#1507 Day 9 of getting there: the surprise letter

You know, there’s more than one way to reach out to someone.

That’s important to keep in mind during this self-isolation period we are ALL collectively going through.

Self-isolation… together. Now that’s a contradiction we didn’t think we’d see, but we are living and breathing it now.

This is kind of my gratitude, but mostly baby girl’s. I’m just living it vicariously through her.

Because she received a letter in the mail today… from her grandparents.

My parents. ♥

It pretty much said, well done on your tooth falling out, sorry we can’t see you in person, but…

Here’s a little something. ;););)

(Shhh!)

(It WASN’T the slinky)

Not only was it super sweet, but it showed me just how valuable reaching out, non-physically, can be.

There are so many ways to show people we care, and we are about to get a whole lot more imaginative discovering them during this time.

Join me for the ride. 🙂

#1506 Day 8 of getting there: The home/work convenience

Today I am simply grateful for the convenience of work… at home.

I roll out of bed, wash my face, get dressed in my trakkies and my hoodie, and head downstairs to log in.

That’s it. I’m at my work desk.

At first I was truly uncertain as to how it would all go. Working at home, and trying to keep baby girl busy while doing a new job, at that?

It has gone well, amazingly. Sure, some days she will yell at me to come to her, only to show me the urgency of a passing cargo ship.

Really?

Other times she will hug me 16 times, and stand by me while I try my hardest to concentrate.

Other times she will play with puzzles on end.

Watch a movie.

Take a walk in the back yard with Mister F.

I am so grateful for her compliance, as much as I am grateful to use my toilet, eat food from my fridge, and make tea/coffee as many times as I want to.

I think I can get a bit too used to this… 🙂

#1505 Day 7 of getting there: Rebel-ing with doughnuts

Next on my support local list is a place I was absolutely stoked to find out was joining our town, and moving down the road, LITERALLY, back in early 2018.

Rebel Donuts. 

They, along with so many other businesses have been forced to get creative amongst decreasing customer volumes coming through their shop in response to the push for greater social isolation and essential travel only.

So when I saw their call out to spread the message far and wide on doughnut (yes, DOUGHNUT) delivery and pick-up, I was like OH YES.

More exciting was realising that they were also sending out decorating packs, much like the decorating baby girl did during the school holidays last year which I posted about here.

So, guess who got a surprise today, right before coffee/babycino time? Huh, huh?

I got baby girl the Frozen decorating pack, which includes 2 plain doughhuts, a whole heap of decorations and icing, and instructions on how to make them…

But we all know kids go and do their own thing anyway, right?

That’s right honey. Pour on ALL the sprinkles.

I hope these guys get ALL the love and are able to keep doing this delivery thing, because I have an Easter surprise planned for baby girl in a couple of weeks…

Check out the Rebel Donuts facebook page for where they’re delivering to,

OR

their website: http://www.rebeldonuts.com.au

Note: Delivery needs a minimum spend of $20… which is so easy to achieve, to be honest. 😉

Nom nom nom nom nom.

#1504 Day 6 of getting there: Supporting local – Kirks

I feel terrible for all the businesses out there suffering through this uncertain and indefinite period.

I look around the town that I love, and I feel even more sad.

Because it’s these small businesses that make my town, what it is.

Sure, people will flock and spend and visit and book things once this all blows over, but that could be months away… meanwhile, how do these places stay afloat?

Keep employees paid?

Keep paying rent?

Keep making money amidst further lockdowns, bans and imposed isolation to ALL?

I’ve been happy to see many businesses going online, getting creative and thinking of other ways to get their business out to people who can’t get out anymore.

Really if you think about it, this is kind of the best time in history that we could have this kind of pandemic. Because even though we may not be able to get out in public…

We can still get out and about online.

I’ve made a concerted decision lately that I will be one of many out there, to support local business. I don’t want the people who make this beautiful part of the world so unique and great, to go under, and I want to make sure they know they are supported, while also trying to send the really strong and important message…

Buy local. Wherever you are. Support small business. Keep them afloat. And tell your friends about it too.

Which is what I am here to do. 😉

First on one of my many support locals list… Kirks.

Of course, FOOD.

We have been there heaps of times before, (check out my Food Review from a while ago), it is a local favourite on the Esplanade, and no matter what, we seem to gravitate there, again and again.

They recently released a takeaway/delivery menu in the midst of no more in-dining within their restaurant, and I have to say –

WE WERE EXCITED.

Tonight we got a different kind of food delivery!

Instead of your basic pizza, or fish and chips, or drive-through, it was:

Beef Burger

Prawn and Zucchini Risotto

Chicken nuggets and chips (for baby girl – okay kind of takeaway staple!)

and because we got two main meals in there, we were able to get a bottle of wine for $5.

$5!

It’s only the beginning of my loving local and helping local list, so stay tuned…

It’s going to be a big ride. Let’s get ready for the long haul.

And on an aside, it was Zoom night, part 2…

As we caught up with sis and bro-in-law!

Who said isolated Saturday nights were going to be boring? Like hell they are!

#1503 Day 5 of getting there: ZOOM into the future

Just because there is a pandemic happening at the moment and we have imposed self-isolation all over the world, doesn’t mean we can’t see our people, right?

Enter, ZOOM!

And so many other technologies to help us connect, online.

Zoom is just one of those apps resting on people’s lips at the moment. Others are houseparty, messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype, among so many more.

These apps are allowing us to stay connected with people in our life, without even leaving our house, or risking anyone being infected with ANYTHING.

Therefore, being the change of season, and us girls being due for another catch up… yet not being allowed to, due to afore-mentioned ‘PANDEMIC,’ we turned to technology to give us a lending hand.

And I’ll say… YAY! It was a success.

And you know what? I think being self-isolated at home, and connecting online, we will see each other more, than if we were to try schedule actual physical meetings in person.

LOL. And all it took for us to see each other more, was for there to be a world crisis…

Who knew?

#1502 Day 4 of getting there: the sun is out and helps us play

I feel fortunate, that although some (okay, MOST) days this week have been trying, in the last couple of days I had more than one thing to be grateful for, and more than one thing to whittle down my gratitude post to.

But today, I will mention two. 😁

The sun helped us play… after my work shift it was a bike ride around the block…

And it also helped my enthusiasm, turning my basic chicken soup into a super-charged cold-fighting one.

Gratitude will go to a whole new level of simplicity once this is all over… 🙏

 

#1501 Day 3 of getting there: the new tooth

It’s hard to believe it, but yes…

LIFE DOES GO ON during this coronavirus crisis.

And it’s really good to be reminded of that, as much as possible.

For example, we were happy and excited when baby girl lost her third tooth today!

Hooray!

Even MORE shocking about the whole event… it happened during dinner time.

She swallowed it.

She didn’t even realise it was gone!

By the time I saw the gap in her gums, and started yelling “spit out your food, spit out your food!”

It was too late!

Baby girl couldn’t care less. She’s more concerned as to whether the tooth fairy will still visit in absence of a tooth near her pillow…

I love having things like this take me to another place, and keep me distracted from all the doom and gloom.

A missing tooth. Huh. Who knew it could hold such power?

(Please tell me my child isn’t the only one who has swallowed a tooth…!)

???

#1500 Day 2 of getting there: the sky

Some days, all you have is the sky.

But on those days, the sky is EVERYTHING.

Check out Mother Nature. Sure we are at the beginning, but she is promising us some glorious pots of gold after the rain, at the end of the rainbow…

(Just quietly, 1500 posts… 🙂 )

#1499 Day 1 of getting there

So, pardon me as this blog turns all “Oh, corona!”

(To the tune of ‘My Sharona’ like that funny vid doing the rounds 😉 )

I’m going to be doing a lot of ‘how to get by in the midst of coronavirus isolation’ type gratitude posts, because, well it’s what’s currently happening to not just me right now, but…

TO ALL OF THE WORLD.

Day 1 of proper lockdown. Although I started isolating from work last Thursday, being at home all day with your child who is also now self-isolating from school, well that is TRULY SELF-ISOLATING.

I am totally kidding… or am I?

I have a bit of weird humour with me tonight, so let’s just go with it.

The day was interesting in not just the two of us being in the house together all day, but of course, I was also working from home.

Oh. Man.

But I took it in my stride. I knew there would be times when she would need me.

She came for hugs.

She checked out my keyboard.

She poked her head in during an online Zoom meeting and ‘virtually’ met everyone (when I told her not to!)

She cracked the shits when she didn’t want to talk and had a massive sob.

She had a lie down.

She sang at the top of her lungs behind me in the last hour.

And then when my ‘shift’ was done with, I called her over to the couch and got her to sit on my lap.

And I proceeded to make the afternoon all about her.

We played with her dolls.

Had a coffee and babycino break.

Jumped on her trampoline.

Ventured to the front yard to see what was happening with civilisation.

Played ‘eye spy’ as I prepared dinner.

And then we had a massive laughing fest during bedtime (check out my fb and insta pages!)

Today was a massive undertaking for me mentally, emotionally and physically, and it subsequently left me with not much time, if at all for myself.

Like all of my life, this stage is still a work in progress.

Some days will be great and easy, others will be long and hard. But I guess I wanted to point out some really simple things you can do to make your kids happy. Whether you are working or not, try to do some simple things to keep them, and you, sane… because it really is the simple things that make them happy.

Like being with you. ♥

#1498 Coronavirus pep talk

At a time when there is so much uncertainty and confusion, sadness and despair, withdrawal and isolation…

There is also so, so, so, SO much to be grateful for.

I am grateful for freedom. I have the freedom and right to pull my daughter out of school, at my discretion, and have my wishes respected by the school community.

I am grateful that I can still work from home at this time of crisis.

I am grateful that my daughter will be within our home, our care, and within our sight, during this stage.

I am grateful to have a fridge, a pantry, and items that will help us get through this isolation period.

I am grateful that I have so much to keep me busy – books, music, podcasts, movies.

I am grateful to have a roof over my head – a comfortable bed, a heater, clean clothes, running water, a toilet.

I am grateful that I can pick up the phone, and be in touch with anyone in my life.

I am grateful that I can stay up-to-date on the latest updates, world happenings, and have my favourite musos sing/perform to us from the other side of the globe and keep us all happy and connected during this pandemic.

Your gratitude list may be similar or vary wildly. Either way, you can’t deny the facts…

There is so much accessible to us in this day and age. A hundred years ago and something like this could have felt truly isolating. But going through all of this, now?

We may be separated in our homes, but we have an abundance of freedom in how we choose to move within those walls.

How we choose to connect.

What we choose to see.

How much we want to know.

We have it all literally, at our fingertips.

And although sure, life is going to be disrupted, FOR US ALL…

We are all going through the upheaval, together.

And just think… can you just imagine, how it’ll be like when this is all over?

We will hug, kiss, hold hands and dance.

We will go outdoors, rain hail or shine… we will see our family and friends, hold them close, laugh together, get our hair done, get massages, do girls’ day outs, watch movies, love harder, stronger, deeper, and most importantly…

REALLY LIVE LIFE.

I can’t wait for that day. It is going to be incredible.

We can do it. Because we are all in this together. ♥