Gal pals, linking up with Anne in Residence for Currently 04.2020. These posts are always fun, kind of like Sentence a Day and my new 10 on the 10th series. In case you missed it, you can read March’s Currently post, here.
CURRENTLY 04.2020
This month, we are talking about what we’re currently: buying, investigating, sharing, wishing and writing. As always, coming to you in ABC order, here are my responses. And you know I’m going to ask, so be thinking how you would respond to these Currently 04.2020 prompts yourself.
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Buying…
a little of this, a little of that. If the shopper can’t go to the stores, let the stores come to the shopper. I bought a seasonal annual membership for the Get Your Pretty On capsule wardrobes. While registration for the annual membership has closed , you can still join me for the spring 2020 capsule wardrobe.
Register here, please, using my affiliate link. And stay tuned, registration for the spring 2020 work wear capsule wardrobe will be opening soon.
Also bought these pieces from Loft Outlet. Should be here later this week.
Had thought the jade green floral wrap dress would be cute for Easter church service and dinner. But COVID-19. We can still watch our church’s Easter service online at home. And we’ve gotta eat, right? Hope the Easter bunny will come to my house and that my grands can be here with me to hunt eggs.
Ordered these spring place mats from Kohl’s in hopes of hosting Easter dinner here. Think they will be cute with the paper plates and Easter carrot cutlery I am putting together as a DIY while I am sheltering at home.
As an equal opportunity shopper, I tried to spread my business among several establishments. Ordered this skirt from JCrew Factory. It is one of the items in the spring capsule wardrobe. Alison pairs it with a striped tee and with a gray pullover sweat shirt. Hope the skirt will be a flattering fit on me.
Have been eyeing these darling Keds Kickstart Pennant sneakers and this fun base-bra that I pinned on my Active Wear on Land and Sea Pinterest board.
Just can’t find any place to buy the bra. But we all know I have plenty of time since there ain’t nobody playing baseball right now. Thanks, COVID-19.
Investigating…
buying stocks. Yeah, who am I? Or better question, who do I think I am – buying stocks! Ha! I have downloaded the Robinhood app on my phone and I am going to play around at the stock market.
[source]
Just a few dollars each month but I figure this is a good time to buy, right? You can check out Robinhood using my affiliate link. And you can earn free stock. Here’s how:
- Invite Friends: Share your referral link on Twitter and get friends to sign up for Robinhood.
- Get Free Stock: Once your friends sign up, you’ll both get a free stock when their application is approved.
- Track Referrals: Remind your friends to sign up so you don’t miss out on getting free stock.
And Robinhood is considered one of NerdWallet’s Best Online Brokers for Stock Trading of April 2020 [source]. Plus, I like the name.
Sharing…
germs? I hope not!! I have been self-quarantined for close to 2 weeks. Trying to be safe at home. But Lauren just texted me to ask if I could baby sit Camila while she takes Lucia for her 4 year vaccinations. Guess what my answer was?
Wishing…
For no more lives to be lost to Covid-19. For a vaccine to be developed immediately. Respirators and masks and gloves and gowns to fall from the heavens in complete abundance. And I wish I could make things easier for my mom.
I called this afternoon and she just cried and cried. Physical therapy had taken her down to see her new apartment. But everything was pretty much everywhere, and the apartment is so far away from the apartments of her friends. It has all been too much. Mom can’t see much beyond the general shapes of things, so she can’t dial the phone, change the channel on the TV, or even use the call button to page the nurses in rehab. Wishing I could do something to make things easier for her.
On a happier note, though, we did get approval to hire one of the gals who works at the facility to go into Mom’s apartment and make her bed, hang her clothes, her shower curtain, her towels. Put clothes in her chest of drawers. Make the apartment look like home. What a blessing!
Writing…
in my journal about feelings and thoughts during the crisis. I write as a part of my morning quiet time. For now it is just in a spiral notebook. But because this is a very unique, hopefully once-in-a-lifetime crisis we are all living through right now, I am thinking of getting a special blank journal just for this season of life.
In looking for that perfect diary, I came across a couple of interesting options. Like this quarantine self isolation planner Goodnotes self journal available on Etsy. And this GentleMental “Mental Notes – Therapy Journal” for clarity, mental health awareness, depression, anxiety and more. Not sure which, if either, is best for me. Maybe I should save money and carry on with my spiral notebook.
And that’s a wrap for Currently 04.2020. But before you go, allow me to share my spring goals with you.
2020 Spring Goals
Sharing my goals here always makes me more accountable. It’s easy, otherwise, to just sweep them under the rug, when I don’t accomplish them.
First Goals
- Scrap Cia and Cami: yes, I do have 3 beloved granddaughters, but I am behind on scrapbooking Cia and Cami’s births. Thank goodness, I do have Cady’s birth-day scrapped! She is almost 10 years-old now!! Need to take advantage of this quiet, stay at home time to do this.
- Clean vents and carpets: this is actually a PC spring goal. We have wanted to have the vents cleaned professionally for several years. Once the COVID-19 crisis has passed, this has to happen. I clean our carpets myself but think it is time for a professional job this spring.
- Get pool professionally cleaned: oh, this pool. We have a big rust stain running vertically where the water falls from the hot tub into the pool. Although we can’t really tell what’s happening, I am afraid the plaster is so thin that the rebar frame beneath the plaster is rusting through. And this was going to be the spring that I ignored all of the issues with our pool and just enjoyed being able to swim.
Second Half
- Update patio and backyard space: this probably sounds terribly trivial during this global pandemic. I get that. But we have wanted to do it for over a year. Hoping I can find a good bargain on new patio furniture. Want to buy new solar lights, and move our older patio furniture to our recently re-carpeted (thank you, PC) balcony. Our backyard could be the only place we go for weeks (months?) to come.
- Attend church online; Easter: I miss our Sunday services. Want to tune in for the live-streaming of our Sunday services while we eat breakfast on Sunday. Hoping we can have the kids over for an egg hunt and Easter dinner. And all of us get dressed up!
- Recipe swap and blog hop: I need your help here, girls!! I am planning to host a recipe swap and blog hop the end of April. Thinking that by that time we are going to need some new recipes. If you blog and would like to join me, let me know. But if you don’t blog, you can still participate. I will have a recipe thread on my Facebook page where you can add a favorite spring recipe. Or you can always share a recipe in a comment on that blog post. Put your thinking caps on and get ready to join me! Tentatively looking at 04.28 for our posts.
So, that’s what I am hoping to accomplish this spring, in addition to my spring bucket list and my wellness goals. Thank you for indulging me as I hold myself accountable by sharing here.
Your Turn
How are you hangin’ in, friends? Have you treated yourself to any online shopping? Maybe you are keeping a journal of these tumultuous days. Or maybe you are falling into bed each night. So exhausted from homeschooling, working from home, cooking, cleaning, entertaining your family and trying to just create some normalcy, that you couldn’t possibly write a complete thought about this crisis. A couple of nights lately, I have been too numb, too disheartened to write in my gratitude journal.
Hugs and kisses,
Joanne
I’m currently buying things through Amazon that I’d normally run to Target or Walmart for… like body wash and deodorant because even though it may take longer to get here at least I know I can find it there.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I saw that you bought some toiletries from Amazon. Will keep that in mind. I usually go to Amazon for things around the house, books and occasionally clothes.
Retirement Reflections
I love your ambition and your goals.
I keep meaning to set some concrete goals but…..
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Ha! I think this spring is a good time to set goals since we can’t really go anywhere! At least goals that can be accomplished under quarantine.
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
I did do some online shopping today, I bought myself some sandals from Nordstrom! Lol! I hope to wear them by June outside the house? Lets hope. I’m trying to think of some fun things to do around here for Easter since we can’t go out to make it special for the kids. I want Brian to make his yummy homemade cinnamon rolls and I may make a breakfast casserole, my strawberry poppyseed salad and maybe some mimosas and chocolate covered strawberries. Food always makes me happy! LOL! Enjoy those grand kiddos!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Mmmmm, would you mind two Corona-free guests for Easter brunch. Love the idea of strawberry poppyseed salad. Thinking you have shared that recipe on your blog. Need to make sure I have it pinned. And I will take 2 mimosas, please.
Surely, surely we will be let out of jail by June. I think maybe the numbers, nationally, are going to be better than originally thought. I pray.
ShootingStarsMag
Most of my immediate family are high risk in one way or another, so we’ve been face timing my nieces and nephew but we can’t actually see them in person, which I know is tough for my mom. I hope you can see your grandkids on Easter though and have a good time, even if you can’t really go anywhere. It’s good to think of the positives and the things you are grateful for, but it’s tough some days.
-Lauren
Leslie Roberts Clingan
This has been a tough time. I wondered if your sister was considered at-risk after her scary surgery a year, 2 years? ago. Hope this will be behind us by summer and we can have learned some important lessons about preparedness and what is most important in this world.
Nancy
I am not even in the mood to shop! Now that s new to me! Lol. I hope your mother get used to her appartement en feel at home there soon.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I wish I could get out of the mood to shop. I pass our Outlet Mall and think how much I miss our Sunday afternoon shopping there every week. Have been doing too much online shopping. Need to get a grip.
Mom moves tomorrow to her new apartment. Thank you for your well wishes!
Dara
I guess my blog is still my journal. I kind of find it funny that there is a self isolation planner! My planner is so blank…maybe I need to plan more, especially with it being “spring break” next week. Glad you get to babysit, that will be good for you!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You know, my blog is kind of my journal, too. But there are some things I don’t write in my blog…very few…but some!!
You guys have a very late spring break but I guess it coincides with Easter/Passover. I always thought that actually made
good sense…and would keep from having 2 breaks in the spring. And the weather is much nicer now than it was when my
school district has spring break in March.
Anne
Oh how hard not to be able to help your mom in this time! Definitely a great time for journaling to process all of these feelings and to record memories of this strange time in our lives. Meanwhile, that bra cracked me up.
Hang in there!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Isn’t that baseball bra darling??? I would love to wear it with a semi-translucent white tee!!
Mom moves out of rehab tomorrow and into a new apartment in personal care in the same facility where she has
lived for years. Hoping she will be so tickled to be home with her things that she won’t mind being
in Covid-19 lockdown awhile longer.
Bojana Krienke
I am so sorry to read about your mom. My grandma got really sick and ended up in the hospital. I am thankful that she was tested and negative for COVId 19 but a lake neighbor and friend is currently fighting for his life in the hospital. Scary times.
On a happier not I can’t wait to follow you along the spring GYPO challenge. I no longer do them but love to see other people give me inspiration.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, my stars, I don’t know anyone with the virus, thank goodness. We felt like they should have checked my mom for Covid-19 but they didn’t. Just declared she had pneumonia. It was the craziest thing, too. They had a contagion bag on her door and anyone entering her room was to put on a gown, gloves and mask but the hospital had no gowns and no masks. What a very sad joke!
Glad your grandma’s test came back negative. Hope your neighbor is able to fight and beat this terrible virus.
Erica/Erika
Hi Leslie, Cute, bright and Spring colours always help life spirits. A blessing to see the cute grandchildren right now and always. I love your photo on Instagram. Your Spring goals are a breath of fresh air and positivity. Thank you for sharing. Take care and stay safe. xx
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you for this blessing of a message. You warmed my heart. I have missed my grands so much but am getting lots of screen time with my 9 year old, helping with homeschooling and reading. Got to sneak in a few hugs from my 4 year old and 3 month old. I ought to be good to go for a few more weeks. Stay healthy, my dear friend.
Dani
So sorry to hear about your mom- that’s a very tough place to be in for both of you, so sending prayers your way! I just spoke to my mom last night and she still wants to get together for Easter, but I’m committed to sheltering in place and am urging her to do the same. I love those Keds! I am going to try at least two new recipes this month so if I do, I’ll be sure to join you! Good luck on all of your goals!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, yay!! We are going to do our Tasty Tuesday recipe swap and blog hop on the last Tuesday of the month. So excited to have you join us. Have thought of those cupcakes you made for Blue more than is normal!!
Thank you for the prayers for my mom. All the prayers are sure helping as she sounded better today than she has in a month or more. And was even able to call me rather than waiting for me to call her. I was so excited.
ratnamurti
It’s the start of autumn in New Zealand. And the weather has been beautiful. You’ve inspired me to sort out a few goals for this season. Sad to hear of your Mom’s distress. I remember an older woman once telling me that “people don’t realie how vulnerable you get when you’re older”. Best wishes for things to turn around for her xxxxxx
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Aww, thank you, sweet friend, for this message. Mom moves to her new apartment tomorrow. We are hopeful that she will be happy to be back among her own belongings and sleeping in her own bed, even though this apartment will be new to her. And away from the apartments of her dearest friends. Once the virus scare passes, though, they will be able to walk from one part of the facility to the other to see each other. Just hope she can hang in until then.
Glad you have been prompted to set some goals for autumn. That is my favorite time of year. I am sure it is beautiful in New Zealand. Share your goals in a post. Would like to read them.