Normally I don't write a ton of reflective pieces about the challenges of the world or in my personal life, but when you're starring out your living room window and tuned into the pandemic updates on CNN and hear your governor giving the world insight on the state of the city of New York on day 56, it's cause for reflection because how on earth did we get to day 56? Seriously, when did that happen?
Literally, as I type this Mike must have looked up at the clock on the microwave while making fish cakes from his grandma's recipe and say's to me "how on earth is it 2:15 already?"
Anyone else finding that the concept of time is blurred?
We haven't been just going through the motions, we've been considerably productive but not to the point where we're learning 5 languages, reading 10 books, taking 6 courses or tuning into all the digital summits popping up everywhere. As a matter of fact, since we knew early on where we'd stand as far as employment (Hubby's a chef at the Standard Hotel and production assistant and I'm a self-employed event producer, project manager and writer.) he applied for unemployment well before the masses and congested online filing systems and we started doing some deep cleaning around the apartment.
Preparing for distance learning with our 4th and 9th-grade boys was easy enough and with my background in education and normal work from home life, I'm not feeling overwhelmed. We don't have a regimented schedule in place but a routine nonetheless with room for flexibility based on how we're all coping from day to day and it's been working pretty well.
As I continue typing this, my tween pauses from gaming with his bestie to say "mom I can't believe it's almost 3:00pm I feel like I just woke up." Time is certainly speeding by, too bad we can't just fast forward to 2021, or any safer point in the near future.
Have you taken up any new hobbies while staying home? I'm trying to channel my inner plant lady and have been on a hunt for new plants to add to our windowsill pictured above. I need to replace those faux flowers from Michaels with at least one or two more big plants. Since I'm immunocompromised my time outside has been limited, but my girls Gemarla and Allaya have so thoughtfully dropped off some cactus, aloe and lavender plants to encourage my green thumb and keep my trio of mini succulents company.
It's honestly too gorgeous out and I've only left our apartment 3 or 4 times since this has all begun so hubby and I are venturing outdoors for a walk to the corner bodega I'm hoping is still open and selling plants. I'm pausing this post and dropping some links to what I've been reading and sourcing on the web while staying home. I used to do Friday Link up posts here often and I'm excited to bring them back, we'll just call this the Pandemic edition.
'No David' was a hit in our house when my teen was a toddler. I cracked up at these COVID-19 inspired children's book titles I spotted on Facebook. Which is your fave?
Monday's are for first lady Michelle Obama reading storybooks virtually.
Have a child celebrating a birthday during Quarantine? Here's 20 tips worth checking out. We attended our first birthday party on Zoom and my sis did such a great place turning her place into a party zone for my nephew's 4th birthday this month.
Anyone else missing going to the movie theaters with their families? The last movie wed seen in as a family was The Sonic Movie and it was great! I remember when bed bugs in NYC movie theaters was a big issue and kept theatergoers away, after reading this article about reopening Hollywood and the precautions AMC and other major theaters plan to take, do you think they're enough to convince customers to come back?
Aside from watching Disney Plus and binging movies on Netflix, how else are you and your tribe keeping busy? We've always been a board game loving family and since we can't get to Disney we've been playing a few fun Disney theme games like Wakanda Forever which has become a new favorite.
If you're not looking for any family-friendly shows and need a good belly laugh, have you binged the Tiger King or any other trashy shows yet? Now that hubby is around and not working nights I can't seem to squeeze in watching too much of the reality-based nonsense like I used to, but I did crack up at these 75 memes.
Did you catch all those #Dontrushchallenge videos? This one featuring WWE superstars was our favorite.
Are you an introvert or extrovert? I love meeting people and checking out cool new places, I think that's a big part of why I became an event producer and blogger. To say I'm missing people and going out is an understatement but I talk about how being hospitalized for 27 days straight kind of prepared me for social distancing over on Instagram.
You can also keep up with our daily moments in our new Pandemic highlight.
I found myself trying to look cute before our walk, threw on some hoop earrings, spritzed my curls and even put on my favorite lipgloss before realizing duh, you have to put on your mask!
Is it mandatory in your state to wear masks when you're outside like it is here in NYC? It's really frustrating that initially the CDC and our state officials seemed to think they weren't really needed to only end up scrambling to get our hands on some now that we needed them at all times. Thankfully our friend Scherrie and her mom have been making and selling masks (over 300 so far). We love supporting small businesses and the pair of Disney Villains one I received turned out great and you can see Tristan's favorite in our pandemic highlight on IG too.
4,200 steps and we returned with no new plants (we could see the graffitied metal gate pulled down from a block away) and a lot of surprising emotions.
Our younger son's school is about a 20-minute walk from our place, passing highly trafficked streets I hadn't strolled by since his last day of school nearly 2 months ago. I wasn't expecting to tear up looking from behind the chained up gates at the playground both of our kids had grown up playing on for nearly a decade. The basketball hoops were even removed which means that folks weren't practicing safe social distancing like the Mayor warned.
Have you guys been ordering out from anywhere new? When your husband is a furloughed chef trust me you aren't going to starve, I'm just praying I don't gain twenty pounds. Mike's been juggling "cafeteria" duty and feeding these monsters nonstop. Every now and then though we will order out one meal a day and tonight we ordered pizza from a spot that's new to us, called Blaze. I'd never been a fan of balsamic but the contrasting flavor paired with arugula and cherry tomatoes was so delish!
How have you and your family been holding up so far? Despite the challenges, we hope you're all healthy and staying safe.
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