3 Ideas for empty nesting post holidays

How to get back into the empty nester groove once the kids have left the nest again

Drunk Santa even paid us a visit over the holidays!

Family time filled up our love tanks and our hearts throughout the holidays. But now the holiday decorations are put away, it’s Dry January and the kids are gone. What do we do now?

We know the time with our kids went way too quickly and we were so grateful to have 8 days where both of our kids were under one roof…OUR roof at home in Loveland, OH. While we were so thankful for the week our daughter was able to take off work, it seemed so short. On the other hand, the 4 weeks of our son’s college break seemed like four months. And we miss them terribly.

With another holiday season in the rear review mirror, it’s now time to look forward and give shape to the year that lies ahead. We got to thinking “How could we spice things up even more in 2026?”

We came up with 3 ideas that will be this year’s themes. Read on to see if any of our ideas spark new empty nester adventures for YOU!

1. REVIEW YOUR BUCKET LIST

· Make plans to complete a few activities on the list this month and next month and write them on your calendar. The point is to get something scheduled so you have something to look forward to through the winter months. Did you know that January 23 (and Eric’s birthday…yikes), has been labeled the most depressing day of the year? The holiday cheer has dulled, Christmas decorations have been put away and credit card bills are due around that time. Having something planned to anticipate helps elevate your spirits and helps you cross items off your list.

· Re-organize the list if needed to ensure you optimize opportunities. For example, we group things together that may be in similar areas to maximize experiences. That is how many of our small weekend trips came about. We plan our trip itineraries based on things we want to do and see in the same area.

2. PLAN AN EVENING OR DAY TO RECONNECT—JUST THE TWO OF YOU

· Sunday Funday - Pick something off your bucket list or restaurant list and go do it!

Example: Something we recently did was made our own ravioli. We went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients and spent the afternoon in the kitchen learning something we had always wanted to do. The best part of this is the collaboration, and of course, sitting down at the dinner table to taste the deliciousness for ourselves.

Example: Challenge yourself or your spouse to making something new. Taking our cue from one of our favorite cooks, Karissa Stevens, Eric is now giving me regular cooking challenges. It has re-fueled my love of cooking now that I have more time, and it’s fun for Eric to think of what he would like me to make next. That is how the ravioli challenge came to be. Last week, it was Pasta alla Putanesca. Most of the ideas will be Italian I’m sure, as that is what I most familiar with, but I hope we can branch out into some new recipes, perhaps Indian or Asian food.

· Choose Your Own Adventure - Who doesn’t like a little surprise every now and then? It doesn’t have to be a huge trip or an expensive piece of jewelry. Look to the small things to get you through difficult days or weeks.

Example: Eric had a tough week last week with crazy work deadlines and the need to work on a Saturday, with a business trip looming the week after. He texted me one day and said “Can we plan something for Saturday night so I have something to look forward to? I am really struggling to get through this day.” I took the idea as a challenge, even with a case of bronchitis I was trying to manage. I left an envelope on the kitchen table labeled “Your Adventure Awaits” so he could see it when he got home on Saturday. Inside, I had carefully crafted a flow chart of sorts in PowerPoint. First he had to choose where he wanted the adventure to be: Downtown Loveland or Montgomery. I had a variety of things to choose from that he could pick on each track. It was a huge hit! He selected Downtown Loveland. I ordered an Uber and away we went! He chose to start the evening at Rosé Wine Boutique where we each had a glass of wine and shared a balsamic vinegar whipped ricotta dip encrusted in pistachios. Over wine, he showed me what he had been working on the last few days, and we got reconnected after the long holiday season. We then walked to Bishop’s Quarter for fish and chips and a buttermilk battered buffalo chicken sandwich that was to die for. After dinner, we crossed the street and headed to Cappy’s Loveland where we were introduced to The Cadillac Preachers band—a great band with a guy who sat in and played the harmonica like nobody’s cousin. He had so many harmonica’s stashed in his sash that he made Chewbacca’s sash look lame. We capped off the night with beer and apple caramel cider at Hop’s and Berries.

3. INDULGE IN SELF-CARE

This will look different for everyone, but here are a few of our top ideas. Some of  are more fun and some are geared toward healthy living.

· Schedule regular massages, facials and nail services. These are ways to relax and reduce stress in your life. Massage Envy even has a subscription service you can buy to ensure you fit this into your REGULAR schedule. And if you live in a north eastern Cincinnati suburb, Ivy and Kevin at Nailvana in the Montgomery Salon Lofts are amazing nail techs and would be happy to add you to their client list.

· Plan a Girls Night out with the ladies, or the Dudes Night Out with guys. It does wonders for the soul to catch up with your friends and you’ll be better for your spouse when you’ve had a chance to blow off some steam.

Example: I have a monthly breakfast date with a good friend I used to work with. When she moved on to another company, we started scheduling these to make sure we kept in contact. I cherish these Saturday breakfasts.

Example: Eric has weekly band practice with his band New Originals. It allows him to indulge in his love of guitar and music as well as get together with his good friends. It's good for the soul. Bonus, Paola gets to hear all the songs before they hit the stage because practice happens in his basement studio.

· Go get that physical, colonoscopy or scan you have been putting off. Did you know that many health providers offer discounted vascular scans and calcium cardio screenings? Last year, I had both done for $129 through TriHealth, and that’s how I discovered I had thyroid cancer. No joke. I did the vascular scans in February and they noticed 3 nodules in my thyroid. After more scans and a biopsy, I ended up having a partial thyroidectomy in June. Life is too short and we are never guaranteed another day. If there is something you can be correcting now, fix it so you can live a healthy life and be there for your spouse.

· Exercise not only to stay healthy, but to also keep your mental health in check. For those of us in the empty nester realm, that probably means we're over a certain age and a combination of cardio, weight training and resistance training are a msut for good bone and overall health…plus adding more protein to your diet. We try to hold ourselves accountable by working out together a few times a week. It’s easier to go with a buddy. And go ahead and buy the weights and the stretch bands that you can use at your convenience at home.

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We’re looking so forward to this year and what lies ahead as we continue on our empty nesting journey. We hope these 3 ideas sparked some ideas of your own. Check back in with us in two weeks to find out where our first weekend trip will take us. We’ll drop a few hints to see if you can guess.

We would love to hear some of the amazing things you are doing. Share your ideas in the comments!

Learn how we created our bucket list and restaurant list by reading The Original Bucket List and Beyond the Bucket List blogs.