About Me

Welcome!

I’m Emma J,  writer and Editor-in-Chief of Mayfair Mum for three years and now here at Em’s Life After 40.

I chose to leave full-time corporate life after 15 years in marketing and business development, hoping for a more balanced lifestyle while Mr J and I raise our son, The 11yo. I chose to pursue a new career largely due to the lack of part-time roles in my profession at the time, so I’ve worked three days a week as an Executive Assistant in London’s West End ever since. A role which allows us both to make the most of our family commitments.

When The 11yo was a toddler, I missed the creativity of my previous role, so set up Mayfair Mum as a parenting blog, with only my laptop, my initiative and my desire to write and keep learning new things. In just three and a half years, writing about our experiences raising a Little Chap, I learned how to use WordPress and social media, indulged my love of writing, (and, I hope, improved it in the process!), grew a substantial readership and built new relationships with bloggers and PRs as I reviewed and shared some quality brands with my readers.

Then, just before Christmas 2014, rain stopped play. My father had a massive heart attack and stroke and by the time I felt the urge to write again, the parenting platform I’d created didn’t feel like it fit anymore. However, sharing my experience with a friend on holiday this year, I realised how much I’d given up & how much more I have to offer (Many thanks, Marli!).

Thus Em’s Life After 40 was born! A lifestyle blog for others like me.

We are living – Our best lives or trying to anyway! Embracing mid-life, hoping for as many good years ahead as behind, passionate about quality, healthy, real food for our families, yet lacking time (or energy!) to cook.

We enjoy a great new restaurant or bar as much now as before we had to negotiate the childcare! We love culture for ourselves and our families: good books, great music, TV, films, plays, concerts or shows but lack time, and often have to be more careful how we allocate increasingly squeezed funds to the many demands of busy 40-something family life!

We are loving – We’re “older” mothers, we’re passionate about our child/ren’s well-being, happiness, development and education. We want to help them grow in independence, confidence, resilience and kindness – it will give us just a little more time in the day for everything else we love too!

Like our partners. We want to be present for our other half and family time is precious as little ones grow up faster each year. We’re trying to build treasured memories of fun times with our loved ones when we relax and get away from it all.

We’re “always busy” women. Managing a career, we battle the inevitable guilt that comes from continual balancing of employer, family, friends, home and community demands while trying not to forget to make a little time for us too!

We are learning – we know we have to take care of ourselves first, physically and mentally, so we’re keen to learn ways to keep our bodies and minds fit and able so we can achieve these goals.

Time poor, we’re always looking for efficiency and innovation; technological or analogue. Whether monitoring our vital signs with the latest wearable tech or building a hard-working capsule wardrobe to take us effortlessly from office to rugby match – let me know when you’ve got that cracked! Streamlining everything from daily task list to house contents to ensure we don’t physically or mentally drown in unnecessary clutter seems an ever increasing priority.

We’re wiser women – we’re learning to be grateful for the little things, we’re learning to believe that famous bear who once said we’re braver than we believe, stronger than we seem and smarter than we think.

We’re women who get things done, whose goal for #LifeAfter40 is to make the most of it.

I hope you’ll find something for you here at Em’s Life whether wisdom, entertainment, new ideas or friends and I warmly invite you to rest up, make yourself a drink, browse, read and enjoy!

I will reply to all comments (however long it takes!), so please stop and chat or sign up – I won’t blitz your inbox – I’ll be too busy clearing my own!

Thanks,

Em x