My nest is officially empty — at least until Christmas break. Baby girl headed off to college loaded down with new bedding, towels, rugs, and all manner of great dorm room organizers and accessories. Everything matches — including the plastic tubs she packed.
After watching her transition, I’ve decided that I need an Empty Nest Shower. This is a lot like a wedding shower except I’m older, wiser and know the value of good towels, high thread count sheets and fancy paper plates.
In fact, I believe I’ll take a stand against buying wedding gifts. Seriously, do those young married people need all that new stuff? Well, maybe they do but they’re young, they can live on love, Ramen Noodles and hand-me-down furniture. We’re older and can’t handle the fat and sodium in Ramen Noodles. We NEED new furniture since ours has lived through baby spit up, toddler accidents (koolaid and otherwise), kids and cereal, teens and popcorn, pets, and so much more.
Of course we don’t want to discourage the engaged young couple. Let’s just send a card that reads:
God Bless your marriage! Love much, Live Simply and Embrace Life. We’ll be sending you a gift on your 25th wedding anniversary. Please don’t forget to send us another one of those too cute ‘Save the Date’ cards so we won’t forget.
So let’s make a commitment to the Empty Nesters Need New Stuff Shower — aka ENNSS. Let’s start a movement. We’ve survived babies, toddlers, and teens. We’ve sacrificed our sanity and our sofas to years of motherhood. We NEED some NEW STUFF. It has to start somewhere. Really it does.
Can we start with me?
Amen, girlfriend! I want an ENNSS right after yours! Our son (the one who just got married) cleaned.us.OUT. He took his bedroom furniture, a sofa, recliner, lamps…basically, anything that wasn’t bolted down. 😉
I remember this when my oldest got married. She took the good stuff and left us with the rest.
We have always been empty nesters but I need a shower because stuff just WEARS OUT. Why in the world are we always so hesitant to replace things like towels and sheets? Do we expect they will last for ever? You’d think they cost as much as a new car because we use them until there is not one thread touching another. Weird!!
Ha!! Such a great point! We need to make a pact to buy new linens once a year — just a few!
Way to go!!! Next week we take our baby girl (last one in the house) off to a Christian college and then I like that idea of yours of the ENNSS for me too!!! 🙂
She is already packing up her entire room and then ours (smile)!
Not sure how I feel about this empty nest stuff but I know we raise them to rise and fly!
All the best to you and your family! I’m throwing myself a “the house is quiet now” party! 🙂
Hugs!
MARVELOUS idea. And we would all give each other GREAT gifts, since we know, first hand, what needs replacing…or an UPGRADE, for crying out loud! Truthfully, this is a really great “positive” about getting older, and Lord knows I’m always looking for THOSE. 🙂