It seems being married brings on additional symptoms of midlife, in that husbands become less adventurous. Wives on the other hand tend to kick things up a notch during their midlife, am I right?

As was the case this particular Sunday for us three girl friends.  A spur of the moment idea, a day trip to Flagstaff for a hike, a brewery tour and a visit to Camp Verde.  Granted, my first reaction was "What time are you setting off?", and my second reaction, irrespective of the early start time, a resounding "Yes!"

My husband didn't want to get up early and had a ton of work to do, another wanted to stay home and watch the baseball and the third wanted to take his new car for a spin... yawn! Midlife man symptoms, this is why you need girl friends ladies!

From Scottsdale, Flagstaff is just a two-hour drive along a mostly scenic route across the desert. Climbing in altitude along the way it starts out with the cactus-loving rugged terrain of the low desert and eases up into the lush green conifers and evergreen foliage, of which the ponderosa pines are among the most common.  There is also a drop of 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's a great place to escape the summer heat of the Phoenix valley!

In Flagstaff we met Austin, our friend's son who was to be our guide. A young man still far from the symptoms that our midlife husbands display, so he was up for the adventure along with his adorable girlfriend and Luna the dog. I mentioned none of these midlife concerns to his sweetheart, besides, the fact that we three showed up husband-less may have been a red flag!

We hiked the Lockett Meadow on the Inner Basin Trail, about 12 miles north of Flagstaff on US 89. Warning, it's at 8000 ft elevation and the single carriage dirt road up to the trail head is long and winding with no barrier guard. I didn't fare well, intermittent screaming, lots of hyper ventilating made worse by the thin air, and almost on my friends lap much of the way. Nothing like a day out full of exhilarating excitement!

The hike was totally worth the aggravation of getting there. The aspen trees, which I had never seen before, grow abundantly along this trail and in October their leaves turn yellow and it will be a sight to behold.

The hike is steep but not rugged, so if you have good lungs and are reasonably fit, it's not too difficult.  Scottsdale and the Phoenix valley is at about 1000 ft above sea level, and this hike starts out at about 8000 ft... just saying!

Next stop, a trip to the Historic Brewing Company in Flagstaff.  Some of our other tennis friends were in Flagstaff that day, so we were able to coordinate a beer fest! A first for me, since I didn't drink beer but was easily persuaded after the adventures of the day thus far. 

The brewery is in an industrial area on the outskirts of Flagstaff. Our hiking guide happens to work there, so we were rewarded with a tour and a peek into the art of beer making. I think he does this often, if you happen to stop by, tell him I sent you, it'll make up for the earlier screaming in his ear! 

Even though this is where they make the beer, they have a bar set up among the fermenting equipment and have 15 of their regular, seasonal and limited release beers on tap as well as a taco themed food truck open Wednesday through Sunday. You can sample any of the beers before you order and it's $5 a pint.

Onward to Camp Verde, about an hour from Flagstaff and an hour from Scottsdale, located in central Arizona, sitting on the bank of the Verde River. This place is lush, green and peaceful, picket fences and horses give it an English country vibe. Camp Verde is the gateway to the Verde Valley wine region with vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms spread across the area, now we're in Karen land!  It's also the home of the 104-acre Out of Africa wildlife park.

It was a short visit to say hello to friends. The locusts were busy in the trees singing their sunset songs whilst the neighbor's horses chomped on their supper. The mosquitoes munched at my dusty tired legs and I drank another beer and didn't care.  It had been a grand day out! 
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I recently wrote a blog (linked HERE) about my menopause journey, which thanks to SottoPelle® was a short story!
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There was a tremendous response from women suffering the effects of menopause, many of whom have not found a solution or are suffering with ineffective solutions. Thank you to all the ladies who contacted me with questions and to share their stories.

Today, I invite you to come along and experience one of my appointments with SottoPelle®. A commitment I have been making every four months for six years without hesitation, because, it enables me to live my best life, no hormone surges, none of the symptoms of menopause, no side effects, just a normal well-balanced human being. Well, hormonally well balanced that is, ha ha!

If you're looking to ramp up your metabolism, torch a bunch of calories, improve your strength, endurance, and define your muscles, then the Tabata fitness routine may just be the answer to your prayers.  Tabata costs nothing and doesn't require you to consume any expensive questionable supplements or concoctions.  It's quick, best done in the privacy of your own home, and in my experience it really works.  

Menopause hit me like a freight train at 50 years old! 

It was as though my body had taken on a whole new set of rules that I wasn’t privy to, except to see and feel the miserable effects that resulted. I wanted me back, the version that ran smoothly like a well-oiled engine, not this one that kept back-firing and faltering daily.

The recent frenzy toward the smartwatch in the western world has reached epidemic proportions. Most adults don about their wrist a watch with a blacked-out face or a rubber tube with seemingly no face. We're walking around as though in a science fiction movie under surveillance by this tracking and communication device. The problem is, the average smartwatch is anything but smart! It lacks style and is far from down to earth, looking somewhat sinister by it's dark secrecy and monitoring of our every waking and sleeping moment!

Never fear, there is a hybrid here! Say hello to the Misfit Path, a smartwatch with more style than a rubber wrist tube can only dream about.

​With summer just around the corner, it’s time to start planning for your vacation—and for many, that means getting that winter body in summer shape. More often than not, our desire to lose weight and tone up before an upcoming vacation becomes a last-minute sprint. But if you start now, you'll increase your odds of success. Here are a few simple tips for converting to a healthier lifestyle.

If you like to exercise first thing in the morning, but don't want to use up your precious time on all the other stuff that follows  - showering, hair, changing clothes, make up etc. then here's how I transition swiftly from a (low impact) workout to going about my daily errands without much ado.  This is really all about bringing yoga pants into the current year!

The following photos were taken at Scottsdale Ranch Park and Tennis Center - a City of Scottsdale Facility

Sunrise Trail is one of my favorite hikes close to where I live in Scottsdale.  The trail itself is quite steep and rugged, but beautiful from start to finish and the scenery is stunning - majestic saguaro cactus, giant boulders, desert foliage, and amazing look out points to enjoy the view over the Phoenix valley.  This particular shoot was done in the late afternoon, so we were fortunate enough to catch the start of sunset.

Lululemon Leggings // Lululemon Sport Bra // Lululemon Tank similar // Ironman Timex Watch // Ray Ban Aviator Sunnies // New Balance Trail Running Shoes

​The blood gets flowing from the get go on this hike so it really is a work out. About a one and a half to two hours round trip if you go all the way up to the top, Sunrise Peak.  My exercise app says I burn more than 700 calories doing this hike, so along with the  enjoyment of the activity it's a no-brainer for me and an extra glass of well deserved wine!

Lululemon gear is my all round sports wear.  The pieces I have cross over from the gym to the trail, from the tennis court to running as well as bicycling and just hanging out!  I love that besides being sport practical they also make you feel and look good.  I've tried a lot of different sport bras over the years, and this Energy Bra is my all time favorite.  It's comfortable, I can get it on and off without being a contortionist and it works for me across all my activities.  If you're better endowed than me, you may want to go for more support like this one. The leggings are another all purpose sport essential.  I love the high waisted style that Lululemon have started doing because they totally stay right where you left them, never have to hitch them up because they feel they're falling down.

So go take a hike - burn up some calories, enjoy the outdoors, get the blood flowing, and enjoy that extra glass of wine - it's all good for you! 

Stay healthy my friends
Love
Karen xox