Who This Newsletter Is For
Happy on Purpose is a bestselling newsletter for women in midlife (ages 35-60+) who want practical, proven strategies for creating a more joyful, intentional life. If you’re navigating the challenges (and opportunities!) of this phase, from parenting teenagers to rediscovering yourself and building a life you love, you’re in the right place.
Happy on Purpose readers are thoughtful, accomplished, stylish, and fun women (and some wonderful men!), who refuse to settle for “good enough” and are committed to making the most of their one wild and precious life.
What You’ll Learn
Each week, I share advice, strategies, and inspiration on topics that matter to women in midlife:
Parenting teenagers and young adults. How to stay connected, set boundaries, and enjoy (yes, enjoy!) this stage while raising kids you’ll want to hang out with as adults.
Thriving in midlife. Habits, mindset shifts, and self-care strategies.
Intentional happiness. Research-backed, practical tips for infusing more joy, meaning, and fun into everyday life.
Style and home. Creating beauty, comfort, and a signature look at any age.
Relationships. Maintaining strong marriages, deepening friendships, and building meaningful connections.
Life lessons and wisdom. Hard-won advice from 50+ years of learning, failing, and figuring it out along the way!
As Seen In
Happy on Purpose has been featured in Cup of Jo, Culture Study, Emily Ley’s The Landing, Modern Mrs. Darcy, Be More with Less, and more.
My Story
After overcoming a difficult childhood and spending years searching for my calling, I discovered my purpose: helping women create joyful, meaningful lives.
I was raised in Australia in an unhappy, dysfunctional home. For a long time, I didn’t tell anyone what went on behind closed doors; instead, from childhood, I read voraciously and constantly: at every meal, in the car on the way to and from school, and in bed late at night. To counteract the sense that everything was out of control, I spent hours in my bedroom, naming and numbering my books and organizing them on shelves.
It took me decades to learn that a traditional career wasn’t for me: I went to Law School in Australia, then moved to London and New York to work for Goldman Sachs, the investment bank. Dissatisfied with that career, I moved on to fundraising for charities.
All that time, I kept a secret journal where I wrote about my yearning for work that felt meaningful: work that would challenge me, make a positive difference, and align with who I really was. But it took hitting a rock bottom of my own making in my early 40s to finally find my calling. With the help of therapy, I learned to stop keeping my desires secret, even from myself.
Now, at 51 (as of 2025), I live in the bucolic New England countryside with my husband Jim, our two teenage children, and an adorable black-and-white dog. I spend my days writing about happiness, studying what makes life satisfying and joyful, and sharing everything I learn with you.
I’m obsessed with happiness, habits, and thriving in midlife, and I believe that all research is “mesearch.” That’s what I’m doing here: figuring out practical ways to make the most of life, and sharing what I learn with you.
What Readers Are Saying
Start With These Popular Posts
9 Habits I Swear by to Thrive in Midlife. A rushed yes often becomes a regret, fun starts at 40, plus the beauty products I can’t live without!
No One Ever Said You Must Wear Tight Pants…and 49 other lessons learned during my half-century on earth!
The Morning Routine I Can’t Stop Thinking About. Journalist and personal finance expert, Lindsey Stanberry, on happiness, money well spent, and a genius way to start each day!
Happy on Purpose. How keeping painful secrets kept me from finding my calling.
About Me
I’m 51 (as of 2025). I got married at 31, had my first child at 32, adopted my second at 36, and experienced early menopause at 42. While I refuse to consider aging a problem (it’s the natural course of a healthy human life!), getting older does present interesting challenges, especially on the health and beauty fronts.
A part-time introvert, I love chatting at parties (providing they start early!) equally as much as curling up on the sofa with a good book or watching a great show.
Some other things I’m passionate about: racquet sports, cooking, entertaining, and learning about other people and cultures through traveling.
What Paid Subscribers Receive
For just $30/year, paid subscribers receive:
🤩 Exclusive Wednesday issues. A fast, fun jolt of joy for your Inbox, featuring ideas you can use immediately:
one easy, practical life hack; plus…
carefully curated recommendations for good things to read, watch, make, and do.
🎁 Fabulous monthly giveaways! Each month, paid subscribers are automatically entered to win one of my favorite (and readers’ most-clicked) things, like this cozy cashmere wrap, this deluxe French hairbrush, and this adorable summer dress.
📚 Free book! Each paid subscriber receives a copy of the much-loved e-book, 28 Books That Will Change Your Life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What topics do you cover?
I focus on five main areas: parenting (especially teenagers and young adults), midlife confidence and habits, intentional happiness strategies, creating a beautiful home and personal style, and maintaining strong relationships. Each week, I share practical advice you can use immediately: actionable wisdom from my own experiences and research.
Who should subscribe to Happy on Purpose?
This newsletter is perfect for women in midlife (35-60—or whenever you define it!) who are juggling parenting, careers, personal growth, and the big questions about what comes next. My readers are thoughtful, accomplished, stylish, (and fun!) women who want to live with purpose, meaning, and joy.
What age group is this newsletter for?
Happy on Purpose is primarily for women ages 35-60 navigating midlife, but readers in their 30s and 70s find value in the strategies I share. If you’re interested in intentional happiness, midlife wisdom, or timeless and practical life advice, you’re welcome here!
How often do you publish?
Free subscribers receive a fabulous monthly magazine-style issue featuring life advice, happiness strategies, and home and style inspiration for midlife.
Paid subscribers also receive exclusive Wednesday issues: a fast, 5-minute jolt of joy featuring practical life hacks, recommendations for what to read, watch, make, and do, plus a fabulous giveaway each month! That’s 12 chances to win an amazing prize, each year! Click here if you’d like to subscribe (it’s $30/year).
What makes Happy on Purpose different from other newsletters?
I combine personal experience with research-backed strategies, and I test everything I recommend before sharing it with you. I share the messy, real truth about midlife—the challenges, the failures, the learning—not just the highlight reel. Plus, my advice comes from living through it myself, from overcoming a difficult childhood to finding my calling in my 40s.
How much does a paid subscription cost?
Just $30/year! That’s $2.50 per month, cheaper than one fancy coffee!
Paid subscribers receive exclusive Wednesday issues: a fast, 5-minute jolt of joy featuring practical life hacks, recommendations for what to read, watch, make, and do, plus a fabulous giveaway each month! That’s 12 chances to win an amazing prize, each year! Click here if you’d like to subscribe (it’s $30/year).
Can I get a sample of the paid content?
Absolutely! Here’s a good example. You’ll see the format: one practical life hack or happiness strategy, plus 11 carefully curated links to interesting articles, books, TV shows, products, and funny memes.
I’m not in midlife yet! Is this newsletter still for me?
Yes! While I write from the perspective of someone in their 50s, the strategies I share on happiness, relationships, parenting, and intentional living apply to people of any age.
Many readers in their 30s tell me they subscribe because they’re curious about what comes next and want to prepare for midlife with wisdom and confidence.
