.

I would love to, though. Didn't we do a Reiki episode? Yeah. All right, well, that will be coming up for you, Marie. I've started a book's list on Amazon, so every time you recommend when I add it on, lots to read. I'm reading When the Body Says No by Gabe Amate. It was originally to help understand CFS and fibromyalgia

as my husband is in the realms of this. I was diagnosed with CFS last year. Pretty sure I've had it for years. We just cope differently. Thank you for taking the time to read this kind regards, Marie. Thank you, Marie. Thank you so much for taking the time to write that beautiful email. We really do appreciate it. And delighted, I think we replied to her. I replied to her. We did. Delighted that you feel stronger and you feel better in yourself and that you're out of that stressful job. And it sounds like life is really moving up. So thank you. There is some really, really good midlife news this week. I'm really pleased to hear this. UK doctors have developed a potential non-eastern

invasive test for wound cancer using urine and vaginal fluid samples. The aim is to help identify women at higher risk and potentially spare some women invasive investigations such as hystereoscopies. The research is particularly relevant because bleeding after menopause currently triggers urgent investigation, whilst only around 5 to 10% of women with postmenopausal bleeding have wound cancer. Okay. Isn't that so good?

Yes, it is. It's really nice. that the medicine is finally researching on women. Isn't it? Yeah. And also histroscopies are some women. I've had so many. See, I have never had one and I am absolutely terrified at the thought of it.

Why? Because lots of women say it's horrendously painful. Others say it's not. No, but I got put to sleep. Right, but most women do not. They don't even get a local anaesthetic. No, don't be so ridiculous. Or they'll offer you local anaesthetic, but it doesn't necessarily work.

Oh no. Right. Well, I've always been put to sleep. not on the NHS, you're not. And all I can tell you is that, I mean, I reckon I've had about four histroscopies in the past. But you didn't know anything about them? Well, I did.

No, but I mean. And I would wake up and then, honestly, I was never uncomfortable. But it's the having it done. Look, I don't want to frighten anyone who's got to have one soon because I do also know women who've had one. They were like, oh my God, women make a big fuss about this. And actually, I didn't find it that uncomfortable. I had a hystroscope.

last year. In fact, I think it was roughly this time last year. It was last November, was my last one. And I was in that morning and then that evening I went to see my daughter in the show. Yeah. I was fine. But on the NHS, they just do it while you're awake. Oh, that's outrageous.

That is outrageous. One of the talks we did this year, there was extra security because the year before a woman had come to a women's event and she had basically with a placard and she had basically staged this intervention shouting in the middle of a talk about how disgusting it was that women were not offered proper pain relief for histroscopies. Now, I completely understand that because if you are someone who finds it very uncomfortable and I would, I would be one of those people. Who wouldn't find it uncomfortable? Some women are okay with it. They say it's no worse than a smear and other women find it excruciating. But the point is, every woman should be offered sedation, light anesthetic or something and not have to just put up with it. Because she's a woman. Right? That's not okay. One million percent yes to all of that. Right.

So if they can do this now with a urine or vaginal fluid sample, that's fantastic. Amazing. Amazing. That's good. Progress. The urine or the vaginal sample just sounds like a smear. Well, a urine sample wouldn't be a smear.

No. No. But the vaginal sample would be like a smear. Maybe. Or might it just be a swab. Swab. Yeah. Which would be great.

Great. Progress. Yes. We like that. We do. Okay, we're ending on our most 40-ish moments. Mine is very simple and very straightforward. And I say it to you every September and this September shall be no different

from ones that came before it. I'm a bit scared. Don't be scared. Let me guess. Come on, it's September. End of September. What happens at the end of every September? Yes, but no concurs this year

because it's been so hot. But normally you're right, I would collect the conkers. No, it's much more important than the conquers. You're turning your wardrobe around for winter. I'm saving that for about two weeks' time. That is not happened yet. No, I do.

I do know you well then, don't I? You do. You'll kick yourself. No, no, hold on. Okay, it's something that I do every year into September and then you always say, well, I don't need to do that because I'm not here at Christmas. Oh, I know exactly what it is. Come on.

You've booked your Ricardo slot. But my Arcado Christmas. my slot. Yeah, I've booked it. And also, to be kind, WhatsApp to the family group to say, hey ladies, slots are open, get booking. That's so sweet.

That is so sweet. My only thing that I get upset about, about going away at Christmas time, and I love our Christmas holidays because it is literally the only time in the year my husband doesn't work is that I miss your party every year. Yeah.

It is annoying. And then everyone always says to me, oh, where's Nicole? Oh, where's Nicole? She's on a cruise. She's in Thailand. And then no one feels sorry of you. They're always like, oh, no, I don't need them to feel sorry for me.

But also, do you think that they think that we're not actually really friends? No. Because I think the people who come to my house on Christmas Eve know me well enough to know. They're not like just strangers who turn up at the door and then they wonder, are they friends in real life or do they just work together? But everyone always like, oh, especially my mum. I went to a, on Saturday night, I went out with all my paddle people. We went for a drink.

And a couple of the guys were, oh, I listen to your podcast. I'm like, why? Yeah. What were you doing? They were so sweet and kind about it. And I just always feel so mortified when a man says to me I've listened to your podcast.

Because you don't know what they've heard. They could have heard anything, anything. Anything. Usually about your history. Yeah. I mean, I was just thinking it's going to be about my lack of uterus, isn't it? Yeah. And they don't need to know that shit.

no they really don't yeah but they do they do now anyway he goes oh you've got such a great dynamic with your partner I said oh thank you and then I started telling them and still oh no I'm going to save that I'm saving that

because I just burst out laughing and then I told him he didn't find it that funny but quazas you are going to find this so funny which I'm going to say for Thursday he didn't get it and then I just felt like oh you shouldn't have shared that oh no no it wasn't Okay. I'm going to save it for Thursday.

Okay. It's a good story. It's very anecdotal for Lauren. Okay. Are you sharing your most 40-ish moment? Are you saving that for Thursday too? You gatekeeper. I can't even tell you what I did.

Oh my God. Do you know what I fucking did? What? I don't know. I'm scared. You should be. Because I'm losing the fucking plot. Could not find my car key and has my house key on it.

Again. Okay. I couldn't find it anywhere. Again. All right. It was in Surrey last time, just saying. And in the woods. I left in the woods, didn't I?

And then I had to go to some weird man's house. Oh yeah. Because my friend, I was walking with my friend in her woods. So she put it on her, like, her neighborhood WhatsApp group. And then some guy said, I've got them. I'll keep them. And she told me where to go. And then I had to go and give him, he wanted ID.

Because you're really going to, we've had this conversation before. I know. I know. I know. I've got the strangers key. You do realize that other people listen apart from you. I'm not sure Do they?

I'm telling people I'm giving context Yeah And I said to him But hold on He goes oh I need ID So then I said Why don't you just press the car key

And you'll see that my car will unlock Yeah Anyway Couldn't find it Couldn't find it And I was late Obviously I'm always late And I can drive my car

With my phone Because the keys on the So I thought Oh I'll just I'll find it later I go outside. It was 7 o'clock in the morning. I go outside. The keys were on my doorstep. What? My car key and my house key was on my doorstep. Why? Because I'd left it there. What, the whole night? The entire night. That is really special. Special. You're really lucky that

I didn't get broken into. And your house wasn't broken into. And my child wasn't taken. Okay. Although good luck with that. did drop her home the next morning. It'd be like, we gave it eight hours. No, no, you can have it back. She went on and on and on. Yeah. She wouldn't let it go.

I'm being kidnapped. I'm being kidnapped. Oh my God, I'm being kidnapped. In the end, we were like, all right, just go home. We don't want to hear about it anymore. Yeah. Okay, amazing. Yeah.

Wow. Well done. So then when I called Adam on the way and I'm like, I found my car kick as well, was it? I said it was on the front door to because he was, really not impressed. No. He's like, that is just not good.

I'm like, well, I didn't do it. Do it on purpose? How do you think you did that though? Did you have lots of things in your hand? Well, what happened was the charger wasn't working for my car. So I was fucking around with that and I was turning it off and I had to go and reset it. So I was like walking in the house and out the house and everything else. And then I just left it on the doorstep.

Wow. I mean, it's lucky I live in a safe neighborhood. Yeah, but still. Fucking hell. That's my most voltage thing. I think I need to start with it. the testosterone again. I think you win.

Win. Yeah, you win. And I think I need to, yeah, sort that out. Okay. The brain foggy's foggy. Yep. Okay, Quazas. That's it for today.

Yep. We're going to be back on Thursday with my very, very special story. So you have to, you have to tune in. I'm really binging it up. Maybe we'll put that behind us up. No, I'm joking. It's that and it's going to be a midlife news special. Oh.

A lot's going on in the life, the world of midlife. Oh, newswise this week. Okay. Yeah. All right. Great. We'll be back. See you then.