It’s a weird time y’all. We are hunkered down, trying to take it one day at a time and keeping things as positive and “normal” as possible. I hope you and your families are healthy and safe.
To help with the new normal of social distancing, I’ve put together a list of things to help us all get through the next few weeks. If you have some tips and tricks that you want to share, send them my way — I’d love to add them to the list!
Move/Exercise
It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself when you are stressed. It doesn’t have to be strenuous — but it totally can be if that works for you. In the past, I had to go to a gym to work out. I hated doing it at home. BUT things changed after having Navy. Working out has always helped me manage my anxiety and stress, so I had to make it work from home. Here are three online programs I have followed or supplemented my fitness routine with in recent years:
- V-Shred – I loosely follow the “Toned in 90” program. I needed a switch up from what I was doing before (see below). BUT, I still throw in routines from Tone It Up to mix things up.
- Tone-It Up – I have followed Kat and Karena of Tone It Up since they started their YouTube channel YEARS ago. They now have a huge fitness and lifestyle community & brand. In recent days they have opened up the Tone It Up App to all new members for FREE for the next month! This way you can work out and meditate with the TIU ladies, access healthy meal prep recipes, responsibly distance yourself, move your body while at home, and connect with the TIU community! They also have a ton of free videos available on YouTube!
- Blogilates: Another lady entrepreneur that I’ve followed for years! I discovered Cassey Ho on YouTube several years ago as well — she’s who inspired me to get my first yoga mat! Cassey has several free workout routines, recipes and printables on her website. She’s also crafted a 14-Day Quarantine challenge that you can follow.
If anything, just get up and move during your favorite show! Jumping jacks, squats, march/knee highs, leg lifts, Russian Twists. Have some “booty bands” lying around? Put one just above your knees and step side-to-side. Get on Instagram or TikTok and challenge some of your friends to do the #see10do10challenge like the one I participated in below! It was fun seeing how many people actually took the challenge!
MOMMAS – I know that sometimes this can seem like this is the last thing you want to do. But I promise you’ll feel better. Think of this as your scheduled YOU time. For me, it works best if I do it while everyone else is still sleeping or rolling around in the morning. It puts me in a great mood and I find myself more active throughout the day.
Get outside.
Social distancing doesn’t mean that you have to hermit in your house 100% of the time– you CAN go outside (at least for now). Get some fresh are and allow the sun to hit your skin. Avoid crowds, busy places and keep your distance from others and it’s all good. Just don’t forget your sunscreen!
Our household favs (both are broad-spectrum and reef-friendly):
Self Care – for everyone in the house!
Everyone in the house deserves their own “me time.” It’s okay to be apart and do separate things in the house. If you have children and you can feel yourself getting tense, it’s time for some “me time.” Get the kids set-up doing something they like and tell them you need 30 minutes alone. This is obviously harder when they are younger, but the more you do it the easier it gets. I’m having some “me time” as I type – I’ve got Navy set up on her iPad with Sago Mini World and Rollercoaster Tycoon. And, yes, you read that right. I let me kid have screen time. All in moderation folks. If you know my kid, she’s PLENTY active. Screen time let’s her check out.
So, what can you do for self-care? Anything that lets you settle, check-out, or relax. We all need to pay attention to our mental health in these weird times, y’all.
Some things to try:
- Read a book. Note: I need some recommendations!
- Color, paint, or doodle. This is something I love to due to rest my mind. My favorite adult coloring book author/illustrator Johanna Brasford has published 30 free pages to print and color in light of all the craziness. She’s also included several How-To videos. Check out the Inky Happy Place!
- Take a bath or a long shower.
- Go on a walk.
- Call or FaceTime a friend, a parent, or a loved one.
- Watch a show or listen to a podcast.
- Learn something new. I’m obsessed with Udemy, y’all! Learn ALL the things!
- Bake or cook. I’ve been drooling over everything at Half Baked Harvest!
- Work out.
Are you someone that needs structure? Make a schedule.
Get dressed in the morning, put on some make-up if you’d like, and make a to-do list for the day.
Next week will be interesting. I’ll have to figure out how to work from home and get my child set up for “virtual learning.” We will both be home trying to do our work and school routines. Luckily, Navy and I both operate better with structure, so scheduling our days will be vital.
Work on those household projects!
- Clean out those junk drawers
- Organize your closet, garage, kids room(s).
- Need some more ideas?
Kids Activities
Not going to lie, I have run through all of my go-to activities to keep my seven year old entertained. So I’ve been scouring Pinterest and asking friends on FB and Insta what they are doing. Here’s what I’ve found:
- Go for a walk around your neighborhood and find a few rocks. Bring them back to the house and paint them. On your next walk, put them back for a happy surprise for your neighbors. Thanks for this one, Jen! Follow her on Instagram or TikTok; she’s clever and has a great sense of humor — and her kids are the cutest!
- Let you little(s) FaceTime their friends from school! We’ve been doing this with Navy and her best friend and, y’all – they are SO cute and funny to listen to. Navy really enjoys it! Give it a try. Reach out to parents and see if they’ll be open to a FaceTime date for the kids and schedule a time to call. Added bonus: some free time for you!
- Chalk Art Walk! I’ve seen some amazing posts on how communities are decorating their sidewalks with sidewalk chalk to leave cheerful, positive messages for neighbors to see as they are on their daily walks/runs/bike rides. Show it off on social media with the hashtag #chalkthewalk
- Keep that sidewalk chalk out and grab some of that duct tape (Gorilla Tape or painters tape) you’ve got lying around. Make a resist art piece with your painters take on a fence or sidewalk. You and your littles can fill in the spaces. When you’re finished, peel away the tape and voila!
- We made our own, kid-friendly cards for Pictionary the other night thanks to We Have Kids! We can’t play by the typical rules since there is only three of us, so we followed these rules VERY loosely.
- Cate Liguori at Little Wonderkin has started a “10 Day 10 Projects” series and she’s got some GREAT ideas! Follow along on Instagram.
- 35 Activities For Kids At Home (For When You’re Out Of Ideas) by This Simple Balance. Also see: How To Keep Kids Busy When Schools Close: 10 Tips That Actually WORK
Let me know what you think and if you have some more tips/tricks to add!
Don’t forget — this too shall pass, y’all!
