Friday Favorites: Highs and Lows From the Week

What a week! Am I right?

There are a lot of emotions and thoughts going everywhere, and I’m right there with you.

The good news is that we made it through another week of being quarantined! Today is officially Day Twelve since New York City mandated the closing of non-essential businesses and quarantining residents to their homes. And it shows.

I think being indoors all day, every day (with the exception of getting outside for a run or walk) is starting to get to us. We’re going a little bit stir crazy! But we’re also getting a lot done, so there’s that.

Jumping off of a high and low type of emotional roller coaster I think a lot of us are experiencing, I thought it would be fitting to theme this edition of Friday Favorites Highs and Lows to share a peek of reality through the highlights.

I hope you are all staying safe out there! And I hope that you can find the positives to focus on in your days. Here’s peek into what’s been going on around here …

FRIDAY FAVORITES: Highs and Lows

High: Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp

A HUGE positive in my life right now is running the first-ever Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp page. I absolutely love sharing workouts and motivation to anyone who needs the inspiration right now. The week is winding down, but I still invite you to join in through this link. You can scroll the info and save whatever you’d like for later!

Our week is coming to a close, but I’m entertaining the thought of creating a few longer, more structured programs for different focuses, fitness levels, and needs. Please let me know if this is something that interests you, and keep a lookout for more info soon!

Low: missing my time at the gym, mostly for solo workouts

I’m not going to lie. At-home workouts are great, but I do miss the challenge of heavier weights and a place to zone out and get my workouts in. I’m sure a lot of you feel me when I say I do what I can at home, but it’s never distraction-free with a toddler and full apartment.

And, oh my goodness, gym daycare. Skyler and I miss you so much.

High: infinite time with these guys

Something that makes me smile every morning is knowing that I get to spend the day and quality time with Scott, Skyler, and our fur babies. We used to have days all together here and there, but Scott’s job typically demands a lot of travel. We’ve never had this much time together, ever, so I’m really soaking it all in.

We’re going on a lot of family walks, building forts, watching movies, and reading together. I’m cherishing the extra time we both have to teach Skyler things like his ABCs, counting, and animals, as this is something that Scott wouldn’t necessarily get to do.

Low: missing my family in Florida

As much as I love being home with my family, there is a part of my heart that feels incomplete since that I can’t spend this time with my parents, brother, sister, and their kids in Orlando. It seems silly to have weeks available, but the absence of means to travel without the risk of being quarantined before a return home. It’s such a tricky situation.

After debating back and forth for several days, we decided to stay put in Brooklyn and hunker down here. We’ve been video chatting frequently, so that helps a little.

High: revisiting my love for running outside

I go in and out of phases with running, and right now I am ALL IN. I’ve been enjoying runs on the treadmill during my time at the gym over the past six months or so, but, I now realize that I was truly missing out.

Running has always provided a mental release for me, on top of keeping me fit. I love running outside when the weather is nice, and it’s been absolutely dreamy over the last few weeks.

If you’re feeling cooped up and stuck inside right now, I highly urge you to go for a walk (at a safe distance from others), jog, or run. The fresh air is so good for the soul!

Low: exercise and walks being the only “excuse” to get outdoors with a shelter-in-place mandate

I looked at Scott the other day and said, “I feel like we’re in a movie right now.”

We were walking through a packed park on a beautiful day, and now I go outdoors on times of the day that are less busy. Anyways. Looking at everyone made me realize that we were all there for the same reason. Everyone was going for a walk, a run, a bike ride, or just sitting in the grass for some fresh air with their families. We are all working at home, or not working at all, and this time at the park was our only outlet to the outdoors that day. It was surreal for sure.

There’s a lot that I feel like I miss out on by living in an apartment, and easy access to a backyard is one of them. We get outside at least twice a day to walk Roadie, but other than that, it’s limited to exercise only.

It’s just a weird thing to know and live.

High: spending more time organizing and cleaning

Being quarantined in our homes definitely gives us more time to do things around the house. This is a blessing and a curse for us, since we don’t have anywhere to donate or store things that we are getting rid of, so we just have piles. But, it’s still nice to be able to go through things and tackle a little project that’s been on the to-do list every day.

Low: the house seems messier than normal, since we’re home all day, every day

Now that we’re at home, I feel like the house is actually messier! Before the quarantine, Scott would work somewhere out of the house to stay focused, and Skyler and I would come and go throughout the day. We’d spend time at the gym, go to sing-a-longs, go to arts and crafts class, meet friends, and play on playgrounds. Some days we would barely be at home at all, and these were always the days when the apartment was it’s cleanest. Ha!

Cooking every meal at home, doing more organizing and cleaning, and having everyone home all day has resulted in the house looking messier and has made it harder for me to keep up.

This is a first world problem, I know. But it’s worth mentioning.

High: grocery haul from Trader Joe’s with fully stocked shelves

Scott and I decided to not freak out and come home with a huge haul of groceries two weeks ago, unlike the majority of the country. That said, we were in need of a restock this week, and our city has done an amazing job at keeping grocery store shelves fully stocked and making everyday essentials available.

We made a trip to Trader Joe’s a few days ago, and I had never been so grateful to have a full refrigerator and pantry, stocked with healthy, delicious eats that will last us over a week. I’m very thankful for that.

Low: walking it all home and upstairs in our “bubble”

Piggy backing off of the above, our trip to Trader Joe’s was anything but easy. In an effort to steer clear from public transit, we had to walk to the store and walk home, totaling 3.5 miles. It isn’t horrible, but it also isn’t ideal when you’re lugging groceries around.

The hardest part for me was having to take Skyler. I needed Scott to help carry the grocery load, so we decided to walk with Skyler in the stroller, have him wait outside while I shop, then use the stroller hooks to help get everything home and upstairs. But man, it wasn’t fun, and we were in masks with Skyler under a rain cover. Strange times!

High: video chatting with loved ones more than ever

I mentioned this above, but I really am loving the ability to catch up with friends via video. I think this is a reminder for everyone to do it more often!

Low: realizing this is the only way to connect for who knows how long

As awesome as it is to video chat, it’s also kind a bummer that video chatting, talking on the phone, or messaging online is the only way we can connect with each other for who knows how long. But we will get through it.

High: taking it all one day at a time, and being okay with it

And to end it all on a high note, our strategy has been to just take it all one day at a time. We’re in a scary time with Scott’s ability to run and grow his business being completely on hold. We have a lot of not-so-fun thoughts and conversations. We don’t know what life will look like a month from now, and that’s really crazy to say.

But, the best thing that we can do is stay optimistic. We’ve been through worse before, and we have to remember that this is all temporary.

For now, we’re practicing deep breaths, enjoying our time together, focusing on the good, and taking it all one day and week at a time.

💗

Thank you for being here with me through the rambles, and I hope you have a good weekend.

Here’s some recent posts that might inspire you through the madness:

• 12 Beneficial Things To Do During Social Distancing
• 10 Things I’m Doing To Increase My Productivity
• 10 Reasons To Start Running
• 10 Things That Will Hold You Back From Being Happy

See you in bootcamp and back here early next week!