What We’ve Been Up To During Quarantine

I think everyone can say that it’s been a weird time in the world. But to be honest, we’ve been trying to embrace the good parts of it. This slow down time has actually been a gift. It’s given us a chance to further connect, to not have to be somewhere, and to appreciate each others company. I thought I’d share what we’ve been up to these past few weeks of quarantine and how we’ve been occupying our time.

Home Workouts

Heather Roberton’s home workouts popped up on my Youtube homepage. I tried one out and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Her workouts are fast, easy, and effective. I’ve actually really enjoyed doing them and appreciate that she doesn’t talk during the entire workout. Sounds funny, I know – but sometimes I find the side chatter from instructors distracting and a little annoying. Instead, she has some pretty good chill and pump up music to workout to, so I approve. I’ve been mixing in her workouts with running outside and the elliptical in our basement. It’s been a good mix up of things to help me stay physically active.

Ordering Takeout

We made a deal with ourselves that we’d order dinner out twice a week. It usually ends up being Wednesday and Saturday nights. We look forward to it so much, it helps break up the week and keeps things interesting. Plus we want to support the local restaurants that we love. We’ve also been ordering extra coffee from our favorite coffee shop down the road and a few special items from the farm and bakery nearby.

Home Projects

With all the time at home we’ve been tackling a lot of home projects. Our largest project was building a new fence. We had a chainlink fence around our backyard and knew we eventually wanted to take it down to put something up that looked a bit nicer and would give us more privacy. We didn’t think we’d get to it so soon but really sped up the project with the stay at home orders. Plus Samson and the neighbor dog weren’t getting along, so this extra barrier has helped keep the dogs safe. Dave and I spent probably 3 or 4 weekends working on the fence. It was hard work but we are super pleased with how it turned out and I can’t wait to plant more shrubs and plants around it now. I also primed our garage door. It might have been a little pre-mature because we aren’t sure what color we’ll paint our house yet but at least it’s primed, right?

Neighborhood Walks

Dave and I have been going on LOTS of long neighborhood walks. It’s so fun looking at all the beautiful houses and getting inspo for our own home. We’re trying to get some exterior paint color and landscaping ideas. We’ve also explored some neighborhoods that we wouldn’t normally go to, which as has made a mundane neighborhood walk feel a little more exciting with new houses to look at!

Reorganized Things

To be honest, I really wish I could say we did a full closet clean out and that our kitchen junk drawer is now cleaned and organized… but nope, it’s not. Instead, the only thing we really cleaned out was our bathroom drawer and our entry way closet and that felt like a huge success in itself. I keep telling myself I’ll do the other areas that need it, but I gotta be in the right mood for tackling it.

Puppy Play Dates

Our neighbors foster dogs and puppies so Samson (and ourselves) have been loving the extra puppy play dates from the dogs next door. There was a week when one of the puppies (Velma) would come over every evening for a play and it was easily the highlight of our day. We are debating whether we should get a second dog and being home right now does make it extra tempting!

Games With Friends and Family

A weekly thing of ours has been to play Code Names with friends and family. We’ve also played a few different types of games on Jackbox.tv and especially loved the game Quiplash that our friends introduced us to. The game nights have been super fun and have been great way to connect with others near and far.

A Not So Basic Breakfast

Since we aren’t rushing out the door to get to the office, we’ve been spending more time making a nice breakfast to start the day. We’ve been making lots of blueberry pancakes and Dave has mastered making this delicious loaded breakfast bagel sandwich and I don’t hate it at all. We’ve also been eating outside on the deck for almost every meal and it feels extra special.

Outdoor Time

Since the weather has changed, we’ve been hanging out in our back garden so much. I planted some flowers in our back garden and we cleaned up our raised garden beds to try growing some veggies and herbs. We’ve been playing badminton, basketball and soccer in the backyard and have also been going on bike rides. We also hung up our hammock and in the evenings around dusk, after a busy work day, it’s been the best way to unwind with drink in hand. We’ve taken a few hikes here and there but have mostly stayed close to home.

Experimenting In The Kitchen

Like most people, we’ve been cooking more and experimenting with old and new dishes. We’ve made our own pizza, homemade fish and chips, roast dinners, and countless smoothie bowls. You also can never underestimate the joys of a simple quesadilla and nachos. We’ve definitely been eating well, that’s for sure!

Tending To My Indoor Plants

I think my indoor plants are loving quarantine because I am definitely giving them much more tender love and care than normal. I’ve been able to wipe down their leaves and give them some sunbathing time outside and you can say they’re thriving and very happy throughout this season.

Moving From Our Fireplace To The Fire Pit

In the beginning of quarantine, we had a few snow days and cold days so we took advantage of curling up by our fireplace. It was so cozy! Now that the weather is warm, we’re planning to take advantage of the fire pit in our backyard. We’ve already loaded up on s’mores fixings, so really we’re all set!