Cantissimo Senior Living Blog

Anyone who has been in a 'relationship' with another person has experienced an effect known as the honeymoon phase. The honeymoon phase is often referred to in terms of romantic relationships, but it applies to all relationships. However, for the purpose of this article, I'll keep it in the realm of the romantic.

Most people would agree that there is nothing like falling in love. The first time you saw him/her. Your first date. Your first kiss. Your first fight and the subsequent make-up after that. These milestones are exciting and can often be quite turbulent. Question marks keep the spark alive. Does he love me? Will she like these? Should I, or shouldn't I? These questions and many more rarely garner any answers without time invested into the relationship. The trouble is when all your questions seem to be answered, where then does the relationship go?

In every relationship, there is a cooling period. For many, it happens once you've gotten married, moved in together, or had children. But, problems with the house, the dog, the kids help to keep relationships interesting. When all the distractions are gone, it's just you and your partner you've been with for 30, maybe even 40+ years, and all the kids have moved on, how do you keep the love alive? The following list will attempt to provide inspiration to make your time together more enjoyable, more meaningful, and keep the spark alive.

Put That Spark Back Into Your Marriage

In my recent blog on homeowners associations (Downsizing? Here's How to Evaluate a Homeowners Association), I mentioned that it makes sense to get a home inspection before buying a condo.

What Does a Home Inspection Cover?

Home inspections are a great way to spot problems before purchasing a home. Among the types of things covered are:

• Heating and cooling systems
• Condition of floors, walls, ceilings, stairs
• Condition of windows, doors, and door frames
• Interior plumbing systems
• Interior electrical systems
• Major appliances
• Exterior elements
• Attic and any visible insulation
• Foundation/basement and other structural features

Being retired is one of the great joys of life. You no longer have to put in hard hours, and you get to spend more time doing what you love. But this does not mean you cannot make more money. If you wish, you could leverage your lifetime of work experience into something you can do at your own pace. And this does not have to be getting another job. There are many ways retirees can stay at home and make some money. In this article, we will discuss five ways to make money from home in retirement. This is Part 2 - if you have not already, click here to read Part 1!

Try These Opportunities to Make Money From Home in Retirement!

I'll never forget the look on my wife's face.

I had just returned from a September business trip to headquarters, where I told my boss I was retiring. Over the prior twelve months, my wife and I talked about the best time for me to retire after a 40 year career.

In my mind, the conversation had gone from "maybe" to "for sure" and from "later" to "sooner." Yet, when I casually said, "Well, I pulled the trigger. I'm officially done on December 31!" my wife was stunned. "What?! Are you kidding?" she sputtered. "I had no idea you were going to do it now!".

It was a classic example of a couple with differing retirement expectations. Unless properly addressed, such differences can make a retirement dream into a nightmare.

Retirement is the light at the end of the tunnel. A lifetime of working hard, saving money, and enduring swings in the market has led us to that promised time of rest, relaxation, and enjoyment. However, not working means that we must rely on whatever money we have stashed away. A big part of that is managing — specifically, reducing — our spending. So how can we successfully reduce our spending in retirement?

Try These Tips to Keep More Money in Your Wallet

Retiring can be a time of change. It can also be a time to take advantage of your skills and try new things. Retirement is a great time to learn new skills, and there are plenty of them out there that can help you stay busy in retirement. As the world keeps changing and technology advances, it is easier than ever to teach yourself new things, right from the comfort of your living room or kitchen. Retirees can take advantage of their time and find a new encore career path or a new hobby to pass the time. Let's take a look at some new skills you can learn from home while in retirement.

5 More Skills to Learn From Home!

There's an age-old saying that if you make more demands on your body than it can handle, eventually, it will break down. But what if you can take small daily steps to combat this?

How can you start your day off right to help make the most of the hours that follow? These 15-morning tips will help start your day on a positive note and keep the body in shape for years to come!

Make the Most of Your Day with These Morning Routine Tips!

Let’s begin this post with an exercise: Name three things that you avoid doing. It could be going to parties, meeting new people, paying your electricity bills, or climbing the stairs. Chances are that you have gotten good at avoiding these activities.

We like to organize our life around things that make us feel comfortable rather than uncomfortable. Comfortable places are also important. They keep us safe and stress-free. But they may also be devoid of possibilities. So while there is nothing wrong with being comfortable, you need to be mindful if your comfortable places are, in fact, your hiding places!

Ask yourself, is your comfort place your hiding place? Only outside your comfort zone can life surprise you. This post will discuss a few tips that will help you step out of your comfort zone safely.

9 Tips to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Traveling alone is not the most popular way of traveling. Yet, solo trips are gaining popularity. The world is much safer than it used to be, and with global connectivity, you can plan a journey from the confines of your home and then take off alone. If you are considering taking a trip after your retirement, traveling alone can be a great idea.

Solo trips are very popular with young people, but it doesn't have to be something that only the young do. A 2018 study by Booking.com found “a surge in solo travel, with 40% of global baby boomers having taken a solo trip in the last year, and another 21% planning to take one in the future.” In this article, we list some significant benefits of traveling alone. 

10 Surprising Benefits of Traveling Alone

If there is one thing we know about love, it is that good date nights can help keep relationships fun and healthy. Unfortunately, as we age, it can be easy to run out of ideas for a new and exciting date night. Perhaps, you have stuck to your favorite ideas for a little too long, and it's time to try new ideas. Or, because you have been out of the dating scene for so long, you feel lost.

People in their 50s or older tend to know what they want from a relationship. Dating is a social activity that provides a unique form of companionship that is different from friendship. Older adults can draw lessons from their old relationship experiences. 

Date night ideas should be easy and simple so that the focus remains on your partner. Keeping things simple is the best way forward. You don't want your date to be more about the experience and less about the person you are experiencing it with.

In this article, we will discuss ten date night ideas for older adults that are not only creative and original but also fun and easy. 

10 Great Date Night Ideas for Seniors