Today we went to the city with the trailer to get supplies, my plants, our bikes, and Emily. Having new clothes feels like a dream. This pose is inspired by my friend Maca in Montreal, she always takes these at her studio. Check her out at @hey.maca! You will love her. Read my post on IG, maybe you have some tips to share!?
The drive was a breeze because there was no traffic. It was pretty weird to be on the roads with so few people.
We picked up Emily from her mum’s and she got in the car with fresh baked cookies, homemade soup, and fresh ice tea. It is really great to have a supportive co-parent team, especially now. Her mum also sent a folder with lessons, a schedule and some work she’s completed. I am so thankful! Despite my efforts to plan, I’m not a homeschool expert so teamwork is key. We are all figuring this out as we go.
Sean stopped into both offices to get some gear while I packed up all our remaining food and got everything on our list at the house. I put most of my plants into two big bins and I can’t believe how much I missed them. Is that weird?
I was pretty surprised to see how busy the neighborhood was, SOOO many people out walking, riding bikes, two families playing soccer with their kids’ in the courtyard. Do people not understand STAY TF HOME? Do you want this all to be over? Yes? Ok, stay home pls. The curve is not flattening!
Maybe this will help? Briony wrote a book inspired by Go The F*ck to Sleep and had some of her friends read it.
I am stoked to have my Apple Pencil to work on a letting course I started last year. I packed heaps of art supplies, my tap shoes, a light-up skipping rope, clothes, and a ton of beauty products. Apparently being a hoarder all these years is coming in handy!
Feeling good today. Danced in the morning sun to my fav Friday mix from the radio. Did some work then jumped rope. Tuned in for a great talk w/ the founder of Fohr about the state of influencer marketing. I’ve got a blog post with the details to share. Sean and I played outside on the frozen lake near the cottage. It was so warm in the sun. Sean set up the Muskoka chairs on the front deck and tanned in the sun to a meditation.
We finished Tiger King. I really like the outfits. The story is wild. Tomorrow we’re going home to get supplies and pick up Emily. She’ll be here with us for two weeks.
I feel like next week I’ll be more productive and creative. This week I felt so many emotions with everything going on, the weather, my moon time, it was a rollercoaster.
It’s going to be different with Emily here but I think it will be fun. We chatted about things she wants to do and I’m looking forward to the homeschool part. My mum spent heaps of time teaching us and it was so valuable to learn from her and spend quality time together. I hope the weather warms up so we can get started on the yard work.
Here’s to staying home and making the most of the time we have.
I woke up not feeling great but pulled myself out of bed to make coffee. The Y&R has 2 new eps on the Global TV app, happy to see that!
I’ve been staring out the window a lot and I’m thankful to be up here. The other day I wanted to go home, I was thinking about my plants and organizing my closet. It might also be nice to put on some of my fancier clothes and do my hair & makeup.
I did a few workouts and spent a couple of hours doing actual work in the afternoon. I rearranged the kitchen furniture to make more room for exercise.
I have been saving onion peels to make a fabric dye, they turn things a nice yellow. Kept a bunch of recycling to use for planting seeds and vegetables. I don’t know if this will work but it’s worth a shot. Who knows how long we will be living in isolation, might as well try!
Today I am thankful for technology to keep us all connected. I’m grateful to have Sean here with me. I am hopeful that after isolation we will emerge with new survival skills and stronger connections to the people we care about. We will get through this.
I swear if it wasn’t for this quarantine diary I would have no idea what day it is. It’s hard to believe we’ve been up here for over a week already, the days have started to mesh together. I’d have a hard time thinking about what I did to pass the time if I didn’t write it down.
This morning Sean let me run with him which he has never done before. I only went to the end of the road & back which is 1.25km, he continued for about 6k. At the gym I used to run 1-2km, it felt nice to be back. I’m on track to get 40Km this month. These little goals are really keeping me stay motivated.
Taking a break from beers & hangouts today. Thinking I’ll try some new recipes, do a bit of work, and relax. I made these amazing black bean brownies. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! We made steak & potatoes on the BBQ for dinner with a salad. It was nice to sit at the table together. I heated up a couple of brownies & added dairy-free chocolate fudge ice cream for dessert.
Sean painted my nails for me after the disaster manicure I did yesterday. He did a pretty good job! I have limited supplies here so the colour selections are very limited. ?
I haven’t been talking much about COVID19. We can all read the news and it’s anxiety-inducing to stay on it all day. It doesn’t look like the curve is flattening and it seems to just be climbing.
As of today, Canada has 27 deaths and last week the first death was recorded in the Muskoka region where the person died at Barrie hospital. Adding this to my diary so I can look back, once this is over and remember this day.
Canada has closed all playground facilities and off least dog parks. They also implemented mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone who was traveling. I have been checking my temperature and had a bit of a low-grade fever but I’m feeling ok.
Today on the lake there were a bunch of snowmobiles zipping by, we also saw a family walking by. It was kinda crazy to see people out & about after being isolated here for so long.
I haven’t been running but I picked up skipping again! My sister and I used to be a skipping demo team for the Heart & Stroke Foundation as kids. We would tour around to different schools doing routines to music, double dutch, and cartwheels in & out of spinning ropes. It was fun. I’m sure I have a photo of us in our uniforms under my bed at home.
Can’t remember the last time I wore a hat? This was sent to me from Van Der Pop.
I forgot how much of a workout skipping is, it’s hard! I started listening to Roz & Mocha again on 92.5 and if a song comes on I like (ex. Lady Gaga), I grab my rope and skip. I can still do most of these need to work on a couple of the harder ones.
We ventured out to get some supplies today like groceries, TP, and gas. We divided the list so we could do a quick job. Walmart wasn’t too busy and people were keeping their distance. It’s hard to believe this is really happening. A lot of shelves were empty but we get all the things we needed and don’t need to get anyting for another two weeks.
I went to the LCBO and then cracked a beer when we got home. I have had more beers in the last week than I have in a while. Not making new habits but being in quarantine is hard sometimes. I had a few FaceTime & Houseparty hangouts again. It’s a weird thing these online hangouts, have you ever joined a Houseparty and been like, ‘whoops nope, leaving now?‘ It’s awkward.
I took off my shellac using this tutorial which went great. However, painting my own nails? They’re brutal. I’m embarrassed. Gonna take my polish off today and go au natural. At this point, I’m giving up on having nice nails. Shorter nails are better for hygiene in this unique time anyways!
Monday! I always loved Monday because it’s the start of a new week and you never know what can happen. Today though, I know what will happen and the unknown is kinda scary. I am trying not to think about everything too deeply but it’s hard.
I got back on the workouts this morning and it made me feel better. I love the IG Live workouts but at the same time, it’s a bit overwhelming to see what everyone is doing and how hard they’re working. I’m really trying not to eat all the snacks. I’ve been sticking to intermittent fasting but the night is hard, the anxiety kicks in and I want to grab the chips.
Fresh air is nice.
I got out the art supplies and painted a couple of pieces of paper. I’ve been saving onion skins to use as a fabric dye. I have a pile of recycling for making an indoor garden. We’ve been very conscious of waste as we don’t have pickup, I’m not sure what we’re going to do about garbage & recycling yet.
I made a curry but we are getting a bit low on supplies. We need to get groceries sometime soon. This is a helpful tip if your house is feeling dry, feel free to add something to the water to make it smell nice ex. citrus, vanilla, cloves & cinnamon, essential oil (not all at once!).
Some of my activities today included a Mexican inspired breakfast scramble, National Ballet on IG Live, multiple pushup challenges, a DJ set by Kardinal w/ workout (15min), making energy balls, making toasted coconut macaroons, a chickpea curry in the Instant Pot, and watching the entire first season of ‘Feel Good’ on Netflix.
I finally washed my hair today. I feel so refreshed! Last night was super fun! We joined a live stream dance party, laughed w/ friends on Houseparty, and chatted with a few people on the phone. It has been a loooooooong time since I have been this social. I find I’m connecting with more people in a day than probably ever.
Today I was ready for a break from isolation hangouts, FaceTime, and Houseparty. We started watching Tiger King on Netflix which is a totally insane story. We’ve also been watched Collateral and an Icelandic show called The Valhalla Murders. Yesterday I watched Where’d You Go Bernadette on Amazon Prime and although Cate Blanchett was good, I thought the book was better than the movie. Sorry to be one of those people, it’s true!
Short update today. Need a break from everything. Tomorrow is a new day and I am planning to make coffee and workout like I used to. I love this video from Briony and love the idea of making a collage over the next couple of days. We have lots of knickknacks around there I could put to good use. Cut & paste, crafts are something I’ve always loved and I have heaps of letter I cut out the other days from magazines.
Hi from the woods! ☀️??❄️Went for a nice walk this morning. It’s very cold but refreshing. Saw one neighbour out for a run and shared a smile & wave with the 2 cars that passed us. There is true beauty in the way we are all connecting right now through technology. ?
How are you doing? I did yoga this morning w/ Misfits Studio and watched Snoop Dogg on IG Live. I think today I will try some new recipes and see what other workouts I can join in on IG Live. At noon I did a bit of the Fit Factory and some Barry’s for about 15 each. I didn’t feel like doing the whole class but something each day is better than nothing.
Sean packed a couple of film cameras and has been shooting film. Yesterday he cleaned the whole fireplace. He hasn’t seen it that clean since he was a kid.
He put a GoPro on the remote control truck. It’s pretty rad!
Yesterday was so cold & gloomy I didn’t feel like doing anything. I basically lazed around all day eating snacks.
The sunshine today makes me feel alive again.
I have a feeling tonight’s internet part will be LIT, lol. If the internet was ever going to crap out, tonight’s the night! Everyone will be online. I wonder who will be going live? I might hang out with my BFFs on FaceTime and put IG Live on the iPad.
Tonight is going to be the biggest internet party in history.
It’s raining and I woke up feeling tired. It could be the weighted anxiety blanket we’ve all been carrying or it’s the beers. Today, I’m giving myself a break from the routine, schedule, and everything to be in my feelings. Yes, there is a BBQ behind me in these photos.
The other night I watched two movies and sat by myself at the kitchen table cutting out words from magazines. I use to love cut & paste to make art so I figured why not give it a go. It’s still kinda fun and I picked so many good words in great fonts, not sure the next steps at this point. ? The green/white thing is a digital thermometer I was sent a couple of years ago. I’ve been checking our temperatures each day. I checked Amazon for a link to it and the price is over $685 right now for a product that’s about $120. Whoa.
How do I feel? Uncertain. Unsure. Idk how to feel about all this, it’s hard to process. Today I realized there might not be anymore Young & The Restless for the first time in 40 years. I know this is a bit silly when you think about the real issue but it was like a wake-up call. I’ve been watching this show my whole life.
Looking back to the things I was thinking about this time last week, the world has drastically changed.
Last Friday was my last time at the gym, I had a lunch meeting at Drake Commissary, and walked freely around in my neighborhood. I probably should have stayed home now that I think about it.
Today I’m giving myself permission to do whatever makes me feel good. I packed a bunch of beauty products and I’m gonna use them. I might listen to a podcast or book on Audible. I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I need to relax, chill, and not give myself grief for needing a break. This has been a heavy week with emotions flying high.
In other news, I changed my blog format so the front page is full posts, so you can single page scroll, no sidebar, the way it started. Last month I posted 50 Self-care ideas, most you can do at home and with things in your house, that list is here.
This perfect avocado was a simple pleasure in my day.
I love the mornings up here, so peaceful. We set up Alexa in the kitchen and I made coffee. Sean and I did yoga by the fire in a class hosted by City Shred on IG TV. My calendar has more workouts & FaceTime meetings scheduled than ever before and it’s giving me some structure, for now.
Roast cauliflower
Egg cups
Spicy carrot fries
Through this, we’re all adjusting to a new way of life in isolation, communication through technology, and trying to maintain a routine. I am so thankful for social media and the ability to connect.
Sean thought it was H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S to send me a Zoom meeting request from the other room. Look how much he’s smiling?
I have to try and not start little arguments over nothing, it’s hard to be at home with your partner for days on end. Kindness, remember to be kind. Choose your battles, there’s nothing we really need to fight about right now.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, I was in the interview process for a job I was really keen on. Today I had a call with HR and the process is put on hold, I knew this was inevitable and they’re going to reach out when this passes.
My afternoon was full of friends hangouts. I FaceTimed with Hawley who’s in TO near Bellwoods. Spring starts tonight and I thought about being Bellwoods drinks beers with friends. Remember those days?
Just here thinking about hanging out with other people and celebrating the first day of spring in Bellwoods. ?? pic.twitter.com/SlP56lH7by
I FaceTimed with Keri for two hours, we drank beers and laughed a lot. Checked in with my sister and it was nice to see her face too. I hung out with Jen & Jess on FaceTime talked about boys and how much fun we had in Spain last year.
I am trying not to check the news too much but it’s impossible not to track the situation. I wonder how long we’ll be like this?
Today we started the day with a trip to town to pick up our Click & Collect groceries. It was the first time we’ve ordered them like that and it was quite convenient. They had to substitute a few items for smaller quantities (ex. 3 avocados instead of a bag) but it wasn’t an issue. I forgot a couple of things so had to run inside, making sure to distance myself and leave the aisle if I saw an older person coming close. We all have to do our best and we’re living under the notion that we could all be carrying this virus. I also ran into the LCBO, I have cut down on drinking over the past year but honestly, it’s challenging times so I want to have a few things on hand.
I had a FaceTime with Talia & Nelson who are also up at their cottage. She took me for a walk in the woods, I gave them a tour of the cottage, and we watched Nelson hit some targets.
I did a workout from Fit Factory TO in the kitchen and then we made salad & cannelloni for lunch.
I watched Miley Cyrus hang out with Cameron & Lauren from Love Is Blind and there are so many people going Live right now, there is lots to watch.
We got our cottage WIFI properly active as there was a delay from Bell because they have limited staff on hand. I am able to login to our account and watch our home cable on the iPad. Sean also got the hot water working so I finally had a nice shower. I needed one after all my workouts lol.
Sean and I went for a walk on the lake which I thought would be romantic but tbh it’s very slippery and I’m quite terrified of being on the ice. It’s safe and the ice is about 2 feet thick but I just can’t seem to shake the fear of it cracking and me falling through. So, for now, I will stay close to home.
We cooked a nice dinner together in the kitchen while watching Wheel & Jeopardy, just like home. I guess we’re kind of getting into a routine that’s a mix of exercise, working, and filling the day with walks & phone calls.
Hope you are doing ok & we will get through this. ?
Today was a-ok. Aside from the almost constant anxiety rolling through my veins, some good things happened.
I worked out when I woke up. I decided a workout by the fire was kinda romantic and sweet but it got hot realllllllly fast. Might skip the fire tomorrow morning! ?
I had a client call in the AM and did some work for another client project in the afternoon. At lunch, Sean and I did the Fit Factory TO Live workout on IG. It was hard to finish and I really got my sweat on. I’ve managed to eat pretty healthy and feel good overall about my food choices. I was concerned I would eat all the snacks out of stress but the habits I started months ago are paying off.
I had a FaceTime with Brigitte and we laughed so much! It was amazing to hang out. FaceTime is really coming in handy for this isolation time. I’m loving how so many people are using Instagram Live to share music, workouts, meditation, cooking, their life at home. It’s bringing us all together in an amazing way.
I found a way to remove my shellac at home which is going to be necessary soon. Luckily, my IG friend Katie responded and introduced me to Ka Yee who made a story highlight on how to do it. Find it here if you’re in the same boat as me!
The sunset was really nice on the lake tonight. Despite its beauty, I’m feeling stressed and the news gives me heightened anxiety. I know it’s going to be ok and it will be over eventually but it doesn’t take away the feelings we get while going through it.
Here’s some enjoyable things that might help you and your family while we’re all at home together. Keep an eye on Twitter and IG because there are so many more people coming online to offer free classes and concerts. Today John Legend did one Live at his house on his piano.
FREE DANCE CLASS TOMORROW! Tune in to my Instagram Live on Wednesday at 1pm PST/4pm EST and lets get those bodies moving! All are welcome. Spread the word. See you on the dance floor.?✨ @officialdadancepic.twitter.com/C3DUEoX7Hh
We had fun yesterday. I mean, it seems hard to have fun in this situation but, if you think about it. You can still have fun if you want to.
Sean and I had a good time driving to the cottage, listening to oldies on 104.1 The Dock. We had fun driving over the mini snowbank driveway at the cottage right when Black Betty came on, I cranked it and we plowed through the driveway in the snow. As much as unpacking the car is work, it was still kinda fun. Navigating the snow, carrying bags & boxes, trying to balance, while inside started to warm up.
We worked from about 4:30pm to 8pm getting the cottage ready. I remembered Alex was going Live on IG at 8pm, so I joined. We talked about life in isolation and doing a fireworks show on Friday night. It was really fun! We haven’t hung out IRL in ages but it was just as good. I chatted for about 15min and jumped out before she ended the chat at 8:30pm. I left to help Sean get wood and get batteries.
At 9:30 I called my friend who recently came back from two months in Asia and traveled through China to get home. She’s been in quarantine for two weeks already. We chatted about everything from COVID-19 to workouts and she helped me with some ideas of what I can do up here.
I want to share positivity. I want to be your sunshine at this hard time. I don’t know what else to do. I’m not sure exactly how and what I’m going to do but each day, I’ll try to share some good. If nothing else, I’ll share how I’m feeling. Maybe a smile or a beautiful sunset.
I’m happy to be here and have this space to share. I’m grateful for the ability to be in the woods and work remote. I’m so happy to have Sean here with me and not be alone.
This situation can be really isolating but you are not alone. I am here, on the other side of the screen. I typed these letters with my fingers. I hit the space bar for each word, each pause, and you can hit the space bar on anything in your life.
Don’t get too caught up in the news. Use this time to build a strategy for your dream job, a business plan, a book outline, a workout guide, a meal plan, or Marie Kondo your kitchen cupboards.
I spent a lot of time in isolation last winter, it’s not that bad. The seeds you plant today will blossom later this year. But, they will never bloom if you don’t plant them.
Last winter, I spent hours organizing cupboards, closets, drawers. I became obsessed with organizing and decluttering. At the time it seemed crazy but I was thankful for the work I did ALL YEAR LONG. It paid off. I have not had trouble finding outfits or spices in ages, it’s been amazing. 2020 could use another pass at our Tupperware department and the pots/pans but now I know how to do it. On that note, there are heaps of organization accessories at the Dollar store, you will be surprised.
Do not waste this time eating snacks and watching Netflix. I love those things, but you do not want to do them all day. You have an opportunity right now to DO SOMETHING, MAKE SOMETHING. Sean and I have spent many weeks at the cottage. Aside from weekends over the summer, we try to do two weeks each August and one over the winter at Christmas. I’ve learned to get things done but also enjoy the day. It’s important to enjoy the day, no matter where you live or work. Years ago I worked in Liberty Village at a software company, I would go for a walk at lunch and then blog about what I saw. It was simple, unplanned, an adventure each day. You can live like that, now, today, forever. Look at your day as an adventure.
In an effort to have normalcy, I have imagined somewhat of a routine for my new life at the cottage. My routine looks like working out when I wake up, making coffee, email/client work until noon, lunch, work, 3pm walk or activity, then wrap up work 4:30-5:30 (I like to watch Y&R if available!). I make dinner during or after Y&R then chill out over Wheel/Jeopardy. AT night I’ve been writing which is really good for my brain.
I know it’s hard right now and there are so many factors adding to our anxiety. The only way I know how to deal with this is to share is my life and what I’m going through. I hope you find this helpful or at least a break from your own anxiety and comfort in knowing you are not alone.
We are all in this together. Stay inside. Drink more water. Wash your hands. Find joy in your new routine. You can’t change what’s going on but you determine your actions and how you deal with it. Try to be positive and take breaks from scrolling. ?
