It’s Friday, right? (This is SUCH a strange time, y’all.)
How are you doing?
There are so many layers to all this. Much of this time is sweet for our little family. There are challenging moments FOR SURE, but we’re also enjoying being forced to slow down, and are embracing allll the family time we have. There are so many wonderful moments, and in many ways I’m grateful for this time at home.
That said, juggling work and a toddler is not an easy feat, and I know many of you are in the same boat. I’m lucky my work is incredibly flexible, which isn’t the case for everyone and I know makes things even harder.
For many, there are worries related to economic security tied to this, which of course adds stress. And then there’s the larger picture — the reality beyond each of our homes. We’re laying low because of the pandemic that’s starting to affect more and more people. We worry about those we love staying healthy and safe. We wonder how long this will be our reality.
We try to take it hour by hour, day by day.
So yeah…lots of layers.
In the meantime, I’m trying to keep things as positive as possible. I still acknowledge all those other feelings and worries, but I try not to let them linger too much at the forefront of my mind. (I actually shared a podcast episode this week that was a conversation with a counselor. She gave some good tips on remaining emotionally healthy during this season.)
And so sharing this Friday Favorites post is a way for me to keep a semblance of normalcy intact, as well as positivity. Here are a few things that have brought me some joy over the past few strange, happy, challenging, stressful, scary, joyful, beautiful days.
Here’s to connection. Here’s to embracing our feelings — ALL of them. Here’s to helping one another as best we can. Here’s to small moments of happiness, even when we feel overwhelmed.
So. Shall we talk favorites?:
- We LOVE GoMacro bars at our house (Maggie calls them “the white bars” thanks to the wrapper color), and right now the whole site is 30% off and shipping is free! We haven’t tried their mini bars before, but I know Maggie will love those so I grabbed a variety pack of those as well as a protein bar variety pack of the regular-sized bars. Yum!
- I grabbed this flower mini waffle maker (just $10!) from Target, and it’s been such a fun way to usher in springtime…breakfast style! Sometimes it’s the little things, you know? This falls into that category for me. (And Maggie loves the little waffles!) Our favorite mix to use is this one by Birch Benders. SO GOOD.)
- One of my favorite jewelry brands, Made By Mary, just released these adorable tiny blooms necklace charms, which are a way to add your children’s birth months to the larger birth flower necklaces they also make (here’s mine — August!). I sent this to Kevin as a Mother’s Day gift hint… 🙂
- Looking for a healthy new recipe to try? If you’re a horseradish fan, try this cruciferous colcannon side dish ASAP. We’ve made it twice in our house in the past two weeks. It’s such a hit!
- I know some people are using this time to do some home improvement work, which might include a bit of decorating. If you fall into that category, you might be interested in these beautiful new Rifle Paper Co. rugs that recently launched. I’m so in love with them! (If only we were in need of a rug…!) P.S. Their whole site is 20% off right now. This is also the BEST place to get a phone case, as far as I’m concerned!
- One last thing: If you’re looking for a way to spend your Friday evening, please join my virtual Beautycounter Makeup Tips & Tricks event on Zoom tonight at 8 p.m. EST! I’m teaming up with a woman who works at the Beautycounter New York store, and she’ll be sharing some great makeup advice. It should be lots of fun! (Just click here to join at 8 tonight!) Oh, and as a quick heads up: The whole Beautycounter site is 10% off through Tuesday, March 31, in case you want to grab any clean skincare, makeup, or other personal care products (think baby and kids’ products, sunscreen, body lotion, hair care, etc.).