Showing posts with label empty nest. Show all posts

HOW MY HOME HAS BECOME MY HAVEN

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WHEN YOU LOVE BEING HOME

I think one of the signs of settling into Midlife is that, as nice as it is to have lots of outside interests, I also really love being home. I think about all the freedom I have now, all the places I could go, all the social activities I have the time for, and all the entertainment that's available....and for the most part I'd rather be home.

I know that we all need to get out and about and be sociable and stay engaged with life, but I also love that my home has become my sanctuary where I can just relax and be in my own space. Today I wanted to share a few thoughts on how my home has become my haven.....
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SELLING YOUR FOREVER HOME? FIVE QUICK WAYS TO SPRUCE THINGS UP

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FIVE QUICK WAYS TO SPRUCE THINGS UP IF YOU'RE SELLING YOUR HOME

I've noticed that many of my friends in real life and online are thinking about selling the family home to move onto the next phase of life now the kids have left the nest. Some want a sea change or tree change, some want to be closer to their grandkids, some are choosing to downsize, some have even decided to upsize for when the kids and grandkids come to visit (we were one of those!) Regardless of what you choose to move onto, having your current home in top shape makes the sales process so much simpler and more straightforward.

Today on the blog I have a guest post collaboration sharing some great tips on ways to make your house appealing to a buyer and ready for a quick sale......
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ADULT CHILDREN DIVORCING? YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN DOESN’T HAVE TO END

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INTRO

Today, while I recover from my hip replacement surgery, I have a really interesting guest contribution from Brisbane Family Lawyer Jennifer Hetherington about what happens to grandparents and grandchildren if there's a divorce in the family.

Those of us with grandchildren know that being a grandparent is a beautiful experience filled with joy and excitement. As grandparents with so much love to give, it can be worrying if our adult children decide to go through with a divorce. Fortunately, there are options available to us when it comes to continuing our relationship with our grandchildren, and Jennifer has some very helpful advice about what we can do.

Just a note that this is general information only. This article does not constitute legal advice. All cases are different. You should discuss your circumstance with a good family lawyer.

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FOUR SCORE YEARS AND TEN - THE 5 STAGES OF LIFE

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THE 5 STAGES OF LIFE

There is a bible verse in Psalm 90 that refers to the average lifespan back in the days of olde: 

The days of our years are threescore years and ten...

Things have changed a little since then and we probably average four score years and ten these days. What I noticed is that this can be divided into five life stages based on each of the four scores and the ten, and today's post is all about the five "F"s of life - and I thought I'd include a few throwback photos along the way for fun.
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AN UNEXPECTED MIDLIFE RELOCATION

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INTRO

Today I have the next guest in my MIDLIFE SYMPHONY series where I've asked others to share what they're doing to make the second half of life the best half of life. Amanda (from A Home By The Sea) is sharing today about a house move that turned into an unexpected lifestyle change that's brought her into a new and lovely season of life.
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LEARNING TO LIVE A LIFE OF SELF-COMPASSION

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INTRO

Today I have the next guest in my MIDLIFE SYMPHONY series where I've asked others to share what they're doing to make the second half of life the best half of life. Allison (from Start A Simple Life) has had quite a tumultuous time over the last six years and today she's sharing the biggest lesson she's learned from it all, and how that lesson is shaping the second half of her life.
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HAVE YOURSELF A VERY UNBUSY CHRISTMAS

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CHOOSING AN UNBUSY CHRISTMAS

At the end of October I discovered and joined the Unbusy Holiday Challenge. It's aimed at mums who get overwhelmed during the Christmas season, but I loved the idea of letting go of all the Christmas palaver and expectations and choosing to do Christmas my way, rather than how I felt I should be doing it to keep everyone else happy.
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HAVE YOU DISCOVERED THE POWER OF POSITIVITY?

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EMBRACING POSITIVE THINKING

Today it's all about the letter "P" in my List of More - and it's "P" for Positivity - one of my favourite words. After such a long period of feeling stressed and under pressure, it's been wonderful to move forward and leave that all behind me. I think the key has been Positivity - it's such a powerful concept and has the ability to completely change how we see our lives and the world around us. So many women in Midlife are worried about being invisible, or wondering what they have to offer. Approaching things from a positive outlook changes this around and opens our eyes to how wonderful this stage of life can be if we let it.
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BEING A GRANDMOTHER IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET

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THE BEST KEPT SECRET

Nobody tells you how wonderful being a grandmother is. I don't remember anyone saying to me "it's amazing being a Grandma/Nana!" I had no idea grandchildren brought so much joy into this stage of life.....until I had my own.
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HOLDING ON LOOSELY

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HOLDING ON AND LETTING GO

We read so much about not holding on to things - about opening up and letting them go. But, sometimes I wonder if there isn't somewhere in the middle, somewhere where we don't clutch too tightly, but also where we don't give up completely and give it all away.

 Wouldn't it be nice to find that balance? To be able to have people and things in our life that we are in touch with, but not owned by. To be able to hold things that are precious, but not possess them or try to control them. To be able to appreciate connection without having to own everything.
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MIDLIFE AND BEING A HEN

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HEN-DOM

A couple of years ago I wrote a post about being a HEN - an anacronym for Happy Empty Nester. I was patting myself nicely on the back and thinking how successful I was in the launching of my chicks and celebrating the joys of the empty nesting box.
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5 BENEFITS OF THE EMPTY NEST

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WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR EMPTY NEST?

The empty nest is a strange time of adjustment - we go from having a house full of kids who are coming and going, eating, sleeping, talking, driving, socialising, arguing, and generally driving us crazy.....to a house that is just the two of us with all those demands gone and an uncanny amount of space and time suddenly available. 

 What do we do about it? Do we mourn the fact that the noise and action have departed and wait for the occasional visits? Do we look at each other and wonder who we are and how we got here? Or do we stop and appreciate all that is returning to us and start building afresh on that foundation? Are there any benefits to having an empty nest?
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A NEW LESSON FROM THE EMPTY NEST

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THINKING I KNEW IT ALL

After several years of being an Empty Nester I thought I knew it all. I've written quite a few posts about how to make it work and how to let your children fly the nest and not cling on to their tailfeathers as they take off. I've waxed lyrical about re-discovering life with my husband and the peace and quiet of living with a couple of cats and no kids. I write about how much I love them coming home to visit and how lovely it is to have the family back together for a while.

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MOTHERS DAY - IT IS WHAT IT IS

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WARNING: NOT YOUR USUAL FLUFFY MOTHERS DAY POST!!

A VERY BRADY MOTHERS DAY

Every year when Mothers Day rolls around I read and write wonderful things about being a mother and how meaningful Mothers Day is. I morph into Carol Brady and start thinking warm fuzzy thoughts about my children and what a wonderful mother I was, how much time and love I invested in them, how that has paid off so well as they've become wonderful adults contributing to society etc etc.
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WHY MIDLIFE'S FABULOUS - THE EMPTY NEST

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THE STEREOTYPICAL EMPTY NEST

The empty nest is often spoken about as a sad and lonely time. The kids leave and take all the life and interest and excitement with them. There's no-one left who needs looking after, nobody coming and going, no strangers wandering through the house, nothing new and nothing out of the ordinary any more. It can all be so silent and sedate and fairly boring if you let it.
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WHAT IS THE PERFECT FAMILY?

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THE IDEA OF A PERFECT FAMILY

Somewhere along the line in my life, I managed to develop this absurd notion (my family refers to it as my “Brady Bunch Mentality”) that families are this amazing group of people who are interconnected, and inter-dependent, and want to spend lots time together, sharing happily in each others’ lives. I assume they want to do this because they are so in-sync with each other and love to be together....and because they have been parented this way.

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CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE - WE'RE THE "SANDWICH GENERATION"

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THE SANDWICH GENERATION

I was having coffee with my sister-in-law (and great buddy) the other day and we were discussing the expectations placed on us and how that's changed with the next generation. Our adult "kids" have no qualms with living their own lives autonomously and they have no problem at all with leaving their parents to their own devices.
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RE-DEFINING CHRISTMAS IN MIDLIFE

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CHRISTMAS IN THE EARLY DAYS

Christmas has always been one of those occasions that I looked forward to for weeks/months beforehand and planned, organized, and micro-managed. I used to have visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, the Christmas Carols pumping, the tree colour co-ordinated and the day ruthlessly scheduled. I think there was a little bit of 1950's housewife that poked her nose out whenever Christmas got mentioned.
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MIDLIFE ROCKS! ~ WATCHING YOUR KIDS MARRY

MIDLIFE ROCKS! ~ Watching Your Kids Marry - learning to let go and watch them make their own lives. #midlife #emptynest

MILESTONES

It's always a joy watching your children reach different milestones. We think back fondly to when they started walking and talking when they were really little, and the days they started school, got their drivers licence, moved out of home, graduated, began their career ....and the list goes on.
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MIDLIFE ROCKS! ~ REDEFINING YOUR RELATIONSHIP

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KEEPING THAT SPARK ALIVE

It's so easy to take your relationship for granted when you've been married forever. I know I was guilty of this and nearly lost it all in the process. You live in the same house, you see each other every day but you need to wake up and make midlife a time where you find the spark and the connection again. Once those kids are out the door and the distractions are gone, you need to make your relationship a priority.
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