I celebrated a birthday this past week. I celebrated 48 years, to me another milestone, and I contemplated and thought and thought and contemplated. Why? Why? Why? 

Why do I want a chocolate donut with pretty little sprinkles instead of a Slim Fast bar? Throw the carrots out the door, the squirrels will enjoy them and bring me a plate of cookies. STAT!

Why did it take until my 40s to slow down, relax and read a book to my kids? Naw, I still hate reading books to my kids. I have to force myself to read so my Kindergartner can reach his Book It goal but I sure love snuggle time. Man, I’ve been at this Book It thing for 100 years!

What the heck happened to my Hair Bands? I saw Motley Crue almost 30 years ago, they’re on tour again? Wait, what? How did I go from “Shout at the Devil” to “She thinks My Tractor’s Sexy?” Country? Really? I never saw that one coming.

Why did I own that big bulky TV for 20 years? We got a flat screen, a large one, for Christmas. The color was distorted, it was small in comparison to most TVs owned today and wow, I can actually see the words. Warning! Once you reach 40, it’s true – your eyesight is the first to go.

I’m using zit cream again under my wrinkle cream. Why, why, why? Who the hell said hormonal teenage girls are the worst have never met a hormonal 40+ year woman with cramps, late for work, and wet hair. 

Why did it take us so long to realize that a hand full of sincere besties is so much better than a room full of fake “chesties.” It’s finally dawned on us, in our 40s, that we have no one to impress than ourselves. Boobs sag, butts droop, wrinkles are inevitable, but best friends are forever.

Why in my 40s have my taste in men changed. I don’t think it was a drastic change, it was more of a transition over several years. Why do I find Will Farrell more appealing than Marky Mark?(Yes, I saw Daddy’s Home.) Don’t get me wrong, Mark’s not bad on the eyes, but he’s not the “settle down homebody warm fuzzy cuddle up with a blankie on a cold night” type if ya know what I mean. Unless that’s what you’re looking for, then more power to you!

Since we are discussing men, boyfriend? Single in your 40s? Maybe we shouldn’t go there, but what the heck! Is your man still called your “boyfriend” if you’re dating in your 40s? Personally, I think it sounds silly. Is he my man, significant other, mate, lover? ACK! Moving on!

Big question! Jennifer Anniston, who looks like that? I guess it was more of a statement. I still watch Friends over and over again. Rachel doesn’t have one wrinkle, perfect hair, and success. She has a flaw somewhere, right? The woman doesn’t age! Seriously, it’s so unfair!

 A synopsis to all women in their 40s or about to embark on your 40th? Celebrate! EAT CAKE! Slow down, no one cares what Vince Neil looks like anymore. No one worries about Ms. Anniston’s latest love interest, you are going to get a wrinkle or two this year, and chances are you’re going to need a refill of that glass of wine. Inhale love, exhale confidence. Find a handful of women you can honestly trust. Splurge, read a good book, find a good man, stay with a good man, sit on the porch, listen to your heart, listen to your kids, and love yourself.

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now
So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Cynthia Smith Huhman

I am a mother of 5 children, with a difference of 20+ years from the oldest to the youngest. I’m a new grandma to a beautiful baby boy! I have worked in the broadcast business for 9 years; I’m putting myself through college, studying marketing and leadership, and I’m a self-proclaimed big mouth for Tourette syndrome and developmentally disabled. Previously divorced; I now co-parent with my significant other of 12+ years, in 2 separate homes. Unconventional, but with a combined total of 8 kids… his, hers, and little ours it works for us! I live for my coffee & vanilla chai. I love to teach my daughter new crafts & inspiring her creativity. I enjoy my gardening, cooking, wandering around the hills with my camera, and writing. You can also find me at my new blog http://momofmanytoes.weebly.com/ My motto: Pick yourself up and keep on moving!

Welcome to Periods in Your 30s and 40s

In: Health, Humor
Welcome to Periods in Your 30s and 40s www.herviewfromhome.com

Do you remember that day in the fifth grade when the boys and girls were separated for the “Sexuality and Development” talk? Some nice old lady health teacher came into your room and gave you some straight talk about how the next few years were going to go for you. It was awkward and shocking and you knew your childhood would never be the same. When you hit your mid-thirties, there should be some kind of Part Two to that conversation. All the ladies need to be rounded up, lead into a dimly lit classroom that smells vaguely of pencil...

Keep Reading

How to Stay Married For (at Least) 10 Years

In: Humor, Relationships
How to Stay Married For (at Least) 10 years www.herviewfromhome.com

In July, my husband and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary. We got married back in 2008 following my college graduation. I was only 22 at the time and him? Well, he was all good-looking at the prime age of 30. There were may vocal skeptics who chimed in, unasked of course, to share with us their belief that we would “never last” and that it would “never work”. To them, I say, “You were wrong! Na-na, na-na, boo-boo!” Just kidding, of course; I don’t talk like that. I am a respectable mother, not a four-year-old child and thank goodness...

Keep Reading

How to Put Your Children to Bed in 46 Easy Steps

In: Humor, Kids
How to Put Your Children to Bed in 46 Easy Steps www.herviewfromhome.com

It was time. It had to happen. We’d had a good run at pouring our children into bed at 11:30 p.m., sweaty, sticky, and exhausted from their head to their toes.  But bedtime had to get back to its (somewhat) regularly scheduled program.  When we had one kid, bedtime was a breeze.  Each night, we had a 10 step process. And the steps were simple. And very, very routine. 1. Toys away at 7:10 p.m. 2. Up the stairs at 7:15 p.m. 3. Change into pajamas 4. Brush teeth 5. Read two books 6. Say prayers 7. Light off 8....

Keep Reading

Welcome to the Dreaded Man Cold Season

In: Health, Humor
Welcome to the Dreaded Man Cold Season www.herviewfromhome.com

Your husband has a mere headache, but he automatically now believes that he is going to be a chronic sufferer of cluster migraines. Or, maybe he got a small splinter, but he now believes that he is, without probability, going to end up with a staph infection. And, well, that cough of his (cough, cough) is going to have him laid up in bed for the next two days because he is just feeling so terrible. Sound familiar? It is all too familiar to me. What am I talking about? How men are babies when they get sick. Yes, I said it. I...

Keep Reading

Wanted: Imperfect Friends

In: Humor, Relationships
Wanted: Imperfect Friends www.herviewfromhome.com

Is anyone else as sick of the facade as I am?  Because on social media, everyone seems to have their crap together. But I sure don’t.  Scrolling through my feeds leaves me feeling inadequate and lonely, desperately lonely.  I know social media is only the high points. I know there is always more going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about. But at the end of the day, I just feel like there’s no one who would want to be friends with little, imperfect, insignificant, me.  So, I’m placing an ad.  Wanted: Imperfect Friends A kind, but quirky,...

Keep Reading

51 Reasons a Mom Might Be Late

In: Humor, Motherhood
51 Reasons a Mom Might Be Late www.herviewfromhome.com

I’ve got a question for all you moms out there: Have you ever been late? Yeah, me neither. Just kidding! We’ve all been there. We have an appointment, a meeting, an event, or just a playdate, and we want to be on time. In fact, it often looks and feels like we’re going to be on time. We’ve planned ahead. We have everything in order, and we are ready to head out the door. But then, without fail, the inevitable happens. Actually, it seems that a good number of inevitables happen. And we’re running late, again. Being on time is...

Keep Reading

5 Ways Boy Moms Always Ruin Our Fun

In: Humor, Kids
5 Ways Boy Moms Always Ruin Our Fun www.herviewfromhome.com

We know Mom loves us, don’t worry about that . . . but sometimes it seems like she’s just making up a whole pile of rules to ruin our fun. For instance, we’ll be in the middle of a huge independent project and she’ll come along, usually shriek, and be like, “You can’t use water guns to fill up the bathtub! And why are you shooting water into the toilet? Ewwwwww.” And just like that, we have to pack it all up and return to a clean orderly activity. A controlled activity. A zero fun activity. We’re not even sure...

Keep Reading

Should Grandparents Get Paid to Babysit?

In: Humor, Journal
Should Grandparents Get Paid to Babysit? www.herviewfromhome.com

While swaying in side-by-side hammocks, my daughter paid me the ultimate compliment: “It gives me enormous peace of mind while I’m working, to know you’re watching my son and that he’s in the most capable hands.” Then 10 seconds later while I was still orbiting in happy mode, she insulted me by offering to PAY me for this glorious privilege. We engaged in a little tit for tat tug of war with no clear winner. And the debate rages on, at least in our household. How about yours? To pay or not to pay the loving grandparents who bless us...

Keep Reading

Kids Today Will Never Know the Joy of a 90s Summer

In: Humor

So you want a good old fashioned 90s summer, huh? I don’t blame you. The 90s rocked! (Literally, thanks to Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder.) I’m not going to lie—I take slight offense to the use of “old fashioned” and “90s” in the same sentence, as I’m pretty sure the 90s were like 10 years ago, but I’ll still help you out. If you’re really doing this though, you’ll need to ditch some of your modern conveniences, like your phone. I know, I know, but it’s a requirement. You may bring a beeper or clunky flip-phone, but no internet allowed...

Keep Reading

Dear Kids, This Is Not An Uber

In: Humor, Kids
Dear Kids, This Is Not An Uber www.herviewfromhome.com

Paid automotive transportation is pretty simple. You hop in the backseat of a cab, share the address where you are going and aren’t required to speak any longer until you arrive at your destination and pay the driver. The same primary rules apply to taking an Uber or Lyft.  The unwritten rules have been in place for some time. Your trade-off for taking paid transportation is a ride in the backseat, where you don’t have control over the music, the temperature of the car, the route the driver takes or how fast the trip takes, not even the amount of...

Keep Reading