I’ve written up a quarantine update for y’all – 6 weeks in and still going strong(ish). The post turned into lots of ideas of shows to binge, books to read, and ways to entertain your kids since I’m sure they’re getting antsy and bored!

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Hi, friends! Let’s check in with each other. How is quarantine going for you? Is your state still under a shelter-in-place order, or has it been partially lifted? How is your mental health doing?

What have you been doing to survive? Do you have Netflix shows, books, podcasts, activities, etc to recommend? I’m taking alllll the recommendations over here!

Let me give you all of my updates, and then share yours with me in the comments!

Mental Health Quarantine Check-In

Truthfully, the past couple of weeks have actually been really hard, emotionally and mentally. My grandfather passed away (not from COVID-19), and not being able to be with family is hard. Not knowing when/if there will be a memorial and a chance for us to say goodbye is taking its toll on me. And, if you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve been struggling with not being able to pursue options to help us have a second child, because everything is shut down right now.

There have been a lot of moments of anxiety – and that’s okay. Since I normally struggle with anxiety, I kind of figured I’d struggled more through all of this. But there are still moments of positivity and joy as well. We put out the sandbox that Oma bought Cam for his birthday, and that sandbox has brought that little boy so much joy. He plays in it multiple times a day, making his tractors and trucks dig and dump, over and over and over. 

Today, we ventured to a new park – without a playground, to avoid a meltdown – and Camden got a kick out of standing on the bridge, watching geese forever. The joy of goose-watching definitely missed me, but I get joy when he enjoys it. 

So, right now, I’m balancing the joy with the anxiety. I’ll take it. What about you?

Binge-Watching/Reading Check-In and Recommendations

Here’s the important stuff:

Lately I’ve been watching and loving: 

• Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (Hulu)
• Waco (the 6 part series) (Netflix)
• Single Parents (Hulu)
• All-American (Netflix)

I tried, but just couldn’t get into:

• Outer Banks (Netflix)
• Soundtrack (Netflix)

So far, I’ve read and loved:

• Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
• #IMomSoHard by Kristin Hensley & Jen Smedley
• The Beautiful by Renee Abdieh (this one was my least favorite of all 6)
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter (this is going to be released as a Netflix series later this year – it is SOOO good!)
• Mindhunter by John Douglas

What else should I be watching and reading? 

Sanity-Saving Toddler Activities

When this all started, I remember thinking ‘I’m a stay at home mom; this shouldn’t be so hard.’ I was sorely mistaken. I failed to appreciate the activities we did each week, to get out of the house, for socialization (for me and Camden both), to keep our house a little cleaner. We used to go to open gym, and library storytime, and the children’s museum. We played on playgrounds and wandered Target. And now that we can’t do those things – it’s hard. 

So, more importantly than what we haven’t been doing, here is what we have been doing:

Sensory bins:

• Yes, they’re often a bit messy, but my best tip for them is this: stick your toddler and the sensory bin in your plastic kiddie pool. The mess is much more contained that way. I’ve got an Easter egg bin, a water bin (that’s an outside-only one), and a fake-snow bin that we’re currently rotating through. I’m sure more are coming in the next few weeks. I’m thinking of creating a gardening one for spring/summer.

Toy Rotation:

• I’m normally too lazy to do much with toy rotations. I love the idea, but we typically spend so much time outside that it’s not worth it to me. Right now, though, I’m on it. Every other night, as I’m putting up toys for the night, I’ll pick 5 or 6 different ones to set up on the coffee table in plain sight. That way they’re the first thing Cam sees in the morning when he goes to play. And he usually gets pretty entranced with them, because he hasn’t played with them for a while, so they hold his attention.

Outdoor Activities:

• to be honest, we spend most of our days outside if the weather is nice. We go on walks through town or at local parks – socially distanced, of course – and we play in the yard. Some of Cam’s favorite outdoor toys right now are his sandbox, his new basketball hoop, the water table, his squirt guns, and the wagon. We rotate through most of these every day, and he’ll play independently with a lot of them!

Crafts and Activities:

• When this all started, I stocked up on some craft supplies and activities to pull out at different times, especially when I notice Camden getting restless. Some of his favorite crafts and activities have been:
  • dot markers 
  • painting with washable tempura paints and fun shaped sponges and rollers
  • Easter egg hunts
  • My First Toddler Safety Scissors (all plastic, no metal)
  • shape sorting/gluing: I drew a big triangle, square, circle and heart on pieces of paper and then cut out small shapes for him to sort onto each paper. He also glued the shapes onto construction paper. 
  • Toddler Books + Crafts Activities Series: I started a blog series, and so far we’ve made Love Monsters, done a scavenger hunt for ‘gold,’ and next, we’re Going on a Bear Hunt!

And that’s a wrap on our current quarantine status! Our stay-at-home order was extended yesterday to last until at least May 30th, so I’m sure I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with another update. Let me know what you’re up to in the comments!