Easter Sack Bunnies Will Make Any Child Smile

Easter is just around the corner! I'm sure you're planning your Easter dinner menu (for your family only, remember social distancing!) and putting the finishing touches on your child's Easter basket.  To get in the Easter spirit, how about doing this fun seasonal craft with your children? They'll enjoy the activity and you'll love making memories with them.

Fill a colorful sock with dry rice and tie off the top with a rubber band.  Wrap a ribbon around the "neck." Cut round ears, add a felt face, and a pom pom tail.  Kids of all ages will enjoy this craft, and it's a wonderful way to celebrate Easter.  

The best part about this craft is that it'll last for future Easters to come.  Use different socks for fun color combinations that'll be a hit as a centerpiece on your table for Easter.  However way you do it, just have a good time.

*Craft taken from Reader's Digest* 

Living Life In a New Way

Scarlett's last day of school was March 12th before all state schools were ordered to be closed indefinitely.  Little did I know how different life would truly be in those following days.

I tried to explain to Scarlett that everyone has to stay home to keep healthy, because a lot of people in the world are sick.  I said to avoid getting sick it's just better to stay home until people are better.  She seemed to understand, and didn't ask much else.  We have showed her a kid friendly corona virus video that helped to reinforce what we were telling her.

The first week home was definitely an adjustment.  Not that I don't love my children and love spending time with them, but I'm used to Scarlett being in school four days a week.  I'm also used to going out and taking them places.  Between baby playdates, park dates, Scarlett playdates, library story time and school, we had a weekly agenda of fun activities for both kids.  Being home around the clock was incredibly difficult.  Time stood still.

Having Scarlett on top of me literally the entire day was a lot for me.  Not only did she consider me responsible for planning all her daily entertainment, but I also felt great pressure to teach her which was stressful.  I am NOT a teacher and have no qualifications to be one.  With guidance from her school, I taught her what I felt like she needed.  We also did fun crafts and activities throughout the day.  By day 3 or so, I felt like I was going to jump out the window.  Being responsible for a 5 year old and a 7 month old while cooking and cleaning and doing laundry with zero break was not something I was used to.  

I kept saving activities and videos on my phone that people shared on Facebook that I thought would be good for her.  Her school posted daily updates from the staff giving parents ideas on how to keep the little ones entertained, which was helpful.  The days just blurred into one with no structure or meaning.  I felt like I had no purpose and was concerned for the future.  I looked forward to bed-time more than I ever had before, and I felt guilty for feeling that way.

As we got into the weekend, things seemed to pick up for me.  I accepted that this is how it's going to be for a while.  Instead of focusing on how difficult things are (and will continue to be), I focused on spending uninterrupted time with my children.  My husband is working from home and we now have three meals a day together, which I'm sure Scarlett loves!  Scarlett and I have movie nights, we bake, we talk, we share thoughts, we play, and we enjoy each other's company.  So far Scarlett has not complained at all about having to be home, and I hope her spirits can stay up. 

Of course at the end of the day I look forward to bed time, but it's not something that I think about every second like before.  I'm still teaching her, but we're having fun.  I'm not making this time in life solely education focused.  Mostly, I'm not inflicting any of my worries or concerns on her.  I don't want her to worry about anything.

There are rumors that school in our state may not resume until the Fall.  I am saddened by this, but I will not allow myself to believe it until it's true.  If Scarlett can't finish her final year of preschool and won't be able to say goodbye to the school and teachers that she's loved for four years, it's not going to be easy for her.  I don't even want to begin to explain this to her, but I may have to. 

I have no idea what the future holds for the world, or when the virus will be past us.  I only go to the grocery store to get food for my family, and I have anxiety when doing so.  We wash our hands as much as possible, but I feel nervous at the thought of being in contact with anyone or anything that can potentially have germs.  The corona virus cases are climbing day by day.  It's very scary.  All anyone can do is protect themselves and hope they are spared.

While this is an alarming time for all, I am grateful for this slow time in life.  No rushing, no alarms, no hectic school mornings (although now I miss them!) and a lessened sense of urgency in our days.  

Take care of yourself and your family, and take one day at a time.  That's all anyone can do. 

The Coronavirus is Affecting Everyone

I've been following the news closely and am aware of the state of the world, as well as new coronavirus cases that are mentioned daily,

It seems like things have taken a turn for the worst in the past 3 days.  On Wednesday, I took Scarlett to the library for her weekly preschool library class, which I found out was canceled until further notice.  Upon hearing this, I felt very uneasy.  Not to mention there was barely anyone at the library.  It was an eerie feeling.  

Since Wednesday, things have progressively went downhill in my area.  Local businesses have shut down, people are wanting to self-quarantine to keep themselves healthy, and the schools are closed until who knows when.  The sense of panic and anxiety in the air is palpable and it's really a scary time.  On Facebook, statuses about social distancing keep popping up and people are very serious about it.  There are a few virus cases in our state now.  

Our grocery stores have no meat, no milk, no eggs, no soap, toilet paper/paper towels, minimal baby food, minimal medicine and are low on plenty of other things.  I've never walked into the grocery store and hoped they had chicken that day, but now it's a real concern.  Two grocery stores that I went to this morning had no chicken, let alone any other poultry.  I can't begin to tell you what it's like to see shelves and cases empty.  It feels like the end of the world, like we're all in some weird science fiction movie. We have a tub of canned goods and non-perishables that we stocked up on in our basement.  It's not even normal to have to do this. I question if we have enough too.

I am doing my best to keep myself and my family healthy, but the part that I fear the most is knowing that I could have the virus and not even know it.  When I went to the grocery store, the cashier could have the virus and passed it onto me.  Only time will tell.  At some point everyone will be infected, it's only a matter of when.  You can't live in fear, but it certainly makes you nervous to leave the house.

Scarlett will be missing a large chunk of school, and I am not even sure when her last day of preschool is yet.  Everything is up in the air.  Her teacher will be emailing over lessons and information to work with her on at home.  We've been doing some preschool workbooks just so she can have some sense of education while on this hiatus.

I am trying not to scare Scarlett and talk too much about the virus.  I did tell her the truth to an extent and mention that a lot of the world is sick, so school is closed until everyone can get better.  I said nobody we know is sick yet, but it's good to be healthy and wash our hands and do our best to keep the germs at bay.  I am not sure how much she truly understands, but I don't want to lie to her.  

I hope everyone reading this has enough food, supplies, and medicine and that you're safe and healthy so far.  Please take care. 

5 Ways to Learn About a New City Before You Move

5 Ways to Learn About a New City Before You Move

Image Credit: Pixabay

Relocating to a new area is a scary prospect as it causes you to leave everything you know behind. People hate change, and they don’t like to deal with uncertainty. One of the best ways to make a move easier is to gather as much information as possible about your new location, eliminating some uncertainty and creating a breath of familiarity. It is especially important to look for information if you’re moving to a city, as there is so much to learn and so many resources to take advantage of. Whether you’re looking at Detroit houses for sale or looking for Cleveland real estate, doing your due diligence on research is imperative to a successful move. So how can one gain information before a move? Here’s five ways to learn about a new city.

Internet Searches

In today's world, the quickest way to find out information about something is to look for it online. The internet has thousands of posts and stories about locations, all of which you can use to your advantage. You can research everything from crime statistics to the best places to live to the top local companies to work for. While searching for information on the internet doesn't give you a hands-on experience of the city, it can still be a great way to acquire some baseline information for your move.

Communicate With a Neighbor

If you've already picked out a location where you want to move to in your new city, then one of the best things to do is to communicate with one of your neighbors. Your neighbor has firsthand experience with the city and has likely spent some time in the area. As a result, they can provide you with some valuable information such as what their favorite places to eat are and where their favorite entertainment options are located. In addition, forming connections with a neighbor is extremely important to combat loneliness. Moving to a new area can often be stressful and lonely since you likely won’t know anyone. However, communicating with potential future neighbors can provide you with some great insight into the city as well as lay the groundwork for important social relationships. 

Explore on Foot

If you want something done right, then you’ll likely have to do it yourself. The saying applies to a lot of things in life, including doing research on new locations. If you truly want to gather information on a location and see if you like it, then you should experience the city firsthand. Explore the city on foot and see exactly what it has to offer. You need to experience the city’s sights, smells, and sounds before you can decide if it's truly the place for you. If you explore the city and you can’t envision yourself living there, then don’t pull the trigger on the move just yet. 

Eat at Local Restaurants

One of the more interesting ways to research a new city before you move is to visit the local restaurants in the area. Face it, food is an important part of your neighborhood. You want to move into an area that not only has great food but also has plenty of options to meet your cravings. Due to this, you might want to try out some of the restaurants in the city before making the move. Doing so will give you a great idea of what type of cuisine the city has, and you can see whether it satisfies your tastes. 

Talk to City Officials
An extremely reliable source of information for a new location are city officials. Talking with city officials can allow you to gain new insight into the local area. They may tell you about local programs that you can join to make the move easier, or they could just simply provide you with helpful information about the area. These officials likely have guides for both tourists and new residents, valuable resources that you can tap into. The city could also provide valuable internal statistics on housing, schooling, and the local economy, greatly helping you in making a decision on where to move.