Feel Good Friday 29
Hi, friend! I hope you are doing well and staying safe and healthy. I have to admit that although it’s stressful that Chris is not working at the moment, I am really enjoying this time at home with the whole family. The other day his boss scheduled a call with him, and I had a pit in my stomach, certain that the company was going to tell him they wouldn’t be needing him back. While I was so scared, I admit a part of me was a little excited about making some pivot that would allow us to spend more time together. Thankfully (especially for our bank account!), he was told he will have a job, but there is no news yet on when. I suppose in the time between now and him going back to work (maybe June or even early July), I will be over here dreaming and scheming. 😉 I don’t know about you, but I do love to dream and fantasize. Speaking of which, a friend suggested the most fun at home date night idea which I am going to share with you below. Let’s dive right into all of the things that are bringing joy and sanity this week!
At Home Weekly Date Night
With two teenagers in the house, it’s frequent that they just sort of disappear into their rooms, even in the evening. Yes, we’ve had game nights, and movie nights, but we honestly were sort of slipping into this routine of everyone going their own way after dinner. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I was feeling pretty lonely and down, and lacking connection, and I was sure I wasn’t the only one in our house. We implemented a weekly evening schedule, and after Wilder goes to bed, we have movie night, game night, show night (We just started Outer Banks), date night, or free night. I included two free nights spaced out because I knew my kids needed some time to themselves as well, and then they also get a free night on date night. In planning this out, I told Chris I felt we were in serious need of date night with real connection, not just laying in bed watching a show together… we needed to engage in conversation! He totally agreed, and I can’t tell you how much happier we both have been since initiating this weekly night. The above photo is from this past week when we played scrabble and had a charcuterie board(please note the ball under the table, because real life…). I used my Cricut maker to create some lettering and added a new message to my mural just to set the mood a bit as well. Last week, we had cocktails and built a puzzle. I also asked friends for some suggestions and my favorite idea came from Gretchen at Boxy Colonial. Her response was, “Imaginary (potentially real someday) trip planning! Trip planning is my favorite hobby; (my husband) likes the parts that involve maps and spreadsheets.” I told Chris about this one, and we are on board and will definitely be planning a fantasy trip. If you’re feeling like your relationship is suffering, or even if it’s not, I can’t tell you how good these at home date nights have been for us. We send the little one to bed, send the big kids off to watch a movie together or hang out on their own, and we have some uninterrupted time to reconnect. Tell me what you are doing for your date nights?
Cute & Philanthropic Masks
This past week on instagram I shared a mask company that is doing wonderful things! In this crazy time, I know that we all have so many options when it comes to buying cute masks, and I encourage you to shop locally or handmade if possible to support small business owners and individuals. America Covers is a small family owned business and they’re creating some adorable masks with fun graphics. I selected the “happy” one becauseI know people can’t see my smile behind it, but they can at least know the feeling I wish to convey. Aside from making fabulous masks, they are donating two to organizations in need with every purchase of one! Check them out here.
House Stalking Morning Walks with Wilder
Before Chris was furloughed, I was struggling to help my older kids with schoolwork, run my own little business, and keep a toddler occupied. Now that he is home, we have a system that has worked beautifully for us. Each morning at 10, the kids start their schoolwork, and weather permitting, I take Wilder out for a long walk to keep the house quiet for Sawyer and Emmy. Chris stays home to help keep the older two on task. I still walk or run early each morning, but it’s generally dark when I go and I am distracted by trying to push myself or picking up dog poop. 😉 These mid morning walks with Wilder are much more for enjoyment, and he likes it when we go on busier streets so we can maybe see buses go by. I pop on a podcast, and I take him on the sidewalks of those streets and through different neighborhoods and we both enjoy the change of scenery. I particularly love the different houses I spy on these walks, and he is absolutely thrilled when we see a bus, or a firetruck goes by. I need to start documenting more of the beautiful homes; how cute is the aqua door on house above? Do you guys want to see more of these?
Podcast Series
How I Built This is one of my go-to podcasts because I absolutely love learning about how companies are created and developed, the ideas that spurred a business into being. In my dream life, I create something amazing and am one day a guest of that show, sharing how I came up with and grew that business. Like many other businesses during these strange times, How I Built This pivoted, and I am here for their pivot! They created a new series called “How I Built Resilience” where host Guy Raz interviews business owners and entrepreneurs on what they are doing right now to make it through this pandemic, how they are being proactive as well as how they are dealing with doing their best to keep their employees cared for. In particular, I really enjoyed hearing Steve Holmes of Springfree Trampoline, and was so touched by the care that he has for his employees. He actually cried a bit on the show, and it was just so heartfelt and beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to have a boss who cared that much about his people. Another fabulous episode came from Christina Tosi of Milk Bar. I’ve been a fan of Milk Bar ever since hearing her first episode on the show, and she was so energetic and optimistic and just what I needed to hear. Even Guy said after speaking with her he was ready to go out and DO SOMETHING!
Homemade Gifts
I mentioned once before that Emmy is coping with time alone creatively, painting and drawing her days away. This past weekend, on Mother’s Day, she was so proud to present me with this piece of lettering, canvas painting, and a card she sketched. I was so touched and appreciative! Money is tight right now, but it was so nice to have her create some special things for me. Homemade gifts are often the best, in my opinion. Knowing that someone took time to create something special with you in mind is such a gift.
Now I have some questions for you! I would love to hear from you.
- Tell me about your favorite at-home date night! I am considering putting together a post filled with ideas.
- Do you want to see more housestalking in Greensboro?
- What’s your favorite homemade gift you’ve ever received?
