Ebook: Fun without Dick and Jane: your guide to a delightfully empty nest

Introduction: and a child shall leave them -- So long, farewell -- Big mom on campus -- Go rogue : fighting the fear-based empty-nest cabal -- It's quiet. Too quiet -- You never call, you never write -- Hello, gorgeous! -- And you are --? -- Surely you have something to do? -- You and yourself : love with a beautiful stranger -- Beyond the empty nest : before the parade passes by -- From chopsticks to concertos -- Happy trails : didn't I tell you to go camping? -- College! : not just for the kids -- Stepping out -- Hello, friends! -- Hey! The kids are gone! It's part-ay time! -- Sayonara, Mrs. Minivan -- Your fashion inspiration : Anna Dello Russo, Tavi Gevinson, Lyn Yaeger, and that lady you saw buying peaches at the farmers' market -- Life is too short for sweatpants -- You. Off the couch. Now -- Feathering your empty nest -- Your next chapter : downsizing your life -- Running away from home : when downsizing just isn't enough -- They're baaa-aack -- Nails on a chalkboard : when your child comes home on holiday -- What is this "empty nest" of which you speak? -- You, your roommates, and the rules -- You, the model of gracious living -- The really, really empty nest : when your child gets married -- Conclusion: parenting : the final frontier.;From Christie Mellor, the best-selling author of The Three-Martini Playdate, comes this hilarious (and helpful) guide to recovering from getting those little angels into college and out of the house. Filled with unapologetically funny yet entirely sympathetic advice, Mellor answers important questions (Is $200 an hour too much to spend for exam tutoring' Is moving to an apartment near campus ever an option') and offers wise counsel on saying good-bye, getting kids to stay in touch (without begging), and coping when they come home to roost (which they will-for holidays, summer break, and possibly for years after graduation). Best of all, she inspires empty nesters to embrace their newfound freedom and enjoy their lives to the full.