Even the fires that once roasted our chestnuts may have dampened over the years. In fact, some in our generation might confess that a growing inability to locate their groove thing has rendered mistletoe to becoming merely another piece of hanging plant material—devoid of romantic properties and just one more thing to dust.

But, before we all start shouting, “BAH!” let’s consider some of the ways the holidaze can be fun and festive—

Grandchildren: The absolutely #1 reason to enjoy the season is through the eyes of your grandchildren. These precious objects of any granny’s affections are sure to add a glow to your check and put the magic back into the holidays. Their delight is more than enough to warm your heart in a big, big way!

Reconnecting: Even though writing cards can be a chore, it’s wonderful to hear from those who were once a part of our lives but now live in distant places. This annual custom of catching up on one another’s lives is one I treasure and, I’m guessing, you do, too.

Taking Time for Fun: Parties and gatherings abound at this time of year. Carving out time from overloaded schedules to relax and enjoy friends and family is truly a cause to make merry…as long as you can avoid the fruitcake!

You Get to Flaunt Your Feisty: If you want to add a bit of feisty to the mix, drop by the Feisty Boomer Boutique and pick up a groovy, one-of-a-kind gift for your friends or a special treat for yourself. This bountiful boomer selection includes mugs, tees, totes, and more with psychedelic designs that are guaranteed to recharge any recipient’s flower power.

So here’s a ho-ho-holiday toast to the season—despite the stress, the crowds, and the cold, it really can be the most wonderful time of the year!

Christine is one of those women who appears to have it all. She’ s not only glamorous; she’s enjoyed a hugely successful career in the highly competitive entertainment industry. Christine is probably best known for her makeover expertise—taking “befores” and transforming them into alluring “afters” on such shows as Oprah, The Today Show, Live With Regis and Kelly, and Entertainment Tonight.

But Christine has been hiding a secret for years…that is until she published her latest book, Take Me Home From the Oscars: Arthritis, Television, Fashion and Me. In it, Christine shares the details of her high-profile life and how she initially hid her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. In the world of fashion and beauty, there isn’t room for a disabling disease. So Christine was forced to battle pain and other symptoms of the condition without letting anyone in on her struggle.

However the book is far from depressing or sad. Rather, it’s a mixture of humor, high drama, inspiration, and courage. And, even more, there’s a saucy smattering of Hollywood dish that keeps you turning pages until the end. (I read the entire book in one sitting—I literally couldn’t put it down!)

Having watched her on TV over the years, I know Christine has always possessed the engaging personality of a star. But sharing her story of arthritis has given Christine’s life a new meaning and depth… as well as infusing her with the enviable energy of a twenty-year-old when it comes to spreading the word. I had the pure delight of interviewing this remarkable woman on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. Take a listen—the twenty minutes you spend is a guaranteed life-changer.

Then drop by Christine’s website, take a look at all she’s up to, and pick up a copy of Take Me Home From the Oscars. Rarely does a book touch readers like this one does. In addition to everything else, it’s a tale of turning adversity into an advantage…the perfect message for those of us on the feisty side of fifty!

In my last post, I wrote about L’Oreal’s ridiculous photograph of Diane Keaton claiming how comfortable she felt in her own skin. Problem was…there was precious little that resembled Diane’s own skin in that so-called “photo.” Facially altered almost beyond recognition, I bet the actress herself could barely make out her own likeness in that ad. Therefore, instead of finding “comfort in one’s own skin,” the words “bogus,” “demeaning,” and “insulting” came to mind for me.

The day after I spotted that particular ad that had so enraged me, I got even angrier. I watched the remarkable and important documentary, Miss Representation… and it all began to make sense. For years, marketers have tried to make us feel bad about ourselves. They figure, if they can present enough images of women with perfect faces and bodies, we’ll realize how flawed we are by comparison. Then, as our media induced insecurities grow ever stronger; we’ll spend precious dollars buying their products in hopes of fixing the defects Mother Nature bestowed upon our own imperfect features.

Miss Representation went on to show how, in years past, marketers achieved their ends by hiring glamorous models. They’d have these celestial creatures spend hours in hair and make-up and then bring in top-notch photographers to take hundreds of photos in hopes of catching just the one with the right look. Such contrived and nearly perfect images were enough to get us feeling bad about ourselves… and running to the nearest cosmetics counter.

But today’s technology has added a new and even more ominous wrinkle. Now the wily arbiters of beauty and fashion have the ability to enhance features and faces, removing any traces of the slightest physical flaw with the mere click of a mouse. Moreover, even the most beautiful of models and actresses can’t compete with digital perfection—take a look at what they did to Diane Keaton.

As Miss Representation pointed out, these blatantly deceptive practices go a long way to diminish the already fragile self-esteem of many teenage girls. But, rather astoundingly, they’re trying to do the same thing to us. Visible aging is a fear held many by women—therefore playing upon this fear and making us feel inadequate and “over the hill” is a virtual goldmine for the cosmetic companies.

So rather than falling for their devious methods and allowing them make us feel bad about our looks, let’s come together and use that energy to reignite our revolutionary spirit. Let’s draw upon our famous boomer bravado and shout “enough!” Let’s let vote with our wallets and not be buffaloed into thinking we’re “less than” because we have a wrinkle or two. And, finally, let’s educate our daughters, our granddaughters, and ourselves and watch Miss Representation. The documentary is playing on OWN. I urge you to view this truly incredible film with the women and girls you love. Then go to Miss Representation.org and take the pledge.

We boomers have worked hard in support of gender parity and the rights of all citizens. Let’s not waste precious time allowing the media to weaken our personal power and reduce our sense of ourselves as mature and attractive women through their photo-shopping ways. We’re way too with-it and wise (not to mention feisty) to fall for their underhanded ads. Feeling diminished and bad about ourselves is not only a waste of time; it’s a waste of the most important and vital years of our lives.

But every once in a while I’ll spot a pair of killer heels that make me want to throw caution (and back pain) to the wind and snap them up. Recently, photos of some oh-so-sassy stilettos made it to my email inbox and I just had to share. Take a look at the fashionable footwear some incredibly clever designers have created. Talk about a fashion statement! These amazing shoes would surely add a spring to your step and make you want to kick up your heels!

But—hey—we’re a new generation of strong and confident women who are revolutionizing what it means to be a woman of a certain age. Nevertheless, although the spirit is willing, the flesh is sometimes on the squishy side and displaying our bumps and bulges can prove daunting to even the bravest among us.

My great friend and founding editor of Ms. magazine, Suzanne Braun Levine, joined me on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio to discuss this very topic. Yes, even the courageous sisters who fought so hard for our parity of rights sometimes find themselves struggling with the very same body image issues we do. (It’s rather ironic that being thought of as a sex object was considered demeaning in the seventies…but how many of us would kill for a glance of admiration from the opposite sex now?)

So how can we best deal with the conflicting emotions that a summer wardrobe elicits in our mature (but far from matronly) psyches? Tune in and hear what Suzanne has to say. Her words might surprise you.

All the same—no matter how free and feisty you feel about showing off your body, it might be a good idea to think twice, check things out, and get the back view in a full-length mirror prior to leaving your home. Sometimes a bit of discretion can be a very good thing!

The latest job search figures show that boomers, aged 55 and over, are actually landing the most jobs… by far!!! There was a total of 1.9 million new jobs created over the past 15 months and 1.3 million of these went to applicants 55 plus. As they say: do the math! This means that our hiring figures were nearly double the second highest-ranking age group (25 – 34) who accepted 709,000 of the new positions. Figures were still tough for applicants aged 34 – 54 but, for jobseekers on the far side of 55, the news is fantastic.

This means we can stop feeling “less than” because of our age. No more believing that we’re doomed before we even begin our job search. Because of our vast numbers, boomers have always challenged and succeeded with changing social norms. In fact, with both the Women’s Movement and the Civil Rights Movement, we’ve already transformed the face of the workforce—it’s no longer only a white male’s bastion. Now our successful and spirited generation is doing the same thing with ageism.

I recently was invited to present at Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Career Expo and I shared these happy numbers with my audience. A San Francisco based TV crew was there to film my workshop and ran a piece on older jobseekers. You’ll need to scroll halfway down the page to watch the 2-minute video. For even more information, please take a little time to listen to the latest installment of my radio series on Essential Skills for Midlife Jobseekers.

There never was a better time to be proud of being a boomer. You know my catch phrase: we’re revolutionizing the spirit and style of aging. And now that includes the workforce, too!

Christine is one of those women it’s easy to admire. Born blonde and beautiful, she’s slim, poised, and highly successful. You’ll know Christine from her regular appearances on The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, Live With Regis and Kelly, Oprah, and a slew of other national TV shows. She is the go-to gal who works her makeover magic on style-challenged “befores,” turning them into grateful and glamorous “afters.”

Knowing the tricks of her trade held Christine in good stead. It was by relying on chic, eye-catching diversions that she became a bona fide expert in masking the telltale signs of her secret. Her well-honed ability for clever camouflage ensured no one would be the wiser.

But now Christine has decided to reveal her secret and shares her amazing story in her most recent book, Take Me Home From the Oscars: Arthritis, Television, Fashion and Me. The book is both spellbinding and deeply moving as Christine weaves insider Hollywood dish together with her personal struggle against a debilitating and, at times, life-threatening illness. The combination makes for a fascinating read that will keep you turning pages until the end.

Be certain to check out Christine’s site, find out more about Take Me Home From the Oscars, and learn about her newest role as spokesperson for the National Arthritis Foundation. You’ll be moved by what Christine shared with me on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. It’s only a 15-minute interview but you’ll come away with a newly found understanding of what it’s like to deal with daily pain while holding a secret of this magnitude.

And, yes, Christine has emerged from her own (quite fashionable) closet to share her condition with the world. Brava, Christine! You’re an inspiration to us all for your courage and your class—may your stylish star shine even brighter now!

But we all realize that real life is different. Surprisingly enough, life can be all too real… even for a soap star. One of the brightest and longest shining stars told me all about it recently on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. Tina Sloan, who played Nurse Lillian Raines for 26 years on Guiding Light, has written a wonderful new book, Changing Shoes. It deals with Tina’s experience of growing older using footwear as a metaphor for the multiple transformations that take place with age.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is: “No one knows more about aging than a soap star who started out as the star; then become the mother of the star; and then became the grandmother of the star.” Tina writes with great candor about how her role began to change, how her character moved from the center of the action to more supporting plotlines, and what she ultimately did about it.

But Tina also shares some intimate and profound lessons she’s learned from personal experience. She writes of a number of ups and some big-time downs, her various real-life roles, and her insights into growing older (but not old!) with style, humor, and grace. There’s plenty of solid information and practical steps we can take to make our lives better. Tina covers everything from make-up for the mature face, to adding a touch of the frisky to your love life, to getting your affairs in order.

Also, the book offers it’s share of delightful, laugh-out-loud anecdotes as Tina gives us the inside story of some of the more memorable moments in the sudsy world of soap operas. She also shared some rollicking tales with me in our 15-minute interview. So I invite you to take a break, take a listen, and then head over to Tina’s website and check out Changing Shoes.

Why not celebrate the Feisty Side of Fifty with some feisty new footwear? If it’s good for nurse Lillian Raines, you can bet it’s just the prescription to cure any of your ills!

In anticipation of this long-awaited “breath of spring,” I invited fashion expert, author, speaker, and stylist, Kim Johnson Gross to share her thoughts on the trends we feisty, fifty-plus fashionistas should know. In addition to co-creating the bestselling series, Chic Simple, and authoring one of my all-time favorite books, What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life: Ageless Secrets of Style, Kim has shared her expertise on The Today Show, The Early Show and iVillage so she really knows her stuff. Best of all, she writes for real women—yep, those of us who want to look our best even though we might be sporting that all-too-familiar midlife muffin-top.

Step one for Kim is to assess. “We need to get into our closets and take a look at what still works for our bodies and our lives,” she advises. Once we’ve done that we’re ready for a bit of updating because women our age do want to keep up. We don’t want to fall into the trap of unnecessarily aging ourselves by remaining stuck in an outdated look.

Kim was excited by many of the trends for this season. A couple of her suggestions include adding blocks of bright color or going in the opposite direction and donning outfits in pure, unadulterated white. She also mentioned the hot color for the season is coral suggesting you may want to add accent pieces to your wardrobe in that festive hue. And, according to Kim, a hallmark of spring that has a huge presence this year is floral prints. These animated displays of colorful blooms can be found in all forms of fashion: from shirts and blouses to rings and necklaces.

I had a fabulous time interviewing Kim on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. The show went by all too quickly (just 15 minutes), but Kim delivers her wonderful advice with great energy and humor. Believe me, you won’t want to miss this one! She also has an information-packed website you’ll want to check out and, for those of you living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kim will be the keynote speaker for the Image for Success Spring Luncheon on May 4^th.

As Kim likes to say, “style doesn’t age, it evolves.” So keep your momentum going and spring forward with color, style, and the optimism this wonderful season brings—just the thing for us feisty fashionistas!

There’s one special club that embodies our celebrated joie de vivre and legendary spunk, and this remarkable organization has become the largest women’s social club in the world. Although attendance at this group’s events will have you seeing red, members are encouraged to pursue the five F’s: fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment, and fitness. (I might suggest a sixth F—for feistiness. That particular descriptor may have been officially omitted, but it’s certainly implied.)

The Red Hat Society is dedicated to reshaping the way women are viewed in today’s culture and, in pursuit of this mission, has created an impressive legacy of achievements. One of the most recent accomplishments this legendary club can boast is inclusion in the premier cultural collection of the land: The Smithsonian Institution! Yes, the original red fedora purchased by founder Sue Ellen Cooper as well as her purple-feather boa are now nattily displayed in all their colorful glory.

Sue Ellen, the Exalted Queen Mother herself, and Debra Granich, CEO of the Red Hat Society, have graciously shared their thoughts on what it means to wear the eye-catching combo of red and purple in a recent interview on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. Be certain to tune in to this very special broadcast with these two remarkable women.

In fact, you won’t want to miss a single word. With advice such as “gaudy is good” and “give yourself a title and call yourself a queen” you know these women are celebrating the feisty side of fifty. In the oh-so-colorful fashion befitting the boomers’ spirit and style of aging, the Red Hat Society is one fabulous group. And, better yet, there’s not a single invisible shrinking violet in sight!