Just how long is January!!?  I decided to start writing this five days before the actual end of January as I was bored waiting.  I am sure January 2021 has been double the length it should be.   I've been checking the diary every day to see if it is the 31st yet ... bit like checking the. news every day to see if Boris has announced the pandemic is over and we can resume normal life.  I'm still waiting, obviously.  I gave up on dry January at about week three as after three weeks I thought I had done long enough!  Not that I have succumbed to alcoholism again (only joking) but the odd glass of wine in the bath is essential!

How are you all?  Bored too?  The spring and summer lockdown seemed so much easier, we could pretend we were on holiday, sit in the garden, play dress up in pretty summer outfits, take insta-worthy photos and share them on the grid.  Now I am pretty sure no one wants to see another jeans n jumper shot.  I also loved my daily 'mud free' walks and early evening 'rosé in the garden' but in the middle of winter, my dogs are permanently filthy and I get too hot and flustered hosing them down.

But I dare not complain, I fully appreciate I am luckier than so many, I have a house in the woods, a beautiful garden, space around me, I am not home schooling .... we have not (yet and I hope won't) lost anyone close to this awful virus.  

So what have I been doing ... here is a little round-up of 'being fifty and fab' in the lockdown weeks since Christmas!

This wasn't my original plan for my final pre-Christmas post.  But sometimes I don't want to plan or schedule, I just want to write and talk about how I feel and I want to ask you how you are feeling.  So today I am just chatting and taking a look back at 2020 for me, my life and my blog.  Do comment or email me if you too want to chat!

I am bitterly disappointed with the ongoing approach to Covid.  I am bitterly disappointed in our governments muddled and inconsistent approach.  No I don't think I could have done any better and yes I do appreciate they have a really really difficult job and a huge challenge in totally unprecedented circumstances.  

Onto the positives!!   Below is one of my favourite photos from 2020 - I did feel like I was having an extended holiday in my garden!  Frida swimsuit from Figleaves now has 25% off .

Most of November has been about Lockdown Lite or Lockdown V2.0 and hasn't it felt different to the original version?!  With more shops open (due to being classified as 'essential') and it only being four weeks but also as it is winter and cold, no sitting outside, or enjoying the spring flowers in the woods.  Plus, my son has left home and my daughter is still away at uni - I have a quiet house!  I have not made banana bread, filled the freezer, done any extra cleaning or queued outside a supermarket.  Life almost feels normal - I say almost, there is nothing normal about 2020.  After I wrote this intro we then got our tiers announced.  Oh dear.  Is this actually just Lockdown V2.5?  

In the spring I really enjoyed dressing up and posting on Instagram, even if I wasn't going anywhere, it isn't so much fun when I can't wear a summer dress!  Most of November has seen me wearing jeans or leggings and warm knitwear.

Anyway here is a little round up of what I have been doing to 'be fifty and fab' this month.  I am also sharing some useful info - a menopause survey which I'd love you to help with and an interactive activity to help improve our understanding of food product labelling and your input will give better guidance to food regulators!

A short update this month I think, it's been a funny month and now finished off with the start of Lockdown V2.  I hate all these 2020 words ... lockdown, bubble, social distancing, masks, self-isolating, covidiot ... I am beginning to rebel and refuse to use them.  I don't have a bubble.  I have a family and I want to see them.

When I looked back at my September #beingfiftyandfab post I was still wearing late summer clothes.  Now I have moved to early winter!  The clocks have changed and the heating is on!  I am not a fan of the colder weather and heavy clothes, I do love my boots and scarves but mostly I hate being so trussed up in layers.  I'd much rather be in a light summer dress or a bikini!  There is so much more to think about with winter dressing.  

If you are on Instagram do join in with #beingfiftyandfab and tag me `@fifty_andfab so I can find you, get to know you and share a few posts!