Best of 2020
#thenewnorm- Chapter Three
The new norm. BUT Is it really? I hate that phrase almost as much as I hate the phrase Social Distancing. Maybe its more just navigating normal. Or finding normal. Things are obviously different and you have to find your own path through it. Maintaining whatever “Normal” is for you and your family. I prefer “Different Normal” Can you guys believe we are in our 11 month of this? I’m counting from March when official quarantine begun. While the roller coaster we started with may be slowing…it is nowhere near normal. That pit in your stomach that says this is here and we are going to have to take whatever is flung at us next is not going anywhere.
“My favorite thing is all the time with my pets” ~Lily
Rather than complain this post, I want to switch this chapter to a positive one. I want to share my Top Five Best of the quarantine. Many of which will continue from here on out.
No Traffic. No Commute.
No Alarm Clock.
Quality time with Family.
Homesteading.
New Experiences.
No Traffic. No Commute.
This has been GLORIOUS. The few places I have went there was ZERO traffic. I am not feeling like I am spending half my life in a car at the moment. Now…I realize this has picked up then where it was at the beginning but I am still working from home so not having to be in the thick of things at the moment.
No Alarm Clock.
SERIOUSLY. I detest alarm clocks. I prefer to just wake up when my body says get up. This also means I am not a morning person but don’t worry I am not sleeping until noon :) Our house is up usually around 8ish. This is a far cry from the 6:45 am wake up call we had when school was in session. I won’t lie. Not having to get up that early should probably be my #1 best of. I am MUCH less grumpy in the morning if I don’t have to wake up that early.
Quality Time with Family.
This one seems a little odd as it should have always been a priority. I am not saying it wasn’t. But if we go back to #1 we have more time in a day to spend with the family. We are able to get our work done and instead of getting home after 6 and rushing…We can sign off at 5 and have more time in the evenings together. I do believe some time apart is also healthy for all parties involved but I am thankful for the extra time we have spent together.
Homesteading.
This has been a big one for our family. We actually have always enjoyed some homesteading with our garden and baking/cooking. But in January we added our first round of chickens which have now turned into 8 with the addition of 4 goats! We have been spending so much time outside and baking delicious feasts. I have always loved baking so this is not a new thing…but our weekends have def slowed down so we have been spending more time in the kitchen.
New Experiences.
How many of you have found something new throughout this experience? You may have seen many of my local business features on the blog. I found so many fun adventures and creative businesses that really helped make the best of this pandemic. I have a couple of monthly subscriptions (Once Upon A Book Club and Let’s Make Art) that have broken up some of the monotony and provided a fun creative outlet. There are so many good things right under our noses that we miss. It has been fun finding new experiences to enjoy.
“I also like time with the pets but my favorite is all the free time at home” ~ Lennox
On another positive note, we added Miss Luna to our family/farm last month. In case you missed my social posts. Meet Luna. A gift for my son (and hubby, honestly).
New Year. New Beginnings. I am attacking this year with Tenacity (my word of the year) and taking it day by day. Not letting social media and this pandemic rule my life with its negativity. But instead taking every positive and holding on tight. It can only go up from here.
Onward and Upward, friends.
~Whitney
www.blissstudio.net
www.lifeoutloudblog.com
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