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Somehow George Michael's FREEDOM has become a daily dance party in our house. We blast it over a speaker when our kids least expect it, and they light up because they know its time for a quick* dance party.

*Joke is on us, because the remastered version on Spotify is actually 6:29 which feels like 10 days when you're picking kids up and swinging them around in circles. For the other 23 hours and 53 minutes of our day, I'm on that emotional roller coaster with you, Erin! Productive, unable to form a complete sentence, productive, repeat.

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This guy’s Mary Poppins Coronavirus parody is pure gold!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ykieEE1j9eA

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I tried really hard to write about how I was feeling this week and then I managed to delete the entire comment. I guess I wasn't meant to share my negativity this week! 😂

Anyway, some people recreated famous paintings using stuff from their homes and the results were pretty great. https://www.sadanduseless.com/recreated-art/?fbclid=IwAR21EZD4y4WqPBTwHabFTv5iXeI3poyFBXlsBJApRACIS-r8iF6tRJt1Q-g

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- Cherry blossoms blooming!!

- This card: https://unblushing.com/product/doomsday/ For all snail mail sends

- my daughter learning to spin and spinning until she falls over and stumbles around like a drunken sailor (she's almost 2)

- instant pot Mac n cheese https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese

- making no-knead bread 3x a week so now we're out of yeast (it's coming but just backordered) which has made it so I'm attempting to make yeast from raisins... because making bread is a priority over everything else.

- Downloaded this flag to color in and put in our window (you can also buy it to support WHO) https://oxfordpennant.com/collections/best-sellers/products/together-we-will-see-it-through-camp-flag-oxford-pennant-original

- also nightly baths while watching Love is Blind. I'm sad Jamie + Knox aren't recapping this... because I have so many thoughts. First of all, they only drink wine out of gold cups. In like every episode. Why is this?

hang in there everyone. Love from Seattle <3

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Last contribution: one of the only good mom groups I'm in on Facebook had a thread going the other day letting us all vent our embarrassing, petty, dumb things we miss during This Time. For example, the freedom to go to Target and wander around for 20-45 minutes. I think we all found it very therapeutic to be able to vent our stupid things freely, all obviously knowing there are Bigger Things out there to be concerns about.

Feel free to share yours -- mine is that I will never be able to catch up on podcasts without my morning get-ready routine and commute, and I am really sad that I may not be able to work through my list of grown-up shows I wanted to watch during maternity leave if my toddler is home instead of at daycare.

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1. Why has no one mentioned John Mayer's return to his Instagram Live talk show -- Current Mood: The Gentle Hours?! The Drone Shot of my Yacht song was stuck in my head all week.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-YGR-UFH_M/?utm_source=ig_embed

2. We finally jumped on the Schitt's Creek bandwagon and it is the perfect pandemic antidote

3. Whoever recommended Joanna Gaines' banana bread a few weeks ago -- thank you! Made it twice. So delish.

4. My son calls hamburgers "hangaburrs" and it's adorable.

5. Fun activity I made up is slowly walking around the neighborhood to see what kind of "animals" (lawn decorations) our neighbors all have. On our street and the next we have found so many sculptures and my son loves to go out and look for them and ask them how they are doing -- lizards, easter eggs, ducks, bunnies, frogs, a rooster, a bulldog... like... lots of people have animal sculptures in their flower beds haha. It's a good way to kill 15-30 minutes.

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Omg Erin this one was maybe the best yet. I cried reading Coach Taylor’s speech, but not sad tears, cleansing tears. The relief of THIS IS WHAT WE NEEDED during this time. I’m not going to lie i will need a follow up episode to that speech 😭. Also thanks for the lawmaker info. I live in WA state and am scathing at how all the stores here keep getting masks and gloves in stock? I am ALL for freedom but for the love why on earth are we still funneling these through retail chains? It’s insanity. We were the outbreak state and we still have no supplies and are light years behind everyone else in testing. I’m buying the holy yearly planner from that site, wooden prayer crosses, and printing off the Holy Week guide (former Lutheran here who has missed the church calendar and why I love the info you create and provide!) thank you!!!! Ps tik tok might be happening former dancer here but my 7 yr old says there’s bad things on there and is worried about me 🤗 🤣🤣

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I was going to share that Vulture article! It was so perfect. And the TikTok of Kylo Ren doing HSM3 KILLED ME. I just told my husband we need to watch the HSMs during This Time since he tragically has not seen ANY of them.

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Good morning, Fellow Swipes!

I am generally avoiding news like the plague (ha!), so, probably like many of us, spending way too much time on IG looking for nuggets of joy. Here are a few:

1. Elizabeth Holmes (@eholmes) recaps the fashion of the Royals, namely Kate and Meghan. She rewatched Kate and Will's wedding on YT, and IG storied it. It's gorgeous and happy and delightful.

2. @samsonthedood is a Goldendoodle who lives in CT with 2 other doodles and a baby. The pics of the baby sleeping on the dog kill me. It is the content our souls need.

3. @dnice and his #clubquarantine live dj'ing is so fun. Great music, great vibe. He does slow jams later at night, and it is a MOOD. Get some in your life.

4. It has been mentioned here before, but worth a double down. John Krasinski and his news show SGN (Some Good News) is all that is right in the world. And frankly, I'm not sure there is a more charming person on the globe. Maybe his wife. The whole section where he talks to Steve Carell is GOLD.

5. Yesterday I gave in and signed up for the Bible Binge Seminary to go with my BFOTS status. I am all in with PMG content, and apparently need more Erin Moon in my life (duh). Also, as I'm sitting here new BFOTS content dropped - recapping Tiger King and I am HERE FOR IT.

May your afternoons be short and your happy hour be long!

(Hmmm, thinking THAT should be my new sign off...

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Penny & Sparrow’s Live EP is literally getting me through the day. I will play it ALL. DAY. 🙏

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In the vein of sweet and calming Twitter accounts, check out @ncwhm (Nat'l Cowboy Museum). It's a gem.

Other than that, my biggest win for the week was anger writing 1300 words on my novel. I say anger writing because one day my children were weirdly putting up a fight about going outside and it made me so enraged, I said "fine. I will go outside by myself." And I sat on the back porch for over an hour all by myself and wrote. It will probably never happen again, but it was nice that once anyway!

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So Tennessee is objectively the worst, and because we started moving around MORE after a stay-at-home "suggestion" we're now finally under a mandate that should have happened two weeks ago. I apparently am an "essential employee" as a librarian and am not allowed to work from home. its chill i think, but the lack of good communication in our local leadership had me frustrated yesterday so that when I got home from work I lay in the grass in the sunshine (thank GOD) in my front yard feeling my feelings to music while the boy tried to be social-distantly affectionate over text to make me feel better. ("i'd say come hang out at my house but like government orders and stuff." BLESS HIM. also its gonna be a long month).

BUT I am NOTHING if not a resourceful, imaginative person, and if I have to travel with a letter delaring my essentialness incase I get stopped and questioned, Im gonna make the MOST of it. After a conversation with my sisters over group chat, I decided that if I have to carry papers like a french resistance spy or 1800's parollee, I will DRESS the part. I'm now sitting at my lonely desk, with a chic pixie pant, understated provencial top, audrey hepburn ballet flats and a freakin' cloche. I will LIVE the pandemic movie of my life, THANK you very much! Now, I BETTER get to use those papers or whats the point of all this drama? (and yes, I have a VERY strong 4 wing in case you wondered)

anyway. storytime over. may your personal pandemic movies be as chill or exciting as you want them to be.

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Greetings from MN....

1. I survived our first week of distance learning with my sons (Max: 13 & Lincoln: 7). Today the kids would have had the day off from actual school so they didn't do curriculum for the middle schooler. He is so happy. It's like, dude, you've had a whole 4 days of "work" that basically keeps him busy until lunch. But hey, he's happy which helps lower our household stress.

2. Letter writing is bringing me joy. Lincoln and I have been very invested in this. To anyone who's sent me a letter or Lincoln a letter. Believe me, you are LOVED. If you want another pen pal or want a letter from a 7 year old or have kids who want to write outside of Erin's awesomely arranged pairings, please email me: mellemo@gmail.com.

3. Having the "big talk" with my boss about my availability in the office next week (we have alternating weeks of being in and out.), he is letting me only come in M/W/F for afternoons. That is a blessing. I was worried about having to be there FT all week because there is no way my husband (who's also WFH) could manage the distance learning needs on his own. I'm trying to keep my chill every 2 weeks that our company hasn't had any lay-offs (yet) and keep grateful for that.

4. Yes, I've watched Tiger King. Yes I think they are all terrible people. Yes I think Carole did what everyone says she did.

5. Going to watch the Project Runway-esque show with Tim Gunn & Heidi Klum on Amazon. While I have a mix of feelings about Amazon, I do miss Tim Gunn in my life. I have yet to watch any of the ps yet, I think this weekend will be when I catch-up.

6. Doing my nails is my new weekly treat. Having Lincoln pick out my colors is also fun.

7. Video calls, why did we hate on facetime before the 'Tine? It's a delight.

Well time for Math class. ;)

Be well everyone!

Mel

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Guys, I am sad (or proud?) to say I'm 30-something and I don't understand TikTok. BUT DANG, THOSE WERE GOOD. Now I'm trying to figure out how to share the Phil Collins one on my Insta stories but I have no idea how. Ha!

I've been doing embroidery like crazy (I started day 1 of quarantine) and I'm loving @thebarmyfix on insta. It's a great activity to keep my hands and mind busy when I get super upset/anxious/want to run screaming out of my home because I can't take it any longer.

I also decided I (the girl who cannot use a sewing machine) to learn to make masks with a borrowed machine. It's going as well as you might think, but again, it's something to do!

This is rough, but cue HSM..."we're all in this together.."

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That Coach Taylor speech got me good!! And I have watched and shared that exact same TikTok so many times!! I also find this one hilarious. It’s the deep sigh, the way he turns and looks at her - it makes me laugh so hard!! (Posting link)

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That man hitting all the notes of the drum solo made my day. Whenever that song plays on my favorite classic rock station I am eagerly anticipating my own air-drum solo.

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I’m sitting alone in my office and I literally said “oh my God” out loud at the cabinet tweet and the TikTok fall. I then watched 3 more times. I love some quality content like this. Also tiger king. I need more joe memes

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Dang...that Coach Taylor speech. My heart forever belongs to Eric Taylor (ok, and Tim Riggins, but that’s just like a rule or something).

I had a coworker that had to be in the office briefly yesterday offer to water the little plants I have at my desk! I’ve been so sad about them dying since I can’t water them. It’s the little things y’all.

Also, learning alternative ways to cook eggs must be the thing to do during a pandemic. I learned to poach eggs last weekend and it was amazing!! Alton Brown’s YouTube video was the ticket.

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Steadily adding to my loungwear wardrobe, first it was $7 pastel tye dye joggers from walmart, now this magical wonder Check out this item at Target https://www.target.com/p/women-39-s-leopard-print-lounge-playsuit-colsie-8482-gray-l/-/A-78603977

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We have an almost 2 year old and a 4 month old, so I know they won’t really remember these times. BUT I am trying to do things with them so we can look back. Wanted to pass them along to anyone! We started doing a Thankful Chain. A paper chain we add to every day that includes something we are thankful for. Super fun and easy and reminds me to be thankful for all of the little things.

Also- a friend sent me this. I haven’t read through it all yet but looks like a good resource! https://www.dropbox.com/s/po5rmhnau24vcg4/2020%20Covid-19%20time%20capsule%20sheets.pdf?dl=0

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I loved that dad in the kitchen video too... I return the favor with the mom version: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-f4p5fJNVJ/

hang in there everyone!

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My win was Kendra’s recipe for homemade creamy tomato sauce on her The Lazy Genius blog. It’s so simple to make, and the flavor is amazing. I used it with Naptime Kitchen’s Two M Summer Pasta recipe.

I’m almost 37 weeks pregnant and am a stay at home mom of a 3 year old, but I’ve never been at home THIS much. Going outside has been a life saver for my mood and sanity. There was one yucky day this week where we didn’t go outside, and I could really feel it. But I’ve been cooking and baking so much more than normal, and I honestly enjoy it. Apparently, I’m not the only one drawn to banana bread. 😂

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Has anyone purchased the little war chapel devotional? My kids are 4 and 2, and though it says 12 and under, I’m wondering if it would still be too “old” for them?

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It was a weird week emotionally for me. We've been spending a lot of time outside in the nice weather, but today Kansas decided to dump freezing rain on us so it's adding to the lethargy.

Some joy from the week:

This video of Disney characters stuck in quarantine made me laugh so hard: https://youtu.be/iVC01GxFwDg

Reading aloud to my kids - we've been working through MY favorite books as a kid: The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, and next we're going to do The Indian in the Cupboard. It's been so fun revisiting these favorite characters.

I haven't watched yet, but super excited that National Theater is doing "At Home" showings of theater:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDq1XzCY0NIOYVJvEMQjqw

The new Bible Binge Seminary episodes called Favored or Forsaken - for real, Erin, I loved this conversation you guys had so much. The insights about Miley and Hailey and their conversations were <chef's kiss>.

Finally, the restaurant in town that serves my absolute favorite cocktail is closed temporarily, but they shared the recipe on their IG complete with pretty illustrations, and you better believe I sent my husband out into the wilderness to get all the supplies: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fYAa9hLVo/

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Again, I cannot love you better than to say, go to Abi Ayres insta account and watch her stories for some lolz and that good ole internet hug feel

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