New things Archives - Page 15 of 15 - Two California Sisters

How we’re keeping sane during the pandemic

This period is rough on all of us, for a lot of different reasons. Keeping sane during the pandemic can be hard; health, financial, educational, social and other worries are on our minds. There doesn’t seem to be an end to it in sight. I’d like to share some of the things I am doing to manage my mental well-being during this time. These are no substitute for professional help from a therapist or doctor, so don’t hesitate to reach to one if you need it. This isn’t the time to hope you can just “muscle through” this crazy time.

Enjoying our new Peloton bike

The whole family is really enjoying our new Peloton bike! Getting the bike has been a long time coming; I started using the digital-only app back in April 2019 primarily for cycling classes on the stationary bikes at my gym and some strength workouts here and there. In early April, when it became apparent that we wouldn’t be back in the gym for quite a while (note: the gym announced that it will close indefinitely until the surge is under control), we placed an order for the Peloton bike. Good thing that we didn’t wait, because it took over seven weeks for the bike to arrive after placing the order.

Going crazy for pens and paper at Jetpens and more

If there’s one thing I always seem to need more of, it’s new pens and paper. Notebooks, tablets, little cards, gel pens, fountain pens, highlighters… I have an insatiable demand. And going crazy for pens and paper is a low cost hobby.

History of my passion for pens and paper

If you are a pen and paper lover like me, you will understand. If you aren’t, you may think I am nuts to obsess so much over something trivial like pens. My husband certainly falls in that camp; he actually saves ballpoint pens from hotels (shudder!!) to use around the house. Hey, they’re free, right?? In my opinion, if it’s worth writing something down, it’s worth using nice paper and wonderful pens. Life is too short for pens that remind you of your last Hyatt stay. (sorry not sorry)

Eating our way across a few Carmel restaurants

It was terrific to get out of the house and experience some new Carmel restaurants during our three day weekend. Kate has given you the lowdown on our cottage rental and activities last weekend, and I’ll be sharing our food and restaurant choices.

Look at that blue sky! Gorgeous day in Monterey

First stop was Parker Lusseau in Monterey. Sophie and I left the Bay Area around noon, before having lunch, so we were very happy to find this lovely bakery around 2pm. We snagged a couple of sandwiches on brioche (tuna and egg salads), some macarons, and a lemon tart for Kate, who would be joining us at our cottage at Holman Ranch later that afternoon.

Summer weekend in Carmel Valley with the girls

Tom’s Tree at Holman Ranch, Carmel Valley, CA

Three days in Carmel Valley was just what the doctor ordered! Amy and I may both live in beautiful locations, but after 4+ months stuck at home, we both needed a change of venue. My niece, 15 year old Sophie, was also ready for a much needed break. And our husbands definitely needed a break from us too! 🙂

I can always find something to spend money on …

painting — The doggies are Lolly and Zoe. The benefits of buying custom art!

I may not have been spending much on gas, eating out, or travel for the last few months, but somehow I still find a way to spend money! Everyone deserves a few treats during a pandemic.

Best sources for specialty online food shopping

Like everyone else in the Bay Area, we freaked out a little bit when we were ordered to shelter-in-place and rarely venture out for groceries and other essentials. Online food shopping was a large source of our groceries from the start.

My husband has more patience than I do- so he was drafted to mask up, stand in line right when the stores opened, and scour the shelves of the local Safeway, Diablo Foods and Trader Joes for (pretty much) anything he could find- and that’s why we have a motley assortment of 50+ cans of beans, soups, chili and other staples (not exaggerating), filling the pantry and the garage (not too far from our home gym actually!)

Trying new things during the pandemic

Around the third week of sheltering in place, I realized that we were going to be in this situation for a lot longer than I originally thought. And after a period of denial and trying to live as normally as possible, I gave myself permission to try some new things, to try doing things in a new way. I want to share what some of those things were and how it’s working out. I’ve given each one a thumbs up or down based on whether I recommend it or not.