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Has
life taken on a new meaning
of ‘fun’ for you now
that the last of the kids
have left home?? If so, good
for you!! If not, have you
asked yourself why?
Is
it that you think maybe you
are to “old” to start
doing new and exciting
things? Too ‘Set in your ways’?
Maybe you both just
fell into that “comfort
zone” like we all tend to
do, where you just go about
doing the same old thing
without even realizing it?
Possibly you have put
your needs on the back
burner for so long while you
were raising the kids that
you just ‘forgot’ that
it was just going to be the
two of you one day?
Well,
no more! It’s time to get
some fun back into your
lives, tackle new projects
and break that old routine.
You would be surprised how
little it can take to get
some of that ‘Sparkle’
back into your marriage. You
don’t have to spend a lot
of money or even leave home
to accomplish it, especially
if you are on a tight
budget, just a little
planning is all it takes.
Try
to remember some of the fun
things you use to do ‘way
back when’ and see if
there is anything that you
would like to do again.
It may be something
as simple as taking a walk,
a drive in the country,
holding hands over your ‘special
table’ at a local café,
or just taking in the local
sights, maybe visiting a
museum or zoo if there is
one near by. You might be
surprised at how many
interesting places there are
to see within an hour or two
of where you live that will
bring back so many fond
memories for you both.
Ok,
about taking those walks!
If maybe both of you
have gotten out of shape a
little over the years, this
would be a great way to get
some easy exercise back into
your lives and enjoy
yourselves in the process
and if you have a dog, why
not bring him/her along with
you!
This
may be a good time to try to
establish connections with
some old friends that you
haven’t seen in a long
time. Who knows, they may be
going through the same
decisions as you and looking
to start doing new things
again and wondering, “Why
haven’t we gotten in touch
with……….”? Someone
has to make the first move,
why not you? It certainly
would be worth a try anyway.
Some
other things you can do if
you are on a budget (or
not!), how about a picnic in
your backyard or maybe even
your living room? Just
spread out a blanket or
tablecloth, throw around
some pillows, light a few
candles and enjoy. Rent an
old movie you both liked,
pop some popcorn, cozy up on
the sofa and enjoy
yourselves. You could even
talk about what you were
both doing around the time
the movie first came out,
kind of like going down
memory lane.
Do
you like to travel? What
kinds of travel do you both
like? Day trips, overnight
stay?
Maybe a short weekend
trip? A few days or a week?
Once a month or a few
times a year. Maybe you
would rather save up and go
for one big trip a year? Do
you like to travel by
yourselves or maybe with a
group? Plans can be made and
how exciting to make those
plans come to be!
Picking out the
vacation your want, getting
brochures, deciding what all
you want to do while on it.
(you can even check out www.emptynesterstravel.com
, we specialize in cruises
and motor coach tours and
both can be very economical
not to mention loads of
fun!)
Now
let’s not forget about
that house! Does it still
look like it did when the
kids were living at home,
WHY?
How about making a
few changes? Painting the
walls can do wonders and be
bold, pick some vibrant
colors, make those rooms
come alive again! Moving
some furniture around,
adding some new throw
pillows here and there can
give things a fresh new look
too. What about the kids’
rooms?
Need a new sewing
room?
Hobby room?
Guest room?
Home office?
Go for it! You can
always make room for them
when they come to visit. Just by making a few small changes around your home you can
do wonders in making you
feel “younger” and more
energetic and ready to
tackle new projects.
These
are just some of the things
that can be done to bring
back some fun in your lives,
get that ole zest back. In
“Part Two” we will go
over even more ideas, but
meanwhile, why not get
started? Try deciding on one
new thing to do a week.
Something you haven’t done
in a long time or just a
small change of some kind.
You will be surprised, once
you get started, all you do
will be fun!
Don’t
forget to visit www.emptynestmoms.com
too! You can connect with
other moms (& dads) on
the message forum there and
see how they are handling
these empty nest years.
Jeanine
Herrin
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