Flying the Coop

Corrie on August 31, 2012

Flying the Coop:
Back to School Leaves Empty Nest Parents Feeling Blue

Empty Nest Syndrome is characterized by an overwhelming feeling of depression and lack of purpose that is felt with each child’s departure from the family home.   Off to college, newly married, or a job opportunity afar all trigger these emotions. However, it’s not really a done deal until the very last child, the baby, has flown the coop.

My youngest is in middle school so I’m not quite there, but with my oldest starting her Junior year in High School, I can see the emptying of the nest coming all too quickly …  and I’m not looking forward to it.  I’ve already made a mental note to be conscious of not letting my sadness at her departure overshadow her excitement for the new adventures that lie ahead.  I know it will be liberating and I’ll enjoy the quiet and reclaimed leisure time.  An adjustment for sure, you just can’t turn off 18 years of mothering.

Friends have shared how emotionally painful it is, sending their kids off to college.  No longer having your child under foot, no one in need of daily care & feeding, not knowing if they’ve made it home safely, remembered to lock their doors, eat their vegetables, and floss their teeth.  I’ll sure miss making the nightly rounds to kiss each little head and knowing they are all tucked in their beds, safe and sound in the nest.

The vast majority of those afflicted are moms, no surprise there.  Stay at home mothers are particularly hard hit, feeling a lack of identity.  Dads are not immune, concerned if they’ve prepared their child well enough to be on their own, and having  regrets about not having spent enough quality time with them when they were young.

I often tell my husband that these days with all of us under one roof are numbered.  When the kids are grown and on their own, he will not be wishing he’d spent more time at the office.  He has yet to heed  my words of wisdom.

Experts at Psychology Today advise to use this extra time to pick up old or new hobbies, go back to school or the workplace, reconnect with your spouse.  In fact, research published in the Journal of Psychological Science shows that marital satisfaction actually increases with new found time to reconnect with your spouse.   It is also time to forge a different kind of relationship with your child, more advisory and mentoring.

Find pride and comfort in the job you’ve done as a parent.  Give them the confidence to spread their wings and fly!  Pat yourself on the back.  Take a load off and RELAX, you’ve earned it!

Here is a good read that I enjoyed from an empty nester mom last year.

Send some encouragement to an empty nester or a fun celebratory card to the college bound making the transition a little bit easier for all.

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Better Late Than Never!

Corrie on August 25, 2012

September 5th is National Be Late for Something Day, a holiday embraced by procrastination societies and people who believe in putting off today what they can do tomorrow.

Some folks have trouble sticking to a schedule, remembering special occasions and dates, and showing up on time. This is the holiday for them! It should be noted that to even things out, September 6th is National Fight Procrastination Day.

“Better late than never, but never late is better.”
—Folk Saying

Unfortunately, despite our best intentions, sometimes time gets away from us. Modern men and women lead busy lives, full of work, family, and leisure activities.  We’ve all forgotten someone’s important occasion, and had to scramble to send a greeting card after the fact.

Greeting Card Universe takes the sting out of forgetting and reminds you that it’s never too late to send a friend or relation your very best wishes by choosing from a collection of unique and customizable Belated Birthday, Belated Wedding Anniversary, and Belated Holiday cards.

And f you’re running behind but haven’t actually missed the occasion yet, you can save time and headaches by ordering cards conveniently on-line and picking up your order at most local Target stores, usually within 1 hour!

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National Kiss and Make Up Day

Corrie on August 18, 2012

August 25 is National Kiss and Make Up Day, a day of forgiveness and reconciliation.

“Forgiveness is the economy of the heart…
forgiveness saves the expense of anger,
the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.”
—Hannah More

National Kiss and Make Up Day is the time to end a spat, a tiff, an argument, a grudge, a misunderstanding or feud, and resolve your differences with someone else, even if only to “agree to disagree.” Make an apology for something you’ve said or done to a family member, loved one, friend, colleague, or co-worker. Or graciously accept someone else’s apology.

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to examine the relationships in your life, from friends to relatives. Appreciate the good and forgive the bad. Don’t let unresolved hard feelings get in the way of your personal growth. Kiss and Make Up Day is the perfect moment for you to make the first move toward reconciliation.

Greeting Card Universe has 2,500+ one-of-a-kind ways to say “I’m sorry” in our collection of Apology greeting cards. Customize the inside with your own message or a photo. You can easily opt for convenient, in-store pickup at select Target stores, too, usually within 1 hour.

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Left Handed but Always Right

Corrie on August 10, 2012

Left Handers Celebrate the Right to Their Own Day:
August 12, 2012 is National Left Handers Awareness Day

As a right handed person I don’t feel the pain of trying to function in a world optimized for righties.  But for one day, August 12 – National Left Handers Awareness Day – I’d like to imagine what it’s like, try to really understand their feelings of discrimination, and realize how much I take for granted.

My southpaw brother, Brit

I’m one of four children. We are all righties except for one, my oldest brother Brit.  He was, and still is a big guy – tall and broad, an early bloomer too.  Being a bit shy didn’t help matters either.  Or was he shy because he was a lefty and things didn’t come so easily?

I thought he was a bit of an oaf; big, bulky and oh, so clumsy.  Always breaking things and making a mess.  A bull in a china shop like we called my Dad (like father like son), but that’s a whole other story.

Growing up, he didn’t have an athletic bone in his body, although with his size he could have been quite intimidating and used his left handedness to his advantage over right handed opponents.  Most sports equipment, however, is ill suited and awkward for lefties.  Being more mechanically than athletically inclined, I can only imagine the challenges he has with tools and equipment (especially power tools and sharp objects like chain saws – yikes!).  Adding insult to injury, left handed tools and equipment are relatively hard to find and typically more expensive.

A Video Interview with Brit

My brother and his team - Brit is in the back row, far right

I recall other daily challenges that I had little patience or compassion for.  If the answer to, “What’s for dinner?” was “Steak,” there was a stampede to the dinner table to get a “good” seat to his right.  None of us wanted to sit to his left during any meal that required cutting – too much elbow bumping.

Kind of a handwriting snob, I’ve never been a fan of his penmanship. Come to think of it, I’ve never even seen his cursive as very legible – imagine writing left to right, with hand contorted, having to drag your hand across the page  smudging the pen or pencil resulting in a filthy hand … what a pain!  Cutting anything with scissors?  Forget it!  You might as well have given him a butter knife.  And let’s not even talk about zippers on trousers.

So brother Brit, here’s my official apology to you for not understanding or being sympathetic to the challenges you faced and for assuming you were simply a big klutz!  Despite being a southpaw (or maybe because of it) you’ve done good, actually great!  I am so very proud of you – a respected leader in your field, a hero of the environment and the U.S. wildlands, taking pride in everything you do, and a trusted friend and family member bursting at the seams with integrity.

To celebrate the day I’ve sent a special card your way.  I think, unfortunately, you were also born with two left feet. Sorry, no special day or greeting card for that.

To all my left Handed peeps – Happy Left Handers Awareness Day (see, you weren’t left out!)

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Greeting Card Universe hits the Target!

Corrie on August 2, 2012

I head to Target at the drop of a hat, for just about anything and everything.

If I don’t keep myself in check or leave a trail of breadcrumbs, I find myself in a random aisle that I had no intention of being in with a brilliant idea:  “Let’s redecorate the XYZ room!”

Target has become the ultimate convenience store.  For one stop shopping it is my go-to store, especially for holidays and birthdays. It has home and party décor, gifts and wrapping supplies, and pretty much anything I need. Now I have one more reason to head to Target – Greeting Card Universe’s hard to find and uncommon greeting cards!

Thanks to a new partnership between GreetingCardUniverse, Kodak, and Target, you don’t have to wait the 5 to 7 mailing days for the cards and invitations that youve ordered  on GreetingCardUniverse.com to arrive.  This is a life saver when you’re pinched for time, as I usually am.  Enjoy same day, in-store pickup at select Target stores. For $3 a card and no shipping costs, ordering the perfect greeting card online and picking it up in less than 1 hour.  Um, yes, works for me.

My recent “Meep!” moment:  the end of beach volleyball season for my daughter is quickly approaching.  I wanted to thank her coach for doing an awesome job.  Not wanting to settle for a generic thank you card, I found some “thank you volleyball coach” cards on GreetingCardUniverse.com.  They were good, but were indoor volleyball vs beach.  I sent an email requesting some beach volleyball designs.  WHOA!  In less than 48 hours, there were 12 new designs for me to choose from.  Score!

With her last tournament days away, I couldn’t wait for snail mail so I chose the in-store pickup option for my local Target store and picked up my cards the same day.  While in the store, I also got a cute coach’s gift (and decided to redecorate the guest bath).

Now your only challenge will be finding the photo department.  Hint:  it’s usually hidden in a corner near the electronics department. If  you’re anything like me, you’ll definitely want to choose the easy, convenient option, and pick up your special, last minute greeting cards at your local Target store.

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“I needed a SPECIAL sympathy card for my Mom. Though she had lost her husband and friend of 70 years, I too suffered a loss … I lost my Daddy. I was able to take a dear card front that looked so much like Dad and me about 60+ years ago and added the perfect text inside to share in my precious Mom’s grief. The finished card was EXTRAORDINARY and having it mailed directly to my Mom was a lovely surprise that had her teary-eyed for a long time. As always, you can’t beat this company for THE best cards in the UNIVERSE!!!”- Muriel Sue, July 31, 2012