Month: March 2020

Corona Virus, Cross Stitching and Cans of Corn

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I woke up Monday morning and laid still in the quiet for a solid minute. I just laid there and wished that last week was a dream.

I think we all have a little of that Ground Hog’s Day feeling as we’ve woken up each morning this week.

I thought going into last week, that after the dust settled and I stocked up on food, I would hunker down and life would go on pretty much as normal. I home school. I’m used to being home during the day with my kids, teaching them. Though, we are pretty busy with outside activities, it’s not abnormal for me to be home for a couple of days without seeing friends.

Last week was rough, though. It felt like a million years long! As we are heading into week two of our three week Shelter In Place, there is one thing I know. Life is not going back to normal in 2 weeks. We don’t know what the coming weeks will bring. And that not knowing is what has me feeling anxious.

A week and a half ago:

My kids were not talking to their grandparents through window panes, not touching.

Lily and Henry were not Zoom calling their friends. (Though I think Zoom is the greatest invention.)

I had left my neighborhood and shopped at Target.

I wasn’t taking a walk everyday, smiling and saying hello to neighbors I don’t know.

I wasn’t waking up each morning and wondering what bad news I would hear today.

I wasn’t cross stitching each night and taking up embroidery next. I was always too busy with other things. Now I have just a little bit of extra time to do all the “other things”.

I was falling asleep quickly and peacefully. Now, I can’t fall asleep at night. I have this feeling of unsettle in my chest.

My calendar was bursting. Now it’s completely empty. (Except for scheduled Zoom calls.)

I wasn’t keeping track of how many days it takes us to use up a roll of toilet paper and then multiplying that by how many rolls we have left.

I was running to the store for every little thing. I also had no problem finding a can of corn!

I had never heard of social distancing.

Also… A week and half ago:

I wasn’t praying much for others, let alone the cashier at Safeway or Oliver’s.

I read about God’s peace and of course, desired it. Now it is a burning need. I can’t feel peace without Him.

I said I trusted God. Now I have to practice it. I have to really give my anxious heart to God and trust that He is sovereign and good and faithful.

I thought random thunder (that isn’t common to us here) and a flash hail storm was weird and cool. Now I’m like, “Yes, Lord? You were saying??? I’m listening.”

I’m listening.

We call “it” the The Coroni around here. That’s what H named it. I guess it lightens the mood and makes something unknown and scary seem small and a little silly.

“Take that, stupid Coroni!” he said when our trip to The Grand Canyon got cancelled.

We all have our way of coping and none of us have been through a pandemic before so I think H’s way of coping is just fine. And he’s eight.

So what do I do, heading into week two? What do I show my kids to do?

I’m going to (really try to) focus on what is true and lean into Jesus. I will remember that I have a loving God who is big and powerful and not surprised by any of this. I will pray for all those on the front lines. I will do my part by staying home.

Shelter In Place Week One: From Homeschooling to Puppies who don’t care about social distancing.

Fast Food Social Distancing With Friends

6 Things I’m Doing To Stay Healthy This Season

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Wow, it has been a rough winter season for a lot of people with the cold and flu. This spring does not show any signs of letting up, either. Oh, to be able to live under a rock! Since that is not an option, let’s give our immune systems the best boost we can to fight all the nasty germs and viruses. Let’s practice some healthy habits, shall we? This is what I’m doing (and the fam) to stay healthy. Take that coronavirus!!

1.) Girl, Wash Your Hands.

So, we should be doing this all the time anyway; but let’s be extra vigilant about this one. Wash your hands, make your kid’s wash their hands, tell your friends to wash their hands, you get the picture. This does not mean the 8 year old boy version of washing your hands. Sing the entire abc’s while scrubbing. Really get in there. Moms of littles are rolling their eyes at me right now. I get it. Just do your best.

2.) Hand Sanitizer is now your best friend.

This is my favorite hand sanitizer. Thieves hand sanitizer kills %99.9 of germs. It was recently Thieves Hand Sanitizer has FDA approved (So it no longer reads Hand Purifier) and doesn’t have the yucky stuff that’s in a lot of other sanitizers. Oh, and it has the Thieves oil blend in it! See number #3.

3.) Use all the Thieves.

Thieves is this amazing blend of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark Eucalyptus Radiata and Rosemary. These are powerhouse oil for boosting the old immune system.

So what can you do with it? Diffuse, diffuse, diffuse. And then diffuse some more. You can dilute drops in some carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil) and roll/rub on your chest, spine and the bottom of your feet.

You can clean all your surfaces with the Thieves Household Cleaner and get your own Thieves oil here , as well.

4.) Get out in the Sun.

Soak in all that vitamin D!! It’s so good for you. I was bit perturbed at this early spring we are experiencing in NorCal. My allergies weren’t very happy; but it’s been a blessing in disguise. With all the yucky viruses and what not going around, I’m glad I’m not stuck in the house. I can get out, exercise and soak up the sun. That vitamin D is so good for boosting our immune systems!

5.) Boost that Immune System

We’ve touched on this already; but here’s 2 ways to can boost your immune system starting now:

Sleep: Easier said than done, I know. It’s been hard; but I’ve been making myself get to bed earlier. I’ve have noticed a big improvement.

Eat Less Sugar: Ouch! This one is hard to write because this is the area I’m not doing so great with. I had to include it because it’s so important. It is definitely something I need to work on big time. So, I write this being %100 honest that I need to practice what I preach.

6.) Take your Supplements.

I’m kinda new to the supplement game so my routine is fairly simple. We are all taking our Vitamin C regularly and I have the kiddos on a pro/prebiotic.

My gamechanger has been YL’s Ningxia Red. It is a puree of superfruits and oils, the main fruit being the Ningxia Wolfberry which is off -the-chart high in anti oxidants. Just two ounces a day does the trick.

When all is said and done, we do the best that we can do when it comes to our health. We make the best decisions that we can with the knowledge and resources we have. Ultimately, we must leave our health in God’s hands. That’s where faith and trust come in. This is where we don’t give in to fear.

I hope this list is encouraging. You obviously don’t have to do everything that I do. This is what has been keeping me healthy (and cold/flu free so far) this winter.

I’d love to hear what you are doing to stay healthy. Leave your tips in the comments!

Check this out! Here’s my blog post with my Thieves Tea recipe here. It is also amazing how the winter in that blog post (from 2 years ago) is so different from this past winter. I wasn’t incorporating oils regularly like I am now.