The lilacs are out behind the garage and Tom's already grumbling about the lawn, which means summer is on its way to West Michigan. After thirty-eight years on a hospital floor I learned not to start June with a long list of resolutions — the body and the budget both rebel. What I do instead is pull a small stack of catalogs onto the kitchen table and pick a few practical things to focus on between Memorial Day and Labor Day. A bathing suit that fits. A pair of walking shoes. Maybe a meal plan that takes the cooking off my plate when the grandkids descend.
The list below refreshes an older catalogs.com round-up. A fair amount has changed since 2021 — one brand has new owners, a couple have new apps, and a handful are quieter than they used to be. Before we get into it: if you're over sixty and thinking about a new diet, exercise program, or prescription, run it past your own doctor. These catalogs are a starting point, not a substitute for the folks who know your blood pressure and what medications you're on. The good Lord gave us caution for a reason.
10. Swimsuits For All
If you've been avoiding the pool because nothing fits the way it used to, start here. Swimsuits For All has been part of FullBeauty Brands since 2014 (they also own Woman Within, Roaman's, and Jessica London), with suits from size 4 to 34. The tankinis with a built-in shelf bra are kind to a postsurgical scar or a fuller bust, and the long-torso one-pieces are a blessing if you're tall. As of 2026 they're moving everyone over to the FullBeauty VIP rewards program, so redeem any old points before they convert. Order the free Swimsuits For All catalog.
9. Time For Me
Time For Me has historically been a women's lifestyle catalog — comfortable knit tops, pull-on pants, the sort of thing you wear to lunch and then weed the tomato bed in. I'll be straight: the brand has been quieter the last couple of years, and I haven't seen a fresh seasonal catalog in my mailbox the way I used to. Worth a flip if you can still get a copy. Request the Time For Me catalog.
8. Peony Swimwear
Peony is an Australian swim line — their winter is our summer, so collections tend to land right when we need them. Sustainable fabrics, prints that look more like a garden than a billboard. Pricing is firmly in the splurge category, so this is a once-in-a-while catalog, not a stock-up. Order the Peony catalog.
7. Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem has been a familiar name in mail-order weight loss since the early 1970s, and as of 2026 they're still very much in business under their parent brand Wellina. Portion-controlled meals arrive frozen or shelf-stable, plans start somewhere around eight or nine dollars a day, and there's a Club Advantage subscription for folks who want flexibility without the standard 28-day commitment. Watch the sodium counts if your blood pressure is borderline, and tell your doctor you're starting it. Get the Nutrisystem catalog.
6. The Mayo Clinic Diet
This one earned a spot in my own life two years ago, when Tom's cardiologist gave him "the talk." The Mayo Clinic Diet is built around the same Healthy Weight Pyramid the dietitians taught us in the hospital, and they've kept improving the digital side. As of 2025 the program added a Mayo Clinic Diet Score, more flexible meal planning, and integration for folks taking GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide. They also opened up access to registered dietitians through a partner called Berry Street, often at no out-of-pocket cost depending on your insurance. Order the Mayo Clinic Diet catalog.
5. ProForm
ProForm makes treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes, and rowers, most paired with the iFit app for guided workouts. The recumbent bike is often the kindest piece of cardio equipment in the house for a senior — easy on the knees, gentle on the back. Budget for the iFit subscription on top of the machine, and measure your spare bedroom before you order. I have seen more than one treadmill end up as a clothes rack. Request the ProForm catalog.
4. Especially Yours
Especially Yours is the wig and apparel catalog for Black women, and it is still very much in business in 2026 — the website refreshes regularly and the printed catalog still goes out by mail. Beyond the wigs and hairpieces, they carry church suits, hats, and special-occasion dresses you do not always find in a department store. For a woman dealing with hair thinning from age, thyroid trouble, or chemotherapy, a quality wig is not vanity — it's dignity. I have watched patients walk taller because of one. Order the Especially Yours catalog.
3. Orvis
Orvis is best known for fly fishing, but their women's clothing line is one of the most underrated comfort wardrobes around. Pima cotton tees that survive the dryer, sundresses that aren't cut for a twenty-five-year-old, walking shorts that actually fit a real waist. Not the cheapest, but the cottons hold their shape and the sizing has stayed honest. Order the Orvis catalog.
2. BistroMD
BistroMD was started by Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a board-certified bariatric physician, and the meals are prepared and flash-frozen before shipping. As of 2026 they're still operating, and in late 2025 they added more flexible bundle plans. They accommodate gluten-free, low-sodium, menopause, and diabetes-friendly menus, which matters once you're managing a few conditions at once. The chicken doesn't taste like a hospital tray, which is more than I can say for some. Order the BistroMD catalog.
1. Nurx
Nurx is a telehealth service that started in mail-order birth control and has since broadened into migraine care, hair loss, skin care, and HPV testing. Worth knowing: Nurx merged with Thirty Madison in 2022, and Thirty Madison is in the process of being acquired by a company called Remedy Meds in an all-stock deal expected to close in late 2025. Day to day for the patient, the service is unchanged. For most of us in the 60-plus crowd, Nurx is more relevant for our daughters and granddaughters — but it's a useful service to know about, especially if a granddaughter has moved somewhere with no nearby clinic. Visit the Nurx page.
What I'd actually order if I were you
Don't request all ten at once. Pick three:
- One swim or apparel catalog — Swimsuits For All if you need a suit, Orvis if you need everything else.
- One meal program — Mayo Clinic Diet for a structured plan, BistroMD if you want the food shipped to your door, Nutrisystem if budget is the bigger concern.
- One health support — ProForm for at-home cardio, Especially Yours if a quality wig would make a difference for you or someone in your family.
A few summer things worth remembering
- Hydrate before you're thirsty. A glass of water with breakfast, lunch, and dinner is the simplest rule I know.
- Sunscreen on the back of your hands and the tops of your ears. Those are the two spots where I have removed more skin lesions than I care to count.
- Walk early. Before nine in the morning is kindest on the joints.
- Watch the auto-renewals. Every meal program and fitness app here will happily keep charging your card. Put a sticky note on the refrigerator a week before the next billing date.
Summer at our age isn't about looking the way you did at thirty — it's about feeling well enough to enjoy the back porch, the grandkids in the kiddie pool, and a slice of strawberry shortcake on a Sunday in July. Now if you'll excuse me, Tom is calling about the lawn.
