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The Fixer Upper Recap & Final Video

June 29, 2016

The fixer upper recap~

This past Thursday, we finally moved back in to the fixer upper. Ten months later we are attempting “the new normal”.

Sometime last year I wrote a pretty popular Huffington post about the inevitability of change. How life throws us twists and turns and we need to learn to adjust. This is especially apparent when you become an empty nester.

Your life is so vastly different when you no longer have the day-to-day activities, as well as the interruptions of having kids in the house. You are proud of their accomplishments, but now they are living away at college, trying to detach themselves, learning to be independent and more mature.

Furthermore, we as parents are experiencing similar emotions. Trying to learn how to turn the focus BACK on to us and learning to live without our children in tow.

Initially it can be fairly emotional and sad, but ever so slowly we begin to realize that we can still be exceptional parents and have a great deal of fun as well.

Seattle: My Love For The Space Needle

July 27, 2016June 22, 2016

The Space Needle ~

One of my very favorite things to do in Seattle is to have lunch at the Space Needle. Truthfully “The Needle” absolutely fascinates me. When we chose to live in downtown Seattle, our apartment was only five blocks away and it towers so high in the air that you can see it from anywhere in the city. (Click here if you receive this post via email to see Video #1)

I love it in the rain, in the sunshine, through every season, I just can’t get enough.

San Francisco: My Birthday Dinner at Frances

June 20, 2016

My Birthday Dinner at Frances ~

Dinner at Frances was recommended to me quite a while ago when Craig and I attended an incredible wine dinner at Campton Place for Jordan Winery. Our tablemates were oenofiles and foodies with discerning tastes and strong opinions. I always like to ask these types of people where we should eat next. The soft-spoken and knowledgable gentleman sitting next to me said. “I eat at very special restaurants around the city at least four nights a week, many of them are quite fancy and expensive, but my favorite place to eat is Frances.”

This statement has been bobbing around in my brain for quite a while. Every time we have visited San Francisco, we have had another restaurant scheduled or it was a last-minute trip. Frances is not a “last minute” restaurant. It is more of a “you must plan in advance” reservation. They do save a few seats at the bar for walk ins, but otherwise a reserved seat is a necessity.

Between the Lines: Adventures of Empty Nesters

June 13, 2016

Between the Lines – This is my guest blog for the series and you can click on the Katherine’s Corner graphic ===> to check out the rest of the other bloggers.

Just when I thought I knew a large number of female bloggers, I was introduced to a whole new group! Katherine, from Katherine’sCorner.com invited me to be a part of a blog series written by some f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s women over 50. Age is just a number, but as we get older, not only do we get wiser, but we are more confident to offer our thoughts that come from years of experience. The best part is that everyone is unique and every woman has a fresh perspective on the world.

I was thrilled to participate with over 80 other women over the age of 50 – what an amazingly large and inspiring group!

Home Renovation Update – Almost finished!

March 24, 2020June 13, 2016

Saturday Morning Browsing: What is new on the web?

June 11, 2016

What’s New on the Web?

A few weeks have passed since I offered my What is new on the web feature. Between our home renovation and travel schedule, my time has not been my own. I squeeze in as much as I can each day, but there never seems to be enough time. Do you feel that way?

I started this Saturday morning post in order to highlight a few nuggets that I discovered on the internet. There is so much content to read and discover, my guess is that you can’t get to it all either.

Guest Adventurer: Finding My Passion as an Empty Nester

June 9, 2016June 9, 2016

Please welcome our newest Guest Adventurer: Shirly from Winchester Hampshire (England)

My name is Shirly and I’m a young at heart 48 years old. I had my son during my mid-teenage years and never really had the chance to discover what I wanted to do in life or to find out what I was good at. Now that my daughter has finished university and is beginning to carve her own life, I thought this would be my chance to discover my own passions and find out what truly lights my fire. Although I’ve worked as a Midwife for over nine years, I’ve always felt that there was something missing. I think as mothers we give way and focus on bringing up a family, leaving our personal hopes and dreams on the side. It’s never too late to discover our passions. This is one of the reasons for starting this blog, NurtureHappy.com to hopefully inspire others in similar situations to do the same.

I have two grown up children; My son is 32 and is living on his own near where I used to live with my daughter (Charlie) in London. He’s pretty private and unfortunately, doesn’t really want to be mentioned personally. My daughter is 23 years old. She graduated after finishing a degree in Fashion Jewellery at the London College of Fashion in July 2015. Through using a studio in a school to create her jewellery pieces, she somehow got a job as as teaching assistant. She’s now looking to train as a Design and Technology teacher!

Fun Times at TBEX in Minneapolis- The Future of Travel Media

June 7, 2016June 7, 2016

I have just returned from TBEX in Minneapolis – What is TBEX?

What is this thing with the fancy futuristic sounding title?

“TBEX is the largest conference and networking event for travel bloggers, online travel journalists, new media content creators, travel brands and industry professionals. Each year, TBEX partners with fantastic host destinations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific to bring the travel industry’s most creative minds together to learn, network and do business.”

The first TBEX was held in 2009 after an email was sent to six friends
Since then, it has grown into the world’s largest travel community, with conferences held annually in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific
Each TBEX conference attracts 600-1000 delegates from around the world, making it the best opportunity for DMOs, travel brands, PR firms and their clients, to engage with the most influential travel bloggers and leading digital content creators

TBEX in Minneapolis ~

Seattle: A Mother/Daughter Road Trip to Lake Chelan

May 26, 2016May 26, 2016

A mother/daughter road trip to Lake Chelan ~

We began our road trip on a beautiful, sunny day in Seattle. Yes, seriously it was sunny! My Seattleite daughter and I wanted to squeeze in one last adventure before our move back to California.

My husband and I had been living in Seattle for 8 months while our 1937 fixer upper in Pasadena, CA was being renovated. We chose to live in downtown Seattle so we could live closer to our daughter Alex and experience the “city” way of life. We loved it.

Come Join Us on Instagram in Midlife

July 14, 2016May 23, 2016

Instagram in Midlife and every life ~

It has been months and months since I wrote about Instagram in Midlife. Finally, I see that many more people of my generation are embracing this social media platform.

I am thrilled to welcome my friends from Facebook as they join “IG” or “Insta” for short. Facebook is so 2015… Instagram is simple, no politics and it is perfect for all generations. No one cares how old you are, they just want to look at your photos.

I absolutely love the creativity and fun Instagram brings. I hope to encourage those of you who have not yet joined who are taking photos on your smart phone. With the IG app on your phone, it is a snap to share a photo.

Because really… If I don’t take a photo did it really happen? Ha!