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07/03/2020

Why Social Distancing Promotes the Return of a Classic Summer

There’s always a long drive to get to somewhere remarkable, a sort of quest, but instead of evil spells and dragons the challenges are from jostling for armrest space with your sister and having to wait twenty minutes till the next restroom stop.

Ice cream expedition with a makeshift mask.

Once the highway filters into a one lane road, then a sandy beach drive, your arrival is signaled by squawking gulls staking their territory. You leap from the car while parents inspect the environs, unloading groceries of snack pack cereals and a lot of condiments. This will be your home for the most memorable weeks of summer and you will find that needs are paired down–a good sunscreen, boogie board, cold drinks, sandwiches sealed in plastic wrap and snack-sized chips packed in an Igloo. (Pringles work well because they are protected from the sand.) [Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

06/26/2020

Pillows Are an Affordable Way to Change Your Bedroom’s Style–No Contractor Needed!

If my bed were reincarnated it would be as a runway model, changing looks within a pivot backstage. COVID-19 has its plus sides, like more time spent in the bedroom, innocently speaking, my parents read this. Creating looks in the same manner as fashion whims keeps the home updated and is an easy, affordable way to test new looks and find the design you love.

Choosing one strong accent color with a geometric pattern can set a bed’s theme.

[Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

06/04/2020

Making Sense from George Floyd’s Death and Unnecessary Tragedy

When the pandemic hit the U.S. crocuses began to break through the soil, precursors of the bright season ahead. After a bleak experience of lives lost, quarantine and financial instability, there were signs of reopening–all shattered from the senseless loss of George Floyd. Protests ensued, emphasizing the message that Black Lives Matter. Next came rioting but in the same realm of Lloyd’s unnecessary death, where his family spoke that this was against his peaceful nature, what was the point? Rioters profited at the expense of a man’s death, destroying the businesses of people who have been trying to recoup from COVID-19 that killed so many and kept us sheltered–away from families, community and regular human interaction. Perhaps such upheaval from normalcy altered many, becoming the switch that turned on bad behavior. Emotions are raw. We were trying to contain a virus, an unseen mysterious enemy that I hoped united us. The virus does not discriminate on gender, sex or race. It should bind humans. Floyd’s murder pivoted the collective energy from #WeAreInThistogether to #BlackLivesMatter.

Peonies begin to mark their glory with impeccable timing.

[Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

05/07/2020

We’ve Been Told to Return to Work, Now What?

If we were to Zoom into private spaces during shelter-in-place, dining tables would look like a breeding ground of kid’s books, coffee cups and chewed up pencils without erasers–a fusion of office, classroom and everyday activity. We’ve built enough forts to populate a nomadic village. We’re experts on the routines of our household and rather not have the conversation about slacking on toothpaste. Now that signs of reopening the country are in play, with a message from the president to return to work, the next wave of uncertainty is triggered. Safety is foremost, there is the profound need to ignite intellectual, mental and physical nourishment, as well as the reality of earning a living. The best way to be responsible citizens is to maintain life at pause when able, reenter society with an awareness that this virus is omnipresent–remaining vigilant on using sanitizers, incessant hand washing, wearing a face mask and social distancing. Says Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York it, “‘violates common sense for states to reopen before meeting CDC guidelines.”

Golf is a great way to maintain a healthy approach to social distancing with its open space and being outdoors, just don’t share balls!

[Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

04/20/2020

See Ya Clutter: Taking Inventory of Your Spaces

Tripped on your kid’s chrome book yet? Have the conversation with your husband on his need to use a noisy pencil sharpener in a digital age? Taking Inventory of your spaces applies to all facets of living: home, mental, relationships, diet and health. Not to get overly existentialist, this is a forum that covers how to set a holiday table with gusto, but containment puts analysis into a deeper perspective. It’s an exercise on what works, worked but needs adjusting, or should be removed entirely. With more time at home, and the home becoming a tricky hybrid of work, family and even a classroom space, design needs to be as efficient as ever.

Editing rooms to its basic needs increases livability, especially when a house serves multiple functions during shelter-in-place.

[Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

04/14/2020

All-Day Loungewear Will Be Hard to Shake After Quarantine

Crafty face masks isn’t the only trend coming out of COVID-19, everyday loungewear is filling up laundry baskets worldwide. The new norm has us going from waking up to starting the day with little deviation in our comfy basics. Zoom meetings don’t see the pajama bottoms beneath the screen. Dressing well is lost on infrequent essentials marketing trips with a covered face. Comfort directs style. Though, for those who are starting to yearn for the fun of fashion, we’ve been tweaking comfort clothes with a personal take.

Loungewear style is mainstream, even your most stylish blanket can be a dependable piece.

[Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

04/08/2020

Simple + Healthy Recipes with Shared Ingredients to Put Off those Market Trips

During isolation we’ve been trying to make positives out of a challenge. More time outdoors, reading scripture, crafts and eating well over asking the refrigerator for help. But we’re starting to crack. That beloved series on Amazon is running out. The only popsicle stick you want to see is one with a mound of ice cream on it. Before reaching for another bag of chips take a socially-distant breath and consider your options. You could either eat and drink your way through quarantine or take a healthier approach, perhaps even pick up some new skills like preparing simple meals and using shared ingredients for a variety of dishes to learn the importance of rationing and unnecessary shopping trips.

Banish shambled thoughts when looking in the fridge and stock up on healthy options, making meals that satisfy.

[Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

04/01/2020

The COVID-19 Generation – Why these Kids Will Excel

During COVID-19 isolation, I’ve spent the most time with my 9-year-old son since maternity leave. His outlook has brought levity to the hushed discussions about another market run due to expired milk. Today, he recounted the days when kids put thermometers under hot water and dumped leftovers in the toilet in an attempt to sneak in a sick day. The idea is as bewildering as their innovative use of last night’s dinner.

Learning from home in COVID-19 isolation: Kids may be wearing the same pajamas as yesterday but they are more self-sufficient than ever.

[Read more…]

Posted By jdemontravel

03/24/2020

Quarantine During COVID-19: 22 Positives

Worldwide everyone is sharing a collective first. One of those “who-were-you-with-during-COVID-19-isolation” moments. We’ve had to be inventive with new forms of toilet paper and virtual socialization. There’s the need to adjust to e-learning, where I see my son during snack breaks (hourly) or when he snatches the dog from my lap to use as a prop in his Tic Tok videos, but we’re coping for the sake of good health and to not transgress into one of those families who will forever be impaired. But there are upsides to doing our part to prevent the spread, and in the end we are sharing a challenge that will strengthen our bond.

Social distancing outdoors, learning the benefits of isolation.

22 COVID-19 Benefits:

The family gets a glimpse inside your days and it doesn’t involve wearing workout clothes and indulgent beauty treatments.
You don’t have to do the grind, can sleep in a bit longer and stay up later.
When you do go back to the office, school or those places you once dreaded, you’ll have a more positive outlook to return. That office mate who once annoyed you? He may even get a hug.
Everyone is on time for dinner.
Refining important skills like cooking healthy meals, home maintenance, food storage and cutting hair.
Understanding the importance of rationing and using what you need.
Easier to let go of the insignificant things.
Appreciation of the outdoors.
More in tune with the change of the season.
Enjoying exercise.
Focused study time.
Books are the new Netflix (without undermining the importance of Netflix).
Supreme opportunity to find healthy outlets–philanthropic, spiritual.
Being creative with free entertainment like scavenger hunts and telling jokes.
Less traffic.
Aside from potential toilet paper hoarding, limiting our carbon imprint.
More quality time with animals.
Wearing no makeup and being appreciative of your natural look.
An uptick in leisure activities like puzzles.
Being comfortable with alone time.
Cleaning and organizing your home, storage areas and car.
Strengthens the bond with your neighbors and community.

Posted By jdemontravel

03/16/2020

COVID-19 Survival Guide: 22 Ways to Cope in a Crisis

When you encounter fellow shoppers taking pictures of empty shelves and jamming jumbo packs of paper towels in the trunk of their car, it effectively defines a panic. We are entering a time of uncertainty, becoming a global community who share the challenge of isolation and its imposition. From hardship comes strength, so I find it productive to focus on the outcome. We will come through this and have a character-building experience, hopefully virus-free. Though loved ones and friends may handle adversity in different ways, be open to their coping methods, find ways to handle the challenges, and stay positive.