5 Things I've Enjoyed While Staying Home.

     Happy Monday Friends! It is a happy Monday indeed, as the state of Virginia is set to slowly begin re-opening at the end of this week. While I know it will be quite awhile before things fully go back to normal, it does make me thrilled to know we are starting to move to that direction!

     In today's post, I wanted to share five things that I've been really enjoying during these past two months at home. Aside from going to work and occasional grocery store trips and walks in the park, I've spent just about all of this time in my apartment. I am looking so forward to spending less time home in the months to come, but also thankful for the things I did to pass the time.

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Dress {still on sale!} // Purse {old, almost identical here} // Shoes {old, almost identical here} // Sunglasses {not online, similar here}

5 Things I've Enjoyed While Staying Home:

     1. Gilmore Girls: I know this is crazy... but this is my first time watching Gilmore Girls! I'm definitely at least a decade late on that. I actually started the first season back in the fall, but I didn't really like it at first. I kept losing interest with the show. I decided to pick back up again with season two in March once staying home began, and I quickly got very into it! I think the show really picks up in the second season. I'm currently almost done season three, and I'm really enjoying it. It's definitely a feel good show, which is great for such a stressful time.

     2. Thursday night Zoom chats: For about a month or so now, my two closest friends from back home and I have been doing Thursday night Zoom chats. Jules has always been back home in Maine (she lives one town over from our hometown), and for the past few years Katie has been in grad school in Upstate NY, but she's been back home in Maine with her family since March. I love both of these girls but we haven't always been the best before now at scheduling regular video chats, so these have been such bright spot in my weeks! We are actually hoping to continue these post-stay home. 

     3. The book of Judges: Last year I began a new goal of reading the whole Old Testament, and especially taking time to focus on certain books that I wasn't previously very familiar with (so basically everything except Genesis and Exodus). I spent most of April slowly reading through the book of Judges. If you've never spent much time in this book of the bible, I highly encourage you to begin reading it. This book is insane! There is corruption, war, death, bad government leadership rape, cheating, dysfunctional marriages and families... and so much more. Yet the theme that prevails through the entire book is God is faithful in the highs and the lows. No matter how much chaos or conflict is happening, He is still there. What a special message to read in a time like this! Honestly I want to go back and read it again soon, and maybe look for a specific bible study guide that covers this book in depth. 

     4. Online sales: Every week has felt like Cyber Week since social distancing began, and I'm so here for it! I'm actually trying now to put the pause on doing so much online shopping because I'd like to use the rest of this time home to try and save some more money. But goodness has it been fun! A few of my favorite purchases have included the dress I'm wearing in the photos above, which is my first Gal Meets Glam dress, these shoes, and this top (that I'm impatiently waiting to get!)

     5. Jazzercise at home: I've been a member of my local Jazzercise studio since last November, and I haven't been so passionate about a certain type of workout in a really long time, if not ever! I love the format of the classes themselves, and I also really love the instructors and other members of my local studio. It's become like my little workout family! I was so excited about a month ago when my local studio finally started offering live members only classes on Facebook Live. Even though we all can't be together in person, it's so fun to take class again from my favorite instructors from the safety of home! I have also been enjoying Jazzercise On Demand, which is the national Jazzercise online fitness program. They have an app for Roku so it's super easy to watch it on your TV, and you can do the workouts any time at your convenience! If your'e interested in trying that, use my code AKVIP to get it for $14.99 a month! (And check out my dedicated review of Jazzercise On Demand in this blog post.)

     Those are just five things that I've really enjoyed during this time- there's been many other little blessings and positives during the past couple months as well which I'm thankful for. Now I'd love to hear from you- what is something you've been really enjoying at home lately? 

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese