Since we’re all faced with this new reality of connecting from home through technology, my friend Jen Kirsch FaceTimed me to chat about how to avoid mishaps on your video chat. The article is in the Toronto Star today, click below to read. Read on the Toronto Star Over the past few weeks, I’ve been more social than normal. FaceTime, Houseparty, Zoom, Google Hangouts, it can be exhausting! During the first two weeks o(f isolation), I was video chatting with several people a day! Tips for Video Chat Success: If using a phone, get a tripod or stabilize the phone (simple iPhone tripod, or tripod with a ring light) Check your wifi settings, faceTime needs wifi, if you’re in a limited wifi area, data might be your best option Wear something presentable for your meeting ex. casual attire for work, a shirt when chatting on Houseparty, maybe something spicy for a date or friends hang. Pants optional and not required. Log in to the video chat early to check your lighting Brush your hair or wear a hat If in a big group, someone should be leading the chat ex. boss, host, or person having a birthday I personally like lip gloss and mascara for daytime If using Zoom, change your background with something fun or download one of these nice design ones to give your home a makeover (or hide the mess!) Find more tips in the Toronto Star article! Have a great day!

Wow, 25 days! If I didn’t have this diary, the days would have meshed together into weeks and I would have no clue what number it was. I didn’t make the brownies or go for a run yesterday as planned. I put my workout gear on first thing in the morning and never made it. Y’know how that happens? BUT TODAY, I did a Peleton workout, a bit of yoga, and joined Sean for 4.5km on his route and it was so nice. Not far from here are tennis and basketball courts I had no idea about. I’m not particularly good at either but maybe it’s time to practise? We went out to get supplies yesterday afternoon which took a couple of hours. It’s a 20-minute drive anywhere from the cottage and Walmart is about 45 minutes. The stores were civil and pretty well stocked. We wore masks and had hand sanitizer for our hands. We both changed our clothes as soon as we got home. Today I used leftovers to make fried rice for lunch and we all sat at the table. For dinner, we made a delicious roast chicken with vegetables and salad. I’ve been really loving the food processor Sean’s parents got last summer. It’s so useful! I tried out a brussels sprout caesar with spinach and it was SO GOOD. I tried one at a restaurant ages ago so I found one on Pinterest and gave it a try. I made a board of some things that are inspiring me right now with recipes, garden tips, and natural fabric dyes. This is such a new weird way of life!

Yesterday I made granola, a chickpea lentil curry, spicy roasted chickpeas, roast potatoes, and Sean made meatballs. I spent some time drawing on my iPad and decided to test out my old Crimper. It still works! The granola was a recipe from Pay Chen in The Kit. I modified for what I had and MY GOD IT IS DELICIOUS. I forgot how much I love granola. I am now a forest dwelling, yoga lady, who makes her own granola. I am not surprised at all. Em made a mask from an old bathing suit and we went through my art supplies. I did Soca Yoga and some stretches while watching movie in front of the fire. TY Amy for the reco, great class! There was an Amber Alert to stay home that came thorough our phones. This is the second time it’s happened, the last alert was for anyone who had travelled outside the country. We have not left the compound for one full week and Sean is planning to get supplies Monday. I’m gonna stay here with Em while he goes out. We made the strategic decision for him to go during the week so people who can’t go M-F, can have the weekend. We have a running Google doc with everything we need for the house and he will wear gloves, a mask, and change clothes as soon as he gets home. Aside from some groceries, need a part to fix the washing machine. Made a pavlova for Jake Gold’s birthday party on Zoom. We don’t have birthday candles so a big one had to do. It was BYOC – Bring Your Own Cake, everyone lit candles and sung HBD at the same time. Welcome to life in the year 2020. Sean and I started Unorthodox on Netflix…