Everyone Needs Time Alone

This morning, while planting my desk top herb garden and doing other chores, I was thinking about part of the conversation I had with my mom yesterday. We talk on the phone about every couple of days, and were discussing my depression and anxiety levels right now. I live alone, and I’ve been home for about a month now, and I’m having a bit of a hard time with it some days. She was being super understanding and supportive. I’d told her that I hadn’t been prepared for just how lonely a quarantine could be.

After discussing this for a bit, my mother mentioned the flip side. Something I hadn’t taken into consideration since I am alone.

It is also difficult having to be cooped up

with other people day after day, week after week.

I can see where this would be hard. Not just during a quarantine, but at other times as well. Like during a blizzard and the days or weeks after when you are snowed in. You probably start to noticed annoying things you haven’t noticed before, or that you noticed but weren’t together constantly so they didn’t bother you as much. Maybe you’ve been a little testy with each other. There are many things that could happen, like children getting antsy about studies, or you being stressed about maybe not being able to pay the bills.

Being cooped up isn’t easy for anyone.

Try to get some time to yourself, and have the others in your household do the same. Babies time alone would be sleep time, and any time they will let you leave them to play or just be on their own when in the room with you. Toddlers alone time would be sleep time as well, and maybe time to play alone in their room. Preschool and elementary school age children might spend a little time in the morning and a little time in the afternoon reading a book, coloring, playing a game or doing something in their room by themselves. Teens are more able to keep themselves entertained, and may need a little more time alone. Siblings and others should not be allowed to interrupt this time.

Adults in the household will also need time alone.

At least an hour by yourself a day will help you to get through this time. Here are some ideas to get you started. Decide what will work for you.

• Spend this time in your bedroom with some soft music and a good book.
• Take a long bath to relax and be left alone with your own thoughts.
• Meditation.
• Journaling about your day and experiences, and your feelings.
• Yoga.
• A walk if possible.
• Sitting on the back porch with a cup of tea and watching the night sky.
• Working in the garden.
• Baking.

Do what works for you.

Presenting this to the rest of the household.

You can call a meeting, or bring it up at the dinner table when everyone is already together. Explain kindly that you’ve noticed, without indicating a specific person, that you’ve all been getting a little testy and you understand that this is because you are together all the time. Tell them that you have an idea that might help, and then talk with them about it.

Ask each person, in turn, what they think they might like to do with their alone time, and also mention at least one thing you think each person might enjoy. Then discuss how long each person’s alone time should be. Should it be one hour per day? Two split into two sessions? Do what works best for your family. Also, make sure every person knows that the person having their alone time should not have that time interrupted, for anything.

For some families, alone time can all be done at the same time. But this won’t work in all households. Again, do what works best in your home. If you have to, create a schedule with times and post it where everyone can see.

I hope this helps some of you to get through this time. Be sure you are taking the time to check in with people you know who are alone at this time. They may or may not be doing well. Call them. Do a video chat. Write them a letter. Send them a private message.

~ Shannon

 

 

Frugal Fun for the Winter Months

Winter weather is cold. But there are plenty of activities for families and singles, no matter the temperature. If you’re looking for fun things to do this winter, check out the lists below.

Activities for more than one person

• Play card games such as Rummy, Canasta, or Go Fish.
• Play board games like Candy Land, Monopoly, The Game of Life, and Triond.
• A movie night, complete with soda and air popped corn, costs little. Watch something on television, or buy DVD’s from Bull Moose for as little as $0.97.
• With a few plastic block makers, your family will have a great time building snow forts.
• You can also spend a day making a snow family.
• Snowball fight!!!! Start one of these as a surprise, when the children are all outside.
• A sledding party is great fun! Bring hot chocolate, and paper cups for everyone. Each family can bring something different such as cookies, or coffee for the parents.
• An ice skating party can be done the same way.
• Read to the children while they play with legos.
• Drive around to see the holiday lights after dark.
• Have a dance party in the living room with the children!

There are ways to save money on the activities listed above. For instance:

• Ice skates can be found cheap at yard sales, or affordably at second-hand sports shops.
• Board games can be purchased throughout the year at thrift shops and yard sales.
• Decks of cards are cheap at a dollar store.
• A sled would make a great gift from grandparents.

Activities for singles

• Walk on days it’s nice enough to be outside.
• Curl up on the sofa or in bed with a cup of tea and a good book.
• Play a game of solitaire while enjoying a hot cocoa.
• Have a favorite winter movie marathon during snow days. I particularly love Storm of the Century, Baby Boom, Little Women, Grumpy Old Men, and Grumpier Old Men.
• Lady’s, take some time to pamper yourselves. The cold is harsh on your skin. A little lotion will be necessary. Men, you can do the same!
• Bake!

What are your favorite frugal activities during the winter months? Share in the comments.

Shannon

Outdoor Spring Activities to Enjoy with Children

Being outside is great for the entire family. The fresh air, the extra activity, and the chance to explore, are important for everyone. Watching children flourish while being outside is a heart-warming experience for parents and other caregivers. And sharing the experiences of enjoying fun activities together aids in building strong bonds.

Enjoy A Nature Walk

A morning or evening walk is a great way for everyone to stretch their legs.  Point out things you notice are happening around you and talk with your children about them. Notice animals and birds, and listen to nature sounds for a few minutes.

Give each child a pencil and a journal to record their findings, stopping at least once during the walk to allow them to add entries to it. Have them date each new entry, and maybe add the location, so they can look back over things later.

Enjoy A Picnic Together

Children have so much fun in the kitchen, so let them help to prepare the food for a picnic in the park, or out in the yard. They can make simple sandwiches, place precut vegetables into baggies, and fill water bottles.

Picnics are a great time for chit-chat, and then for some play. Bring a Frisbee, or baseball gloves and a ball to toss back and forth.

Begin A Compost Pile

A good way to teach children how not to be wasteful is by starting and caring for a compost bin. They will also learn about other important things while doing this.

Decide where you want the pile, and have the children spread some straw or dried leaves over the area. Let them shovel a few bags of soil over this dry matter, while explaining the types of waste that will be composted. Have a bucket or two of food scraps ready to be added as well.

Use a long stick or broom handle to show them how to mix the food into the soil, and explain that this action adds oxygen to the soil and will help the compost to break down more quickly.

After each meal, one child can take a bucket of scraps out to the pile and mix it in with the existing soil. By autumn or the next spring, you will be able to use the compost in a garden.

Plant A Garden

Gardening in the spring is a good way to get back into the routine of exercise after having been cooped up over the winter, for children and adults.

Place a raised bed where you want a garden located, and allow the children to help you fill it with organic soil, perhaps from a compost pile. Help them to even the soil out when they are done, while explaining how they will be planting vegetables for use when preparing meals later in the year.

Use seedlings that were started from organic seeds, demonstrating to the children how to plant them properly and showing them how to space the seedlings correctly so the plants will have room to grow.

Family Giving

How does a family with little (or even no!) money give to others?

Actually, there are a great many ways to accomplish this.

How?

Allow me to give you some ideas :-D:

1. Volunteer to run errands for a disabled neighbor.
2. Ask elderly neighbors if they would like to join you as you run your own errands.
3. Make a up plate with leftovers for a neighbor who has been ill.
4. Make an extra casserole or two for someone who has just given birth.
5. Call the local battered women’s shelter to see if you can donate items you no longer need.
6. Ask the local homeless shelters employees if they could use the pillows and blankets you no longer need.
7. Find out what the residents at nursing homes might like: Old movies and CD’s, craft supplies, and puzzles are but a few ideas.
8. Donate other items to local thrift shops.

There’s a lot you can do without spending much money at all. Get the entire family involved. Children learn from a young age how to help others, a necessary skill in today’s world. Helping others teaches responsibility and helps to fashion good character traits.

Plan of Action: Sit down with your family and come up with a list of ways you can help others. Try to do at least one thing a month. Once a week would also be good.

Shannon

Fun, Affordable Get-Togethers: New Years’ Eve

Get-togethers are so much fun! Hanging out with family and friends aids in strengthening bonds, and helps you to destress during the holiday season.

There are many options for get-togethers on New Year’s Eve that will be enjoyed by all who attend. Don’t go over board on the number of guests, or the refreshments you’ll be serving. Keep things casual and enjoyable.

I have only 1 idea for this holiday 🙂

Make it a family event. Play a long running game, such as Monopoly, with the children. Then turn on the television for the festivities. The children may or may not make it to see the ball drop, but you can set up ‘beds’ on the living room floor so they can fall asleep any time. The adults can play cards at the table once the children are settled.

A pasta meal, complete with a tossed salad and garlic bread can be served. And a New Year cake for dessert, that the children helped to make early in the day, will be the hit if the party.

To save money:

• Bake from scratch.

• Purchase needed items on sale, with a coupon, or using both methods.

• Have others help with the cost, or just do a potluck.

• Check out the local dollar store to see what deals they might have.

• Use ingredients you have on hand.

• Use pasta sauce made and preserved using your own garden produce.

Enjoy!

Shannon