The Empty Nest Chronicles

two friends. two coasts. two cozy homes.

Creating Space

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Dear Frances, I don’t know if it’s the warmer weather, the heavenly spring light, or just plain ol’ spring fever–but I’ve got such an itch to reimagine and rearrange spaces around here! It can be hard to say goodbye to the way we used spaces in the house during the child-rearing years, but… it’s time.…

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Taking a week off

 150 150 Frances
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It’s spring break at the Empty Nest! See you next week!

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Springtime Menus

 150 150 Frances
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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
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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!

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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
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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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Our Evolving Diets

 150 150 Kristin
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Dear Kristin, I passed a chicken truck when I was driving to Atlanta two weeks ago. It was crammed full of caged birds, feathers flying, little red combs a-flapping. The sight made me sad; those chickens did not appear to be living their best lives. I’m never eating chicken again, I told myself as I…

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The Day After

 150 150 Kristin
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Dear Frances, We’re back! Boy oh boy, re-entry into real life after a fun trip is hard! A little background–our readers may not know a few things about our friendship. We have been in touch on a daily basis for at least ten years now. First via email and later through the app Voxer. Until…

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Favorite Cookbooks

 150 150 Kristin
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Note to our lovely readers: No post next week. Kristin and Frances will be at QuiltCon, having all sorts of adventures and staying up way too late, and just generally frolicking. We’ll be back on March 3rd. See you then! Dear Kristin, We’ve had any number of cookbook conversations over the years, but I don’t…

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Leaving on a Jet plane

 150 150 Kristin
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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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