As the whole world steps away from public life, secluding themselves at home, my Stylish Monday sisters and I thought it would be a good idea to share with you how we’re sheltering in place, what things are like where we live, and to hopefully give a little glimpse of what we think is important as we weather this storm. I think as you read on, and visit their blogs you’ll find inspiration and ideas that you can incorporate into your daily life, as you stay home and stay safe.

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Join The Stylish Monday Quaranteam!

I’m honored to continue to link up with these incredibly resourceful and resilient women. (Not to mention incredibly stylish). Each one of these ladies has some great ideas to share with you about how they’re dealing with the public health crisis, a peek into their daily lives, and a few tips, tricks and life hacks for getting through this in style. Come on and join our Quaranteam! You’ll be glad you did. Be sure to click through and view their blogs!

Nicole Molders of High Latitude Style (Alaska)

Nicole says: At the last Frontier, people are used to coping with shortages of any kind and being isolated and self-entertaining. Toilet paper is often kept in an old cucumber slices jar and yes PJs are common under the heavy down coats. Thus, what changed is the way to work and to self-entertain, sort of. And it all depends on guess what? Temperature and air quality. Read more in Nicole’s post: In This Together | A Global Link-Up: Interior Alaska | (CLICK HERE)

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Nancy Baten of Nancy’s Fashion Style (Netherlands)

Nancy says: We are so lucky that we have sunshine over here!  Although it is still very cold, 10 degrees celsius. But I can totally relax when I am reading in the sun!  With a few blankets under and over me, lol. And in style of course! Read more in Nancy’s post: This Together | A Global Link-Up: The Netherlands | (CLICK HERE)

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Suzanne Bell of Ask Suzanne Bell (California)

Suzanne says: Here in California, we’ve been under a Shelter-In-Home mandate for 3 weeks now – with another entire month (at least) to go. One of the many things I’ve learned over the past few weeks is the longer you live together under one roof, “me time” becomes crucial. This week, I decided to give myself a “Spa Like” Manicure and Pedicure. I can’t remember the last time I did my own nails, but my nails were in bad shape and I was in desperate need of some quiet time. I’m happy to say, the hour spent at my “home spa” was just what I needed to recharge, and lift my mood. Learn how to create a Home Spa in your home in In This Together | A Global Link-Up: DIY Home Spa Pedicure | (HERE)

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Julie Augustyn of Fashion Trends & Friends (Illinois)

Julie says: Here in Illinois we’ve been sheltering in place for the past three weeks.  In all honesty, I’ve struggled with creating some routines and structures in order to feel accomplished and bring joy.  Perhaps you’ve struggled as well and, therefore, I’ve come up with 10 ideas to bring joy, add structure and routine and to even help shape new habits while we’ve been given this gift of time!  My new mantra has become twofold: Where there’s a will there’s a way!; AND I’m reminded that: The little things are really the big things worthy of celebration! Stay home! Stay safe! Hug your loved ones!  Read more in Julie’s Post: In This Together | A Global Link-Up: Illinois | (HERE)

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Nina Bandoni of Sharing a Journey (Florida)

From Nina: What’s for dinner?  Returning to meal planning and cooking for three whilst shopping once or twice a month, instead of several times a week. Read more in Nina’s Post: In This Together | A Global Link-Up: Florida | (HERE)

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Five Ways to Stay Joyful While You’re Staying at Home

One of the struggles of working outside the home, is that day to day chores, and extra projects usually take a back seat, as does the simple joys of reading or relaxing. My daily schedule is work, gym, housework, bed. The hubs works wacky hours, so we rarely eat dinner together during the workweek. It’s a crazy, busy life. And yes, I was a little dismayed and a bit annoyed by the whole having to stay home situation. 

But now, I look out my window each day, and see families riding their bikes and basking in the sunshine, taking walks together, neighbors actually visiting with each other(socially distanced, of course). So, as I adjust my attitude about this pandemic and the quarantine, and staying at home, I’m choosing JOY! I count it a blessing to be able to slow down and enjoy my home. To have the freedom to just putter. To read. To relax. To actually see and talk to my husband! Like I shared in this post I’m sticking to a not-so-strict schedule as I work from home, and try to have everything finished up by 1 or 2 each day. That gives me time to spend with the hubs,and to work on projects around the house. At my leisure. Ahhhhh. It’s a joyful thing y’all! And here’s how we’re sheltering in place, along with a few new favorite discoveries!

CURRENTLY

Reading

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel – I loved this book so much! I rushed through it, anxious to see what happens next, until I got to the last 20 or so pages, because I just didn’t want it to end! It was so good! Set among the Champagne vineyards of France during World War II, it’s the story of two couples during the German occupation, and the difficult and sometimes foolish choices they each make. Love and betrayal, along with the sweet spirit of forgiveness… This book has it all. So good! I give it five stars.

Meet Me in Monaco – by Hazel Gaynor – A Novel of Grace Kelly’s Wedding – If you’re a fan of Grace Kelly and historical fiction, then this book is for you. Grace Kelly, perfume, love affairs and of course a royal wedding, Kate Quinn describes it as a “A fragrant French bonbon of a book: love, glamour, perfume, and paparazzi all circling around the wedding of the century…” and I couldn’t agree more!

Watching

Like most of America, we’ve been spending our evenings binge watching all kinds of shows. It’s an eclectic list! 

Netflix: Tiger King, Ozark, Outlander

Prime Video: V is for Vino, Victoria, Marvelous Mrs. Mazel, and are about to start Hunters

Hulu: Little Fires Everywhere, What We Do In the Shadows

Journaling

Have you thought about recording and documenting what’s happening right now? I’m into digital and app based scrapbooking, after changing formats from paper-based scrapping several years ago. I use the Project Life app on my iphone, pop in my photos, and journal on easily downloadable journaling cards. My layouts can be sent to print as individual pages for my own scrapbooks, or even uploaded to Shutterfly to be bound into a photo book. Whichever way you prefer to record this time, I think it’s very important to just get it down somehow! Take photos of your daily life in quarantine, saving them to a google photo album (which can be added to a photo book), or grab a notebook and just write down what’s happening, what your life is like, how it makes you feel, what you want to remember, and most importantly, what takeaways you’d like to share with future generations. This is a biggee for me y’all. 

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Cooking

Two words: Comfort Food! In the past two weeks, the hubs and I have rediscovered the joy of cooking together. We have had so much fun poring through cookbooks, finding new recipes, and creating meals and memories together. I’ll soon be sharing the recipe for the Rustic Noodles with Bacon and Peas that we had a couple of nights ago. Be sure to check back for that one! Here’s a couple of my favorite recipes for the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice

Instant Pot Roast Beef with Coffee

Instant Pot Beef Curry

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Connecting

The hubs and I have three grands, ages 2,3 and 5. I cannot stress enough how much we miss them! We try to facetime with them as often as possible, or use the Marco Polo app as a family. Our Marco Polos are everything! One night the hubs told bad Dad jokes, and the kids all tried to guess the punch line. Some nights we read stories to the grands. I’m so thankful for Facetime right now. It’s not quite the same as being with them in person, but it’s the next best thing!

And speaking of connecting, I’d love to connect with you! Human interaction is so important for all of us right now, even if it is a virtual connection! Please join our link up party…show us what you’re wearing, what you’re doing, how you’re dealing with this pandemic. Join us by clicking the link below…Stay healthy y’all, and STAY HOME!