turning that frown upside down

given our current situation, it's so easy to dwell on the negative parts of what day-to-day life is like these days.  i'm definitely guilty of wallowing now and then, dwelling on all the stuff we can't do right now.  but then i stopped to think about how much more i have to be thankful for, and while i'm no pollyanna, i'm going to try really hard to focus on the positives.

like, i'm healthy!  despite the stupidity of being at disney world last month as everything was just starting to get bad, we squeezed in a ton of fun, came home and managed to get through the 14+ day self-quarantine period.  we've got plenty of supplies (food and toilet paper and sanitizer and gloves and masks) and we're doing just fine.

i'm actually working out more than i was before lockdown.  thanks to zoom, i've managed to get back to barre classes - one of my favorite instructors who moved away now gets to teach classes again, another one who finished off her maternity leave is back to teaching, and a third who moved to another studio in san diego is doing facebook live classes.

not to mention, i'm getting the bean to do workouts with me several times a week too.  since she's not in school and cheer is nonexistent right now, i was looking for ways to get her up and active.  beachbody workouts on demand came to our rescue, and we've been doing dance fitness workouts that are really fun even though i probably look ridiculous doing it.  doesn't matter - we both get great cardio, work up a good sweat and burn calories.  and while she may not admit it (and sometimes is really difficult when it comes to getting going), she's having fun with it too.

i'm also extra grateful for the hub.  he's been the one to go out for supplies, and it's been pretty funny to see all the goodies he comes home with after a trip to the grocery store.  he makes us laugh, he's always happy to help the bean with her homework, he's just...the best quarantine partner to share this craziness with.

the house is coming along.  while we were prepared for things to be a little weird while we lived in just two bedrooms throughout the remodel, shelter-in-place threw us quite a curveball.  but we have plenty of space to live in, we still have two full bathrooms, and the backyard has served us really well in lieu of a living room.

going to the laundromat sucks butt, but unlike before when i had access to my washer and dryer right here in the house i'm actually doing laundry on a super regular basis.  every monday i get it all done, and while it's not my favorite place to be in any shape or form, it's kinda cool to use the large capacity machines and have it all completely done in less than 90 minutes.  plus i get to hang out with the old lady and her special friend because we do laundry together.  bonus!

and not having a kitchen has probably been the strangest blessing.  while i do miss cooking and baking, i just know that if i had a functioning kitchen during this time i'd be trying out all sorts of recipes all the time.  there would be freshly baked goods and treats and stuff around all the time, and then we would all definitely gain that COVID-19.  the fridge is in the garage, along with our dining table where all the snacks and stuff are.  and getting there means putting on shoes and walking all the way around the house to get to it.  it doesn't sound like a big deal, but not having it just down the hall really does keep us from grazing all day long.

ooh, and i'm grateful for food delivery.  like, we got freshly baked cookies dropped off on the doorstep:

and the bean and i ordered fun pancakes from IHOP - these were lucky charms-themed and she said it looked like one of the my little pony characters pooped all over it.  whatever, it was delicious.

there's a boba shop out in l.a. that's selling what they call "lockdown boba kits."  they put together supplies for DIY boba drinks, and of course we got one.

for some reason, i'm actually pretty terrible at watching stuff on netflix, but with all this time on our hands i've been able to keep up with current pop culture.  like, i've seen the whole tiger king series.  i finally watched one of jo koy's comedy specials.  the hub and i have been watching ozark together.  and i even watched tigertail on the very day it was released - which i definitely wanted to see ASAP because my friend weezermonkey's brother wrote and directed it!

i'm sewing again!  i busted out some of my tie-dye waffle knit to make this cozy top that i wore on one of our cool, rainy days.  the hub definitely side eyed it, but i didn't care because it was super soft and comfy.

and then i'd seen an ad on facebook for these extra wide headbands that they were touting as a fashion accessory-slash-emergency face mask.  because i have a crazy fabric stash and tons of sources for patterns i saved myself $13 plus shipping and busted one out in about ten minutes.  never mind that it makes me look like axl rose...

knitting kits are making me extra happy too.  you just pick your skill level and there are a bunch of different websites that put together complete kits that include a pattern, all the yarn you'll need plus the tools required to complete the project.  i can't even tell you how addicted i am to this new hobby of mine.

the puppies are loving having everyone home all the time.

social media has been a lifesaver too.  while we can't be with our family and friends, at least we can still see each other and keep up with them and offer support and love and share fun ideas and do everything but hug them.

see, if i focus on all the good stuff i can almost forget about the not-so-good parts.  life in lockdown isn't all that bad, and it's a hell of a way to turn grumbling into gratefulness.  there are so many things we'll appreciate so much more after this is all done, and maybe we'll stop taking them for granted.

it's all good.