From left to right: Gordon Ramsay, Holly Anna Ramsay, Matilda Ramsay, Jack Scott Ramsay, Megan Jane Ramsay and Tana Ramsay
Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Gordon Ramsay and his wife, Tana, have been married since 1996.
The couple has six children together — Megan, Holly, Jack, Tilly, Oscar, and Jesse.
Ramsay offered a peek into his family life in his new Netflix docuseries, “Being Gordon Ramsay.”
Gordon Ramsay may be famous for his foul-mouthed persona on TV, but behind the scenes, he’s a proud father of six.
The Michelin-starred chef has been married to cookbook author Cayetana “Tana” Ramsay since 1996. Together, they have three sons and three daughters, including Holly Ramsay, who was walked down the aisle by her father at her star-studded wedding to Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty in December. Naturally, Ramsay designed the menu.
Ramsay shared a glimpse of his family life in his six-episode Netflix series “Being Gordon Ramsay,” which premiered on Wednesday.
Here’s everything you need to know about the celebrity chef’s wife and kids.
Gordon and Tana Ramsay, who married in 1996, always wanted a large family.
Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Cayetana “Tana” Elizabeth Hutcheson was in her early 20s — and engaged to someone else — when she met Gordon Ramsay at a New Year’s Eve party in London, but she didn’t think much of him at first, she told The Guardian in 2008. However, they shared a mutual friend and, after bumping into each other again, started dating.
In 1996, when Gordon was 29 and Tana was 21, they got married in Chelsea, London.
After initially struggling to conceive and going through in vitro fertilization, they welcomed their first child, Megan, in 1998. By 2001, their first four children had been born.
Speaking to The Herald in 2008, Tana said they were surprised by how quickly their family grew.
“We knew we wanted a large family,” she said, “but for it to happen that close together is amazing. When I discovered I was expecting [our fourth child] Tilly, I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, how am I going to manage?’ But you do.”
Tana, who initially trained as a teacher, is also accomplished in the kitchen. She’s published several cookbooks, including “Tana’s Kitchen Secrets” and “Tana Ramsay’s Real Family Food.”
Born in 1998, their first daughter, Megan Jane Ramsay, does not have a public-facing career.
Megan Ramsay and Gordon Ramsay.
FOX/Getty Images
Megan Ramsay, 27, was the first in her family to graduate from college, her dad shared on Instagram at the time. She earned a degree from Oxford Brookes University in June 2019.
“So proud of this young Lady,” he wrote alongside photos of Megan in her cap and gown, adding, “hard work pays off!”
While she generally avoids the spotlight, Megan did appear on a 2021 episode of “Hell’s Kitchen” to celebrate her 21st birthday alongside her father.
And while she keeps a low profile, that didn’t stop Ramsay from publicly disparaging her boyfriend.
During a January 2022 appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Ramsay said Megan’s ex-boyfriend, Byron, was “a bit wet.”
“You want a man to date your daughter, and he was just a little bit pathetic,” he added.
But the Michelin-starred chef can be a doting dad, too. On Megan’s 24th birthday in May 2022, he shared a photograph on Instagram showing the two together.
“Happy Birthday to this gorgeous lady,” he captioned the photo. “Words can’t describe enough how proud you make me feel every day.”
Twins Holly and Jack Ramsay, born in December 1999, are now 26 years old.
Holly Ramsay and Jack Ramsay.
Karwai Tang/Getty Images
On December 31, 1999, Holly Anna Ramsay and Jack Scott Ramsay were born. They arrived seven weeks early, according to Hello! magazine.
In an Instagram post in December 2020, Tana recalled her struggles as a mother to premature twins.
“Seeing them become little chubby, healthy babies within the first year was a true blessing and I will always be grateful for the determination they showed and their feisty characters,” she wrote.
Today, the twins have a close relationship, but their professional interests differ.
Holly Ramsay has worked as a producer and model.
Gordon Ramsay and his daughter Holly on her wedding day.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
Holly Ramsay is a mental health advocate, podcast and documentary producer, influencer, and model. She has over 500,000 followers on Instagram.
In 2021, Holly launched the podcast “21 & Over” and opened up about her mental health journey, disclosing that she is a survivor of sexual assault.
“I went to university, studied fashion design, and I loved it. But by the second half of the first year I was being affected by my PTSD and I had no idea that this was happening,” she said of the aftermath.
On December 27, 2025, Holly married Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty. She changed into her mother’s 1996 wedding gown for their first dance.
During an interview with Vogue, Holly said her father would get emotional every time she talked about the wedding.
“The other day I was asking him which car he and I would take to the church, and he welled up immediately,” she recalled.
Holly’s twin, Jack, has stayed far from the entertainment space, opting for a career in the military.
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Lucky Cat
Jack is the athlete of the Ramsay family. According to People, he has played rugby and water polo, and he’s studied jiu-jitsu.
In 2020, Jack joined the Royal Marines. Ramsay publicized his son’s accomplishment in an Instagram post at the time.
“Can’t tell you enough how proud I am of this young man Jack Ramsay you’ve made me feel like the proudest father today congrats on joining @royalmarines what amazing achievement,” he wrote.
A year prior, Ramsay celebrated his son finishing the famous Ironman Triathlon.
“Jack Ramsay you are an IronMan 19yrs old what took you so long! Congrats on an amazing achievement,” the proud dad wrote on Instagram.
Matilda “Tilly” Ramsay, born in 2001, has embraced the spotlight.
Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images
In 2015, Matilda, also known as Tilly, began starring in “Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch,” a children’s cooking show on the BBC. Tilly later created a corresponding book, “Matilda & The Ramsay Bunch: Tilly’s Kitchen Takeover.”
Beyond her cooking show, Tilly has made her fair share of TV appearances, including as a contestant on “Strictly Come Dancing” and Australia’s “MasterChef.” In 2024, she graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Nottingham.
Tilly frequently shares cooking videos on her TikTok, where she has nearly 10 million followers. She also hosted her own cooking show, “Dish It Out,” which premiered on Amazon in 2025.
In 2016, Tana miscarried a child, Rocky, five months into her pregnancy.
Tana Ramsay.
GC Images/Getty Images
Tana has spoken publicly about the pregnancy loss she experienced in 2016, and she encouraged people to discuss the often taboo topic of miscarriage.
“I found it really hard when people would talk to me and not mention it because it was like it never happened,” she told Metro in 2020.
In an October 2021 Instagram post, Tana wrote about her family’s experience.
“If all had gone as we hoped yesterday 14/10/21 would have been our little boy Rocky’s 5th birthday, the day he was due not the day he was actually born when he was too little to survive,” she wrote.
“Not a day goes by when we don’t think of him,” she continued, “but, it wasn’t meant to be.”
Speaking on her husband’s role during the hardship, Tana told Metro, “Gordon was amazing, and he’s always been one to talk about everything, and he was very good at sort of talking it out of me and never making me feel that, ‘Oh, you know, maybe we shouldn’t talk about it.'”
In June 2023, she thanked her entire family in an Instagram post for their support throughout the hardship. “I couldn’t do this without my family, you are all everything to me,” she wrote.
In 2018, when they were 18, Holly and Jack ran the London Marathon to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital and in memory of Rocky, Hello! reported.
In April 2019, the Ramsays welcomed their son Oscar.
Gordon Ramsay and Tana Ramsay.
Featureflash Photo Agency/Getty Images
Oscar James Ramsay was born in April 2019. In 2023, Tana shared photos of her son on Instagram for his 4th birthday, writing, “4 already — wow where has that gone!! 4 years of loving you you crazy clever little boy – love you endlessly.”
His sisters, Tilly and Holly, manage the toddler’s Instagram account.
Ramsay once told Jimmy Fallon during a January 2021 interview that Oscar was his “last hope” of getting any of his children into the cooking industry.
The Ramsays grew into a family of eight in November 2023 with the arrival of Jesse James Ramsay.
Gordon Ramsay and his youngest sons Oscar and Jesse James.
Courtesy of Netflix
Ramsay announced the birth via Instagram on November 11, 2023, by sharing a post showing his wife in the delivery room with their newborn son, Jesse James Ramsay.
In the caption, Ramsay confirmed that Jesse James would be their last child, writing: “3 boys, 3 girls…. Done.”
Ramsay had told the Daily Mail in 2021 that he and Tana were contemplating having one more child.
“I said it was a great idea. She said: ‘Well, let’s start planning.’ So I’m like: ‘Oh my god, just pause for two seconds. I’m going to be the oldest dad at school, what’s going to happen on sports day?'” Ramsay said.
“But it’s something we’d still consider, because it’s been such a joy spending time with Oscar,” he added.
Taylor and Daniel got married in “Love Is Blind” season eight, episode 12.
Clifton Prescod / Netflix
Lots of couples get engaged on “Love Is Blind,” but only a few actually marry each season.
In season nine, none of the couples got married.
“Love Is Blind”season 10 premiered on Netflix on Feb. 11.
In the first six years of the hit Netflix dating show “Love Is Blind,” dozens of couples formed connections — but not every pair ultimately got married, and even fewer have stayed married.
Only eight “Love Is Blind” couples have gone the distance; of those couples, three have expanded their families in the years since we saw them walk down the aisle and say “I do.” Notably, “Love Is Blind” season nine, which took place in Denver, ended without a single couple getting married, underscoring just how rare lasting matches from the pods can be.
With season 10 of “Love Is Blind” now streaming on Netflix, there’s no better time for a refresher on every couple who’s still married — and where they are today.
Libby Torres, Esme Mazzeo, Caralynn Matassa, Ayomikun Adekaiyero,and Palmer Haasch contributed to previous versions of this article. The article was first published in 2023.
1. Cameron Hamilton and Lauren Speed-Hamilton
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Cameron and Lauren met and married on season one of “Love Is Blind” and are widely considered one of the franchise’s biggest success stories. The couple, who share a dog named Mr. Sparx, celebrated their five-year anniversary in November 2023.
The couple share updates on their life on their YouTube channel, “Hanging with the Hamiltons”, and co-authored the 2021 book “Leap of Faith: Finding Love the Modern Way.”
In October 2025, they added a new chapter to their story, welcoming their first child, Ezra. This comes after the couple had been open about facing struggles with fertility.
“To God be the GLORY! 🙌🏾🩵 Our son, Ezra William Hamilton, made his debut October 1st ,a little earlier than planned, but perfectly on God’s time. After an unexpected turn with preeclampsia and a few days in the hospital, we’ve been taking it slow… healing, resting, and soaking up all the love,💛” Lauren and Cameron said in a post on Instagram.
2. Matt Barnett and Amber Pike
Amber Pike and Matt Barnett got married on “Love Is Blind.”
Netflix
Matt Barnett and Amber Pike also got married on “Love Is Blind” season one. Like Cameron and Lauren, they celebrated their five-year anniversary in November 2023.
In October 2024, the couple revealed that they were expecting their first child together on the inaugural episode of “The Love Seat,” the podcast hosted by their season one costars.
In April 2025, they welcomed their first child, a daughter.
“It may be the hormones but @barnettisblind and our baby girl have my heart so full I can hardly function. I hope this feeling never goes away,” Amber said in a post on Instagram.
3. Brett Brown and Tiffany Pennywell Brown
Brett and Tiffany on “Love Is Blind.”
Netflix
Brett Brown and Tiffany Pennywell Brown met during “Love Is Blind” season four, which aired in 2023. They married in May 2022.
Appearing on the “Love Is Blind” season six reunion episode in March 2024, Tiffany and Brett confirmed they’re still happily married.
They closed on their house in September 2024.
4. Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin Appiah
Kwame and Chelsea on “Love Is Blind: After the Altar.”
Netflix
Kwame Appiah and Chelsea Griffin Appiah met in the pods during season four and married in May 2022, though Kwame’s mother didn’t initially approve of the relationship. Despite some friction, they’ve managed to go the distance.
Chelsea and Kwame celebrated a year of marriage in May 2023 by adding to their engagement and wedding jewelry, and Chelsea shared in July 2023 that the couple had honeymooned in Santorini, Greece.
Chelsea announced in August 2023 that she was working for Netflix and helping cast people on “Love Is Blind.” She and Kwame also appeared at the season six reunion in March 2024, confirming they’re still happily married.
5. Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi-Goytowski
Zack and Bliss on “Love Is Blind.”
Netflix
Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi-Goytowski met on “Love Is Blind” season four, but they didn’t get engaged sight unseen like most couples on the show.
Zack chose Irina Solomonova in the pods, got engaged to her, and went on the couple’s trip to Mexico with her before they decided they weren’t a good match and swiftly broke up.
After connecting in the pods, Bliss and Zack met in person when Zack returned from Mexico and had instant, undeniable chemistry. Zack proposed to Bliss while the season was being filmed, and she said yes. “Love Is Blind” followed their journey up to their wedding day in May 2022.
Like all of the other season four couples, they had to keep their marriage a secret until April 2023, when the wedding episodes aired.
After celebrating a year of marriage in May 2023 and announcing in November that they were expecting their first child together, their daughter, Galileo Terri Rayne, was born on April 26, 2024.
On Valentine’s Day 2026, the couple announced on Instagram that they are expecting their second child.
“We cannot wait to see Galileo become a big sister! Baby #2 coming Summer 2026 ✨,” Zack and Bliss said in a joint Instagram post.
6. Johnny McIntyre and Amy Cortés
Netflix
Amy and Johnny had the most unproblematic romance on “Love Is Blind” season six. In the finale, they became the only couple from their season to both say “I do” at the altar.
Johnny and Amy confirmed that they were still together at the season six reunion, which aired in March 2024. The reunion even featured a cute montage of their first year of marriage, including goofy moments at home and their trip to Paris.
7. Taylor Krause and Garrett Josemans
Taylor and Garrett got married on “Love Is Blind” season seven.
Clifton Prescod/Netflix
Taylor and Garrett had the most drama-free romance on “Love Is Blind” season seven, despite one disagreement over Garrett acknowledging a text from his ex. They were one of two couples to eventually make it to the altar. They confirmed at the season seven reunion, which aired in October 2024, that they were still married.
During the reunion, Taylor and Garrett laughed at speculation that his glow-up — mostly longer, more styled hair — was due to Taylor’s influence, though she said that he had driven the transformation.
They also revealed that they had decided to move to Washington, DC, rather than San Diego, as they had discussed on the show.
8. Daniel Hastings and Taylor Haag
Taylor and Daniel got married in “Love Is Blind” season eight, episode 12.
Clifton Prescod / Netflix
Daniel and Taylor had the smoothest journey of any couple in season eight, except for one moment in episode six, where Taylor nearly derailed the relationship because she thought Daniel had stalked her on Instagram (he hadn’t).
They confirmed at the “Love Is Blind” reunion, which aired in March 2025, that they’re still married and had bought a home outside Minneapolis. Daniel also showed off his tattoo of Taylor’s eyes.
The couple recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary and added a golden retriever named Sunny to their family.
Six other couples also got married on the show, but later split
Split: Brennon Lemieux and Alexa Alfia
Brennon and Alexa at the “Love Is Blind” season 6 reunion.
Greg Gayne/Netflix
Brennon and Alexa Lemieux met on “Love Is Blind” season three and married in 2021.
In January 2024, they revealed that they were expecting their first child. In an interview with People announcing the news, Alexa said the two had been trying to conceive for more than a year, and she’d undergone fertility treatments that didn’t work before unexpectedly conceiving naturally.
Alexa and Brennon revealed on December 3, 2025, that they had decided to part ways. The announcement came a little more than a year after the birth of their daughter, Vienna Ziva Lemieux, in July.
“This choice was not made lightly, and it comes with a great deal of care, respect, and appreciation for the time we’ve shared,” Brennon and Alexa said in a joint statement on Instagram.
“We entered this relationship with love and optimism, and we leave it with gratitude for the experiences that shaped us and the growth we each gained along the way. While our journey as a married couple is coming to an end, we remain supportive of one another, devoted to our daughter, and committed to navigating this transition with compassion.”
Split: Matt Bolton and Colleen Reed
Matt Bolton and Colleen Reed on the “Love Is Blind” reunion.
Sara Mally/Netflix
Like Brennon and Alexa, Matt and Colleen met on season three of “Love Is Blind” and married in 2021.
Colleen and Matt are quieter than many “Love Is Blind” cast members on social media, but they sparked conversation online because of their unconventional living arrangement.
After the finale, they were married for about two years and lived separately before announcing they’d finally moved in together in June 2023.
After almost four years of marriage, Matt and Colleen said in a May 2025 Instagram statement that they were parting ways.
Split: Milton Johnson and Lydia Velez Gonzalez
Lydia and Milton on “Love Is Blind.”
Netflix
Lydia and Milton met on “Love Is Blind” season five and bonded over their shared love of science. Their age gap worried Lydia at first, but they got married at the altar in June 2022. They later had a second wedding in Lydia’s native Puerto Rico.
After nearly three years of marriage, Lydia and Milton got divorced.
During a June 11, 2025, appearance on fellow “Love Is Blind” alum Amber Desiree “AD” Smith’s podcast, “What’s the Reality?”, Lydia opened up about life since her stint on the show.
Split: Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis
Netflix
Ashley and Tyler were the second couple to make it to the altar on season seven. Before they married, they had one obstacle to overcome: Tyler told Ashley that he had donated his sperm to a friend and her wife and fathered three children, something that he hadn’t disclosed to her in the pods.
When the show started airing, however, speculation and claims about Tyler’s relationship with the three children circulated online. Despite breakup speculation, Ashley supported Tyler at the season seven reunion in October 2024, where the two reaffirmed their commitment to one another, and she publicly defended him in post-show interviews.
However, on January 21, 2025, Ashley announced that she and Tyler had separated several weeks earlier and decided to divorce.
“While I had hoped for mutual understanding and transparency in our relationship, it has become clear that our paths are no longer aligned, making it impossible for me to continue in this marriage,” Ashley said in a statement to People, also asking for privacy as she focuses on “healing and building a new future.”
In a statement to Business Insider via Instagram DM, Tyler called the decision to split “an incredibly difficult and emotional process” for both of them and added that he takes “full accountability” for his role in their relationship difficulties.
“I respect Ashley’s decision to move forward in a way that prioritizes her peace and happiness,” he said. “Ashley is an incredible woman, and I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for the love and support she has given me. I ask for kindness and understanding as we both move forward separately, focusing on healing and growth.”
Split: Iyanna McNeely and Jarrette Jones
Jarrette Jones and Iyanna McNeely.
Adam Rose/Netflix
Jarrette and Iyanna’s path to the altar on season two of “Love Is Blind” was relatively smooth. Though they encountered road bumps due to their differing lifestyles (Jarrette likes to go out, while Iyanna is more of a homebody), the two married and were still married when that season’s “After the Altar” was filmed.
The two announced their separation with a now-deleted joint statement on Instagram on August 17, 2022, about a year after their marriage, and finalized their divorce in November of that year. The post-show special, which aired in September, revealed the cracks that had been forming in their marriage prior to the split, including that Iyanna had moved out of their home because of Jarrette’s partying.
Despite initially being amicable in their separate announcement, Iyanna later said on a podcast that Jarrette had cheated on her during their marriage, which Jarrette denied.
Iyanna hard-launched her new relationship in a 2023 wrap-up post on Instagram and got engaged in December 2024. Jarrette hasn’t posted about his relationship status.
Split: Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson
Danielle and Nick at the reunion.
ADAM ROSE/NETFLIX
Danielle and Nick were another season two couple who didn’t make it. The two only had eyes for each other and seemed like a perfect match — which is why fans were shocked when People reported in late August 2022 that Danielle had filed for divorce from Nick earlier that month.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Italy, and my favorite region for food is Emilia-Romagna.
This part of the country is home to Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mortadella, and balsamic vinegar of Modena.
I especially love eating truffles and tortellini whenever I visit.
It’s no secret that Italy has some of the world’s best food. However, after visiting all 20 regions, I’ve learned that the country isn’t one-size-fits-all when it comes to dining in la dolce vita.
Each region has niche dishes and products that locals wear like a badge of honor, like mozzarella di bufala from Campania, pesto alla Genovese from Liguria, and arancini from Sicily.
Although I would gladly choose to eat anywhere in Italy over any city in the US, Emilia-Romagna gets the gold for the best cuisine in the country.
The region is home to delicious foods like Parmigiano-Reggiano
This region is home to Parmigiano-Reggiano, among other exports.
Kaitlyn Rosati
From Parmigiano-Reggiano and balsamic vinegar of Modena to Prosciutto di Parma and mortadella from Bologna, Emilia-Romagna is home to some of Italy’s most beloved exports.
These are just a few of the products that are PDO and PGI-certified. This is a high standard in the world of food that signals an official link between a product and a region. Emilia-Romagna has 44 PDO and PGI products in total — more than any other Italian region.
You’ll also find some of the country’s most famous restaurants here, like Osteria Francescana and Al Gatto Verde in Modena, and Trattoria da Amerigo in Savigno.
Beyond the accolades and fancy titles, though, I believe that what makes Emilia-Romagna’s cuisine a standout is simply the care and attention put into the food I’ve had here. After visiting the region at least twice a year for the past six years, I have yet to have even a subpar meal.
You can get a taste of all the best parts of Italy, from cheese to truffles, in this one region
In Savigno, you can hunt for truffles with the help of trained dogs.
Kaitlyn Rosati
In Italy, some regions just do certain products better. For example, Tuscany is famous for its red wine; meanwhile, many head to Piedmont for truffles, and Campania’s tomatoes are top-notch.
However, Emilia-Romagna really has a city or town for everything you could ever want on your plate. Savigno has a sign when entering that says “Cittá del Tartufo,” which quite literally translates to “City of Truffles.”
A visit to Appennino Food Group, a food production group explicitly known for its truffle exports, is a great way to plan an afternoon of truffle hunting with trained pups. The company was founded by Luigi Dattilo, who, at 17, refused his father’s offer of a car and asked for a truffle dog instead.
As for tomatoes, Mutti, the famed canned tomato brand, has its headquarters in Parma. Plus, if you’re looking to enjoy Parmigiano-Reggiano in its rightful birthplace, the only place in the world you can do just that is in Emilia-Romagna.
Tortellini has some roots here, too. There was a long-standing debate between Modena and Bologna about who made tortellini first. However, a popular legend holds that tortellini originated in Castelfranco Emilia, a small town between the two hubs.
Some Italians theorize that tortellini’s shape was inspired by Venus’s belly button after she spent a night at an inn in town.
After years of visiting, I have some favorite spots in the region
Tortellini in crema di Parmigiano at Franceschetta58 in Modena.
Kaitlyn Rosati
As someone who constantly craves a taste of Emilia-Romagna — and who spends a lot of time in Italy — I’m in the region often. I love trying new places, but I have a few favorite spots.
One is Franceschetta58 in Modena, known for its decadent tortellini en Parmigiana crema dish (where, yes, I do lick the plate clean every single time). For something more traditional, I prefer Sfoglia Rina in Bologna for tortellini en brodo.
In Parma, Salumeria Garibaldi is an ideal spot for a sip of Lambrusco, the region’s most famed wine, paired with bites of prosciutto and mostarda.
Meanwhile, an hour and a half away in Ferrara, check out Al Brindisi, a historic wine bar dating back to 1435, making it the world’s oldest.
Despite its prominent history, Al Brindisi has an unfussy feel, still preserving its medieval charm in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Pro tip: Order the cappellacci di zucca, or pumpkin-stuffed pasta, a staple of Ferrarese cuisine.
The author decided to start wearing her favorite clothes everywhere.
Courtesy of the author
I used to save my favorite things for a “special occasion.”
Waiting for the perfect moment kept me from enjoying my actual life.
Wearing what I love changed how ordinary days feel.
I used to save my favorite clothes for a version of my life that never showed up.
The blazer stayed in my closet because it felt “too professional” for a normal day. The heels were waiting for a dinner I’d yet to be invited to. The earrings were longing for an occasion that felt important enough to justify wearing them. Meanwhile, I wore the same outfits on repeat — to work, to run errands, to all the places where my actual life was happening.
I wasn’t saving them for a rainy day. I was saving them for the perfect one. The problem was that “special occasion” never came.
It wasn’t just about clothes
This habit wasn’t limited to clothes. I treated everything the same way. A Sephora gift card sat untouched in my drawer, waiting for something “really worth it.” I rationed my favorite lip gloss as if it were a limited resource. I refused to light my favorite candle unless the night felt special enough to deserve it. I even held onto the last spritz of my discontinued One Direction perfume for years, as if saving it could somehow make more.
The author started to feel like she was saving her life for later.
Courtesy of the author
The special occasion is always vague — an imaginary fancy dinner, a future milestone, a celebration that exists only in theory. So I wait. Years pass. The things I loved enough to save start to feel untouchable. By the time I consider using it, we’ve waited so long that it feels wrong to start now.
Looking back, it sounds dramatic, but at the time, it felt practical. Why waste something nice on an ordinary day?
Then one day, the thought hit me: why am I living my life like a waiting room?
It felt like I was saving my life for later
That mindset didn’t stop at my closet. Saving a jacket for the right moment slowly turned into saving fun for the weekends, saving joy for later, saving happiness for a version of life that felt more legitimate than the one I was already living.
I realized I was treating weekdays like something to get through instead of something to participate in. When I did the math on how many days I was mentally skipping, it felt less like discipline and more like quietly wasting my life away.
So I stopped waiting.
I started wearing my favorite pieces on regular days
The shift was small at first. I wore blazers to the bars. I strutted in my nice heels to run errands. I put on the earrings just to go to the grocery store. Not for compliments, not for Instagram, not to prove anything to anyone, but because I liked how it made me feel.
The clothes didn’t lose their value because I wore them. They gained it. Each piece started collecting moments and memories instead of dust. Now, when I reach for something I love, it reminds me of a workday that felt a little lighter or a Trader Joe’s run where I found my new favorite snack.
The author says clothes are meant to be worn more than once.
Courtesy of the author
That’s the part people tend to dismiss as “romanticizing your life,” a phrase that’s been flattened into internet fluff. But this wasn’t about pretending my errands were glamorous or turning my Mondays into Fridays. It was about presence. About intention. About letting regular days count instead of treating them like placeholders.
If I’m being honest, it changed more than my outfits. Work felt less like something I had to endure. Errands felt less like chores. I stopped waiting for permission to enjoy my life. I started dressing for myself instead of an imaginary audience or a hypothetical future. I even started liking Mondays.
I realized the dinner counts. The errand counts. The workday counts. And if the opportunity does truly come? I’ll wear those pieces again. Clothes are meant to be worn more than once.
The special occasion didn’t disappear. I just stopped waiting for it to arrive.
Indeed survey data paints a stark picture of uneven AI engagement across advanced economies.
The chart below shows a clear frontrunner: Ireland stands out, with roughly seven in ten workers using AI at least monthly for work, followed by Australia, Germany, and North America.
At the other end sits Japan, where fewer than one in five workers report professional AI use — less than half the level seen in the US or UK.
One striking pattern cuts across all countries: personal AI use consistently outpaces professional use.
Even in high-adoption markets, workers are experimenting with AI on their own faster than employers are embedding it into workflows. That gap is narrowest in Ireland, suggesting workplace norms and encouragement matter.
Techniques like supersets and periodization can help you build more muscle in the gym, according to exercise science pro Jim Stoppani.
Courtesy of Jim Stoppani
Exercise researcher Jim Stoppani has been studying the science of muscle-building for over a decade.
He recommends time-saving techniques to maximize muscle gains without wasting time and energy.
For best results, aim for well-rounded fitness to prevent injury and improve your health long-term.
Jim Stoppani has been lifting weights for longer than most fitness influencers have been alive.
“I’v been training since I was a young kid, probably 7 or 8,” he told Business Insider. “My father built an amazing gym in our basement and I wanted to hang out with my dad, so I was down there learning the principles of weightlifting.”
Now at 58, with a PhD in exercise physiology, his own supplement brand, and a renowned research career, Stoppani has learned from decades of scientific study and first-hand experience what it takes to pack on lean muscle.
He recommends three strategies everyone should know to make the most of every workout for optimal gains.
Diversify your fitness portfolio
One thing Stoppani has learned over his years in fitness is that progress will plateau — unless you make smart training decisions and plan ahead.
The human body has natural limits in how much strength or muscle mass we can achieve. As you work out and get stronger, you’ll get closer to those limits, but additional gains become increasingly more difficult to earn.
Instead of fighting for diminishing returns, diversify your fitness with different elements like power, agility, mobility, and stamina to get the most bang for your buck in the gym.
“I’m not going to put on 20 pounds of muscle at my age and with so many years under my training belt,” Stoppani said. “So why should I come in here and train like a bodybuilder every day?”
Building muscle is just part of the equation for health. Well-rounded fitness can help you live longer and better.
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To free up time to work on different skills without losing gains, Stoppani often uses a technique called a superset. A superset involves alternating between two exercises that recruit different muscles, with little to no break in between. Doing so allows one muscle group to rest while the other is working, cutting out your downtime in the gym (and potentially burning more fat in the process).
Stoppani uses the extra time to work on yoga, stretching, and cardio, to avoid any weak points in his fitness.
“The thing that I recommend as you get older is to be less singular in your goals and more well-rounded,” he said.
Hit the right intensity
A concept called “reps in reserve” can help make sure you’re pushing hard enough to make the most of your workouts, according to Stoppani.
At the end of each set, think about how many more reps you could do, if you really had to.
Too many reps in reserve, and you’re leaving gains on the table. For instance, if you finish a set of 10 reps, and feel like you could easily do 10 more, you should increase your weight or reps until it feels challenging.
However, you don’t have to push to your absolute limit with every set. Working to total muscle failure, the most you can possibly lift, comes with a risk of injury, and isn’t necessary if you aren’t a competitive athlete.
He recommends waiting until the last set to push closer to failure, and ending the set when you’re too tired to complete the exercise with proper form.
“The key to turning on muscle growth is getting closer to muscle failure,” he said.
Change your rep range
Forget what you’ve seen from fitness influencers. There’s no magic number when it comes to making your muscles bigger or “toning” them.
Building muscle is all about challenging your body, whether you’re lifting heavy weights for a few reps, or light weights for a lot of reps, according to Stoppani.
You can build muscle with heavy weights or light weights, as long as they’re challenging, but they may have slightly different results.
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But your choice of weights can lead to slightly different results over time: heavier weights are ideal for getting stronger, while lighter weights help to maximize the signal for muscle tissue to grow.
As a result, using a variety of strategies can help you make better progress in the long run.
“The biggest misconception is that you can just use one rep range and stick to that forever,” Stoppani said. “You’re eventually going to stop getting the same results because you’re providing the body the same stress over and over and over again.”
Prevent your gains from stalling with a periodization plan, breaking up your training into sections of 6 to 12 weeks each. For instance, you might start with sets of six to eight reps, focusing on building strength, and after two months, switch to sets of 10 to 12 reps help boost muscle growth.
“The best way to build muscle is with change,” Stoppani said.
