I was recently inspired by a post from Sarah to think about this new normal we’re in. I’ve seen a lot of people share the meme sharing that “as we rush back in to normal, let’s consider what things are rushing back to.’ That’s good right? It’s like we’ve been given  a “free trial” period of a different pace of life and I think it’s worth considering what items truly are additive.

So I’ve done some thinking on it on my (many) daily walks and came up with a few things. 

5 Things I Miss

1. In-person coffee meet ups. This experience has made me better at the phone and at video conferencing. However, I miss meeting my girlfriends for a monthly coffee date, even when it’s just in one of our living rooms. Something about sitting down together in the same space is so cathartic and energizing. 
2. Cheap Mexican and breweries. We didn’t eat out a lot before so it hasn’t been a huge change for us, and though I miss the occasional fancy night out with David at Kindred or Novanta90, I really miss the last minute/don’t feel like cooking bottomless chips and salsa and greasy fajitas. I also miss the King Canary Brewery vibe and the casual meet up place it provided for my friends with young families. 
3. Planning travel and traveling. I miss the simple ability to drive to one of the state parks for a hike (as they are all closed right now). I miss the fun of planning a summer beach vacation. I miss the ability to visit my family without worry of judgement and stay at home orders. I miss the traveling itself, but I also miss the anticipation of having a trip to look forward to. 
4. Swim team. We just got official word that there won’t be swim team this year. Our neighborhood swim team is always a highlight of our year. The instruction is fabulous, but the social opportunity is pretty stellar, too. It was a fun way to get up and active on summer mornings, and see so many of our friends in the process. It will feel weird without it this year.
5. Grocery shopping. I’m sure grateful for Amazon Prime and all, but I miss the ease of swinging by the grocery store and grabbing what I need (and let’s be honest, what I want) without wearing a mask and checking, yet again, to see if any yeast is back in stock.

5 Things I Don’t Miss

1. Rushing from activity to activity. The slower pace suits us. We knew we’d be slowing things down a bit after this season anyway, so it’s just proven what we suspected; more time to just be and play fits our family vibe.
2. Spending money. We’ve cut out paying for activities, our gym, going out to eat, and our house cleaners. It’s really a great feeling to have a lower credit card bill each month. Though we aren’t looking forward to seeing what the market has done to our accounts on our summer State of the Family check in, I’m proud of how we’ve adjusted our budget.
3. David being at work. He’s still in the hospitals two days a week and it looks like things will pick up again soon, but it’s been really great having him home more. And not just because he does math with the kids (though that is a big part of it…)
4. Getting my hair done. Or any beauty maintenance really. I’m itching to get back to the salon right now but just to get my hair darker again so my roots aren’t so blatantly obvious.  I feel like this time at home has let me realize how much I prefer things simple and natural. If I didn’t have grays growing in, I’d do away with hair color all together, but I’m not ready to go there yet. I might experiment with at-home color though. It sure would be nice to be more self-sufficient in that beauty category, as I am with doing manis and pedis at home.
5. The gym. This one really surprises me because we were in such a good rhythm with that daily habit. However, we had to switch gyms and didn’t have a good option for childcare so the girls had to hang out at a side table with their computer while we worked out. Though our home “gym” leaves much to be desired, it’s really nice to not lose any time in commuting to and from, and the girls can either join us or play as usual while we workout. It’s working pretty well! 

homemade pizza dough recipe

5 Things I’m Grateful For

1. Food. I’m grateful we have access to it. I’m grateful for the amount of joy and comfort it brings me. I’m grateful that it entertains me and brings my family together.
2. The sunshine and temperatures in the 70’s. It’s hard for me to go on and on about how amazing the weather is (pollen not included) when I know the warmth hasn’t reached so many states yet, but I am sending it your way because being outside in the sunshine makes the biggest difference in my mood and mental well being.
3. Having an online business. Yes, ad revenue is halved right now, but having a space to pour myself creatively, a place to connect to others, and having an online space that also brings in income is a really cool blessing right now. If you’re at home and need an outlet, maybe consider starting a blog yourself? It’s super simple- here’s how!
4. Being quarantined with my favorite people. We’re at such a fun phase. We are going on bike rides. We are playing new card games. We are watching movies we all enjoy (here’s that list in case you missed it). We are reading Harry Potter (and the Goblet of Fire). We are drinking wine (just the adults). The only thing missing is a puppy… 😉 David says not yet. Sigh…
5. That my health/hormones seem to be stable. It’s been a while since I’ve shared anything about my hormone and gut health journey, but in this instance, no news is good news. The tedious appointments and food eliminations and oils and supplements and lifestyle changes seem to have finally synced up. I feel good and things are running as they should for the most part. 

*A bonus grateful because… why not? Technology. The zoom meetings with our co-op, facetiming with friends and family, and even social media (I’m looking at you Instagram and Tiktok) offer such great ways to stay connected during this crazy time.

Ok, your turn…

What do you miss? What do you not? Which of those surprise you?

Pack of four playing card holders