social distancing

Social Distancing Joy

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Last week my husband and I had our three oldest kids deliver a bit of social distancing joy! My husband said I should title this image “Helicopter Parents 2020”, haha! I decided to go with more of the survival mode aspect. I have been in desperate need of my own personal stress relief and knew many of my loved ones did too! What better way to provide a bit of happiness with delicious Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a bit of humor?

On our delivery day we spread our social distancing joy to seven different homes. It was completely worth it to see the smiles on their faces and hear their laughter! Several people commented that our visit was desperately needed. Being able to chat for a bit after the delivery made life seem slightly normal amid the Covid-19 craziness.

Just as a note, I am not an obsessive helicopter parent as these pictures suggest! This was purely for humor purposes. After each delivery my kids ripped off that gear as fast as humanly possible!

Inside story: life is never Pinterest perfect

Unbeknownst to me, my husband and I tried suffocating our eldest daughter for the the first six houses we went to. Each time she put the gas mask on she would exclaim, “I can’t breath! How do you breath in this dad?” My husband, who is a cop and the gas mask is part of his work gear, would say, “What are you talking about? It’s super easy to breath in. You’re fine.” Then any further complaints (which were actually surprisingly few) we would chalk up to her being dramatic (like most twelve year old girls are).

Right before our final delivery she complained a lot more than usual and my husband finally slid the mask on himself. He silently removed the mask and twisted off the filter. A muffled laugh lined with a speck of guilt escaped his lips, barely audible. I watched as he popped off a cap on the filter and then screwed the filter back on the mask.

“Have we been suffocating our daughter all this time?” I asked horrified.

My husband laughed and said to my daughter, “How in the world have you been breathing in that thing? That was aweful!”

Parents of the year award, right here.

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Are you still trying to maintain social distancing? Check out our Daily Quarantine Challenges free printable. It is designed to be fun, productive, and give hope!

51 Daily Quarantine Challenges

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Staying home during this COVID-19 pandemic is taking it’s toll on all of us! The days are running together and we are all becoming bored out of our minds. Here is a list of 51 daily challenges you can turn to in order to brighten your day, while maintaining social distancing. They are meant to be fun, productive, and give hope! The challenges are in no particular order and you can choose one or more a day to work on. Below is a free printable of these so you can hang them up where you can see them each day!

Have Fun!

  1. Look at old photos, yearbooks, and scrapbooks. It’s time to reminisce!
  2. Write a journal entry about your experience during this pandemic.
  3. Listen to a meditation audio clip, YouTube has some great guided imagery.
  4. Research a topic you have always wanted to know more about.
  5. Call two people today and chat. No text messaging is aloud- actually talk to them!
  6. Turn on your favorite song and sing it out loud- have fun with it and sing your heart out!
  7. Clean an area of your house you usually try to ignore.
  8. Do something that makes you feel good about yourself.
  9. Come up with a family emergency preparedness plan for times of crisis (fire, earthquake, etc.) Hold a family meeting to go over this plan.
  10. Google inspirational quotes.
  11. Color a picture- get in touch with your grade school self!
  12. Sit outside for five minutes and don’t talk. Just look around, relax, breath, and enjoy! If you can’t escape kids, do it in the dark after they go to bed.
  13. Take a walk in a new place you have never been before.
  14. Do a yoga video, free ones are available online.
  15. Start reading a book you have always wanted to read. If you don’t have one, find an article online that intrigues you.
  16. Download a free geocaching app and go find some “treasure”.
  17. Watch a documentary.
  18. Start a new hobby that intrigues you.
  19. Avoid internet and other screen time for an entire day. Get creative on how you spend your time.
  20. Pull out a project you started in the past and never finished- it’s time to complete it!
  21. Spring cleaning time!
  22. Purge old belongings- sort things to give to charity.
  23. Have a camp out in your own yard or living room.
  24. Karaoke party (even if you are alone!)
  25. Make a bucket list of things you are excited to do once quarantine is over (because it will end!)
  26. Take a scenic drive.
  27. Get romantic, there’s no better time to let that special someone know you love them!
  28. Binge watch a new series.
  29. Yard work, get working on those weeds!
  30. Indulge in a favorite treat.
  31. Do all those “fix it” projects around the house that never get done.
  32. Pack a lunch and take a day trip. Drive in the morning, play and eat lunch in the afternoon, then drive home.
  33. Make a list of friends, family, and acquaintances, who are alone at this time. Come up with a way to reach out to them (phone call, letter, face time, get creative!)
  34. Take time to kneel and pray out loud.
  35. Read scriptures.
  36. Take a Bike ride.
  37. Do an aerobic exercise video, free ones are available online.
  38. Take a bubble bath.
  39. Plan a “drive by” for extended family or friends. Let them know when you will be driving by so they can be outside watching. Then honk wave, and hold up signs as you pass.
  40. Make a movie or music video.
  41. Plan and execute a service project.
  42. Write thank you cards to those serving in your community- healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters, etc.
  43. Order take out to support local restaurants.
  44. Have a dance party (even if you are alone!)
  45. Get dressed and fixed up for the day, even though you know you aren’t going anywhere.
  46. Complete a sudoku or other mind puzzle game.
  47. Check in with a neighbor to see how they are doing.
  48. Have an impromptu photo shoot.
  49. Write a short story- fact or fiction.
  50. Research family history (http://www.familysearch.org can help).
  51. Start listening to a new podcast.

Want to put this list where you will see it often? Here is the free download:

Quarantine Challenge Free PrintableDownload

Please comment on your quarantine experiences. I want to hear all the ideas you have come up with to fill the time!