The Winter TV Challenge

With the freezing cold temperatures and complete darkness at 5:00 PM, one's attention can easily turn to a nice Cab and a little binge TV watching. Except it's not always that easy. It can depend on who has control of the remote. When it comes to the current lineup at the Think Beyond the Nest... Continue Reading →

KATY Trail 2020 – Phil and Kai’s Most Excellent Adventure

My son Kai and I finally rode the Katy Trail. Perhaps COVID and the change in “normal” activities finally pushed us into action, but after at least five years of saying “we should ride the entire Katy Trail someday,” we completed the 225-mile bike ride from Clinton to St. Charles, Missouri. We thought we’d share... Continue Reading →

A Time of Togetherness. And Not.

Just like everyone else who has been following the stay-at-home orders, the Think Beyond the Nest household has been a bit cozy these days. Togetherness has been a blessing and we’ve found many ways to enjoy this time together. We’ve reinforced those things that we enjoy doing together. Thanks to input from friends via the... Continue Reading →

Deprivation, Quarantine, and Coping – circa 1940-1954

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The following message was written by Phil's mother, Laura Shoffner, on March 25, 2020 and sent to all of her grandchildren in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Laura is a long-time English teacher in both public and private schools as well as a published author. My precious grandchildren, I write the following... Continue Reading →

Do You Meal Prep?

There are things that come up every now and then, especially for me as an empty-nester, that really make me feel old and perhaps a bit behind the times. This whole "meal prep" explosion is definitely one of them.  The popularity and power of the meal prep craze hit me hard on a beautiful Sunday... Continue Reading →

Do I Need a Shingles Shot?

Happy New Year and welcome back to "Think Beyond the Nest" where we cover topics related to life as empty nesters. We've been a bit busy in the back half of 2019 with two weddings and a run for a local elected office (all good fodder for more blog posts), but in an attempt to... Continue Reading →

Homemade Almond Milk – the best gets better!

Phil and I have been almond milk drinkers for quite some time now.  We like its health benefits and the way it tastes.  The little boxes we purchase(d) from Costco are easy for storage and the milk lasts forever! However, just when you think things can’t get any better with your almond milk, they certainly... Continue Reading →

Yummy Winter Meal Prep

So this just happened. Our "living-at-home-soon-to-be-married adult son," Kai, totally earned his keep the other day. I think the Millennials call this "meal prep," but whatever you call it, I'm loving it. And we're not talking McDonald's here. All in one day, during another cold Kansas City weekend, Chef Kai cranked out a giant Crockpot... Continue Reading →

When Your Nest Isn’t So Empty Anymore

We started our blog, Think Beyond the Nest, after both of our grown boys had flown the coop. We’ve shared our experiences, thoughts, ideas and activities along the way. The nest we built many years ago was down to two.  And just like that, after becoming perhaps a little too cozy, we have found our... Continue Reading →

Opening Up On the Anxiety Conversation – I Know I’m Not Alone

Wow! August is over, and I made it through! I have to admit that all year long I have been secretly dreading the month of August not just because of the heat here in Kansas City, but because of what I experienced at this time a year ago. I’ve always been a pretty easy-going, happy,... Continue Reading →

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