Since we were fortunate enough to have Maverick before all of this, we’ve just been hanging out at home for the most part. Part of me wishes he was still in my tummy so I could protect him, but it’s okay. Maternity leave has mostly been me sitting in a chair watching Netflix as I feed or console Maverick. It’s also been cleaning the house because of the doggy fur and dust and reorganizing things to make space for all of our baby stuff. We were supposed to go to Washington to visit everyone so they could meet Maverick, but I guess that’s just going to have to wait until we can use our leave again. So for now, Maverick is going to observe the inside of our home and backyard.
So what can you do?
Clean out your closet
I’ve been putting off cleaning out my closet for so long. Only because I was pregnant and I didn’t know what I wanted to keep for my new momma bod. But it is spring, so it’s a perfect time to do some spring cleaning! Since you aren’t going to be going anywhere crazy during this lock down, it’s a good opportunity for you to go through your closet and try on things you want to keep or get rid of. I know the biggest thing that holds me back on donating/selling clothes is the thought, “if XYZ happens, this would be perfect!” … XYZ never happens. Try to focus on keeping timeless pieces, staple pieces, and a few signature pieces. I’ve found myself moving away from loud clothing and staying relatively plain and neutral. It’s much easier to mix-n-match your outfits if all the pieces are around the same color scheme.
Writing more
You can obviously see that I’ve had more time on my hands to write since I’ve been posting more frequently. Being stuck inside and not being able to hang out with friends or family actually gives you the excuse to spend some time on your computer. If you’ve ever wanted to build a blog or write a book, then maybe right now is your chance to build that foundation! My friend Aleita has already finished her first book and has started working on her second one. Even though she had been working on it for the past year, this little break gave her the time she needed to let her creative juices flow. I’ve had more time to go through my photos, take photos, and organize my thoughts for the blogs I want to write. Even if you start on a free blog like Weebly or Wix, it’s better than not starting at all. Or if you aren’t into writing for the public eye, investing in a journal might be a cool idea to document how your 2020 is going. I’m sure it’ll be an interesting story to tell your future grandkids.
Trying your hand at baking
Okay, so far, I’ve only baked lactation cookies and made pot roast. Other than that, Sean and my mother-in-law have been cooking everything. I’m very thankful for that because I am EXHAUSTED. I do want to get back into baking during my leave though. It’s something that I used to find so much joy in. Cake decorating was so much fun when I was in culinary school. So far, all I’ve done to get this whole baking thing underway has been bookmarking recipes on Instagram. I follow @sweetish.co and @livewellbakeoften. The food they post always looks absolutely delicious, and I’ve followed a few recipes from them that were very simple to do!
