Hello, hello! How are you doing with “social distancing”? I’ve seen some funny memes going around about the differences between introverts (“I’ve been training for this my whole life!”) and extroverts (“My life is oveeeer.”) and how they’re likely handling this in opposite ways. I fall somewhere in the middle and have been going back and forth between relishing in a free schedule but also feeling concern for how long this might just go on.
I talked to a few different girlfriends and family members on the phone yesterday morning, all of whom were feeling a little blue, stressed, and concerned. My mom said it best the other day when she said that this feels somewhat like 9/11 and the days that followed: everyone has this cloud hanging over their heads as they figure out how to tackle the personal ways that this situation is impacting their lives. Despite the disarray of this all, it’s very unifying. We are all in this together, and from the devastation of things falling apart comes the opportunity to step back and then rebuild and refine bigger and better!

As for how our family is handling it, right now Jamie is still reporting to work with the Army (he is currently completing his two-week annual training here at Redstone with the Reserve). We’ll see what next week brings for him and his civilian job. The girls are home from school, dance, and soccer for at least three weeks, though the girls’ dance studio will be teaching online to prep for recital (that we’ll hopefully still have in May or June).
I’ve chosen to do my part in taking this seriously and am avoiding going to our gyms, restaurants, etc. A couple of neighbor girlfriends and I all met up outside yesterday to let the kids ride bikes while we took a walk in the fresh air together. We’ll likely do this every day that it’s not raining. Jamie stopped by my grandmother’s apartment yesterday to pick up a meal she’d made, and he was able to help her with some things around her apartment. He could see that she is lonely and taking this hard not being able to run around, so we want to try to be around her more and help her out. It’s hard though because she will not fare well if she catches this virus, and what if we are carrying it without symptoms? Ah, such a tough one.
As for food, we are pretty stocked up. Any time my mom or I go to the store, we are picking up stuff for the other, just in case that store is stocked with something the other person is missing. We had already scheduled to receive Home Chef meals this week and next, so that is a huge help considering the grocery stores have been mostly out of bread, eggs, and meat. On the toilet paper home front, we get a massive pack delivered via Amazon Subscribe and Save every three months, so we are good to go. LOL.
Hadley’s teacher emailed a massive packet of work for her, which I was so grateful for. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with how to make sure I’m teaching her, so this packet took the guesswork out of it for me. We use Hooked On Phonics with Sadie, so I’m going to ramp up using that a couple of times a day with her since she’s missing out of her preschool activities.

We are stocked with coloring and activity books (our kitchen sideboard is overflowing with them and is such a freaking MESS lol) and a daily rhythm to stick to, which I think will give us all a sense of normalcy. They share an iPad, and I’m fine with them watching movies and having more iPad time than usual. When it’s raining outside and you can’t run around to your normal places, there is only so much coloring and playing they can do. 😉

Here is the daily rhythm we will try to stick to:
5-7 a.m.: Coffee and blog work, get ready (shower and get dressed)
7-9 a.m.: Breakfast, laundry, clean rooms, get dressed, clean kitchen
9-10 a.m.: Go for a walk or jump into school work if it’s raining
10-11 a.m.: Color or playroom | blog or workout
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Lunch, dishes, straighten up
12-1 p.m.: Schoolwork
1-2:30 p.m.: Quiet time | Blog or workout
2:30-5 p.m.: Play outside or watch movies/iPad
5 p.m.: Dinner, clean up, bath time, family game, books, GOOD NIGHT (by 8 p.m.)
Anyway! I intended to focus today’s post all about some of the things we’ve purchased and loved from Amazon the last couple of months. Here’s a list of some things we put our stamp of approval behind. 🙂
Redken All Soft Heavy Cream: I really love this deep conditioner. It’s my favorite that I’ve ever used, and my first tube of it lasted me five months (note that I only wash my hair once or twice a week though).
Codenames: We played this game with friends recently and had so much fun! It’s easy to understand and good, clean fun! We played it with three couples, and it was perfect. You could give it a whirl with your older kids too (maybe middle school+).
Uno: We have been trying to make time to play more games together as a family, and this one has been Hadley’s favorite. An oldie but a goodie! I actually ordered it while sitting at Atlanta Bread Company one day after seeing a family come in for lunch and play it together. It fit nicely in their mom’s bag! The kids were around Hadley’s age and were loving it.
Meal Prep Containers: Jamie ordered these for his weekly lunches. He’s been trying to batch cook on Sundays, pack five lunches, and then just grab and go in the morning before work. So far, so good! They are dishwasher and microwave safe.
Amazon Elements Baby Wipes: We’ve been using these since Sadie was a newborn. Best wipes for your money!
Native Shoes – You know we get them every year! Both girls are ready to go with a pair for this spring/summer.
Salt Water Sandals – We also always get a pair of Salt Waters for each spring/summer. Sadie got gold this year and Hadley’s are white.
TurboTax Home & Business – This is what Jamie used to do our taxes this year.
2020 Dell Inspiron 14″ Laptop – With Jamie starting his MBA this fall, he knew he needed a more reliable laptop. He didn’t want to splurge on a Macbook, but we also know that PCs often don’t hold up as well as Macs. He did his research though and talked to a ton of people, and this laptop came highly recommended. He’s only had it for a couple months, but he told me this morning that he’s really enjoyed it. It’s actually $111 cheaper right now than when we bought it. Arg.
Book of Proverbs – These are such beautiful coffee table books. I have the books of Psalms sitting on our console table right now and recently gifted this book of Proverbs.
Colleen Rothschild Beauty Radiant Cleansing Balm – So obsessed with this cleansing balm. One container lasts me about three months. My skin has never felt so soft or clean. It also takes off eye makeup remover. A little bit goes a long way!
36 Piece Sponge Rollers – I bought these to put in Hadley’s hair for her 100th day of school, and when I took them out I squealed at how cute her hair looked! I’ve been putting them in the girls’ hair often, and the curls are precious!
Natural Rubber Baby Pacifiers – Jillian’s favorite pacifiers! We hook them onto a paci strap and she’s happy.
Days Are Long, Years are Short – This is the mat only but it’s the sweetest! I wanted a way to frame their school pictures, and this was my solution. I bought these frames from Target to put them in. I went ahead and framed/hung three of them together because I know Jillian will be school-age before we know it! It starts with a three-year-old class and goes all the way through. It’s precious!
Let’s chat!
How are you doing?
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo