Getting older doesn’t have to be depressing. Shel Harrington is showing us that the real fun begins after we hit 50. The creative mind behind the popular Facebook page Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce, Shel’s books “Over 50, Defined: Words Just for Us That Aren’t in the Dictionary … YET!” and “Over 50, Even More Defined” lets us age hilariously.

Shel is a humorist, author, and seasoned family attorney who has found the fun in our senior foibles. With more than 500,000 followers on her Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce Facebook page, she is helping nearly half-a-million people find the humor in growing older. Her “Over 50, Defined” books collect her “quinbloits,” wacky words she has invented to capture the true experience of aging, with definitions seniors can relate to. A quick read, the books are peppered with cute illustrations.

Gen X-ers who are moving past mid-life and Baby Boomers alike may see themselves in these off-the-wall words. For instance, if you are over 50 you may have have had a few experiences with ROOMEMBER | roo-mem-ber (verb): To stand in the middle of a room while trying to remember why you went in it.

Or perhaps the last time you watched a movie with your family you had to RIFLOP | rahy-flop (verb): To roll around before you are able to get up from a sitting position on the floor.

If you’re more than half a century old, you may be familiar with the PEEYOP | pe-yop (noun): The use of a bathroom just because you’re passing it — in case there’s not one close by when you need it.

The “Over 50, Defined” duo reminds readers that they are not alone in all of the funny little things they experience as they get older and the fine print gets harder to read. Shel’s words that hilariously capture the senior experience give fun language to what might seem unmentionable.

Laughter can help relieve both sadness and fear. Shel delivers humor at a time when we may be feeling both, as we notice the signs of aging in our lives. Moving through our senior years, we may encounter myriad surprising changes. Shel holds up a mirror to herself and the rest of us, letting us know it’s OK to chuckle.

Keeping Relationships Strong Beyond 50

In addition to connecting people with one another by finding the humor in the common 50+ experience, Shel uses her expertise as a divorce lawyer to help couples –  from newlyweds to those long-marrieds heading toward the golden anniversary – stay together. Shel wants marriages to remain strong and people to stay out of her law office. “I have been told more than once that if people stop getting divorced I’ll be out of business,” she says. “So put me out of business! I’ll find something else to do.” She offers advice and tips to keep couples out of divorce court.

Essential Quinbloits for Navigating Life After 50 (Hilariously)

GLOST | glawst (verb): To look for your glasses when they’re on your head or around your neck.

INJUNKLE | in-juhngk–uhl (verb): To read cooking instructions on the food box, confidently throw it away, then retrieve it from the trash seconds later to recheck the instructions.

JAVANUKE | jah-vuh-nyook (noun): The cold cup of coffee you discover in the microwave hours after you popped it in for a quick reheat.

JIGGELBITZ | jig-uhl-bitz (noun): The ongoing movement that occurs when you come to a sudden stop and parts of your body don’t.

NOSTALJURK | nu-stawl-jurk (noun): A person who has started more than six sentences with “I remember when …” within a three-day period.

OOFFIT | oof-fit (noun): The noise you now make when getting up from a sitting position.

OTICSIGHT | o-tik-sahyt (verb): To turn down the volume on the car radio when you’re lost so you can see better.

PLIBBLE | plib-buhl (verb): To blearily trudge to the bathroom to pee while attempting to continue sleeping.

Download the Shel Harrington One Pager.

Learn more at FatBottomFiftiesGetFierce.com

Shel Harrington

Byline Bio: Shel Harrington is a humorist, author, and family law attorney whose debut book, “Over 50, Defined: Words Just for Us That Aren’t in the Dictionary … YET!” (April; 2021) finds hilarity in the 50-plus experience. Her Facebook pages Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce and Shel Harrington, Relationship Advocate have a collective following of more than 500,000. Learn more at FatBottomFiftiesGetFierce.com.

Broadcast Bio: Ever wonder if anyone else loses their glasses, only to find them sitting on their head? Or discovers their coffee in the microwave hours after they popped it in for a quick reheat? Our guest today is a humorist and author of the book “Over 50, Defined.” She’s making growing older hilarious with invented words for all of those funny things we do after age 50. Welcome, Shel Harrington. So tell us, what exactly is an “OOFFIT”?

Full Bio: Shel Harrington is a humorist, author, and family law attorney whose debut book, “Over 50, Defined: Words Just for Us That Aren’t in the Dictionary … YET!” (April; 2021) finds hilarity in the 50-plus experience. Her facebook pages Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce and Shel Harrington, Relationship Advocate have a collective following of more than 500,000.

A seasoned divorce lawyer, Shel earned her B.B.A. And J.D. degrees at Oklahoma University. In addition to helping people find the humor in growing older, Shel offers expert advice on how to keep marriages strong (and stay out of her office).

Shel lives in Oklahoma with her husband, Steve, and their two cats, Moxie and Homer. She has a curiosity about how things are made and is a self-deemed “factory-loving fool” who routinely takes tours of factories when traveling to new places. She is also a fan of classic rock and contemporary Christian music. Learn more at FatBottomFiftiesGetFierce.com.

Download Shel Harrington’s Radio One Pager.

1. What is a “quinbloit”?
2. What inspired you to write “Over 50, Defined”?
3. What about getting older is funny?
4. What are your three favorite quinbloits?
5. What should millennials expect to experience as they move past middle age?
6. Why is it so important to laugh at ourselves as we get older?
7. How can we stay fierce as we move past middle age?
8. What are your favorite tools that make getting older easier?
9. As a divorce lawyer, what are your tips for couples who want to stay out of your office?
10. What new challenges do couples face during retirement and how can they overcome them?
11. As a breast cancer survivor, what are your tips for people who have recently been diagnosed?