Dangerous Cupcake is a Southern California lifestyle blog dedicated to women redefining life in midlife and beyond. This next chapter—where our children are adults and our day-to-day independence is finally restored—is exactly when we get to rediscover our passions, invest in our growth, and spend our time (and hard-earned money!) entirely on ourselves, without an ounce of guilt. Wellness at this stage is about far more than just physical health; it’s about reclaiming our vitality, embracing our strength, and living with confidence. We’re here to talk about all of it.
On the blog, we share our real-life adventures in travel, wine experiences, cocktail and foodie explorations, yoga, entertaining, and home design, alongside practical insights into midlife finance and retirement planning. While we used to talk about standard “mom stuff,” our youngest is now 25. This space has completely pivoted to focus on the vibrant, chaotic, and fulfilling life that happens with young adult children and grandkids. We want to share things that are authentic to our journey, while casting a bright light on positive aging and body confidence. It can be scary to navigate a new purpose in this phase of life, but our hope is to build a community where no woman feels like she’s going through it alone.
I’m Donna—a community and social media manager, content creator, writer, SEO geek, and leader of the Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle team. In my spare time, I’m a make-from-scratch foodie with a love for cupcake experimentation and living just a little dangerously… even if it is sometimes all in my head. I’m also imaginary best friends with Chris Hemsworth, and I may or may not have 8′ cutouts of both Thor and Loki in my family room. My large family all lives in Southern California and consists of four kids, two sons-in-law, and two beautiful grandkids who call me Grammy. We’re based in the Fontana area of the Inland Empire, but we spend a lot of time exploring all over SoCal.
Lately, that pursuit of positive aging has led me to dive headfirst into some exciting new chapters of my own. I’m currently challenging myself by prepping for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 certification and am officially enrolled in a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program. This phase of life isn’t about slowing down—it’s about leveling up. I’m completely pivoting my focus toward deep-dive wine writing, sharing relatable education, and preparing to teach yoga, proving that we are never done learning, growing, or reinventing ourselves.
Life is short. Live a little dangerously.
If you’re wondering where my blog name came from, “Dangerous Cupcake” was a nickname my daughter used online years ago. When I decided to start sharing my booze-infused baking recipes, I took the name with her blessing. I actually used to sell alcohol-infused cupcakes and custom cakes over 20 years ago! While I don’t sell them anymore, baking remains a massive family affair, and I still love gifting my creations to friends and family.
I’ve occasionally been asked if I have any “real” writing experience, and yes, I absolutely do! I was originally awarded a journalism scholarship but left college early to join the military. After a few years of wondering what to do next, I spent 17 years working in major media for NBC Universal, where I contributed to the Today show’s morning news feed selections—and my own blog even appeared on the show! Today, I am fully self-employed running my own social media marketing agency, alongside freelancing as an SEO content writer and ghostwriter. If I could pay the bills just with writing—any kind—I would.
If you’re interested in joining our team of writers or working with us in another capacity, please email Donna@dangerouscupcakelifestyle.com. Thank you for visiting!