Weeklyish Thoughts

Weeklyish Thoughts — Honest reflections on alcohol-free living for women in midlife. Part diary, part pep talk, always real. Get first looks at new programs, early access to events, exclusive member discounts, and the messy-middle truth of my own sober journey. Growth isn't perfection—it's connection.

The Empty Nest Isn't What I Was Expecting

Hi friend, Well. I'm an empty nester. I keep waiting for the floor to drop out, and instead I keep catching myself being proud of myself. Here's what I did this week. I went to yoga twice. I went to the doctor for a checkup I really did not want to go to, and she handed me one of the healthiest r...

Aug 24, 2026

The Drive Home

Hi Friend, I made the bed. I hung the command strips. I found the right outlet for the mini fridge and the perfect spot for the fan, and I fussed with the closet longer than anyone needed me to. And then there was nothing left to do but hug her and go. My baby is in college. Both of my girls are ...

Aug 16, 2026

Nothing recruits courage like watching someone use hers

Hi friend, Confession: my youngest leaves for college next weekend. I am coping by watching Girls from the beginning with my oldest. All six seasons—which, by my math, should carry me through the first few weeks of empty nesting, long after they have both gone (together) to MIZZOU. Hannah Horvath...

Aug 09, 2026

It works now. And you have to see the house.

Hi friend, Two confessions and an invitation. Confession one: the retreat checkout was broken on phones last night. If you tapped and got a dead end—I'm sorry. It's fixed. I tested it on my own phone this time, standing in my kitchen like a normal person. Confession two: until this week, the retr...

Aug 03, 2026

There are 3 chairs left in this room

Hi friend, August 1st was yesterday. Did you notice it watching you? That's the day everyone quietly asks the question—the one you've maybe been asking since day 4 of Dry July: so… now what? I wrote this week's blog for exactly this moment: The Bridge from July to August—what to do with your 30 d...

Aug 02, 2026

What The Odyssey taught me about being seen (+ 3 spots left)

Hi friend, Thank you for being a compassionate witness to me. I hope you are offering yourself that same love and observation. Let's talk more about this in the upcoming weeks, okie?! I sat in my first board meeting last week and had one of those moments where your whole story catches up with you...

Jul 26, 2026

so this is the part nobody posts about

This Saturday, the air quality was so bad I wasn't supposed to spend much time outside. So I stayed home. And it was lovely. Errands early, drawers organized, then a real do-nothing day—no guilt trip, no productivity math. I am a high-achieving, over-functioning, extroverted doer, so believe me: ...

Jul 19, 2026 anxiety dry july retreat

Halfway through July. Where do you want to be by New Year's Eve?

Hi friend, We're halfway through July. So let me ask you the question I've been asking myself every time I glance at my 2026 vision board: Where do you want to be by New Year's Eve? By Thanksgiving, even? I'm not asking in a pressured way—I'm asking in a "what's possible?" way. Because there is s...

Jul 12, 2026

How the 4th Went — and Where We Can Meet This Summer

Hi friend, The fireworks are over, the coolers are empty, and today you get to wake up and take inventory of how you feel. If you made it through the long weekend alcohol-free, I hope you're sitting in that quiet, clear-headed pride this morning. That's yours. You earned it. And if the weekend ...

Jul 05, 2026

What I've learned from coaching 300+ women (a 4th of July truth)

Hi friend, After coaching more than 300 women through getting sober, I can tell you the thing almost no one wants to hear on a holiday like today: A good intention isn't enough. I know, because I had the best intentions going into every 4th of July I ever ruined. Just a couple. I'll pace myself. ...

Jul 04, 2026

Dry July: 31 Days as the Woman of Your Dreams

Hi friend, Dry July starts Wednesday, and this year, we're not white-knuckling it. We're playing a character. More on that in a minute. But first, the moment that made me tear up this week. The Win That Got Me This Week I get goosebumps every time these land in my inbox. One of my previous long-t...

by Heather M Lowe — Jun 28, 2026 dry july gray area drinking sober community sober curious sober tools

If this week feels harder than usual, read this

Hi Friend, This is your Sunday Weekly Thoughts newsletter coming in on Tuesday evening. If this week has felt like a lot — the cravings louder, the triggers sharper, the urge to “treat yourself” sneaking back in — you are not imagining it, and you are absolutely not alone. Read on. 🌞 Followin...

Jun 24, 2026

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