Amanda Collins | About Menopause, Mudrooms & Murder

Hi, I'm Amanda.

I’m Amanda Collins, creator of Menopause, Mudrooms & Murder. I write from the mountains of Cody, Wyoming, where I’m navigating menopause, decorating our forever home, reluctantly going to the gym, and trying to remember why I walked into the pantry.

If you’ve ever walked into a room and forgotten why you were there, rearranged your living room for the fifth time, watched an entire Bravo reunion like it was breaking news, or wondered why getting off the couch suddenly requires a strategic plan… we’re probably going to get along just fine.

My Story

I am originally from upstate New York and moved to Tennessee when I was 11 years old. I have one of those hybrid accents that no one can quite place. Depending on the sentence, I might sound like I grew up in Syracuse, Nashville, or somewhere in between. I still get the occasional, “You ain’t from ’round here,” and honestly… they’re not wrong.

I do share a birthday with my Mom. When I was kid, I thought it was wildly unfair because she wouldn’t allow me to have birthday parties on my birthday and invite all of my friends. To be honest, looking back now as an adult, I don’t blame her! These days, that shared birthday feels like one of the greatest gifts she ever gave me. Every year I get to celebrate another birthday while feeling just a little closer to her.

I miss her every day.

Life Changes What Matters

Then life introduced me to my husband, Mark. We met the 21st century way… through a dating app! Thankfully, neither of us turned out to be a serial killer. Together we have a wonderfully blended family of five adult (and almost-adult) kids.

During a trip in 2024, we drove through Cody, Wyoming, and something about this place immediately felt like home. The mountains. The wide-open spaces. The slower pace. Before we knew it, we were buying land and planning a cross-country move that most people thought was a little crazy.

Honestly… they weren’t entirely wrong.

Our Story Includes Loss

Our family’s story has been shaped by both extraordinary blessings and heartbreaking loss. My middle daughter passed away in 2009 when she was just eleven years old. Life hasn’t always been easy. Her passing was an experience that changed me forever. It taught me how precious laughter really is and how important it is to find joy—even in ordinary days.

Grief changes you, but it doesn’t stop life from moving forward. Eventually, I found myself navigating a whole new season of life—one filled with menopause, new adventures, and a lot more laughter than I ever thought possible.

Why I Started This Blog

Fast-forward a few years and I’m navigating menopause, convincing myself that going to the gym is a privilege while internally negotiating with myself in the parking lot, decorating our forever home in Wyoming, watching far too much Bravo, falling down true crime rabbit holes, and occasionally standing in the pantry wondering why I walked in there in the first place.

That’s when I realized…

I couldn’t possibly be the only woman trying to figure out this wonderfully ridiculous stage of life.

So What Will You Find Around Here?

A Few Fun Facts

Favorite Housewife: Kyle Richards – No explanation necessary.
Drink of Choice: Iced Tea – Sweetened of course, but with stevia. I spent most of my life in the South!
Can’t Keep Alive: Plants – I’ve accepted they’re safer at the garden center than in my care.
Favorite Vacation: London – Buckingham Palace. Need I say more?
Comfort Food: Coconut Cake – Preferably someone else’s recipe because baking isn’t my superpower.
Always Watching: Bravo or a true crime documentary – My television viewing habits make absolutely no sense.
Current Decorating Obsession: Floor-to-ceiling stone fireplaces – If HGTV ever needs another show, I’m available.
Best Time of Year: Fall – if my hot flashes return, it will quickly become Winter!

My Philosophy

I’ve started to believe life has a funny sense of humor.

In the first half, your body is strong while your mind is still trying to figure everything out.

By the second half, your mind finally starts making sense of life…

…just as your knees begin negotiating every flight of stairs.

If that’s not proof that God has a sense of humor, I don’t know what is.

Fair warning: I tend to overanalyze everything, read way too many Amazon reviews before buying anything over $30, and can spend an embarrassing amount of time deciding where to hang one picture frame. If you’ve ever moved a lamp six times before deciding the first spot was fine after all… welcome. You’re my kind of people.

I don’t have life all figured out.

These days I’m learning that taking care of myself isn’t selfish. It’s necessary. I’m still learning how to age well, lift a little heavier, decorate one more room, laugh at menopause, survive another Bravo reunion, and remember why I walked into the pantry.

But if sharing my stories helps you laugh a little harder, feel a little less alone, or simply take a break from the negativity of the world for a few minutes…

then this little corner of the internet is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

I’m so glad you’re here.

If you’d like to read more, visit my latest blog posts.