Welcome to our newest series. In “Friday Favorites,” our team will share a handful of favorite items. These can range from clothes to beauty products to recipes to books and anything in between.
Right now, everything in the world is revolving around CORONAVIRUS, and people are all trying different ways to cope. Here are a few of my family’s favorite ways that we are surviving stay at home orders.
BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS!
Who doesn’t love a good book? They can transport you to other worlds and times, break your heart, make you believe in the good of people, or get so inside your head that you make yourself a character that can join in. I LOVE a book that makes me sad when I finish it. When I don’t want to leave the characters behind and want to know more of their lives, that is how I know the story got completely inside my soul.
I want my kids to have that same love of books that was passed down from my Mama. As soon as I could walk and pull a book off the shelves by myself she signed me up for my first library card. So books have always been an important part of my life.
I have added A LOT of books, both digitally and physically, to my sons’ personal library in the past month and a half. So far, I think my older two have enjoyed The Last Kids On Earth series and a kids joke book the most. My youngest is harder to gauge but I seem to find him with I’m A Narwhal quite a bit lately.
As for me, I picked up a book that I had set aside on my digital shelf for quite some time. Now I have added the other two in the trilogy to my Kindle! Looking for something magical? Try a series by Nora Roberts.
TECHNOLOGY
Let’s face it: my saving grace right now is that screen limits are VERY flexible for all of us. Special thanks to online streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney+ for giving my husband and I have plenty to watch after putting the kids to bed. ABCmouse.com and Amazon FreeTime are two things that our youngest, Charlie, loves to play with on his iPad. Due to bad weather and mom guilt (Carter, our social butterfly, is Oscar award-winning with his puppy dog eyes) I have added more video games to their collection than I care to admit. Current favorite video game for both Cameron and Carter is Spyro. We’ve all given up the outside world so I’m pretty much saying screw you to our normal rules – for now.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Thankfully Texas is finally starting to warm up. I’m crossing my fingers that it stays that way so we can have more time outside. Walks around base housing are a bad idea when you have a five year old on the autism spectrum who is not going to understand why he can’t use the playgrounds. So I improvise. I plan to fully take advantage of having added sprinklers, slip and slide, and a small soccer goal to my online Target cart. There has been a lot of “add to cart” happening around here lately.
Throw them in the backyard with the sidewalk chalk and other outdoor toys we already have, and the screams and squeals can make life sound normal. Almost.
ME TIME
I love my family, but the constant noise drives me batty. I miss the normalcy of sending my kids and husband off to school and work everyday so I can have some peaceful alone time.
Now, I have to create that alone time and give myself a chance to recharge. My husband and I, on his off days, will take turns hiding out in our bedroom if we need to. I must admit that I hide out more often than he does. I reason with myself that it’s still fair because he is still working and is able to get out of the house a few days a week.
For some “me time” essentials, I recommend a bath with Scentsy Soak, some mani/pedi love with Color Street Nails, or both. You deserve it! Charleston Blush Color Street is currently on the way to my mailbox so I can pamper my pitiful nails, and I always have a stash of Scentsy Soaks for both my husband and I in our bathroom cabinet.
SATURDAY NIGHT DATE NIGHT IN
Even before the dreaded coronavirus shut everything down, we were doing date night in. We put the boys to bed early. I make sure that we have our traditional movie snacks- Cherry Coke, Twizzlers, and popcorn. Then we alternate weekly who picks the movie. I don’t know why, but there have been an awful lot of 80’s and 90’s flick picks lately. Last weekend was my turn with A League Of Their Own, and this coming weekend my husband has already chosen Hook. So take a look through those online streaming services and find a blast from the past to watch or rent a movie from Amazon Prime. Remember, you and your spouse need time to reconnect regularly. I promise, it helps!
I think trying to keep some “normal” in our lives is important right now. But I also believe that under these very unusual circumstances, we need to give ourselves a break. This is not the world we’re used to, and it is so stressful. Make allowances for your kids to have a bad day and need a little extra comfort in a form that makes them happy. Don’t feel guilty for ditching your spouse with the kids and hiding in your bedroom for a couple of hours. Spend that extra time you would normally be on the go and try to make some memories in the backyard instead.
However you choose to survive living this social distancing life right now, do it in the way that is best for you. As for me, I’m not setting any alarms anytime soon!
