Hi Friends!

I know that this month has been extremely challenging and scary for so many of us with the global pandemic ripping through communities at such a rapid rate with little information on how to keep our families and communities safe. Many of us are faced with the fact that we’ll be home for over a month and unsure of what to do besides binge Criminal Minds on Netflix! I completely understand how surprising it may be to find yourself home for the first time in years and daunted by both the possibilities and boredom!

Well, worry not friends because I’ve been there before. When I first left the military, I was unsure of how to fill the hours and now that I’m not working due to proximity restrictions, I’m not currently photographing clients but I have taken this as an opportunity to learn new skills, finish projects and tasks that I’ve been putting off, and get my business organized. I believe that it’s the perfect time to work on my marriage, relationships with my kids, and practice self-care. I firmly hold the perspective that we could all use this time to not just survive, but to THRIVE!

I’ve included a list below of some incredible resources and have created an email list with some awesome resources you may not be aware of but are amazing!

1. abcmouse.com currently has a free 30 day subscription with no obligation. I’ll be using this for my littlest guy this next month to work on his learning skills in a fun, interactive, play like manner. I’m so excited to try this again because my little monkey just started pre-school the week before quarantine. He was in class for 4 days and was truly thriving. He has a fantastic teacher and loves his classmates. He just got so excited to go every day (admittedly, he’d get a little nervous on some mornings but was usually happy within minutes) and this Coronavirus halted all of that for him. I’m just so thankful that i’m able to stay home with my kids and that we have amazing resources such as his teacher sent curriculum and abc mouse to get us through. Huge thanks for my gorgeous friend Lauren H. for letting me know about the spectacular tool!

2. Bon Appétit Magazine has an incredible website loaded full of 92 Cooking Projects that I’m falling over myself to make! During this time of social isolation, social distancing, self-quarantine, a lot of us are at home and with this extra time, I’m just going to say it…we can learn to cook incredible things! I LOVE good, homemade, natural food and this website has something for everyone. Vegan, desert lover, meat-a-holic, you name it, there’s something new to try and experiment in your own kitchen. I mean, a project that you can eat…sounds like a win-win in my book! I’m actually really excited for this because I’ll be working on this with my older kiddos and am prepping for a lot of laughter, clean-up, and delicious food!

   Heres the link. I can’t wait to see what you make! Feel free to share below! https://www.bonappetit.com/gallery/slideshow/recipes-to-make-on-day-off

3. The Dating Divas is my trusted goodie for an at-home date night. I believe that a healthy marriage is the foundation for a happy family and I also believe that you shouldn’t have to compromise your long-term financial goals just to nurture that relationship with a date. That’s why, whether you use all of their printables or just list out ideas from their website, you can’t go wrong with this website. They have tons of fun ideas that you can implement while in quarantine and even after! Head over to www.thedatingdivas.com to browse, sign up, and date!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these helpful tips on how to use this new-found time as a gift! If you’d like to get even more tips, resources, and ideas, please sign up below for my free Quarantine Kit loaded with even more bits of information on how to navigate and succeed during this time. This is not just for parents, there are resources for everyone so don’t forget to join my list and get that freebie!

xo, Jailyn