Nana’s Nook

moms2 moms1Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is just around the corner! If you’re reading this, chances are very high you have a Mom. But what if you find yourself to be the Empty Nester Mother? Having been an Empty Nester myself for 4 years now, I can relate.

10 Tips for Empty Nest Moms:
1. Prepare Yourself – Plan ahead of time, and be prepared for the unexpected! Maybe it’s grief, maybe it’s joy; you may experience the opposite of what you thought you would, but welcome it. It’s okay as long as you acknowledge your feelings. Talk about them or write them down.
2. Learn To Let Go – Don’t be afraid to let your children go! Help them become independent young adults earlier rather than later.
3. Don’t Mope – Get out of the house — literally and figuratively! Plan day trips. Start projects.
4. Try Something New! Now’s your chance to try on a new identity. Buy an outfit you wouldn’t normally wear. Go to places you would normally not visit. Go to a bookstore and sit in each section for 20 minutes and read. The point is to push past your normal way of doing things.
5. Focus On Yourself – Start talking about YOU! As moms, we’re always in the habit of talking about our kids and their lives. Shift the focus. Talk about yourself more often.
6. Make New Friends – Depending on when your children leave the home, your friends may or may not be empty nesters. But, seek out those who make you feel good about yourself or challenge you to try something new.
7. Get Healthy – Mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It’s about balance. Your mind, body and soul all interact with each other, so make sure to work on each aspect of yourself on a daily basis. If your children are not living with you anymore, that probably means you have more free time. So, take advantage of it! Try doing one thing every day that improves your physical, mental, and spiritual/socio wellness. Joining clubs is always a great idea. These can include book clubs, walking clubs, social awareness activities, church activities, etc. Just be active…at least more than you already are. You’re no longer running the kids around; so, run yourself around…or walk really fast.
8. Get Creatively Courageous – Make a bucket list. Visit museums and galleries. Travel, even if it’s just in your own community. Take a cooking or art class. Train for a sprint triathlon. Try things you always wanted to do, but never had time or money… And then share about it with your kids. Let them see that they don’t need to worry about mom.
9. Laugh! There are so many physiological and psychological benefits from laughing.
10. Rekindle Passion …for your spouse, yourself and your life! Fall in love all over again. If it’s concerning your spouse, start with scheduling a date night.

Tips written by Tammy Hotenspiller @ http://www.modernmom.com/c763efd0-3b35-11e3-be8a-bc764e04a41e.html

Recession?

recession-target-concept_mk4cudwdAre you prepared for the recession?

If you aren’t quite sure, you’ll find some pointers here…I invite you to read on. First of all, it is best to get rid of the fear that something terrible will happen to everyone, and that this recession we hear so much about will end what we have today! Grab hold to the truth that we have had a recession before, survived it, and many of us came out better in the end. While a recession may bring temporary personal or business hardships, I believe it is an automatic and necessary adjustment to the economy: we have had one before, and will get another one later. So what do you do? get scared? do things differently? Here’s some tips and advice I have learned over the years and it applies to both business & personal life.

First of all, I don’t think you should go into “cut spending mode” – use the same criteria to make decisions as when it is booming! Obviously, the numbers may be different, but the same principals should apply. If a purchase brings about the needed results – buy it! If it doesn’t , don’t. Often it is better to spend more money in a recession than in a boom because you will get more value from your purchases because of lower pricing. It does take careful analogy, but not any more than when things are booming – we often get lazy & take greater risks when making decisions during good times – train yourself to be consistent in this regard. Recessions are a great opportunity to use the extra time to improve your life and business – don’t let the lower cash flow take away from this. Money spent on training or upgrading your personal or business situation is always worth it & will pay huge dividends when things get back to ‘normal’.

Sometimes even a vacation is wise to take during a recession…it may allow you to get the much needed break away from everything AND still keep the great staff you have invested in for the future when things get real busy again. Catch up on projects that have always been put on the backburner when you are in tight on schedule; take time for yourself. Buy things that do indeed pay for themselves, or bring you true happiness. So many of our clients understand this – personally! Buy things that you REALLY like, that will bring you true happiness, bring back great memories, and be enjoyed for many years – things that last!

You won’t regret spending on the right things during a recession!

In The Community

community1community2community3Activities

“It’s been a couple months since we last sent out a newsletter. A lot has happened since then and here we are already well into Alberta’s Springtime!

I can’t mention all that has happened or things I’ve done the last couple of months due to space constraints, but if you’re curious, here’s a few highlights: Helped man a display booth at the Home Show, had to share my car with my husband for 6 weeks while his work vehicle was in the repair shop getting a new brake line put in, took in the Car Show at the Westener, went bowling with a group of folks who were above the age of 40 years, took our Children & Grandchildren to a Rebels game, checked out the new Mastermind Toys store here in town & bought a brand new toy broom exactly like the one I had when I was a youngster, attended the Mayor’s Annual Prayer Breakfast, discovered the relatively new-to-this-town Famoso’s Itailian pizza eatery, partook of a Passover Seder meal, went over to the downtown “Soup Kitchen” to sit down and chat with the folks there who are in need of this service. Not everyone there is homeless, but there are those who simply do not get paid enough to put food on their tables each day, including a couple of Red Deer Transit bus drivers! I guess one of the bigger changes for me since last writing, is that I’ve become a “Big Sister” via the Youth and Volunteer Centre here in Red Deer. When I heard that there were over 40 children on the wait list, I thought, “Well, I’m an Empty Nester now, so I should be able to have some time to spend with another child”. It makes me happy to see a smile brighten the face of another child. Would you consider becoming a Big Sister or Brother?