Thursday Thoughts: At Home Edition

My last Thursday Thoughts blog post was back on March 5th, when the world was slightly different. We didn’t know much about COVID-19 and social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus wasn’t a “thing” yet. Times are different, so I thought I’d write another Thursday Thoughts post but an “At Home” edition.

While quarantine rules and face mask ordinances differ from state to state (and even county to county), in general, people I know seem to be going out minimally. I have friends and family that live outside of California who seem to be doing the same thing. Getting take-out from restaurants or eating outside in patios, wearing masks, and wondering when the number of COVID cases will do down (i.e. flatten the curve).

Regardless of how you feel, there are several things that we all have in common, which is the majority of us are working from home, eating at home, and being entertained at home.

Work From Home

I don’t know about you, but pre-COVID, I was having issues balancing my work and home life. Now that I work from home, it’s provided an extra set of challenges. Mid-March through June was hard because of the distance learning that my daughter had to go through, plus both my husband & I work from home. So I’m working off my dining room table, my hubby has the office, and my daughter is in the den.

My daughter is on summer vacation, but I’m still having to shush her if I’m on a work call and she’s walking through the dining room area. Having video conferences (i.e. Zoom or Teams meetings) are another obstacle. By now, we have all seen our coworker’s kid(s), significant other, and even dog or cat make an appearance on Zoom. Usually I have my camera turned on so that I’m visible, but sometimes I turn it off because frankly I’m tired of being on camera. It’s exhausting because I either feel the need to be extra smiley for some reason AND I have to dress nicer than my usual tank top & yoga pants. Generally I throw on a nice top, fix my hair and put concealer under my eyes. This leads me to my next point.

Rate My Zoom Room

Are you one of those people who silently judge people’s Zoom backgrounds or home set-up? Ok, maybe judging is a strong word, but people are generally curious about the inside of people’s houses, especially if that person is a public figure.

There’s a Twitter account called Room Rater that rates people’s Zoom rooms and Skype rooms. I love the commentary and it’s fascinating to get a peek into someone’s home.

Recently the Twitter account rated Julianne Hough’s background, Peter Gallagher’s bookshelf wall, and Anthony Ramos’ camera angle.

Movies/TV at Home

Since movie theaters are closed, I’ve watched several new movies at home. From SCOOB!, to The Banker, and My Spy, there’s something for everyone! If you haven’t seen SCOOB! yet, I’m hosting a giveaway for a Blu-ray Combo Pack. Click here to enter for a chance to win.

On the TV front, I’m watching Netflix shows like Selling Sunset and Dead to Me. I like watching food shows, so Padma Lakshmi’s Taste the Nation is fun although it makes me hungry when I watch it. My favorite new animated TV show is Central Park, voiced by actors Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Leslie Odom Jr., and Tituss Burgess. The musical numbers are catchy and the storylines are so silly and laugh out loud funny!

Eating at Home

We’ve been supporting our local restaurants (both independent and chain restaurants) with our money. Cooking gets old and sometimes it’s just too hot to be working the stove or turning on the oven. We love to get fish tacos from Lola’s Baja Tacos in Granada Hills.

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Working Out at Home

So if you’ve been eating like I have, comfort food and all, then you may have gained a few pounds or two. We all have! I’ve been going on long walks on the weekend, doing online exercise classes (there are some great free videos on YouTube), and I try to keep up with my strength training with Hyperwear Sandbells.

For those who are interested in doing a Virtual 5K from the comfort of your own treadmill or neighborhood, then look no further than Running Universal! Want to participate in a Virtual 10K, 5K or 1K that’s Trolls themed? Use my promo code “SFV5”, valid for $5 off any package, excluding the 1K. Link to register: https://www.runninguniversal.com/hollywood.

I’m looking forward to creating my own 5K course through my neighborhood and doing a run/walk with my daughter.

These are just some of the things that we’re doing to get by during these strange times. It’s not the summer that we envisioned but we’re trying to make the best of it!

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. The opinions expressed in this blog post are 100% my own. All images are my own unless otherwise noted.