I read a survey the other day that showed details on how much extra time we are all spending on our phones, social media etc during this time of social distancing and quarantine. Technology is a beautiful thing during this time of social distancing so we can stay in touch with all of our loved ones! But if we’re not careful, we can get to the end of our day and realize we spent a huge chunk of our day scrolling instagram, finding one more meme, one more TikTok video etc. Screens can really eat away at your time, especially while we’re all spending more time at home.
I know this time of social distancing & quarantine is TOUGH. Being stuck (safe) in your house all day every day (especially with a toddler) can be quite daunting. But, when you think about it…we will probably never in our lifetime have THIS much time at home with our families again (or, by yourself again, if you are single). How can we make the most of this season? Not in an intimidating “I need to do all the things and get all the things done!” type of way. But in a “we might never have a season like this again, with so much time at home…let’s cherish it and make the most of it” type of way. I’m going to share 7 ways I’m (trying to!) make the most of my time at home right now!
7 ways I’m making the most of my extra time at home:
- More time with Shiloh – Yes, I always work from home. But when we aren’t in quarantine, I’m also going to photoshoots, workout classes, meetings, events etc. and Shiloh also usually will go to her grandparent’s house or something like that a few times a week. Like most parents, this quarantine has given me a lOT more time with Shiloh. Michael and I take turns during the day – I’ll take the first morning shift with her, he’ll take the second morning shift etc. Anyway – Shiloh and I have read hundreds of books together, gone for walks, played chase, blown bubbles on the patio, sang songs, colored pictures…I’ve had so much more time with her and it’s been tough at times with work…but also really special! We’ve also gotten a lot of new stuff for her from Amazon that’s helped keep her entertained and I’ll share more of that next week!
- “Training my hair” – Okay this one might gross some of you out lol. But you guys know how much I hate washing my hair and everyone says in order to be able to go a while between washes, you have to “train your hair” aka not wash it for a while so it adjusts to the oil production! (I’ve also wanted to wash it less because it’s better for your hair to NOT wash it every day or every other day!) I found @jasmineraehairco on instagram and she has a whole highlight on “hair training” lol. So while we are all in our houses all the time, I’m training my hair to be able to go a week without being washed and still look decent! This would be much tougher if I was leaving the house haha. As I continue to ‘train my hair’, I’ll maybe do a whole blog post on this!
- Reading at night – Typically when we’re not in quarantine, Michael and I have plans with friends or family or church commitments. During the day I’m working or playing with Shiloh. So I don’t really have a lot of time to read in regular life. Now that we don’t have any social plans or commitments at night, I’ve been reading more and loving it! (In this blog post I share recent books/devotionals I’ve been loving, but I’ve also read a few fiction ones lately that I’ve loved! The Silent Patient and currently reading Invisible).
- Skincare TLC + trials! You guys know how much I love skincare…but I’ve really kicked it up a notch during quarantine haha. You know when you do your a.m. or p.m. skincare routine, but like the fast version? Bc you’re short on time or feeling lazy or whatever? I do it too. But during quarantine I’ve been doing the long version of my day and night skincare routines and my skin feels so good! I’ve also gone back to doing face masks regularly – I’ve been masking like two or three times a week! (See this post for some of my favorite face masks right now). I’ve also been using this time to try out some new skincare products (like these wipes or this discoloration treatment) to see how my skin reacts. Usually I’m so scared to ever change up my skincare routine but figured this would be a good time to try out some new stuff! If my skin doesn’t react well to it, I’m not going anywhere anyway lol.
- Time with Michael – Yes, I realize at this point a lot of us are two annoying comments away from punching our spouse in the face lol. We pretty much haven’t seen another human being in weeks so irritability is high. BUT…considering our evening plans consist of dinner & being at home with each other every single night, we’ve gotten a little creative with our evening activities! (And yes, I mean that in all the ways you are assuming haha). But also! We’ve been playing games (currently liking Qwixx and Unstable Unicorns lol), thinking of creative questions to ask each other at dinner time, taking more baths, etc! Yes we have watched shows too but it’s been nice to get creative with the activities we’re doing together!
- Cooking new recipes – You guys probably know by now that Michael and I started Whole30 on April 1 (see my original blog post on that here) so we’ve been cooking A LOT! Usually that’s my least favorite part of Whole30 – you spend SO much time cooking. But I’ve really loved having some extra time at home to try out new recipes, meal plan for the week, and take my time in the kitchen trying out new healthy recipes that our whole family enjoys. We’ll still do takeout here and there to support our local restaurants, but overall, this extra time at home has given me more time to try new recipes and it’s been really fun!
- New workouts – This idea isn’t technically ‘screen free’ since a lot of the workouts I’ve been doing require a laptop or phone BUT! I’ve gotten a lot more versatile + creative with my workouts lately vs just going to a class or the gym and it’s been SO nice and really good for me! I’ve been focusing way more on strength training – doing some Madeline Moves workouts or Obe classes or Peloton strength and really enjoyed changing things up!
What are some things / activities you guys are doing right now to make the most of your time at home? I’ve been loving our little routine lately but I’m sure here in a few days I’ll be ready to change things up haha so comment below with things you and/or your family loving right now!
xo Lauren
