Real Girls Obsessions Part 6
The things quietly upgrading our mood, our skin, and our everyday lineup
Yep, you guessed it… we’re back again.
Like always, no trend chasing. No curated “must-haves.” Just the things that are actually earning their place right now. Low drama. High return. Quietly iconic.
Here’s what’s holding up lately.
People We’re Following
Brandy Peacock Traylor @brandypeacocktraylor – Smart, grounded, and saying the quiet parts out loud.
Why we’re following: I actually found Brandy through a reel of her lip-syncing “It Takes Two” by Rob Base (one of my all-time favorites) with a caption along the lines of I can’t remember what I ate for dinner but I will never forget the lyrics to this song… which honestly felt like a direct transmission from my brain.
That was the gateway.
Since then, her posts have that rare ability to talk about midlife shifts without turning them into a performance or a crisis narrative. Her content feels steady and honest… like someone handing you language for things you already sensed but hadn’t fully named yet. Thoughtful without being heavy. Reflective without drifting into “healing journey content.” She’s the kind of follow that makes you pause mid-scroll instead of scrolling faster.
Anasbubble @anasbubble – Hysterical midlife observations that somehow double as a nervous-system reset.
Why we’re following: Ana talks about midlife the way most of us actually experience it: hormones, ADHD brain moments, empty-nest shifts, and the general “what in the entire fuck is actually happening to me lately?” phase… but she does it in a way that makes you laugh instead of spiral.
And if you haven’t seen the reel where she pranks one of her kids by texting the lyrics to “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor (which pulled millions of views) go find it immediately. It’s the perfect example of her humor: unexpected, deadpan, and very midlife-mom-coded in the best possible way.
It’s honest, a little chaotic in the right way, and deeply recognizable if you’re living anywhere inside the midlife transition zone right now. Somehow both hysterical and calming at the same time, which feels like a very specific midlife superpower.
Voices We’re Actually Listening To
Unapologetic Midlife with Mindi Lobuzzetta – The kind of conversations you have with your besties over wine.
Why we’re listening: Mindi talks about midlife the way it actually unfolds… identity shifts, divorce, rebuilding confidence, motherhood, starting over, and what happens when life doesn’t follow the neat timeline you expected. When I joined her on the podcast we immediately realized how much overlap we share: moms, divorced, engaged, navigating the same complications, and the conversation went exactly where real conversations go: honest, raw, thoughtful, and yes… a few well-placed curses included.
Women Mastering Midlife with Victoria Byrd - @msvictoriabyrd – Strategy, reinvention, and real talk about starting again on your own terms.
Why we’re listening: Victoria doesn’t just talk about midlife transitions; she’s living them! She shares honestly about divorce, hormones, rebuilding, and now going back to school to pursue her PhD. That combination of transparency and legendary forward motion is rare. When I joined her show, what struck me most was how grounded and intentional she is about designing what comes next instead of reacting to what already happened. She’s doing midlife like a blueprint, not a recovery plan. Honestly? Certified badass behavior.
Coming Into Focus with Helen Tansey – Conversations that help things make sense again.
Why we’re listening: Helen creates the kind of space where midlife reflection doesn’t feel heavy or prescriptive, just clarifying and easy. I was lucky enough to be a guest on her show, so the connection was already there. Then, on a day I really needed it, she sent me one of the most genuine, grounding voice notes out of the blue. The timing and the message both landed in a way that felt like a quiet reminder that sometimes the right people show up with the perspective we didn’t even realize we were waiting for, if we just stay open enough to notice. Her podcast carries that same energy… steady, thoughtful, and quietly reassuring in a way that stays with you.
Dr Abby Medcalf – Boundaries that are practical, direct, and actually usable in real life.
Why we’re reading & listening: Abby’s book Boundaries Made Easy and her Relationships Made Easy podcast get straight to the point about where we over-explain, over-accommodate, and carry things that were never ours to manage in the first place. It’s practical, direct, and the kind of guidance that makes you change how you respond in real conversations — not just nod along while reading and forget it five minutes later.
Creams and Serums We’re Slathering
Youth to the People 15% Vitamin C - Actually works, layers well, and doesn’t require a second mortgage.
Why we’re loving it: Full disclosure: I was standing in Sephora with my 16-year-old stepdaughter when an older-ish associate made a very intentional beeline straight to me and said, essentially, girl, trust me on this one. Not in a “let me rescue you” way (though honestly I am always open to skincare intervention), but in a confident midlife-to-midlife handoff kind of way.
She was right.
It’s reasonably priced, it layers well, and I’m actually noticing a difference — brighter, more awake skin and less of that “I handled everyone else’s life today” look around my face. Also the name alone deserves points. Youth to the People? Sure. I’m still very much about youth to all the people.
ROC Retinol Correction Eye Cream AND CeraVe Eye Repair Cream - A completely unscientific left-eye/right-eye experiment that noticeably softened the raccoon-eye situation.
Why we’re loving them: Dark circles and the tiny under-eye “crinkle geography” (and if you’ve read my book, you already know about my oldest son’s very honest assessment of the situation under there) have been longtime residents around here, so I ran a completely unscientific left-eye/right-eye experiment like a middle-school science fair project: zero documentation, no poster board, maximum commitment.
Both surprised me.
Within a few weeks things looked brighter, smoother, and less shadowy overall. Also possibly helping: the red light mask from the last Obsessions quietly pulling overtime in the background like a dependable coworker who never feels the need to announce what they did.
Either way… they’ve each earned a spot.
Binge-Worthy Shows
Your Friends & Neighbors — Easy-entry drama that pulls you in before you realize you’re invested.
Why we’re watching: Light drama with just enough tension to keep things interesting without requiring emotional recovery time afterward. It’s the kind of show you start casually (yeah, I’m late to this party) and suddenly realize you’ve watched three episodes and are now deeply invested in people whose decisions you absolutely would not make yourself.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills + Erin Jones-Wesley Like Us podcast - Dinner-table tension, side-eye energy, and now a relatability leaderboard.
Why we’re watching: I’ve been obsessed with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for years and I am not even slightly embarrassed about it. It’s one of the strongest franchises in the entire Housewives universe (and yes, I watch several), because the mix of friendships, alliances, lifestyle chaos, and completely unhinged dinner-table dynamics somehow never gets old.
And then Erin’s Like Us podcast added the leaderboard.
Her system for tracking “relatable moments” across episodes deserves its own Bravo spinoff. Assigning points for who’s being the most normal in wildly abnormal situations somehow turns Housewives into a competitive sport and makes the whole thing feel weirdly accessible… even if your own dinner parties rarely involve full glam squads, someone saying “name ’em,” or a simple conversation quietly turning into a full alliance shift before dessert (IYKYK).
Erin gives fantasy football energy - housewives edition. It’s unexpectedly addictive. And honestly? Elite behavior.
BONUS: Iconic Author Energy We Deeply Respect
Freida McFadden - Thriller plots that make you cancel your own bedtime.
Why we’re obsessed: The reveal that Freida McFadden is actually Dr. Sara Cohen, a New York physician specializing in brain disorders, somehow made her books even cooler.
She protected her privacy. Built a massive thriller audience anyway. Wore wigs and glasses for appearances. And then casually stepped forward once the momentum spoke for itself.
That’s not branding. It’s purely perfected strategy.
Also: I watched The Housemaid on a flight and now absolutely need to read the book because sometimes the correct order is movie first, then obsession spiral second.
No rules here. Chef’s kiss behavior all around.
And that’s Part 6.
Just the things quietly making life smoother, brighter, calmer, or more entertaining lately.
If something recently earned a spot in your group chat, your headphones, your nightstand, or your late-night scroll… send it my way and we’ll add it to the growing list of our Real Girls Obsessions.
This list keeps evolving the same way midlife does: selectively, honestly, and with zero patience left for things that don’t hold up.
#RealGirlsGuidetoMidlife, #RealGirlsObsessions #MidlifeMustHaves #Influenced #MidlifePodcast #MidlifeWriter #MidlifeFun #RGG
We’ve earned every wrinkle. Might as well make more laugh lines together.
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