Bright Life Project

01/06/2026

Perimenopause and menopause is wild because symptoms show up in places nobody warns you about. Dry skin. Itchy ears. Vaginal dryness. Tissue changes. Suddenly women are discovering that the same hormone decline may be affecting all of them. Ovestin (estriol) cream is prescribed for vaginal and vulval symptoms, but conversations online have exploded around off-label uses for skin and other menopause-related changes. I personally use it on three different areas of my body and I notice a difference, not that I’m qualified in any way to advise you. The science is interesting but the internet may have run ahead of the research. Always speak with your doctor before using prescription medication outside its intended purpose.

31/05/2026

To everyone else, it’s just a dish sponge. A tiny household item that magically gets replaced when needed. But behind that one little sponge is an entire invisible chain of noticing, remembering, planning, shopping, tracking, replacing and managing that quietly happens in the background of family lite.
And the realisation that broke me wasn’t the sponge itself. It was understanding that this exact same invisible process exists behind hundreds of things in a home, and so often women are the ones carrying it without acknowledgement.
This is what people mean when they talk about invisible labour and the mental load. Not one big dramatic task. Thousands of tiny ones that are so consistently handled, nobody even sees them anymore.
Thankfully, perimenopause has the delightful side effect of making women suddenly aware of just how much invisible labour they’ve been carrying while simultaneously removing their ability to quietly tolerate it anymore.

29/05/2026

27/05/2026

Yesterday I told everyone to be kind to themselves after I broke my 30 Day challenge with a McDonald’s burger. This morning I’d like to officially clarify that there are apparently limits to self-compassion.
My body responded like I’d poisoned it. I guess in a way I did.
In my defence, sometimes midlife confidence looks like balance, nourishment and emotional maturity. And other times it looks like eating a burger in your car and spending the night convincing yourself that the cramps are unrelated .
Anyway. We move forward, carefully, hydrated and humbled.

23/05/2026

My feed lately has been sending me twenty-somethings offering spiritual healing, nervous system regulation, manifestation coaching and radical self love retreats… and all I could think was: “Girrrrl… I’m from a generation that thought attracting a good man meant finding one who could locate butter in a fridge.”

The collision between wellness-coach language and actual midlife lived experience felt too funny not to make into a skit. Also my inner child does not want healing. She wants loud music, comfortable shoes and for everyone to stop asking her to download another meditation app.

18/05/2026

Women are often taught that being “liked” is the most important thing about us. Be agreeable. Be accommodating. Be easy to manage. Be pleasant at all times.
Meanwhile many of the traits celebrated in men, directness, confidence, ambition, boundaries, suddenly become “unlikeable” when women display them.
A lot of women spend years shrinking themselves into convenience for other people and calling it kindness.

It’s midlife-a-clock, time to stop ladies.

15/05/2026

Wedding outfit update: the luxury retail hostage situation has officially ended. What started as “I’ll just quickly buy something nice” somehow spiralled into a full midlife odyssey involving bad online dresses, store credit drama, emotional support women from the internet, and now… a custom outfit being made in South Africa by for a wedding at Kruger National Park.

Honestly this entire saga has reminded me how generous women are with their knowledge, recommendations and support. You all came in like a highly caffeinated glam squad crisis unit and I love you for it. I’ve included the giant list of stores, designers and websites everyone recommended because there are some absolute gems in there for anyone needing occasion wear without losing their sanity.

Stay tuned for the design reveal