Most women in midlife are told what to cut out. Ladybug begins with what the body needs.
Ladybug is a lifestyle app for women navigating perimenopause and life after menopause. It focuses on six nutrients that matter in this stage of life—not calorie counting, food shame, or another list of forbidden foods.
This retreat brings that philosophy off the screen and to one shared table in Tuscany. For five nights, I’ll cook for you and show how satisfying Mediterranean meals can support everyday nourishment without making bread, cheese, pleasure—or a responsibly enjoyed glass of wine—the enemy.
Ladybug helps women keep an eye on six important nutrients during perimenopause and life after menopause. But numbers only become useful when they turn into meals, shopping habits and everyday choices that fit a real life.
In Tuscany, you can put the tracking aside and experience what those nutrients look like on an actual plate: a breakfast that carries you through the morning, a satisfying lunch, and a dinner enjoyed slowly with other women around one table.
Through informal conversations—not lectures—we can explore how to build a balanced plate, combine ingredients, plan ahead, make substitutions and adapt Mediterranean ideas to your own kitchen. The aim is not to send you home with a rigid programme. It is to give you a practical starting point and the confidence to continue.
Protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, omega-3 and vitamin D guide the thinking behind the meals.
See how ordinary ingredients become complete, colourful and genuinely satisfying food.
Take away adaptable ideas and useful techniques—not another short-lived set of rules.
Villa Magnolie sits among vineyards and olive groves in Vorno, around 5 km from Lucca’s old town. Late October is made for unhurried breakfasts, comfortable walks, reading, exploring nearby towns and returning to a warm house for dinner—not for a packed activity schedule.
A peaceful Tuscan base close to one of Italy’s most beautiful historic towns.
Read, rest, walk, visit nearby villages or spend time in the shared rooms and gardens when the weather invites it.
Only seven women, with enough space for both genuine connection and time alone.
Whenever cooking is underway, you are welcome to come in, watch, taste, ask questions, try a technique or simply sit nearby with a glass of wine while dinner takes shape.
There are no scheduled classes and no obligation to participate. If you are curious, I will share the why and the how: ingredients, flavour, planning, substitutions and professional techniques made useful at home. If you would rather read, walk or relax, that is equally part of the retreat.
My hope is that you leave not with a folder of recipes, but with greater confidence and a way of cooking that can continue long after Tuscany.
The menu will follow the rhythm of late October rather than a diet sheet. Expect breakfasts built around foods such as eggs, yoghurt, fruit, nuts and good bread; colourful, substantial lunches; and longer dinners with seasonal vegetables, beans, grains, pasta, fish, seafood or meat.
Most food will be prepared from familiar, recognisable ingredients, with olive oil, herbs, vegetables and Mediterranean staples at the centre. Local wine will be offered responsibly with dinner. There will be no calorie totals, weighed portions or “good” and “bad” foods announced at the table.
One thoughtful menu is cooked for the group, so you do not have to plan, shop or decide what to make next. You can simply arrive, eat well and enjoy the conversation. The shared table is not an extra activity—it is one of the main reasons we are going.
This Tuscany retreat grows from five fully booked women’s wellbeing and yoga retreats hosted with Natalie. Guests returned for the atmosphere, the care, the company and food they still talked about long after travelling home.
“The hospitality was wonderful, the food fantastic, the people lovely — I can’t recommend it enough.”
— Evelyn, Donegal, Ireland“It was wonderful to have restaurant-quality food every day. The prawn cheesecake and the Hungarian beef stew were unforgettable.”
— Paula, England“This is my third year back — so that says it all. An annual opportunity to slow down, eat beautifully, and enjoy extraordinary company.”
— Angela, Dublin
Natalie and I have already hosted five fully booked yoga and women’s wellbeing retreats together. She will be in Tuscany to help me host the week and to make the villa feel personal, calm and cared for.
If there is interest, Natalie can offer relaxed guided walks and easy, restorative yoga. Both are entirely optional and shaped around the group, the weather and how everyone feels.
The retreat remains food-led. There is no compulsory movement programme and no pressure to join. A quiet morning with a book, an afternoon exploring the area or simply resting is just as valid.
“The food was fantastic, the hospitality wonderful. I can’t recommend it enough.”
Past retreat guestFood is prepared and eaten together because the table is not a decorative extra—it is part of the experience. There is time to taste, talk, laugh and let a meal be a meal.
This is a shared retreat kitchen rather than an à la carte restaurant. One generous menu is prepared for the group, with openness about the ingredients and methods.
Because of that format, we may not be able to accommodate extensive dietary restrictions, multiple allergies or highly individual meal requirements.
If you have important dietary concerns, please contact us before booking. We will answer honestly about whether the retreat can safely and comfortably meet your needs.
Villa Magnolie has five air-conditioned bedrooms for only seven guests: three private rooms for solo occupancy and two twin rooms with places booked individually.
Your room secures much more than accommodation. It is your place in the complete five-night experience: every meal, the open kitchen, shared tables and time to enjoy Tuscany at your own pace.
Two shared bathrooms are available on the first floor, plus an additional bathroom on the ground floor.
The villa’s most spacious private option, with a separate sitting or study room beside the bedroom. A calm choice for a guest who values extra personal space.
Two shared bathrooms are available on the first floor, plus an additional bathroom on the ground floor.
A comfortable private double bedroom on the first floor, close to the villa’s main shared spaces while still offering a quiet place of your own.
Two shared bathrooms are available on the first floor, plus an additional bathroom on the ground floor.
A comfortable twin room for two retreat guests. Book one bed or reserve both beds together while both places remain available.
One shared bathroom serves the two second-floor bedrooms, with an additional bathroom on the ground floor.
A private double bedroom on the villa’s upper floor, offering a little more separation from the main living areas.
One shared bathroom serves the two second-floor bedrooms, with an additional bathroom on the ground floor.
A shared twin room on the upper floor. Book one bed or reserve both beds together while both places remain available.
Planning a five-night escape takes time. Join the retreat updates list and we’ll let you know about room availability, important dates and occasional Tuscany news. No pressure and no daily emails.
Choose the room or shared place that feels right, then secure your place with the deposit or full retreat payment.
You will leave with memories of the table—but also with ideas, techniques and confidence that can make nourishing food feel more natural in your own life.