Lifestyle

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Springtime Menus

150 150 Frances

Dear Kristin, As you know, I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately. I’m trying different strategies to get out of it–waking up earlier in the morning to have more time to read, writing letters, walking twice a day. Now that spring is springing, I’m thinking about changing up the dinner menu. Of course,…

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5 Things We’re Loving Right Now: Spring Edition

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, It’s been a few months since we talked about the things that are delighting us. (I loved reading all the wonderful comments on that post, where people shared what they were loving!) Now that it’s starting to feel like spring, I thought it would be fun to spend a few minutes dwelling on…

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Treat Yourself!

150 150 Kristin

Dear Kristin, Let me get this out of my system before I begin: I don’t love the term “self-care.” Maybe it’s that whiff of Instagram Influencer that it carries with it (“Mama, Are you practicing self-care? Here are five products you can buy via my affiliate links that will refresh and recharge you”). Or maybe…

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Sleep Struggles

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, I think that there are two secrets of middle age that no one prepares you for—you will never see both near and far completely clearly again and you will constantly struggle with sleep. I am writing this blog post not as someone who has all the answers but instead as someone who is…

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Leaving on a Jet plane

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, I’m on an airplane right now, in my preferred aisle seat (I’m somewhat claustrophobic), trying not to knock elbows with this young man seated next to me. I’ve got two trips planned for this month, one for work and one for fun. I’m halfway across the country, on my way to the work…

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Puppy Love

150 150 Frances

Dear Kristin, Wherever I am, my dog Travis is nearby. I’ve spent years telling him to stay put when I pop into the kitchen for a cup of tea or trot off to the mudroom to grab my scarf. He never stays put. As soon as he hears my tread on the floor, he wakes…

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5 Things We’re Loving Right Now

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, I thought it would be fun to share a few things that are delighting us right now. And if not actually delighting, then at least finding useful. I love getting a glimpse into other people’s lives. How they live, what they read, how they cook, what they enjoy, what do they do better…

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The Empty Nest Chronicles Podcast: Journaling

150 150 Frances

Hi, everyone! This week we’ve got a podcast episode for you, so sit back with a nice cup of tea (or insert your AirPods and do the dishes) while we discuss journaling. We cover why to keep a journal, what kind of journals we keep, and our plans for destroying our journals when the time…

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Letting Go in the New Year

150 150 Frances

Dear Kristin, Last week we talked about some things we’d like to accomplish in 2023 and how we’re going to accomplish them. This week I thought we could talk about the things we’re not going to accomplish. What are some dreams, obligations and weights we’re going to let go of this year? Here’s my list…

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Two Friends. Two Approaches to the New Year.

150 150 Kristin

Dear Frances, Happy New Year! It’s that time when everyone starts talking about all the changes that they are going to make in the new year. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to try to reinvent myself this year. I want to make some changes and get some things done, but I’ve…

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