Rocking that stay at home life, month two
Hey!! How’s everyone holding up? It’s time for our weekly homeschooling update, but since everything is weird right now, I thought I’d post about that instead. I’ve been really curious about how other people are managing the day to day details of the crisis, so I thought I’d share a little bit about our daily life right now, and some things that are keeping us sane.
We have been officially “at home” for 35 days now. At the beginning of that, we were still making a few quick trips to the grocery store ourselves, while trying not to touch anything, and using hand sanitizer. We took the dog to the groomer’s once. We had one trip to the doctor’s. We have had drive-through fast food 2-3 times. That’s what our “stay at home” looks like. In the last few weeks, we’ve cut trips to the grocery store and use grocery delivery instead. It’s just Cash and I living here, and because I work from home, no one in our household has had any real need to leave. I’ve been trying really hard not to make any exceptions. We’ve walked around our neighborhood which is fairly private, but mostly we stick to our own yard. We have a very large fenced in backyard, which has been a huge blessing!
Our spirits have been pretty great overall. We have fallen into a few habits or rhythms that I think have helped save our sanity some, and I’d like to share those here. Some of these may work for you, some might not, but this is what has been helping us keep our spirits up and not get too stir crazy!
Grocery Delivery
I signed up with Shipt over the holidays after getting really irritated with Walmart’s grocery pick up service. We had to wait 2-3 hours to get our food one weeknight, and I was done. My brother delivers for Shipt, and recommended their service to us. I did one trial delivery and was sold. So we were already signed up for this for the year.
The prices are a little higher in some stores, on some items. Delivery is free over $35, but I do tip, so it does cost a little more than going to the store. However, even before all of this, it evened out for us, because I wasn’t in the store to make impulse buys. It’s nice to be able to browse around, especially now since they are out of so many things, but it’s absolutely safer and cheaper to pick things out on their website and have them delivered. Every shopper I’ve ever had offers substitution options if they are out of something, and is great at communicating. This has been huge for us. You can sign up by using my link here, and we can both get $10 off.
Also, one note on food prices: Yes, we are spending more on food right now. However, I’ve been funneling money that I normally spend on things like gas, entertainment, and martial arts lessons into our food budget, and it all evens out. I know that it is a luxury to keep my family safe by not have to go to the store ourselves, and I’m thankful for that. I’m also thankful that it is providing jobs for people like my boyfriend, who is a massage therapist and would otherwise be without a job at the moment.
Occasional Takeout
I enjoy cooking, and we are eating mostly grocery store food. That being said, it is great to support local businesses and have an occasional treat. Once a week, usually on Friday night, we have been ordering takeout. It cuts up the monotony, and gives us a little something to look forward to. I still go back and forth on whether ordering takeout is the best idea right now, but…we’re doing it. Follow your own convictions on this one.
Make lists
This one is also food related. Turns out, food is a big part of being quarantined. Because I’m trying to cut down on the number of deliveries to our house, we’re making larger than usual grocery orders. It’s easy to forget what is in the back of the freezer. Also, Cash is 10 and has a 4 second memory span, so he usually can’t remember what his lunch options are by the time I finish listing them off (it’s the same thing every. single. day). So, I found it helpful to make a list of what we have on hand.
Another idea along this train of thought is to make lists of things to do. You can hang this on the wall for your kids for them to get ideas of different games, activities, and projects they can be working on. It really helps limit the “I’m bored!” comments. If that doesn’t work, I’ve heard threatening to throw away all their toys because they are so “boring” works too. (insert evil laugh here)
Open the windows
If the weather is at all springlike in your neck of the woods, open the windows! We have had quite a few rainy cool days, and there is nothing better than wrapping up in a blanket in your pjs, listening to the rain fall outside the window. Those days, it feels like a luxury to get to stay home!
Video Games
Just embrace it, guys. Cash is playing lots of Minecraft right now. I just bought him a Nintendo 3DS because he is on a mission to conquer all of the Pokemon games that ever existed, and I support my child’s dreams. It keeps him entertained while I’m working, he’s learning fine motor skills and he’s goal setting and…just make something up. It’s not rotting their brains, they’ll be fine. If you must, download one of those learning apps and see if they like it. A lot of companies are offering them for free right now. If you do have reservations about video games, sit down with your child, watch them play, and ask questions. Try and play a round yourself. It’s generally a lot more complicated and requires more problem solving skills than you’d think.
Gardening
This one is a little trickier, because I have yet to find a way to actually obtain gardening supplies like plants and soil safely right now. I know Lowe’s is open, but I just can’t mentally make the jump that buying a new tomato plant is necessary. The good news for us is that I had already started my planting before this all started. So I’m tending things I’ve already planted, and trying to use the seeds I have. We may have 4 million cucumbers and eggplant and no tomatoes. It’ll be okay. It’s something that is therapeutic, helps me get outside and stretch my legs, and it’s exciting to watch everything grow!
Take a shower
Look, I totally embrace your right not to shower every day, or put on makeup or wear pants with buttons or real shoes right now. I have found, for myself, that taking a shower every day makes me feel better. Every now and then I’ll skip a day and that’s totally fine. But for the most part, I get up every day and shower. I wash my face every night before bed and put on lotion. I’ve been using face masks and other pampering skin care products. I’m not wearing makeup or real shoes, but I am pampering myself a little and staying clean. It works for me.
Make a phone call
I talk to people online with my job all day, so I don’t feel a desperate need to talk to people outside the house, but I have found that it helps to call and chat with friends and family on the phone a few times a week. It’s nice to keep up with what is going on in other people’s houses and just get a chance to talk to another adult.
Be Creative
I would never call myself an official artist or painter, but I do find a lot of comfort in expressing my creativity. To put it simply, I like to make pretty things. There are so many outlets for this; you can paint, knit, cross stitch, try new recipes, sew, macrame, edit videos, make stop motion or animation videos, learn graphic design…the list is endless. Since this all started, I signed up for a subscription with Masterpiece Society, and I’ve had so much fun! I originally signed up for the purpose of “Cash’s homeschooling,” but to be honest, I’ve used it more. They have a lot of amazing content for everyone in the family. I’ve been able to order most of my supplies from Amazon, but you could also do a curbside pickup from an art supply store as well.
Read
This will always be on my list. I’ve given myself permission to splurge and actually buy a few books that are hard to find at the library, but definitely check out your local library’s online selection as well. Here are a few books I’ve loved recently:
Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, by Jen Hatmaker (releases in a few days! If you preorder, you get a lot of great goodies, including a webcast with her highness Brene Brown)
City of Girls, by Elizabeth Gilbert
Pick a “challenge” for the whole family
Cash is super into watching 24-hour challenges on YouTube videos right now. He loves anything if you call it a challenge. When this started, I suggested we start a challenge where we watch all of the Marvel movies in chronological order. We have three movies left, and it’s been a lot of fun. It solves some of the “what should we watch” questions, and it’s been a fun way to spend time together. After this, maybe we’ll pick an 80’s movie theme or work our way through the Disney archives. It’s something small that makes staying home and watching the same stuff over again a little more fun.
Well, that’s probably enough for now! I hope some of this helps, I hope that you’re all doing well and keeping your spirits up. Staying home can feel tough and boring, but you’re doing the right and healthy thing for your family. Have a great week!