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Okay, so before I begin to talk about anything, I need to get this out of my system. But HOLY CRAP, how insane is life right now? SO much has happened since my last post that I feel like I don't even know where to begin.


Maybe we should start before all this crazy even began...


Pre-Quarantine Life

So I learned about COVID-19 in the early days of January. Can't quite pinpoint the exact date, but it wasn't making headlines just yet here in the U.S. And, while I knew it was something serious, I also thought that it would be contained before it even reached American soil. Yeah, I'll admit, I was a bit naive to think that, but I mean we were able to keep other diseases like Ebola and SARS at bay... so naturally, I felt the same about COVID-19. Which is why I went ahead and booked our flights to Hawaii for Ella's Spring Break vacation.


At the end of January, we learned that we were evacuating American citizens out of China because of the outbreak. And when they decided to fly them into Ontario Airport and later re-routing them to March Air Force Base, I became a little more concerned. Because, if you know me, I can be a bit of a hypochondriac and a germaphobe. I take every precaution I can to prevent us from catching the Flu so yes, I was a little scared in what little we knew about this virus. But still, I had faith that our government knew what they were doing so I did my best not to panic.


A lot of people went into panic mode. While others downplayed the seriousness of the situation. I started to have thoughts of postponing our trip, but felt some reassurance that maybe we didn't need to since all flights from China was being closely monitored and people were being screened and quarantined. Everything seemed to be under control. So I did what I could to prepare for our flight. I went looking for extra hand sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer to last us our trip. By this time, people were already panic-buying, because it took a couple of stores to find what I needed. I also noticed all the toilet paper shelves emptying out (seriously, what is up with that?!). Thinking back, I probably should have bought at least one mega-pack of TP, but honestly, I didn't think it would get this bad.


Anyway, if you've been following my Instagram posts, then you already know we did end up going to Hawaii. But a lot of thought went into our decision to finally go, even after we learned of the first confirmed death of COVID-19. We were extremely careful and vigilant at the airport, on our flight (yup, totally wiped down every single thing with sanitizing wipes) and even when out sightseeing, we kept social distancing in mind before it was enforced.


We watched the news of our nation unfold every single day we were in Hawaii and watched how rapidly this virus spread. While Hawaii was probably a week and a half behind California, we couldn't help but feel the fear of uncertainty along with the rest of the world. A lot of people told us to stay in Hawaii, and while it was nice to be with my family back home, we also felt that it would be best to ride this thing out in our own home, and in our own beds. Because who knew when we'd be able to do just that if the nation started locking down.


We did our best to enjoy our vacation and visited with my family as much as possible. Then on March 18th, we made our trip home. Realizing so much has changed in the 2 weeks since we left California. On our flight back to Cali, more people including the flight attendants were wearing masks than our flight to Hawaii. You could just feel the tension, the worry, the fear. I, myself, was anxious the entire flight, hoping and praying that our decision to fly was the right one and that we weren't exposed to the virus. It didn't help when we saw on the news 4 days later that a few employees of the airlines we flew tested positive for COVID-19. When we learned that we could have been exposed to COVID-19, we immediately contacted our doctor to see if we could get tested. They informed us that because we were asymptomatic, we could not get tested. So we were left to self-quarantine and self-monitor for 2 weeks.


Which brings us to the now...


Quarantine Life

The uncertainty and waiting to see if we developed symptoms is brutal, you guys. Every cough, every sneeze, every tingle or scratch in my throat... I couldn't help but wonder "is this it?" It just sucked. Today marks 14 days of quarantine for us and I am grateful to be healthy. It's been exactly 2 weeks since we flew home from Hawaii and almost 2 weeks since Governor Newsom ordered all of California to shelter-in-place. Life has changed so drastically in the month of March that my head is still reeling from it all. So bear with me as I try to write out my thoughts in a way that makes sense to you... because my thoughts are pretty jumbled up right now that sometimes I can't think straight.



Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever think that this would be our new reality. But here we are. Stuck at home for who knows how long and only allowed to leave home for essential things like groceries and all other necessities. I have to admit, the staying home part is not so bad... I can totally be a homebody. As long as we can still get outside for some fresh air and be able to take walks and ride bikes & scooters, it's all good. My girls and I are easily entertained. But the not being able to go to Target just to go to Target SUCKS. The part about wearing masks when going to the grocery store to grab the essentials SUCKS. Not being able to celebrate birthdays and holidays (like Easter) with family and friends totally SUCKS. And not being able to go to the gym to workout... that one SUCKS royally. Because THAT was my ME time. And y'all know how important self-care is for us mamas!!!


Here's a list of how adjusting to this new reality is going for us:


1. I have definitely amped up my germaphobe habits, that’s for sure. Pre-COVID days, I was that mom that carried hand sanitizer in the car and in every bag I own, I was washing hands (mine and my girls') religiously, spraying lysol disinfectant almost daily - all of it, that was me. But now, I feel like I'm doing it all 10x more. I've also been disinfecting everything thing we buy from the store (groceries and stuff) as well as packages & mail that's been delivered - which can be time-consuming but I'm not taking any chances. Some would say I'm overreacting in a lot of ways, but at this point, I'd rather be super safe than sorry.


2. Daniel is working remotely from home. So that part, I love. Because I don't have to worry about him bringing any germs back home to us. But I also feel bad for him because he no longer has the privacy of his own office to do his work in peace. Our girls are constantly bugging him... especially when they don't get what they want from me, they think they can take it up with Daddy instead. Oh but they love it when he takes his breaks. Because that means they get to go outside for a minute and ride their scooters up and down our driveway.



3. Now that school's closed pretty much for the rest of the school year, that leaves me with the daunting task of homeschooling. And I gotta be honest here... I am NOT built to be a teacher. I can be a mom and teach my kids life lessons and daily living skills. But I seriously do not have the patience to teach anything on the academic level. Nope. I'm more of an Arts, Music, PE and Home Ec kinda teacher. So we'll see how this all pans out. I'm totally gonna just go with the flow on this new life and give myself grace because this is all new territory for me. For us all.


4. Ok, so raise your hand if this you, too... but my laundry load has tripled (feels like it) since we've been quarantined. It's like we've all been changing outfits 2-3 times a day. Maybe because I'm also just paranoid that we somehow have COVID-19 germs on our clothes from being outside all day. Yeah, maybe it's just me.


5. I can't not watch a show or movie now without thinking "omg, they're totally not practicing social distancing!" Maybe this one is JUST ME, but seriously though... I just can't seem to escape this new reality no matter how hard I try! 😂 😂 😂 😭 😭 😭


6. I get to spend good quality time with my family. I'm enjoying having Ella home (even though she was only gone 3 hours a day for pre-K) and watching them play in the yard. And being able to enjoy the little things in life. Like messin' with snapchat filters, perfecting our chalk art skills, and learning to groom our dog ourselves 😂.




In all seriousness, I am truly grateful for the simple fact that I GET to stay safe at home. With my family. Because I know that there are SO many who don't get to. There are people that are suffering and dying all over the world and my heart breaks to see the numbers continue to rise. And to all the healthcare and essential workers who put their lives at risk to fight this for us, they are the true heroes in this.


Stay safe, my friends 😘 and STAY HOME! And if you'd like to chime in on how quarantine life has been for you... feel free to comment below!

 

It's Friday!!! And I thought I'd do something something fun for this week's post. I realize that I've gained a few new subscribers/readers so I thought I would share random facts about my life - whether it's autobiographical or milestones (both mama and baby ones) or events & things that may have happened recently that YOU, my audience, do not know of because you're not with me 24/7. And just like my posts about workouts, I will do these kinda posts every so often with hopes that I can maybe turn it into a weekly thing. How's that sound?


1. Ella had her very first dentist appointment this week and she did GREAT! She was a nervous wreck up until it was over 😂 and she even tried to convince us that her teeth were perfect and that she didn't need to see a dentist. It turns out, her teeth are absolutely perfect with ZERO cavities in sight! This mama is quite proud of herself, too 😆 .


Fun fact (inside a fun fact), the dentist we go to is Daniel's old dentist from when he was a kid growing up. We moved to Rialto (his hometown) at the end of 2018 and we wanted to find a good local dentist to trust our teeth with. And when Daniel found that his old dentist was still in business, he was all about it. So it's kinda cool that Ella gets to say "my dentist is my daddy's old dentist!" Okay, maybe not that cool but I'm a mom and I totally think it is lol 😝.


2. Everly had given up her naps since probably before Thanksgiving, which I'm not too happy about but hey, it was bound to happen. She's only 2 years old (and like almost 4 months) and she's already decided she doesn't need them. BUT, this week must have been exhausting for her because she's fallen asleep on me TWICE this week while we were just sittin' on the couch hangin' out. It obviously doesn't happen that often anymore so I took advantage of cherishing these moments. Even took a pic of it because I'm a sappy mom like that.


3. Booked our first family trip of 2020! Yup, it's been long overdue but I finally scheduled a trip to Hawaii. I wanted to go for Christmas so that my girls (and Daniel) could spend the holidays with my family. But it was way too expensive for us so we decided to push it back to Spring (when Ella is on Spring Break). It's been a lil over 2 years since we've all been to Hawaii (Evie was only 2 months old) so I am VERY excited about it.


4. Last weekend I went on an exercise/walk date with a good mama-friend of mine... WITHOUT kiddos (my kiddos) and it was GLORIOUS!!! Mamas, if you can get out for a little bit, you totally SHOULD! It's SO good for the soul to just be able to connect with other human beings other than the tiny ones you're raising or your spouse. This obviously doesn't happen very often but when it does, it just helps keep stay sane.


5. So. I'm a HUGE Bachelor/Bachelorette fan and have been since it first started. There were a few early seasons that I stopped watching the show because, well, life happened. But then I picked up again a few years later and I can't help but watch it season after season.

So I just wanted to share my thoughts on the current season. Which is only 2 weeks in, but I already have a couple of strong opinions about it. First thing's first. I don't have a favorite gal. There's always at least 1-2 that stand out to me on the first episode. But not this season. Hannah Ann seems like a top favorite. And Kelley, too. And while I think they do have strong connections with Peter, I don't know if I see them with him in the end. Madison, MAYBE. But it's too soon to tell. All these women are beautiful and I'm sure they all have great personalities but these producers man... they sure do know how to bring out the catty in some of them. I mean, come on... drama over champagne?! How does that even happen? And I'm pretty sure it's gonna drag on for a few more episodes. With that said, I don't think Kelsey will win over Peter's heart. Yes, she's getting the worst edit of all the girls on the show, but she just seems way too emotional and sensitive.

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That's just my opinion.


I can go on and on about the show but maybe I will start a whole new blog series about that soon, too. What do you think? More Bachelor/Bachelorette talk?




6. Lately, I have been obsessed with this... snack. I got the recipe from the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan. I may have modified it just a smidge but it's such a good afternoon snack to have. It contains: 1/2 a green apple, 1/2 a small beet, and a few baby carrots. I pour in some apple cider vinegar, a splash of olive oil, and sprinkle it with a little bit of sea salt. This pic doesn't do it justice, but trust me... It's delish!



7. Also... CAN'T wait for the NFC Championship game this weekend! We are 49er fans and it's been a pretty exciting season for the team and all the fans! Any fellow niner fans out there?

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And that's what's been goin' on with me this week! Before I sat down to write this post I didn't think I'd have any fun or random facts to talk about. And I'm surprised I actually had 7 things! Haha. Hope y'all had a great week and cheers 🥂 to the weekend!


 



  • Jan 4, 2020

Happy New Year, friends! My holiday vacation is officially OVER. Daniel went back to work today, Ella goes back to school on Monday, and Evie and I are gonna have to learn how to function without these 2 all over again 😂. I decided to take a little bit of a break from social media for most of December to really soak in all the Christmas Magic with my littles. But once Daniel was able to take some time off work to relax and unwind from the busy-ness of work and normal life, I'd have to say the last 2 weeks have been ah-maze-ing.


We kicked off our vacation with our annual family Christmas party where we indulged in lots of food (homemade Mexican food), dessert and WINE. Don't even ask me what kinda wine because I couldn't tell ya. I just know it was GOOD. There was gingerbread house decorating, Secret Santa for the kiddos and the White Elephant gift exchange for the adults. I even volunteered to do a balloon garland since decorating and making things pretty is my thing to do. It was my first time and I have to say, it turned out pretty well!




Then after all that partying, we had to hurry home so we could get a few hours of sleep in before taking that long road trip up to my mother-in-law's house in Gardnerville, NV. There was a storm coming in that day so we had to be on the road no later than 4am to make sure we got there in time before the rain and snow hit. If you were wondering, yes we were dead tired and no I wasn't hungover 😵 thank goodness 😅. The babes were SO good the whole ride there, we only had to make 1 stop (Daniel took a lil 15-minute power nap), and there were a handful of "are we there yet's" from Miss Ella Bella. We arrived at my MIL's just before noon which is a record for us since having kids. And this is where we spent the first week of our vacation.


On Day 1, I woke up to this...



If you have been following along for awhile (on my blog or social media) you would know that we've been going to Gardnerville for Christmas for the last 3 years since my MIL moved up there 5 years ago. It has snowed on Christmas the 2 years I didn't go and I have wished hard for a white Christmas since we've been going. It has always snowed before or after our trip, never while we were there. So, waking up to this was magical. Even though the snow only lasted a few hours. By the time the sun set, most of it melted away. But we did get a couple hours of playtime in the snow before it was all gone. We even built a tiny little snowman 😂... and a penguin.




Then that evening, gramma and grampa offered to watch and entertain the girls so we could have a date night (probably the 2nd one of all of 2019 😂). Of course we jumped at the chance to have some one-on-one time without the kiddos. So what did we do? We went to see Star Wars 😂. Pretty exciting stuff, right?


On Christmas Eve, we baked sugar cookies and decorated them for Santa.



And boy were my girls excited to wake up to lots and lots of presents from Santa on Christmas morning.


The rest of the week was spent lounging around the house in our pjs and just being lazy. Something we're definitely not used to but it was just NICE to not do anything. We did take a bike ride around the neighborhood to enjoy the slow pace of country life.



We also took a drive up to Lake Tahoe to do some sight seeing. Our last day there, we spent the entire afternoon outside in the backyard playin' on the playground and zip-lining.




We were back home in SoCal just in time to watch the 49ers vs Seahawks game (go NINERS!) and spent the next couple of days decluttering the house and binge watching Game of Thrones (we're late to the whole GOT craze) while the babies entertained themselves with all the new toys they got for Christmas.


Taking a break the last 2 weeks of 2019 to unplug and disconnect from social media and "normal" life to spend time with my little family and make some memories was exactly what I needed to rejuvenate and start the New Year off right.


How was your Holiday Season? Tell me ALLLL about it in the comments below👇!!!


 

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