QuaranQUEEN 2.0
PEOPLE, ARE YOU THERE? DO YOU HEAR ME??
As we all know, quarantine is still a thing without an end. The light at the end of the tunnel that we see brief flickers of, but still 7 miles and 4 turns away. No need to start filling up the calendar for May or even June because honestly, who the heck knows what’s gonna happen!
So, in an effort to retain my sanity, I have tried endless activities. Some have proven to be great adds to my morning routine, some have been flopped efforts, some have made me smarter, and some not. :D Here’s a compiled list:
1) #flipAchick challenge because WHY NOT! View our success story here :D
2) Cooked a lot of food - 100% real, I have followed more recipes in the last 3 weeks than I have in the rest of the days of my life combined. I have always liked to cook (cutting vegetables is literally on my JOY list), but have never been known for following recipes. It’s not my way. I cooked my first WHOLE chicken, really tasty brussel&bacon pasta, AND banana bread twice (w/no ingredient substitutes). Jake has also been getting @it in the kitchen, too! Some success - one of the BEST burgers we’ve ever had (secret ingred: soy sauce) and we tag-teamed a MEAN Easter meal - classic pulled pork, potatoes, sauteed carrots. TDF!!! Mini mallow s’mores also came in clutch!
3) Started drafting a BEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE list - I learned this from a Podcast, and I think it’s brilliant. Whenever you’re feeling sad which is bound to happen at some point of quarantine, you read through the best moments of your life and can’t help but smile <3 A few starters to getcha thinking - the day I got engaged, the day I was introduced to real cheese curds, the day I met my first nephew, etc. Put it in your phone or on your google drive! You can access it from anywhere then :)
4) Started to consistently meditate - I have been pretty diligent about a morning routine in the past year or so, always including some yoga, writing out my day, and things I’m grateful for, but with getting 2 hours back/day without commuting, I have extended my morning routine with ~10 minutes of guided meditation. I have tried loads of types - love&kindness, energizing, Youtube, gratitude, chocolate lovers, etc. (some of those are not real if you couldn’t tell). But seriously, it’s been good - similar effects as yoga for me thus far - breathing focus and calms my crazy brain.
5) Reading - I’ve been a drifty reader over the past months as I have a long commute, so Audible has been in my rotation, but I have made it through a few good reads! Some are more self-help while others are joy reads. Some goodies - The Sun is Also a Star (teen romance), Running Home (running/bio), Educated (I love Idaho, so yeah), and The Making of a Manager (S/O to my home girl @jackiejohnson).
6) Push-up challenge - also heard this from a podcast, but every time you got to the bathroom, you have to do ‘X’ # of push-ups prior to going. We have started with 10 which takes <30 seconds. Think about it - if you drink as much water as you should, you probably pee 8-10 times a day; that’s 80-100 push-ups, but you hardly notice because it’s only 10 at a time.
PS - do legos count as doing something active??
7) Anything I can do to stay active! We’ve become elite recreational tennis players (or so I tell myself). I have a 0 Win record this season. #ugh We’ve brought out spikeball. I went rollerblading this weekend. Bike rides are a must when the weather allows! Shoveling snow. Basement cardio circuits - using apple juice containers for bicep curls. Raking leaves (which I normally can’t stand, but has become a nice addition to my audio book). & a bunch of other made-up things - see here for a sample :D My watch has officially told me my workouts are “unproductive” which I 1) find offensive (ahem Garmin), but 2) means I need a rest day which is an even bigger bummer.
8) Crafts - I keep hearing suggestions about how this is the time to get in touch with your creative side. I’m trying, folks. I bought a sewing machine which I was really excited about, but I can’t figure out how to get it to work!! The thread breaks after about 5 strokes, so I am not very motivated to continue threading and attempting. I also bought it without a manual and I want to say it probs has a DoM in the 1960s. But it’s CUTE and RETRO! I also started knitting some slippers which is also slow progress and lots of Youtube. Youtube, I would like to extend my gratitude…
I also consider bath time creative time; and you know I love my baths!!
9) Land research - we’ve been interested in buying land in the mountains with an eventual plan to build on it or at least, post Ruby up on it, so that’s been a GREAT, productive distraction :) Still drawn to Idaho for a reason that I cannot explain, but I swear it’s written in the cosmos. HOW PRETTY IS THIS!!
10) ZOOMies- classic. Good friends are good times. <3 Mama is also regarded as Queen Zoom! Technology is not what you would typically associate with Ms. Legatt, so we are all having to change our ways ;)
I would love to hear what YOU are doing to keep away the crazies!
Let’s come out of this 100x >>> than our old self.
Mid-quaranQUEEN Jen
PS) If you really can’t get out of a funk or want to do something sweet, write some letters, send some one a Caribou gift card, ship someone toilet paper via Amazon. :D BOUND to bring some happiness in! S/O to sissy for the breakfast delivery from one of our favorite local coffee shops.
