Silver Lining of Quarantine Life: We’re More Resourceful With Less

NJ Mom Giselle Cornwell shares the bright side of sheltering at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Giselle Cornwell is a mom of two (Jason, 12 and Stella, 6) who lives in Matawan. A former flight attendant, she is the blogger behind @weekendfamgoals which chronicles fun weekend adventures in and around New Jersey. We asked her to share the good that has come from quarantine life.

All photos courtesy of Giselle Cornwell

What’s been the silver lining for you and your family through this period?

The silver lining for me and my family during this challenging health crisis has been simplifying our focus and really getting back to basics.

My husband and I were recently discussing how this “new normal” may be a blessing in disguise. I feel like it has caused us to become a bit more resourceful and creative with much less. It has also created a much stronger sense of community within ourselves, as well as our friends and neighbors. We’re always reaching out to each other to check in! 

 

What has been a sanity saver for you and the kids on work from home/school from home days?

What has saved my sanity from my kids and homeschooling? Setting a schedule. Now, I’m not saying we stick to it religiously, but having some sense of routine and time management has helped eliminate some of the chaos for sure.  The kids know what’s expected and when they are free to do the fun stuff so that helps us all get through our days… what day is it anyway? Lol! 

What have you done to make the weekend at home special and fun?

The weekends have taken on an “anything goes” kind of vibe. We’ve done some DIY craft projects, planned a girls-only spa day, planted a mini fairy garden, baked grandma‘s made from scratch bread and also started a butterfly garden — still waiting on the hungry caterpillar to bloom! 

We’re also planning a family car wash day as well as a backyard camping night when the weather gets a bit warmer. Oh, and we’ve also watched a ton of TikTok! Haha! 

My only tip during this crazy time is just to be grateful. I know for me, exercising gratitude really changes my perspective from negative thoughts to positive ones. I remember super storm Sandy and how isolated I felt during that time. We had limited power, light and no real Internet access. My son was almost 6 and I was a few months pregnant with my daughter. My husband is a first responder so he was never home— it was only a few weeks but it was brutal. I’m grateful for the basic comforts we still have this time around.

 

Read More:

More NJ Moms Share the Bright Side of Quarantine Life

John Krasinski’s Some Good News Is Making Our Day

How an NJ Mom Boss is Helping Healthcare Workers

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