Quarantine Catch-Up

{We’re not in quarantine over here…that just sounded a lot more catchy than “Social Distancing Catch-Up:)}

Hey guys! It’s been such a long time since I’ve done one of these posts! I used to do a monthly catch up, but that fell by the wayside sometime last summer, which is a bit of shame because I personally love reading these kinds of posts and I’m just going to assume that some of you guys do too. So forgive me for not writing a “Lately” post in such a long time, but I’m sure this post will be extra long, so maybe that’ll help make up for the silence.

On Trying to Stay Sane

First I just want to ask, how are YOU? Man, the last couple weeks have been so crazy and uncertain. It’s been a fight to keep the anxiety at bay, especially with the unknown and the monotony getting at me. Every day is different, but here are some things that have helped me to find things a little brighter:

• Recognizing the things I can control vs. the things I can’t
• Being deliberate about where (and when) I choose to get information regarding updates on the situation (did you know you can turn the news feature on your sidebar off? Best decision I’ve made in 2020)
• Spending some time outside (if it’s okay)
• Recognizing fear-mongering in myself (am I about to buy 17 boxes of crackers because I’m scared or because it makes sense?) as well as in others (Is this person’s comment fact, or is fear making him blow things out of proportion?)
• Talking to someone about my worries as well as talking about something else entirely
• Consuming FLUFF! Sometimes you just need some fluffy content in your life! I read Crazy Rich Asians last week and it was about NOTHING and that was exactly what I needed
• Praying. Reading my scriptures. There is real peace there

I could talk lots more about this…but I don’t want to. So let’s move on

On Life Lately

So since the last time I wrote one of these posts, quite a lot has happened. We moved (twice!) which brought our Total Moves Since Getting Married to 10. TEN! We’ve only been married 7 years. So that’s kind of crazy. We are back in Arizona. Ben started a PhD program-it’s in Applied Linguistics and he’s now in his second semester. I know it’s been a challenge for him, but obviously he’s incredibly talented and smart so I know he’ll be successful in this program.

We’ve had some real struggles the last year or two, one of which was being uncertainty as to what we were supposed to be doing. Moving back to AZ was kind of strange but it’s definitely given me a testimony that Heavenly Father has a plan for His children. It matters where we are and what we’re doing. We still experience difficulties, to be sure, but life just feels so much better being here. It’s definitely where we’re supposed to be and I’m so grateful for that.

A lot has been going on same as usual. I still stay at home with the girls and that’s the majority of my day. I did start donating plasma and I honestly really enjoy it. I don’t know if that’s weird or not, but it’s been a very nice (and minuscule) change of pace that has been a good thing for me.

I’ve been running when I can, and once the weather gets better I’m hoping to go more often. I’ve been thinking a bit more about doing a race sometime this summer. I’ve even considered doing a marathon but I’m not sure I’m ready to commit to such a huge distance (training for a marathon takes some serious time). But I think a half marathon could be fun and it seems very approachable (especially when compared to a full).

I’m (tentatively) planning a trip to New York! I’m really excited although, with all that’s going on, I don’t know exactly when it will happen. We (sister and sisters in-law) had tickets for May…but we may have to change our plans. It’s a little disappointing, but I know I’m not the only one who’s had to change things around or give up plans because of the virus. And I’m really hoping it will still happen even if it doesn’t happen when we had originally planned.

On My Babies

I shamelessly love giving updates on my girls. I have lots of failures when it comes to momming, but I truly love my babies. They bring so much joy into our family. They are both hilarious and bright and wonderful.

Wendy is 3 and one of her big accomplishments this year was potty training. I have absolutely no tips in this matter because girl just kinda picked it up and ran with it. It was pretty smooth sailing with no credit to myself save buying Paw Patrol undies. Wendy loves people and she loves talking. The other day I asked her who her favorite people are and she said, “Um Linda and Heather and all the people in our town.” And she means it. We went to the park and she insisted on bringing stickers so she could “give them to all my friends.” And by friends she means anyone she meets. And she did dole out stickers, unabashedly. In my limited experience with 3 year-olds, she’s fairly eloquent for her age and I’ve been impressed that she’s learning to talk about emotions. Yesterday, she got super mad when I broke a banana in half (parenting…insert eye roll emoji) but she was able to ask me to come to her room “for a chat.” And in her room, through tears (and in many more words), she explained that she loves whole bananas, not broken bananas, and that her plan was to take a bite and then let Greta have a bite so that I didn’t need to split the banana in half because she was still going to share. My mistake indeed! It was a hilariously awesome experience and I really wish I had filmed the whole thing.

Greta Jean on the other hand is celebrating her birthday tomorrow (from the day I’m writing this) and I can’t believe she’s already 2! She is this delicious little snuggler who brings us smiles and laughs all day long. If I haven’t said it before, I have to say that having a second child has helped me in knowing both my kids so much better, just because now I can compare and contrast the two and Greta is who she is and it’s delightful. She’s a sweet little fashionista and has a very hard time choosing what to wear in the morning (and who am I kidding, PJs are hard to decide on too!). What’s trending for her now is dresses or anything sparkly, garish or that has an animal on it. She’s taken up this strange ritual of running off to hide the second we finish our nightly family prayer. And yes, I’m a solid 27 years her senior but I still have a hard time finding her hiding spot! She’s talking quite a bit (mostly one word sentences but occasionally 2 and, just today, 3). Her most important words are: Hungry, Funny, and Sparkles. We love our sweet little birthday girl.

On Sewing

Yes, I’ve been sewing quite a bit although I’ve struggled a bit with staying focused on any one thing. Recently, I’ve sewn a t-shirt, a Driftless Cardigan (I LOVE it, and I’ll definitely do a post on it in the next few weeks), some face masks, and my EPP. I’m enjoying the quick projects a bit more currently, so I think I’ll try to do a few more t-shirts. I’ve been coveting a lot of fabric lately and I was telling Ben about how I feel guilty spending so much money on fabric (or, in most cases, thinking about spending money on fabric), but Ben’s very supportive and lets me buy whatever fabric I want (he knows I won’t go overboard…and he’s hoping he reaps the benefits of some of my fabric buys). But basically I’m just going at a slow pace and doing what sounds good for my soul at the moment.

Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

• Next In Fashion on Netflix. It’s like Project Runway but without Tim Gunn (which is so sad, but also I’ll take what I can get). And I know Amazon just came out with Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn’s new show, Making the Cut. I haven’t seen it yet, but I can’t wait to get started on it.
• The Masked Singer on Hulu. Last night we had a movie/pizza party with the girls and we didn’t have quite enough time for a full movie but we didn’t want to be stuck watching multiple episodes of Doc McStuffins. We tried The Masked Singer and everyone loved it. The girls loved the crazy costumes and the songs and Ben and I were just glad that we weren’t watching a kid show. It was a win for all.
• I’ve been reading The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees and really enjoying it. I think I’ll do a separate post on it at some point, but it’s been helpful for me.
• On the same topic, Jasika Nicole wrote 3 posts (the first one’s here) about her experience reading The Curated Closet and I loved reading all she had to say about her own process through the book.
• This Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey Sesame Glaze has been a fave (I make it with Chrissy Teigan’s Sweet and Salty Coconut Rice). Very yum.
• https://comefollowmekid.com/ I recently found this site and it’s been super helpful for me for teaching our girls the Come Follow Me Lessons for our church. It’s geared toward younger kids and there are typically 5-6 ideas, so you’re bound to find a couple that will work for you. I love this and check it every week.
• Latter Day Kids You Tube also, this You Tube channel is super great. My girls have zero interest in the new Book of Mormon videos, but they eat these little videos up. It’s another great resource.
• Style Maker Fabrics If you have a problem like me and love to drool over high quality fabric, this is a great site. I ordered some linen from them recently and it’s gorgeous, it just made me want to go get every other color. I also got Kylie and the Machine tags and I’m so so excited to use them!
• Bolt Fabrics I haven’t ordered from these guys (yet!) but they have such a beautiful selection 🙂

I’m sure there’s lots more I could write about but Imma call it a day. My productivity has taken a bit of a hit since Ben’s working/schooling from home now and we’re sharing my sewing room and his office space. But I’ll try to get on and write again soon!