When this quarantine first started I had high hopes that I would have a lot more time on my hands to dedicate to blogging. I thought surely, without anywhere to go or to be, that this little space of mine would once again become a place where I could share more often then I have been over the last year. I guess it’s pretty obvious that this didn’t happen. Navigating our new “normal” over the last several weeks has been wild to say the least. Having all four kids at home full-time and home schooling on top of that has really taken over my life. I also feel like the majority of my time has been spent in our kitchen, cooking, serving, doing dishes, and then starting the process over again. I know I’m not alone on this. There has obviously been more downtime with us all home, but it’s still pretty chaotic around here. I decided the best way to really highlight everything that has been going on around here would be in a single blog post, with subsequent posts to follow. A “Life Lately” quarantine version, if you will. So here it is. I’m sharing a bunch of things that we have been cooking, doing, and loving since mid-March right here in this single post!
Recipes we’ve been loving
I’m not sure exactly what it is about being stuck at home that makes people want to cook and bake, but since all of this started the stores have been short on pantry staples like flour, yeast, and vanilla, so I can’t be the only one who can’t stop cooking. If I’m being honest, for as much as I love to cook, I’m kind of over it at this point, but our family still has to eat, so I thought I’d link a bunch of stuff that we’ve been cooking up and eating in case you’re in need of some inspiration.
This is literally the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have found if you love soft, chewy cookies
If you haven’t made banana bread while stuck at home, are you even quarantining?
Obsessed with this cookbook. Everything Half Baked Harvest cooks is gold.
This chicken recipe is sooo good.
I’m still making the challah bread from this cookbook on repeat. The bagels are also to die for.
I discovered Lauren’s Latest recently, and her recipes are great! I’m dying to this ramen stir fry.
Nutella pop tarts for the win! Linking my oldie but goodie recipe here.
Clothes I’ve Been Living In
I’ve seen a lot of bloggers sharing their daily outfits on their stories and so many of them are still making the effort to put on “real clothes” every day. This is usually the time of year that I go spring clothing shopping spree, but I can’t say the same for myself this spring. Lately I basically go from workout clothes to joggers or leggings, with the occasional casual/comfy dress mixed in. Sharing some of my recent favorite favorites here.
These are the most comfy sweats ever!!! Get your regular size. I sized up because I wanted a looser fit and they’re huge. I’ll be ordering other colors in my regular size.
These non-workout leggings are super budget-friendly, super comfortable and I love the high waist.
this dress in 4 colors so far. It’s that good.
These workout leggings from Amazon are a recent purchase and instantly became a favorite of mine. They have some compression, but not too much. They’re high rise, and they actually stay in place. They’re inexpensive, and come in a ton of colors too.
Around the House
With all of this extra time spent at home, I suppose it’s inevitable that some cleaning and DIY projects are bound to happen. Sharing what we’ve been up to here.
We are knee-deep in a HUGE patio makeover project that has been in the works for over a year now! I can’t wait to share it with you all when it’s finally done, but in the meantime, we ordered this new outdoor table. At 40% off, I couldn’t pass it up!
We also gave our front door a little update, that I shared about on my Instagram stories. I’m still waiting for some items to arrive to complete it, but I’m going to share the full details soon. When I shared a quick picture, I got lots of questions about these planters. I bought them last year, and I love them. They’re super heavy and durable.
We replaced the super 80’s light fixture in our guest room with this one (in oil rubbed bronze), and I’ve also given an old church pew that Mike bought me as a gift awhile back a facelift. Sneak peek of the color I chose to go with below. All of this is part of a little makeover that that room is getting and I will be sharing about soon.
Above and beyond all of this, we have ordered new shutters for the front of our house, planted some new grass, did some landscaping, and we plan to give the boy’s room a little update soon! Phew.
Also, if you aren’t already, go follow @gocleango on Instagram. This account has literally changed my life!
I feel like it’s important to add after sharing all of this, that is an extremely difficult time for a lot of us. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you all that I’ve had my fair share of anxiety over the last several weeks. I know for some, accomplishing stuff around the house right now is next to impossible. For me, staying busy is a coping mechanism, so please don’t think that my sharing this is to make anyone feel bad. I just wanted to give a little update and perhaps provide a little bit of inspiration. I hope above all that you are all taking care of yourselves, and doing whatever it is that works for you until this passes.
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