|The Monday Post| #47 – The Quarantine Update

March 30, 2020 by MP

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Two weeks ago I wrote this post about working from home. To be completely honest, I thought it would be a one or two week ordeal. Seriously. Call me naive, but I truly did not think this would last as long as it did. And here we are, on the morning of week number 3 of working from home and in the middle of what the world now refers to as “Quarantine.”

I’ve learned a lot over the last two weeks. I’ve learned that it really does take discipline to work from home. I’ve also learned that the power of being positive is even greater than I once thought it was. Every day I have a choice – I can either be sad and angry at the situation at hand causing me to be in a grumpy mood, or I can be positive. No, it isn’t easy, but it does make a difference in the productivity level of my day. Practicing gratitude is another way of turning this crummy situation into something positive. Every night, while I’m laying in bed, I think of 3 things that I’m grateful for. For example, 1) my children 2) my job 3) my health are three that I focus on a lot. Others are my family, my dog, being able to support small businesses, my religious and political freedom, social media, Netflix and Amazon Prime, grocery stores that deliver and/or have curbside pick up, and the list goes on and on. I have found it essential in my day to day to be appreciative of these small things in order to have a more positive mindset.

Below, you’ll find some of the ways that I am spending my “Quarantine” time other than working. I’ve traded in my workwear for causal wear, audio books for kindle books, and well, watched a lot of movies. Take a look and make sure to scroll through the end for some cool free printables and activities to do with kids at home.

Casual Wear

Movies/Series

Outbreak
Patriot Games
2012
Containment
Contagion
Vantage Point
End of Watch
Little Women
Judy
A Quiet Place
Downton Abbey
Tyer Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral
Hunter’s – Season 1
Jack Ryan – Season 1 (rewatched it because I love it so much)

Books

Kindle: A Killer’s Wife
Kindle: The Last Bathing Beauty
sign up for Amazon First Reads HERE for a free kindle book every month
Audible: Before We Were Yours
Hardcopy: When Life Gives You Lululemons

Journal

I’m finding it more necessary than ever to journal during this time. In this difficult time we are all in, it is normal to feel a range of emotions in a single day. I have found that writing down my thoughts, ideas, questions, etc. helps keep me calm because I am getting it all “out.”

Cooking

I’ve been doing a lot of cooking at home and really enjoy. I’ve started posting a lot of my food ideas in my Instagram stories.

The Twins

And if these two don’t make you smile, I don’t know what will 🙂 Savannah is just as goofy as ever and Sullivan is a little parrot – mimicking everything I say and do.

Lola has also enjoyed having me home during the days. Although, she doesn’t understand that I actually have to work and cannot sit with her and take her walking all the time.

Exercise

I wrote this post on exercising last week. It is worth a read because as much as I believe in the power of positivity, I also believe in the power of exercise.

Fun Activities at Home

Lilly Pulitzer #bethesunshine free printables – click here
Jennifer Ashley free printables – click here
Balloon Activity Kit – click here
San Diego Live Zoo Cam – click here
Cook! – click here
Family Fun Night – click here
Anything from Honey Bear Pages – click here
Save With Stories – click here

Well, friends, I wish you the best of luck as we enter another week of quarantine. The future is unknown to us and no one has experience with how to properly deal with a pandemic while homeschooling your kids and continuing to perform your full time job, so all you can do is try to do your best and that’s it. You can only do your best, so be kind to yourself during this time and don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.

Cheers – MP