Who is tired of being told to live your best quarantine life? Social media is annoying me right now. I do not have the brain space or energy to TEACH MY KIDS ALL THE THINGS or LEARN A NEW HOBBY. I truly have zero goals except to survive each day with everyone alive. Not because I worry about The Virus as much as I worry about one of my children accidentally on purpose stabbing the other one with a colored pencil. Oh wait, that happened yesterday. It's fine.
I assure you that I will not come out of this having learned a new skill, unless Circus Lion Tamer is a new skill... the circus being my living room and the lions being my children. That was probably obvious.
To say I'm feeling panicky about the fact that my maternity leave is ending in two weeks, and I will have to work from home full time with a 4yo, 2yo and 8-week-old is an enormous understatement. I cry daily, but we will never know how much of that is pandemic related and how much is postpartum hormones. All I know is that I have feeeeelings that change by the hour, and I'm hiding pints of ice cream in my freezer underneath bags of frozen peas. That's a true story.
I've started dreaming insane scenarios about all of this. Last night I dreamt that Jordan and I took a European vacation and then flew home on our international flight and DID NOT WASH OUR HANDS and then came home and touched everything. Two nights ago I dreamt that there was a tornado, and I was with my kids and a bunch of strangers in a glass house. Once the tornado passed we came out and there were spiders everywhere. It's possible I'm a tad stressed out!
I've started dreaming insane scenarios about all of this. Last night I dreamt that Jordan and I took a European vacation and then flew home on our international flight and DID NOT WASH OUR HANDS and then came home and touched everything. Two nights ago I dreamt that there was a tornado, and I was with my kids and a bunch of strangers in a glass house. Once the tornado passed we came out and there were spiders everywhere. It's possible I'm a tad stressed out!
So let's move on to happier thoughts. I've been keeping a running list of things I've been loving lately, and since it's 4 in the morning and I am pumping and have nothing better to do like sleep, I decided to share them! What have you been loving lately? Please share! I need more positive things to think about.
As always, there are some affiliate links. I get a few cents, which is a fun surprise when it finally adds up to $25 after a year and I can deposit it into our account and buy a box of diapers ;)
FOOD
Home Chef - If you've never tried a meal service, now is the perfect time! It's food delivered to your door, contact free! ;) Jordan and I got one box a month from Hello Fresh for a year before they annoyed me with a customer service issue and we switched to Home Chef. It's SO much better. The meals actually take the amount of time to cook that the recipe says and it always look just like the picture on the card. You can get $35 off using this link.
Daily Harvest - Similar to a meal delivery, this is a smoothie delivery! They also have overnight oats and protein bowls. Everything comes frozen, so you keep it all in the freezer and cook or blend as needed. I learned about it from a podcast and have gotten one box so far, but I want to get more. My tip would be to pour the cup into the blender and then add liquid. They say you can add liquid to the cup first, but in my experience it turns into an ice block and isn't as easy to blend. I love the fruit flavors, but they have a variety to choose from. Use this code for $25 off your first box. Cancel any time!
Fruit Leather Snacks - I bought these for our snack bin as a healthy alternative to fruit snacks. The kids and I both like them!
Mini Fruit Bars - Another recent addition to our snack bin. Nothing at all wrong with Goldfish, but I'm just trying to branch out ;)
Mini Larabar - Same as above! R in particular loves these.
Pinch of Yum 3-Ingredient Pancakes - I made these recently and actually liked them! The kids ate theirs also and said it was good. Super easy to make and truly used only three ingredients.
KID/BABY STUFF
Baby Bum Silicone Brush - If you don't have one of these you need to rethink life. Diaper rash cream is impossible to wash off your hands, and this is a genius invention. We used it with J and now with F. They even make travel size.
Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump (amazon) / (target) - The best thing to happen to nursing mothers. I use this multiple times a day and have filled three gallon-sized freezer bags with milk so far!
LuLu + Roo Clothing - This is one of my favorite small shops. The clothes are so adorable, and they have great resale value if you're into that kind of thing. Just sharing because I know some people are wanting to support small businesses right now! Yes, it's insane to spend that much money on a sweatshirt for a newborn. And yes, no one sees him but me. It brings me joy! Let me live my life. You can also find this brand for cheaper secondhand from places like Kidizen and Mercari (links below). That's honestly where I buy most of the kids' clothes... there or the thrift store. It evens out!
Baby Book - This is the baby book I'm using for F, and I love it. It's super cute with a minimalistic design, which for me just means there isn't a lot of weird fluff. Just stats and open pages for journaling or photos. I looked at a lot of different books, and this is exactly what I was wanting. There is a girl version and a unisex version.
Kidizen - Most stores are closed right now, but kids are still growing! If you need clothes, shoes, or toys for you or your kids, consider shopping on Kidizen! You can find new or used items for cheaper than a retail store, and you're supporting the mamas who are selling them. Get $5 off your first purchase.
Mercari - This is another buying and selling platform I use. I've found great deals on pajamas, rain boots, holiday outfits, and R's twirly dresses. I recently bought the kids a brand-new Magnatiles set for cheaper than was listed on Amazon. Plus you have the added bonus of fast shipping! Get a $10 coupon for signing up.
Giant Foam Swords - It's rude that Amazon is not considering these an essential item. Someone is going to lose an eye with a colored pencil if we don't get these ASAP.
iSpy Books (amazon) / (target) - R loves iSpy books! I bought her a new one before F came because I knew she would need something to do while I was spending more time with the baby.
Puracy Baby Shampoo/Body Wash - I don't consider myself super intense about "clean" household products, but I do try to keep it in mind when I'm shopping. I think all the information out there can be overwhelming, but I like the idea of working on one area at a time and seeing where we can make healthier choices. I recently learned about Puracy cleaning products, and we've been using their dishwasher pods (linked below), but I also got their baby shampoo/wash and wanted to share in case anyone was looking for a clean option for sensitive baby skin. That link is for Amazon, but you can also see if it's available on their website, though note that it takes at least a week or more to ship right now.
Yummy Toddler Food Instagram Account - This is one of my favorite IG accounts right now. She offers suggestions for feeding hungry toddlers, and they actually seem like things I could do in real life!
Swaddle - We aren't huge swaddle people... R and J were never swaddled at home. But F seems to enjoy being swaddled, and he really loves this type of swaddle where he can still have his hands up near his face. In his ultrasound photo his sweet hands are up near his head, and I think that's how he feels most comfortable sleeping, so this swaddle has been great!
Kinetic Sand - My sister got the kids this for Christmas, and I put in the garage unopened to save for a rainy day. If being quarantined for 800 days is not a rainy day, I don't know what is. I pulled it out last week, and I am absolutely not lying when I say that both my kids played quietly with this for over an hour. That has happened with a toy approximately zero times. F was napping, the kids were playing nicely, and I didn't even know what to do with myself. They play with it during quiet time every day and I'm convinced this is the greatest invention known to toddlerhood.
Kinetic Sand - My sister got the kids this for Christmas, and I put in the garage unopened to save for a rainy day. If being quarantined for 800 days is not a rainy day, I don't know what is. I pulled it out last week, and I am absolutely not lying when I say that both my kids played quietly with this for over an hour. That has happened with a toy approximately zero times. F was napping, the kids were playing nicely, and I didn't even know what to do with myself. They play with it during quiet time every day and I'm convinced this is the greatest invention known to toddlerhood.
OTHER
Puracy Dishwasher Pods - Another cleaner option I've tried lately. We are almost finished with our first bag of 50 pods, and I just ordered a second bag. Our dishes come out clean, and there is no smell. We still have a bag with some Cascade pods, and when I opened it recently I could barely handle the strong chemical smell of it.
Maxi Dress - This is not a maternity dress, but it's what I wore for my sister's bridal shower. It could work for maternity or not! It's stretchy and soft with pockets. There are a variety of colors, and for the price I was very pleased. If we ever escape from quarantine I'll be wearing this again!
Fresh 48 Outfit - I looked all over for ideas for what to wear during our Fresh 48 photos at the hospital. I looked at robes and pj sets and tunics, and at the last minute I ended up buying this pajama set from Target. It was super comfy, especially considering I was very newly postpartum, and I felt like it photographed well. I'm extremely thankful we are able to take photos after F was born! I'm so sad for people delivering babies right now who are not able to have any visitors.
Rotating Extension Cord - Okay this is random, but did you know there's such a thing as an extension cord with a rotating base???? I had a weird situation where I needed something in one spot, but the cord wasn't long enough to reach, and this rotating cord saved the day. I didn't even know this was a thing.
HOBBY
Smallwoods Wooden Frames - I see ads for Smallwoods all over the place, and I finally ordered a few several months ago. I LOVE them. I have one for R and J and need to order another for baby F. I also got one of our maternity photos for the nursery. Definitely check them out!
Persnickety Prints - I highly recommend this online print shop! Great quality, fast shipping, and I love the quality. Support a small shop during this time and order prints here! They have a variety of sizes, books, and even some special quarantine journaling cards and books.
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles - I am loving this book so much. It's not super practical, but it's given me much needed perspective about parenting my kids in light of the gospel, offering grace, and dealing with heart issues instead of just discipline.
So those are just a few things I've been loving lately! What new food, toys, or other items do you recommend? Let me know!
I bought a Haakaa and while I'm not sure I understand it, I'm excited to try it! Especially since insurance is trying to deny the Medela pump I already received and was told was approved which is A WHOLE SAGA I'm not ready to cope with yet.
Kinetic sand is amazing. Except when your kid grinds it into the couch.
We love those swaddles and used them for both of our kids. If he keeps liking them definitely use the next size up that has the zip off arms to help transition out of the swaddles when they get to the rolling stage. GAMECHANGER. My second was a late roller and we used until almost 6 months old!
Just ordered daily harvest! Thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you for saying that it's OK to not live our "best quarantine life" :) I was stressing myself out the other day because I got it in my head that I "should" be making good use of this time, like potty training the toddler or doing something hugely productive.
Something I have been loving lately is John Krasinkski's new youtube show Some Good News. Have you seen it? I bawled my way through the first episode because it was so beautiful. He highlights different good things that are happening around the world right now (especially related to the virus) and it's really, really cool to see what people have been doing (like the old man who could no longer visit his wife at the nursing home, so he serenaded her through the window).
I have been loving grocery delivery and warmer days. I am high risk for this virus so trying to safe, but I am about to go crazy at home all.the.time!
My kids are 11 and 10 so we are schooling at home also...
If it makes you feel better, Barrett fell today and nearly pierced the top of his own ear. Freak accident but all I could think was, WE CANNOT GO TO THE ER RIGHT NOW! Surviving daily being your only priority is perfectly fine! I'll be praying for your 'return to work' as you begin working from home full time with your little office of co-workers! Hang in there! I know it's annoying to hear, but on a positive note, at least you get to stay home these first few tough weeks 'back to work' and put him down for naps and snuggle him when you need a break! :)
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