It’s been a minute since I shared my daily looks on the blog, so I thought I would round-up what I’ve been wearing during the pandemic while we’ve all been ordered to stay at home. I also wanted to check in with all of you, see how you are doing and share a little bit about what life has been like over here during the last 5 weeks since this all began.
First of all, I want to ask you all how you are doing? How are your spirits? Are you struggling, scared, thriving? I’d love to hear how this time has been for you.
This is been a strange experience to say the least. It somehow simultaneously feels like it’s flown by and yet it also feels like its been forever since we last sat in church or I grabbed lunch with a friend or just went to Costco, and antique shop or the mall. Every grocery run (and we are keeping those minimal) feels strange and foreign. I absolutely HATE wearing a mask when I am out, but I do it anyway because I am trying to do my part.
After a rough first week in remote school, my kids adjusted amazingly, and they are thriving even learning remotely. Most of them are able to finish their work before noon each day, and they’ve all picked up new hobbies and interests in the last few weeks that they never had time for before. Even though I’ve always guarded us (or so I thought) from being over programmed, I can see now how burdened we were with scheduled activities. I feel that this time is fundamentally changing me as a mother, and definitely for the better.
What my kids have been up to:
Hannah has been baking constantly, and her cake making skills are quickly becoming legend. She’s also been teaching herself the ukulele, practicing watercolors, and reading a lot (although the reading isn’t new). Carter has also been reading even more than usual, teaching himself coding, and is getting into the piano. Ethan, forever my project kid, always tinkering on something has exploded with creativity. He’s been designing and building a robot, ordered a radio set and a soldering iron and is building his own radio, took apart and antique phone and put it back together, is learning the guitar and of course reading. He’s also helping me with the garden, and selling eggs. Ava has spent countless hours outside, been baking with me, painting, and making all kinds of projects, puppet shows, and make believe non-stop and ending each day, truly dirty and happy. She loves to read and be read to. She’s up before everyone else in the morning, dressed, with her chores and school work almost done before her first morning meeting with her teacher. I think she could homeschool forever and thrive.
My kids have also watched a lot of movies and played a lot of board games together. Even with all the activities and hobbies, they’ve had a lot more screen time in the last month than they ever had before. And I’m okay with that. This time is about grace and getting through it with all the joy we can muster.
What my husband and I have been up to:
As for me, I’ve been baking nonstop, working hard at my two businesses, finally getting around to altering a bunch of my jeans, sewing masks for hospitals (more about that here), reading, working out(more on that here), and doing projects on our house that I haven’t found time for in the past (like the deconstructed chair project I started over a year ago…Anyone else procrastinate things they don’t know how to do??). I’ve also started my garden seedlings (more on that here), and we’ve been working on taking down last year’s fence so we can dramatically expand the garden. I can’t wait for the last frost so I can get this garden party started…
My husband has been busy working from home, cutting down some of the ugly/dead trees from around our property and basically making my home projects come together. We’re currently drywalling a newly remodeled game closet in our family room. It’s the first time our 230 year old farmhouse has ever smelled like a new house. ;-) I am more grateful than ever for my husband’s steady hand and cool head in difficult times.
How we’re doing:
As many of you know, my husband works in the aerospace industry, specifically in commercial airplanes, which means basically his entire industry is all but shut down right now. (And I know a lot of you are experiencing similar situations.) We’ve known from the beginning that there was a very high likelihood that this crisis would impact his job, and we’ve been working hard to prepare ourselves for that over the last few weeks. It’s interesting, because I’ve felt more peace in the last month than I have for probably the last 7 years.
There’s a scripture in our religion that says: “… if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become things enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou… that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for they good.”
The last 7 years were some of the hardest of my life, we had multiple moves, my parents divorced which opened up a lot of issues from my childhood that I needed to work through, burying our sweet baby Ruby, devastating business setbacks, and lots of feeling really alone living 2500 miles from our closest family. I had huge mental health struggles to overcome and times when I felt so alone, I thought that God must have forgotten me. And now I look back and I can see how these things have changed and strengthened me, how God was giving me the opportunity to grow and become a stronger more faithful version of myself. I have inside of me a calm reassurance that everything will be okay, and I know that I have the will to thrive in difficult situations. I can see how all these things prepared me to go through this time with complete faith in our future and peace in my heart. Having big business setbacks 5 years ago helped me develop grit and learn to be more scrappy. Now I know how to make a business thrive, even during times of uncertainty. Living out here far away from extended family helped us all grow closer and more independent as a family, so being in quarantine together feels natural and manageable. I’m stronger and more resilient than I was 7 years ago, and I can see that all of those trials have been for my good. Which is why I trust God that this one will be for our good as well.
We also feeling very seen and looked after by God right now. Last week we found out that there will be a furlough with my husband’s job. We had anticipated it and were planning for worst case scenarios, but it is so much better than we could have hoped for. While there will be an impact to his income for the second half of the year, it is a fraction of what we were expecting. I am blown away by how much God has blessed us in this situation, I can see His had in this; His hand in my businesses, which I’ve been building for the last several years that are now able to cover the difference and bless our family with safety. Thank you, to all of you reading this, you have helped bless our family by reading my blog and made it possible for me to help my family in this way.
I look at our situation right now, and it could feel very precarious, but I don’t have a bit of anxiety. That is basically a miracle. I’ve lived in nearly constant anxiety for the last 7 years and right now, nothing. Just peace.
I just want to share this with you so if you are feeling the strain of this rough time you will know that you are not alone, and all these things will work for your good. If we let them, the hard times can refine us.
Okay, now on to what I’ve been wearing. It’s been a pretty even split between going the totally comfy clothes route and my normal outfits, and I’m perfectly okay with that during this strange time. I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone, so I follow my joy with getting dressed each day and it has served me really well. If I feel like a great pair of high waisted Levis and a pretty blouse, I wear it and feel great. If the next day a pair of joggers and some sneakers with a henley sounds good, I go with that and feel great. I will say, most of all, having built a very intentional wardrobe over the last couple years has served me so, so well during this bizarre time. I don’t have to think very hard at all about how I’m getting dressed each day, and I have everything I need. Getting dressed helps keep me sane, and if you are feeling down, I highly recommend getting ready into your morning routine. If you feel lost with your closet, consider taking my closet course! I’m offering a huge discount right now (use code PLANNER100). With all the extra time at home its the perfect opportunity to work through the program and get your closet whipped into shape! Learn how to build a closet that serves you, brings you peace, endows you with confidences and empowers you to take action on your dreams. More about that here!
Now here’d everything I’ve worn (documented) for the last month…
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What size do you take in those Adidas vs your regular size? They seem to run very big. As a fellow short person, I feel like an alien wearing many of the big, bulky shoes they have now.
usually Adidas run big for me, but on these ones I took my normal size and they fit perfect.
Thank you for being open and honest and sharing these impressions and experiences. I feel like this week I’ve needed some answers in my own personal life and these reminders I feel like are answers I’ve been needing. Thank you! I hope your family will continue to experience joy and feel peace!
Thanks for the update and post. Super refreshing to read a blogger being so open about their faith. As a Christian I resonate with the peace that the Lord has provide me during this time. Much love and blessings to you and your family. ✝️
This is such a great post! Thank you for your inspirations to life and wardrobe!