Hey all you cool cats and kittens! Been awhile! Agh, what the hell guys? Life is so weird right now.
Ok, glad I got that off my chest.
Here’s my official disclaimer. I am not writing this with insensitivity. I know that life is freaking scary right now for everyone, and for a lot of people that means absolutely zero unnecessary shopping. Danielle has been killing it with the local content and the push to support local businesses which is SO important. My reality is that I am still working in a children’s hospital part time and just trying to survive the other part. I am stressed about what I’m bringing home to my family, I miss my parents, and I ASKED Danielle if I could write this post, because I wanted a reason to focus on something light-hearted, harmless and fun. So without further ado, here are my Quarantine Essentials.
The BEST Amazon Joggers
My husband proclaimed 2020 as the “year of the joggers” because from a fashion standpoint, he is adorably approximately 2.5 years behind. I’ll admit though, I was getting all kinds of jealous of him in his soft cozies while I was in my binding leggings. I’m all for support and compression, but get with the times – nobody can see those super tight midsections and butts in your Zoom call.
These Amazon joggers are SO GOOD. They are super soft, have pockets, don’t shrink, and aren’t embarrassing if {literally no one because you are being a good person and staying home} sees you. Size up, and size up x2 if you want them extra loose. I bought the royal blue and the blush in medium. The blue is perfect for my preference, and the blush fits tighter. For reference, I am typically a size 2/26 in pants.
Old Navy High Waisted Power Soft 7/8 Length Side Pocket Leggings
The only bad thing I have to say about these leggings is how long the name is. Everybody is getting their at-home workout on right now, and I applaud you. I am too, most days (ugh) but I will not be happy about it. I haaaaate it. Can’t we all agree it sucks? The gym is my place. I’ve realized it’s totally mental, because my gym is streaming workouts that are great, but when I’m in my basement I notice that the ceiling needs to be painted in the corner. That laundry could be switched over really quickly. Those couch pillows are all wonky. It might be the ritual I am missing most in all of this.
BUT these leggings pass the test for me, and they are super high quality. I choose these over my Lululemon leggings for workouts every day – squat proof, compressive, no sliding down in the waist. These are TTS. They are the more athletic slightly swishy material, so no lint/dog hair collection, but they are not quarantine and chill leggings – too much compression for that.
The Ultimate Bounce House
I feel like the Easter Bunny is going to be extra generous this year – we need some new entertainment. If your Easter Bunny is looking for THE GIFT – make it this. It is pricey, yes. But my kids play in the bounce house every single day, multiple times a day. We have traveled with the bounce house. We’ve gone to friends’ houses (ah, the good old days) and blown it up in their backyards. It folds up to be about the size of an air mattress and has a blower to inflate it that my 5 year old can easily hook up.
Parents… give yourselves this gift of uninterrupted conversation, of prepping dinner without helpers, of burning some energy while you drink your coffee. You won’t regret this.
The most effective (only effective) face mask I’ve ever used
Confession – cannot take credit for this purchase. My parents spend part of the year in Florida, and are still there, waiting to return until things “settle” a bit (agh, we miss them so much). They have a house here that is empty of humans, but full of toys and sights and smells my kids haven’t seen in a bit, so in the past few weeks we’ve gone there a few times just for a change of scenery. I was raiding their bathrooms for toilet paper (I wish this was a dream) on one of these visits and found that my sweet mom has been holding out on me big time. She’s got alllll the skin care products.
I swiped this mud mask (I owe ya one, Mom) and have been using it 2-3 times a week, and it is by far the most effective face mask I’ve ever tried. When you rinse it off, your skin looks brighter, tighter, pores smaller, so soft feeling. It honestly looks and feels exactly like the one time I regrettably spent $230 on a hydrofacial (sorry – I just don’t get it). A little goes a long way. I see this jar lasting 6+ months (I’ll let you know, because I am not giving it back – sorry, Mom).
An Air Fryer
Literally any air fryer
If I saw you between December and lockdown, I told you about my new air fryer, so I’ll keep this brief. It does not matter what brand you buy. I stressed over the loss of counter space for months prior to taking the air fryer plunge. When I saw one at Costco for $50 I figured we’d give it a go.
I cannot stress to you how much you need an air fryer. If someone told me that I had to choose one appliance and toss the rest, it wins. My family eats roughly 20 times more vegetables since we got it. It bakes, fries, roasts and reheats. If you have more questions, you’re in luck – it’s my favorite topic, so just ask
My favorite drugstore (or any) self tanner of the moment
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