Hey friends! How are you all holdin' up out there? What a crazy time it has become. I'm not going to lie I had a totally different idea of how twenty-twenty was supposed to go – I call for a re-do! I always knew that 2020 was going to embark change given the very nature of the year and all, I just never knew what that change would look like. And so, here we are, taking on a somewhat new lifestyle rather abruptly. Who would've thought this was how we would begin the new decade? Initially, I felt frustrated and overwhelmed with not only the abrupt change in our life but also the way people began to conduct themselves and the simple fact that I still can't get my hands on a sack of flour or much-needed baby wipes. It's amazing what people will do when they are manic. As bummed and frustrated as I felt over our current situation, I decided to set all the bullshit aside and embrace this temporary phase in our lives and I mean, if I'm being honest, I live for being cozy at home and away from people. However, I think it's important to acknowledge the fact that not everyone enjoys being tucked away from the outside world and for some, this is a scary time. Let's try to keep in mind our family and friends who may be struggling right now and give them a call or send a heartfelt message letting them know you're thinking about them. My biggest advice through this all is to not feed into the chaos and remain calm and kind, always. With that being said, I wanted to share some things we are doing to stay productive and healthy at home while practicing social distancing.
Routine (sorta) I've seen a lot of posts discussing this topic and for us, we land somewhere in the middle of it all. With one kid normally in school, the other sleep training and everything in between, we are used to relying on a routine to keep us sane and functioning. Starting our days now, we are mostly waking up at our normal times (sometimes sleeping in an extra thirty minutes). It's so tempting to just lay around, but for us, it's important to start our day in a somewhat normal fashion in efforts to set the tone for the rest of the day. This means wash our faces, have breakfast and get dressed (or at least change into a new set of comfies). Each day is different for us so I like to make a to-do list in the morning with what we want to accomplish for the day and then we work around that – it's worth mentioning this isn't some long list of chores, it's a practical daily task list that leaves time for us to do things like bake, play a board game or take a nap.
Eating Healthy For those of you who have been keeping up with us, you know that our family went plant-based for an extended period of time and since then, we are still mostly plant-based. I am not worried about running out of food so our eating habits haven't really changed much, although I am trying to be smart about what we make to eat and using things we already have at home. Walking into the stores I can't help but acknowledge the fact that the processed foods are near gone but both our whole foods and produce sections are still thriving, which leaves me to wonder if we are really prioritizing our health or perhaps watched too many episodes of The Walking Dead. While we did buy a few snacks we definitely aren't loading up on them, believe it or not, there is a direct correlation between the foods we eat and the way we feel and during this season of social distancing, we want to make sure we're consuming things that help our mind and body stay well. p.s Don't forget to drink water.
Exercise To me, getting an adequate amount of exercise is just as important for our overall health as eating well and social distancing. We are grateful to have at-home equipment to help keep us active but we also know you don't need it to get a workout in. Youtube has an unlimited amount of at-home workouts you can follow along with (GoNoodle is an awesome channel for younger kids, but like I said the resources are endless). Downloading a fitness app is also a good way to get motivated and it makes it easy to set a reminder to get moving and track your goals. I've been using the Tone It Up app for years and I love it; it's full of fun and efficient workouts as well as recipes and other forms of daily inspiration. I promise I'm not being paid to talk about it, I just really love and swear by the TIU app + community.
Pamper Now that we have extra time to spare, I'm taking advantage of it and treating myself with some self-pampering. What that means for me is, upgrading my skin routine, taking more time to exfoliate in the shower, washing my hair more than twice a week and really just giving back to myself where I wasn't before. I feel totally rejuvenated, it's amazing. Look good feel good as my both my grandmothers would say and we all know they're right about everything.
Sunshine & Fresh Air As long as the weather permits, we try to step outside for at least 15 minutes a day and try to do so without any distractions, like our phones. It's nice to leave everything inside for a few moments and take in some fresh air. We like to go on a stroll through our neighborhood or sit on our back patio and have lunch. Something fun our neighborhood did recently was place shamrocks on the windows and doors and we were able to have a social distancing scavenger hunt. I think I may suggest rainbows for next time
* This Also may be a great way to have a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt
Keeping A Clean Area We try to keep our areas clean as much as possible, with kids this can be challenging given they all seem to be like little Taz's running around, even the ones who can't run. 😉 When things seem to get a little too chaotic we like to take 10 minutes here and there to tidy up. I usually throw on some nature sounds or some lo-fi music and we take care of what we need whenever it's needed.
Quiet Time/ Meditate This is an essential part of our daily lives quarantine or not. When we feel the energy is getting a little out of hand or like I may lose my shit (bc we all know this happens to moms) I usually call for quiet time. This can be 15-30 minutes out of the day of just pure quiet other than maybe some ocean sounds playing in the background. During this time we may stretch, close our eyes, read a book, color it really doesn't matter as long as it's quiet. When the kids have a hard time calming down on their own one of my magic tricks is getting them to take a quiet shower/bath. I will usually throw on some relaxing sounds and diffuse oils, I swear they come out of it totally different children. Alan and I have adopted the Wim Hof breathing method to stay calm and center ourselves. I like to do this before I workout or at the end of the day. It's literally just breathing everyone can make time for this during the day. If you want to learn more about his technique you should check out his youtube channel or watch the second episode of The Goop Lab on Netflix, which I recommend because its another series you'll want to binge.
That's all for now and as always, thanks for reading!
If you guys are interested in hearing more about how we are spending our days during this season of social distancing let me know what you would like to see in the comments below or on Instagram and I'll work on getting you guys some daily quarantine inspiration.
Happy Valentines Day Friends! Today our home is full of heart-shaped everything and we have an abundance (possibly an overabundance) of goodies both for ourselves and our friends. In this post, I'll be sharing a few cute and easy Valentine's Day DIYs that you can quickly put together to brighten anyone's day.
Galentines Day Sugar Scrub
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of coconut oil
20 drops of sweet orange essential oil (grapefruit would also be an amazing option)
This sugar scrub paired with sparkling wine and chocolates makes the perfect gift to hand-deliver to all my favorite gals.
Chocolate Dipped Pretzels These are one of our favorite treats and they just so happen to be a great addition to any goodie bag no matter the occasion, or at least that's what we say. We added some sprinkles to turn up the festive vibes.
Heart-Shaped Pizza
While Leo was napping Lyla and I spent some quality time together baking heart-shaped pizzas for their lunch. We used some premade pizza dough, a parmesan, and mozzarella cheese blend and a basic marina sauce. I apparently lost all my heart-shaped cookie cutters, so we worked with what we had scissors and hands. If you want to save time shaping dough and cutting pepperoni I would suggest getting some cookie cutters, these would work.
Hopefully, that sugar high comes with an early sugar crash, if not there is always wine! 😉 Wishing you and your family a fun-filled Valentine's Day!
If you have been around for a while you know I how much I love putting gift guides together, especially this Holiday Gift Guide for her because it's around up of all my favorites! Let's get into it...
Striped Pajamas // I think striped pajamas are one of my favorite things on the planet. I also love these candy-cane top and bottom sleep set.
Fuzzy Slippers // A trip down memory lane for sure. My sister and I both had fuzzy slippers growing up and we wore them until we couldn't anymore. I'm so happy these are back!
Earrings // I always appreciate new statement jewelry for Christmas. I also like these for a similar option.
Leopard Headband // like fuzzy slippers, headbands are also making a comeback and this is my absolute favorite so far because I'll be able to pair it with almost everything.
Wine Glass // These glasses would be perfect for any of your gals.
Diffuser // I rant and rave about these diffusers all the time on Instagram. I absolutely love them, they are so cute and reasonably priced. As far as oils go, I love Plant Therapy oils. I promise this isn't a sponsored post, I just really love them. You can learn more about them here.
Dutch Oven // This is a gift that keeps on giving because they will last forever. It's something that can be passed down for generations. I always saw these growing up in my house, going over to my grandmother's house and even when visiting my great-grandmother.
Fuzzy Slippers // A trip down memory lane for sure. My sister and I both had fuzzy slippers growing up and we wore them until we couldn't anymore. I'm so happy these are back!
Earrings // I always appreciate new statement jewelry for Christmas. I also like these for a similar option.
Leopard Headband // like fuzzy slippers, headbands are also making a comeback and this is my absolute favorite so far because I'll be able to pair it with almost everything.
Wine Glass // These glasses would be perfect for any of your gals.
Diffuser // I rant and rave about these diffusers all the time on Instagram. I absolutely love them, they are so cute and reasonably priced. As far as oils go, I love Plant Therapy oils. I promise this isn't a sponsored post, I just really love them. You can learn more about them here.
Dutch Oven // This is a gift that keeps on giving because they will last forever. It's something that can be passed down for generations. I always saw these growing up in my house, going over to my grandmother's house and even when visiting my great-grandmother.
Perfect Tea Maker // I've always been more of a tea person and this here thingamajig is a game changer!
Things I'm also loving
These leggings are my favorite mama leggings.
A pull-over sherpa sweater that everyone needs.
This cute monogram pouch filled with some accessories is a perfect gift for that person that seems impossible to shop for.
'Tis the season my friends!
It's gift guide season and I'm so excited to share our holiday gifts ideas for HIM this year. It's become a tradition to sit down with Alan every year and create a list of all the things he's been loving or would like as a gift himself. This is probably my favorite guide I've done with him to date, hope you love it!
Fleece Sweater // This sweater is great for layering under a jacket during the colder months and is perfect to throw during the warmer months after the sun goes down and it gets a bit chilly outside.
Compact Hatchet // A staple item, especially if your guy is into the outdoors/camping or back yard bonfires.
Sorel Boots // These are great for dressing up or down, truly waterproof and fit true to size.
AirPods Pro // New wireless headphones are always a great gift for anyone. They're great for the gym, traveling, studying, or tuning out for just a moment.
Bluetooth Speaker // We love traveling with our portable speaker and this little guy has some awesome sound.
Garmin Watch // This is more than just your average health watch and is something that is absolutely worth splurging on especially if your guy is into hiking. It has music, wifi, and maps and powerful GPS capability + solar charging. If you don't buy your guy anything for the rest of the year buy him this he will love it and use it all the time.
Also worth mentioning
Alan takes his Hydroflask everywhere with him, in fact, he forgets his wallet and keys all the time but never his water bottle.
Some winter gloves for outdoor activities; riding bikes, working out...walking the dog.
And finally, for the past six years, Christmas mornings haven't been complete without the guys in our family playing with some sort of annoying object whether it be a foam ball gun ( get the two-pack and hide one for revenge) or a drone.
Cheers!
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