The Things That Have Gotten Me Through

A few things that have saved my sanity
​over the last 11-months

​If you were to have told me that this is what living through a pandemic looks like, I don't think I would have believed you. Nearly 11 months (and counting) at home? School and work via Zoom? Staying 6-feet apart at all times? These are things I could never have imagined a year ago, but here we are. Since it has been such a surreal experience, I feel compelled to share some of the things that have kept me sane over the past 11 months.

Booty-Kickin' Boot Camp
I never thought I was a "Bootcamp" kind of person, then lockdown started. Suddenly I was at home... all the time. There were no excuses not to work out. My dear friend Heidi introduced me to Lisa's Boot Camp and I have never looked back. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:30 AM you can join her Bootcamp via Zoom, or watch the video on her Facebook page anytime. Lisa is easy-going and mixes it up in every class. They are hard, but I feel great at the end of class. Bootcamp is definitely a silver-lining of lockdown!

Lisa's Booty Kickin' Bootcamp - Zoom Link
Lisa's Booty Kickin' Bootcamp - Facebook live page
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Funny Animal Videos
Most days my daughter and I have lunch together when she is on her lunch break from school. Inevitably, we watch silly animal videos together during that time. One of our favorites is this Squirrel Obstacle Coarse. Funny animal videos never fail to cheer us up!

Coach Training
In October I took the plunge and started a coaching program. I have been thinking about getting my coaching certification forever and it felt good to dive in! I am getting trained through The Coach Approach for Organizers, a program created by Delsow Brown.

It has been so rewarding and enlightening, I just can't say enough! I'll share more about coaching in the coming months as I progress in the program. It's been wonderful to have something to focus on that is NOT  1) the pandemic and 2) politics. Thank goodness for lifelong-learning!

Puzzles and Games
I don't know about you, but puzzles and games have become VERY important to our family in the last 11 months. Whether it's Quirkle, Blokus, Set, Dixit, Tsuro, Azul, or Laser Maze we have acquired (and mastered) many games this year! My daughter now beats me at Quirkle every time (rather depressing) but I still have a chance at Blokus.

Papermaking
​At the start of quarantine, my daughter and I started making handmade paper. I love all things paper and have made paper in the past so it seemed like a fun thing to try again. At some point, we had so much paper we decided to put it on Etsy. The result has been so fun and surprising! As we have come up with more paper ideas our shop has expanded. I find having a handmade craft you can go to regularly is such a nice remedy for all the time spent on the screen. You can visit our Etsy paper shop here.

What's gotten you through the last year? I would love to know!