So many families right now need a good mix of structure and some flexibility mixed in – and of course a little bit of JOY sprinkled on top!
This Mom created a small family schedule of things to look forward to!

Laura explained:
“I wanted something for me and my kids to look forward to each day, so I posted a list to my fridge of the days of the week and one fun thing each day. (Like Taco Tuesday, Takeout Thursday, Dance Party Friday, Movie & Popcorn Sunday.) I never manage to stick to things like this, but because they’re fun/food-related, we’re 3 weeks in and going strong. It differentiates the days a little and is a tiny bit of structure. Gives me some bones to plan groceries/dinners around to. I see it evolving if we get bored of any of the things, but it’s a tiny little bit of cheer for me right now.”

But your family’s schedule of mini-joys can be anything you like. You could schedule in a family game night, a walk through the park, or a seasonal craft. The trick is to choose things you’d probably do anyway, or that are simple enough to not make you groan at the end of a long day of work and school. The point is not to add to your plate, but to call out a handful of bright spots in the upcoming week so you’ve all got something to look forward to.

There was a study done, and 2/3rds of Americans would say that they feel like they are a better person now. The results showed that 55% of people that responded were embarrassed by some of the things that they valued pre-quarantine.

Here are the top 10 things that people will no longer take for granted:
– Spending quality time, in person, with family or friends
– Hugs
– Traveling to new destinations
– A relaxing walk in the park
– Shopping in a store
– A date night at a restaurant
– Extended family gatherings
– Attending events in person
– Stopping for a cup of coffee on the way to work
– Meeting new people

Here are some of the things that people want to do after lock down:
– Spend more quality time with family and friends
– Work to create more meaningful relationships with loved ones
– Continue new hobbies I started during quarantine
– Attend in-person events after attending their virtual counterparts
– Move closer to loved ones
– Focus on achieving better work/life balance
– Change careers in order to have more meaningful work.

Many Americans would say their jobs are a point of high stress in their life, but being worked up shouldn’t be our norm. Below are 6 science-backed strategies to feel cool, calm, and collected!

1. See stress as a good thing
2. Eliminate other interruptions
3. Fidget productively
4. Tidy your desk
5. Make break time sacred
6. Let email pile up

To read more about each of these strategies, click here!

I recently read this interesting article about how to reset and relax with family. It can be hard, especially while working from home, turn off work when you’re done for the day and relax. Family dinner can be a great way to do that – but that isn’t always doable for every family.

The suggestion is to pick a time every day (example 5:50 pm to 6:00 pm) that is “family time.”
What does that time look like? Here are the rules of family time:
1. Everybody reports to the living room.
2. Everybody puts down their phones or video games.
3. Everybody has a chance to share one thing.

That thing could just be something you did or saw that day or something that has been on your mind!

Here’s what one family wrote about their family time:
“We’ve been logging daily family time consistently for over a month, and it lasts because the kids love it. An alarm goes off every day at 5:50, and they round us all up and then enjoy fighting each other for prime seats on the couch as they bask in the glow of everybody paying attention to them (and each other) for 10 whole minutes.”

A poll of 2,000 adults found that these are some of the top things to do to put a smile on someone’s face! Just in case you want to spread smiles 🙂

1. Good news
2. If someone smiles at you
3. Positive news
4. Seeing loved ones
5. Making someone else smile
6. Someone telling a joke
7. Being with family
8. Getting a surprise from someone
9. Seeing a baby laughing or smiling
10. A compliment from a stranger
11. Listening to music
12. Waking up to sunshine
13. Eating a nice meal
14. TV Shows
15. A nice weather forecast

SOURCE.

It can be hard to figure out what is better to buy new and what things are good to buy used. There are many gently used items that can still have a long lifespan and can help you enjoy the savings you’ll get from buying them that way. Here are some of those things:

1. Exercise equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, and dumbbells that are still in good condition.
2. Anything with a lifetime warranty.
3. Hand tools.
4. Tech gadgets – things like buying an “open-box tv” that was returned or used as a store model.
5. Espresso machines.
6. Sports gear – especially when kids grow out of them so quickly.
7. Vehicles, cars lose a lot of value just by being driven off the lot.
8. Furniture – browse your local yard sales, flea markets and antique shops for great bargains.
9. Bikes, these have been a big item for people to purchase since the stay at home order began, and a lot of people get rid of bikes that just need a simple fix.
10. Clothing – thrift stores can save you up to 90% on all sorts of different items.
11. Musical instruments
12. Textbooks
13. Yard tools and equipment
14. Wedding accessories – wedding items are generally used for one day. It is a great way to keep wedding expenses down.
15. Jewelry, estate sales are a great place to find good deals on jewelry.

Read the full article here.