Favorite Things: Quarantine Edition
We've wrapped up week eight of being home, and this week, I was ready for something a little more light-hearted, so I'm doing a round up of some of my favorite things during quarantine.
BOOKS // The first week or two of quarantine, I couldn't concentrate on reading anything. Then I started reading non-stop, and I've bounced back and forth between those two extremes throughout quarantine. Some of my favorite quick reads I couldn't put down were The Last House Guest (Megan Miranda), Behind Closed Doors (BA Paris), and several from Diane Chamberlain (Big Lies in a Little Town and Dream Daughter were my favorites of hers). Books that will stick with me are The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (Kim Michele Richardson), Educated (Tara Westover), and The Nickel Boys (Colson Whitehead).
KIDS BOOKS // A few books my kids have been reaching for over and over during quarantine are Pete the Cat, Little Cloud, and Little Blue Truck. My kindergartner and I have been reading Little House on the Prairie (one of my childhood favorites, which has been so fun to revisit with him) and has also enjoyed the Magic Bone series, Ballpark Mysteries, and of course, the Magic Treehouse. Right before everything shut down, I went to the library and left with all the books I could carry, which has been a lifesaver during this time period! Video read alouds of kids books, both from their teachers and found on youtube, have also been a great way to keep reading new books, even when the library is closed.
WATCHING // I only start watching a new series every few years because I don't watch a lot of tv, and when I do watch, I mostly just watch Friends and Gilmore Girls on repeat. Quarantine seemed like a good time to start something new, and the first two seasons of Schitt's Creek have kept me laughing.
LISTENING // I used to spend a lot of time every day driving to get my kids where they needed to go, and I usually listened to podcasts while I drove. My podcast consumption has gone WAY down, but I still manage to sneak in a few when I go for a solo walk or fold the laundry. The podcasts I'm still making time to listen to are theCoffee + Crumbs podcast, Today by the Way, The Medium Talk Podcast, and Pantsuit Politics
LOVING // Kristin Ess French Pins make my quarantine top knot feel slightly more pulled together. For some reason, it took me forever to switch over from Overdrive to the Libby app, but I have now seen the light! Beautycounter Peppermint Lip Conditioner has been a long time favorite of mine, but I've been reaching for it even more often now that we are home all the time. My kindergartner got this Q&A Book for Kids for Christmas, and we write the answers each night before we read. I already loved it because it was fun to see his answers and they often prompted conversations, but it's also acting as a little bit of a time capsule right now, especially when the questions are about school or other things we can't do. It's been a great way to start some conversations and see what he is thinking about things.
BAKING // Our Sunday mornings are much less rushed these days, so I've been baking a few new recipes. Pioneer Woman's Coffee Cake, Chocolate Coconut Scones, Belgian Waffles and homemade bread have all been a hit!
KEEPING ME SANE // All the memes. Laughter is the best medicine, right? Spending as much time as possible in the backyard while we work on logging 1000 hours outside. Making time to go on walks alone and weekly video calls with the women in my small group at church. Learning from and being inspired by the Exhale Creativitycommunity.