it's my girls' world

Who would have ever fathomed that for a little while (hopefully, only a little while), this is our new normal... Here's what's up on this bizarro last Wednesday of March 2020. 

What we're eating this week?

Comfort food while trying to get fruits and veggies in. 

Monday: Mixed bean soup. 

Tuesday: a Mexican Casserole with turkey, beans and load of veggies.

Wednesday: fish, cauliflower, broccoli and potatoes.

Thursday: some sort of asian inspired quinoa. 

Friday: nachos? I'm also thinking about trying some sweet potato nachos. 

What I'm reminiscing about

Last month when we there was school, work and the gym, ha!!

What I'm loving
The kids set up a family game night on Sunday complete with snacks, a score board and pizza. It was so cute and so fun.



Every night also, we hunker down as a family, make fresh popcorn and watch either Little House on The Prairie, American Idol or the Masked Singer

What we've been up to…

Using up pantry items, cleaning up different random things, checking the WHO numbers daily and a whole lot of other COVID related stuff.

But also baking :-)

What I'm working on

Lots of exercise and fresh air as much as we can.

What I'm excited about…

I'll be honest, I'm not getting excited about much these days.

My girls still get excited about random fun stuff though. Today, they are having a doll party and C made a fun day out of St Patty's last week.

What I'm watching/reading…

 I'm into This is Us, A Million Little Things, Grey's Anatomy, Station 19, The Masked Singer and Little House on the Prairie 

What I'm listening to..

Right now, the kids are watching a show. 

What I'm wearing…

All the comfortable clothes!! I was just wearing baggy sweats but upped my game to include my leggings and oversized tops. Casual and awesome... and NO makeup!! I do a quick style and dry of my hair though when I wash it. I feel better when my hair is okay

What I'm doing this weekend…

There will be  wine, food, family, books and TV. Rinse, repeat.

What I'm looking forward to next month? 

A little lovely lady turns 11. There will be no party this year just yet but we intend to make it as special as we can for her.

What else is new?

I decorated for Easter to bring some more cheer into the house. Here's a peek...

So that's what's been going on. Hope you have a wonderful day, lovelies. 

 Linking up with  Shay and Shaeffer

x

Good day, friends! How are you all? I mean really, how are you? I go from being worried, to being prayful, to getting antsy,  to being appreciative, to enjoying all this family time, to being overwhelmed. Basically, we are hanging in there but trying to make the most of it. 

Last week, I made the girls made lists of what they think they need to do in this uncertain time. A bit of fun, a bit of necessary stuff for their learning, more downtime than usual and stuff they need to do around the house as well. It made them pause for a moment, really reflect on the upcoming weeks and build a bit of anticipation. 

We are following a bit of a routine but not totally so. There is some learning, some reading, some math  and  instruments being practiced. However, bedtimes are later, mornings are sleepier, screens are out more and lots of baking going on. Lots of family time and fresh air too! It's not the norm for my routine following self but it works for now.  I want my kids to look back at this time many years from now with some fond memories. 

So since I made my kids make their list, I also compiled a bit of a list for me as well. Thankfully, work is a little slower these days for me which isn't the case for so many of us. Here's what I hope to do in the days that follow:

1- Facetime or chat with someone outside the house everyday. It's all about continuing to build those social connections.

2- Clean a little bit most days. We are tackling little projects for chunks of time that have been on my mind for months. 

3- Home cooking fun. So many delicious homecooked meals to experiment with and baking to be done. I'm also teaching C some basic recipes and kitchen skills. And we make popcorn most nights :-).

4- Text friends and family who need it most.

5- Check out Youtube videos on self massage - my neck, shoulders and face are getting some relief. Who knew my jaw bone held tension? I'm also doing tons of lower back yoga and stretches I've found online. 

6- We go for a walk every day. Somedays are longer than others but boy does the fresh air help. 

7- Read-- With work being so busy, I've had a couple on my list for a while. Kindle Unlimited is getting some use this month.

8- Focusing on gratitude and quiet meditation. 

9- We have been watching Little House and The Prairie most nights. It's really taking us back to a simpler time. 

What about you? What are you doing to bring you joy? Any tips and tricks to share?

As a kid, this hymn played every morning on the radio when I was on my way to school. It  has been running through my head on repeat  through these past few days. At at time where there has been so much fear, paranoia and panic, we need to take things one day at a time. 

School's out for us, they say until April 5th but I'm really not sure. T his is such a busy time with work for me. D's at work in the hospital still and that's a constant source of worry for me because of how contagious this disease is. My parents are here but they need to go back to NYC soon, a hotbed for Covid 19. My mom also works in healthcare. Again, more worry! 

However, I'm realising the need to do more and more is be positive.What I'm teaching my girls though is to appreciate these moments. Use this time to go back to basics and be more mindful. Appreciate those little loves we live with and all that family time. Read a book or play a game. Appreciate the quiet time and get a little fresh air. Take some time to purge those drawers and closets. Watch your kid dance like no one is watching. 

And maybe, just maybe, we will emerge from this stronger, wiser, more appreciative and just a little bit more content. 

Count those rainbows instead of the storms, friends... One day at a time...

Love to you all.

Yay for this March Monday! There is something about a Monday that's new and fresh... it gets old right around 2pm but for now we will hang on to it ';-)

Now onto today's link up....

Today it's all about the self care, a topic near and dear to my heart. I truly try to teach my girls how important it is, not only for me to take care of myself but also how important it is for them to love themselves and take some time to refresh. I think that as moms we don't do that nearly enough. I think we lose it a bit as we get older... my kids do a great job at it themselves :-).

These are the things I do to nourish my mind, body, spirit and soul.

1- Exercise. I think the biggest thing I do for myself is my workout regime. I feel so much better when I work out and I've been doing it very consistently for many, many years. The endorphin rush is a real thing. Right now, after many years at the gym, spin and cardio classes. I've doing the F45 workouts, a combination of  resistance, HIIT and functional training. I'm a fan.... at least when I'm done, ha! But even when I can't get to the gym, I do Youtube workouts or go for a walk by myself or with my family. I think it's also important for my kids to see exercise as an essential part of life.

2- Meditation. In the past six months after taking an extended break for many years, I've started back meditating on many mornings. I face outside and use the Headspace app for a guided meditation. It's a nice few minutes of calm before my tea, vitamins and reading and the mayhem that is  oft' my morning.

3- Talk with friends and family. I don't take the time to chat with friends and family very often but when I do, I feel so much better.

4- I like a well manicured hand. Chipped nail polish really bugs me so I'm a huge shellac fan. Every couple weeks, I get a shellac polish change with either a very neutral shade or an in season colour.

5- Love me a good show and I put a series, podcast  or a movie in the background on whilst I'm working, in the kitchen, organising or doing laundry. Makes the task at hand way more enjoyable.

6- I love a hot beverage even in the summer months. Even if it's hot water and lemon, it's so good for my soul.

7- Doing laundry on a weekend is my self care as well as weird as it seems. That way, all the clothes are washed, cleaned and put away and I don't have to scramble mid week. Also, the kitchen being clean at night is a huge deal for me so I don't have to stress about it in the am.

8- I'm very olfatory. A  diffuser or candle is always welcome.

9- A night out either with D, another couple or some girlfriends is always great for the soul. And then every couple years, we also try to sneak off somewhere on our own!

10- I feel so much better when nourishing food is in my body. Smoothies, salads, lean protein and soups are my jam. I love chips and candy but as I'm getting older I'm finding my body is not loving it, ha!

11- A nice hot shower with one of my favourite shower gels (as I said, olfactory!) and putting some very emollient lotion. My winter skin has never felt better.

12- Sleep is so crucial. I'm a gal who needs between 7-8 hours.

What self care tips do you do?

And if you're interested in joining us in the future months, here's what we have ahead....