Nana’s Nook

by | May 10, 2015

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

In The Community

by | May 2, 2015

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“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?

Nana’s Nook

by | Dec 11, 2014

cd1345_z“Astronomical!”

Now that Halloween is past, we can expect the white cold flakes to appear and stick around for a few months in Central Alberta, and thoughts usually turn toward Christmas time.  Yes, I already have some gifts purchased for the Grandchildren!  My Husband plans to sing in a choir mid-December.  Last week one of our children asked what our plans were for Christmas this year and another posted on FB a picture of paper star ornaments she had just made.  Last weekend someone asked if I did much Christmas baking anymore.  A relative asked if we were planning to travel 12+ hours to visit them at Christmas time.  Another person asked me if I thought the Star of Bethlehem was a comet.  Snow, gifts, crafts, singing, baking traditions, travel, stars.  Plenty of plans and questions already and it’s only mid November!  And so as I think about some of these plans and answers to these questions, my mind turns to deeper thoughts, like, yes, “Why do we do these things?” or “Was that traditional Christmas star really a comet instead?” or “Are all these things really necessary to be doing?” or “Ya, what do I believe about signs in the heavens?”  Maybe it’s part of my “mid-life crisis” to ponder these type of things or maybe it’s older age questioning traditions or maybe it really is from the spiritual realm of curiosity wanting me to look deeper, to do some research on certain beliefs. I don’t know, but it certainly is interesting to see what pops up on Google when I punch in some of these questions!!

“Oh, my stars!”  just popped into my head – a phrase one of my Grandmothers used to say alot.  Ok, wait a second!  That does it.  Time out!  Time to watch a video on the web about the most famous star ever:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPHKg0M3mEo “The Star of Bethlehem”, produced by Stephen McEveety, presented by Rick Larson is what I just watched.   ASTRONOMICAL!  Gave me goosebumps – you too?

Gift Ideas

by | Dec 11, 2014

Here are some great gifts others have given! Visit us to make the perfect gift for your special somebody.

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We will be closed between Christmas & New Years Days for inventory purposes.

In the Community

by | Jun 25, 2014


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Since moving to within Red Deer City limits last Autumn and now that the White Stuff has melted, I’ve decided that this Spring and Summer is as good time as any to explore this community in which I now live. Sometimes my explorations have taken me along roads I’ve never driven upon; sometimes into stores I’ve never opened the door to before and sometimes finding myself signed up for activities I never thought I’d have opportunity for. Some places I’ve explored are the inside of the Cronquist House and Kerry Wood Nature Building, the mountainous-like trails at Gaetz Lake Bird Sanctuary and some peaceful pathways along the river.

A few weeks ago I found myself at a charity fund raiser and for some reason I was compelled to bid on a beautiful lady’s golf bag and club set. At the outset of the silent bidding, I had a firm dollar amount to which I had set my limit for on this particular item, even though I had no idea how much such a package was worth! Now, I have mini-golfed a few times beforehand and only once before had I ever set foot on a course to actually golf and that was for another fund raiser about a dozen years ago already. Back then I learned I had way too much muscle for such a tiny ball. I didn’t think I’d actually come away from that event with a set of clubs, but that’s what ended up happening and I didn’t even go over my set limit!! Now I have to learn to swing a golf club properly instead of swinging it like a baseball bat. Oh, the adventures I might find myself on this year! “Fore”!!

 

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