10 Things Bringing Me Joy During Quarantine

While the past few months have been difficult, filled with stress and the unknown, I believe they have also been full of joyful moments. Here are some ways that I have found joy during the pandemic.

1. Walks I have enjoyed neighborhood strolls with the family and our pups. Fresh air, exercise and the blooming trees have been so good for the soul. Since we are spending all of our time outside, I treated myself to these shorts that I wear on a daily basis.

2. Bike Riding I’d forgotten how fun bike riding is! LC finally learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. It’s been a blast cruising around the neighborhood and down to the river that is close by. LC’s bike is on sale.

3. Reading I have always enjoyed reading but with the hustle and bustle of life, I have let my to-read stack pile up. However, during these weeks at home, I’ve finished a few books! I absolutely loved On The Bright Side by Melanie Shankle. This book will make you laugh out loud, cry and find ways to look on the bright side, even during a pandemic.

4. Baking We’ve been spending much more time in the kitchen! Ha-I’m not sure our oven has seen this much action since we moved into the house. The kids have enjoyed helping me, we all make a mess but that’s part of the fun of it! These Toasted S’mores cupcakes with Nutella filling were a hit!

5. Flowers I took an online floral design workshop with Petal and Pop. The flowers and a tasty “Pop” were delivered to my doorstep and the virtual class was fun to join in and learn more about arranging flowers. I love supporting local florists, picking wildflowers or grabbing hydrangeas from the grocery store. My house may be a mess but as long as we have fresh flowers, I am happy.

6. Art Classes I have been so inspired with all the creativity during this time! Two of my favorite artists, Brooke Ring and Evelyn Henson have been hosting online workshops and tutorials. Painting is so therapeutic.

7. Porch Sitting and Plants There’s not many places to “escape” these days but sitting on our front porch has been peaceful, just watching cars go by and watching the kids play. Reed’s Produce and Garden Center had the prettiest hanging baskets filled with geraniums and pansies that make me happy every time I see them!

8. Virtual Tour of Cheekwood in Bloom We are missing out on visiting one of our favorite places in Nashville this spring. However, I am thankful that we can “virtually” visit and have access to the over 150,000 blooms and the gardens.

9. Virtual Concerts Live streaming the Opry on Saturday nights, tuning in to Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and Luke Comb’s virtual shows have been a highlight of this time at home. The Country Music Hall of Fame also has Songwriter Sessions with awesome line ups like Carly Pierce and Luke Laird. My recent podcast guests, Six String Soldiers are also hosting concerts on their YouTube channel.

10. Movie Nights Thank you Disney Plus, Amazon Prime and Netflix for providing our family lots of movies to keep us entertained! Our favorite nights have been making DIY Pizzas, our favorite Caramel Corn recipe and snuggling up on the couch. Here’s a list of some classic family-friendly movies!