Whenever I was browsing the internet for Christmas cards…I noticed so many of the options had silly greetings like “SEE YA 2020” or “2021 – WE’VE MADE IT”…which I can completely understand haha. This year has been a WILD ride with lots of new challenges none of us could have predicted. But, even amidst such a challenging year…there have been a lot of great things (for me at least) that have come out of the craziness that was 2020. I’m going to share my top 5 2020 silver linings with y’all today! [Basically…positive things that happened as a result of staying home more, things being shut down for a large chunk of the year, etc].
1. Working out at home
We had a home gym in our house in Boulder and I loved it. But…I used it maybe 1 or 2 days a week and the other days I’d go to the gym or a workout class. All gyms / fitness studios shut down here in Dallas in March, so that’s when I started working out at home 100% of the time! It was definitely a challenge at first, to not be in a gym or class environment but now I LOVE IT. Our gyms + studios have been open here for a while and I still prefer to workout at home. I go to orangetheory probably 1 or 2 days a week and other than that…I do a peloton ride or a Madeline Moves workout at home!
I feel way more efficient working out at home. I just get in, get the workout done, and get out. I get distracted at gyms slash there are so many options as far as what I could do for my workout haha which can be overwhelming. I’m glad 2020 forced me to workout at home because it forced me to do different types of workouts, and realize that I really don’t need a gym!
2. Games
I’ve always liked games slash came from a family who loves to play games together. But Michael and I never really played a lot of games together just one on one prior to 2020. We’d play with groups of friends or my whole family, but not just us. Well…when you are spending every single day and every single night together just the two of you…you get creative haha. We’ve found so many new games we LOVE in 2020 and now we play a game together almost every single night haha. It’s been a fun activity to do together outside of just watching TV! Our fave games right now are Ticket to Ride, Unstable Unicorns, and Monopoly Deal!
3. Cooking at home
This is something else I have always enjoyed and wanted to do more of…that 2020 has helped grow my passion for! Like most of you guys, we cooked dinner at home more in 2020 probably than we ever have haha. I found new cookbooks I love, lots of new recipes to add to our weekly rotation, and overall just grew more confident in the kitchen! (Not to mention the financial and health benefits of not eating out!)
4. Grocery delivery
I know grocery delivery was around prior to 2020 but I never really used it before this year. Now I LOVE IT and legit haven’t been into a grocery store in probably 4 months (even though they are obviously still open)! I personally get Whole Foods delivered (for free) through amazon prime, but there are tons of great delivery options out there. We also love Walmart+. Grocery delivery has saved me a ton of time and also just helps me be more efficient + strategic in my grocery shopping / meal planning!
5. Walks
Going for family walks became part of our daily routine back in March and something we still do it everyday. Even on some of my busiest work days. Michael, Shiloh and I all go outside for a stroll around 3 or 4pm everyday and it’s probably my fave part of the day. Michael and I connect on how our days are going, what we have on our plate that day, cute things Shiloh has done that day, etc. It’s such a nice break in the day to get some fresh air and connect with my family. These walks became part of our day back in March because we were going nuts / had no childcare / nothing else to do! So most days we’d go for 2 walks a day haha . I love that these daily walks have stuck around as a part of our routine.
What have been some of your 2020 silver linings? Like most of you guys, I am so ready + excited for 2021, but also taking time to pause and find the beauty that has come out of this crazy year!
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Thanks for reading!
xo Lauren
