#BoMaLiving / family relationships

How to Stay Serene While Social Distancing

We are in a time that will be seen in history books for decades to come, but right now, we’re in the midst of incredible uncertainty and downright panic. You don’t have to dig too deep to realize that the only way to help slow the spread and save lives is to stay at your home as much as possible to protect those in our communities who are most vulnerable. And with working from home being the new normal for many people and most schools shut down until further notice, life as we know it has completely changed. And it’s scary. We know there’s no way to make things OK right now, but we want to try to ease a little bit of the transition by sharing with you all of the ways that we are finding our own solace during this time of social distancing.

All About the Comfy Cozies

You know that feeling when you finally get to crawl into your softest PJs after a long day out? Well, that feeling doesn’t have to go away just because your day doesn’t have the “out” part right now. It can feel overwhelming to have to balance every aspect of life all at home — and we fully expect and look forward to a lot of kids giggling in the background of conference calls — so taking every moment to treat yourself is our most important advice. Say goodbye to jeans and pencil skirts and hello to joggers, super-soft sweaters, and pajamas all day baby. No one you virtually interact with will be doing anything else, so let’s take advantage of this. Personally, we’ve found it super helpful to still stick with our morning makeup and skincare routines to keep the feeling of normalcy as much as possible, but then it’s right back into our softest attire.

How to Find a Moment of Peace

We’ve shared posts before about our favorite self-care suggestions, so you already have some hot tips. But right now we need to be taking this to the next level. We are starting every morning with a short meditation to help keep us in the right mindset to take on anything we need to. Our favorite is the Headspace app — with dozens of meditation packs from soothing anxiety to being more productive, they make it easy to squeeze a quick breathing exercise into your day even if you only have five minutes to spare. They have even launched a free package of meditations called “Weathering the Storm” for anyone who is dealing with stress and anxiety due to the current events. If you have a little extra time for yourself, you already know that bubble baths (don’t forget the infused bath salt from Milk & Honey and some calming candles and aromatherapy) do wonders, so fit one in between Zoom calls, roll on our favorite Anxiety Sucks oil from Little Shop of Oils, and get back to your A-game.

What to Read

At first, it might be easy to take this time as an opportunity to catch up on season 2 of “Succession” or finally get to join in the conversation about “Love is Blind,” but after a day of nonstop streaming, you’ll realize how quickly it loses its luster. However, in the face of an undetermined amount of at-home time, we’re happy to announce that reading won’t ever lose its charm. We’ve compiled our top five books at the moment (all written by fantastic women) as a great way to stay entertained. Send the list out to all of your best friends and you can even get an impromptu virtual book club going — with wine and Facetime, of course. We’ve included links to the Amazon pages for all of these, but we encourage you to order online from your favorite local booksellers during a time of extra uncertainty for all small businesses.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (This is one is going to the big screen — it’s currently in production, so you’ll have plenty of time to read it once (or twice) before it hits theaters).

How to Date Men When you Hate Men by Blythe Robbinson

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (Bonus: Once you finish reading this gem, you can catch up on the Hulu series which premiers on March 18).

Endorphins, Endorphins, Endorphins

We all know that our best mental health comes when a lot of aspects of our lives are balanced, with a big part of that coming when we are able to spend time with the people we love most. But when the No. 1 rule of the moment is to isolate ourselves from most people, everything else becomes even more vital. As our favorite lawyer, Elle Woods, once said, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy …” We all know how that ends, but she’s right.

Endorphins are powerful, and with most gyms being shut down, we did some digging to find other ways to get our blood pumping and release those endorphins. Yoga with Adrienne is one of our favorite ways to take a break throughout the day, whether that means going a little harder with a Total Body Workout or keeping it more zen with Yoga for Backpain, a lifesaver for those days when we accidentally work from the couch all day. We also have been getting into Pamela Reif’s videos whenever we need a 10-minute “break” but are really looking to sweat.

Keep the Littles Happy

Okay, now we get to perhaps the hardest part … how do we keep our lives afloat and our work chugging along with little ones running around and needing our immediate attention almost constantly? It’s amazing how many institutions and businesses have really stepped up and have done their part to help soothe the transition. Parents.com found 12 of the best museums that are now offering virtual tours for your older ones who may still be on spring break but need to be more engaged than just sitting down with another TV show. For your smaller ones, getting back to the basics of puzzles, coloring books, and even science kits (again, check the websites of your local toy stores here) can be a great way to keep them focused.

Most importantly, though, stay safe, stay inside when you can, and find opportunities to help your community and neighbors who might be quietly struggling. Check local neighborhood Facebook pages and the Nextdoor app or consider donating to Feeding America if you’re able. And don’t hesitate to reach out to your community if you need help.

xo Your oldbazaaristanbul family

Spring Break Adventures for the Whole Family

As much as we want to shout it from the rooftops that spring has officially sprung, we’re still holding our breath for one last snowfall or polar vortex, because the sun seems too good to be true. But alas, the sun is shining, the snow is melting, and spring break season is upon us. Some of you may be lucky enough to cross one of our favorite destinations off of your bucket list this spring, but for the rest of us who are relieved enough to just enjoy the weather, we’ve come up with some easy adventures to make the most of the kids’ week off (and treat yourself to a night out, while you’re at it). Of course, make sure to keep it a photo-worthy adventure by picking out a Mommy 'N' Me outfit to sweeten things up even more.

Next-Level Staycation

We’re all about a staycation that means never changing out of PJs and checking off all of the movies you’ve been wanting to see, but if you’re needing a change of scenery, Airbnb Experiences are the perfect solution. They give you such a fun way to experience your city in a completely different way, whether you check out a cooking class, take a walking tour of a new area, or you get to spend some time with a mini pig (yeah, we’re serious). You can even filter the experiences by ages, so you can make sure that the kids are in for a blast as well.

Take it to New Heights

Bouldering is a fun family-friendly spring break activity

In case you’ve somehow avoided hearing the news, the entire world is revolving around bouldering right now. It may sound daunting, what with climbing a rock wall without any harness or ropes, but once you try it you’ll never look back. A lot of bouldering gyms have special areas for the kids, and you might even find some climbing classes offered during spring break. Besides being an easy (and fun) way to keep the family active, everyone will be beaming with pride once they get to the top of their first climb. Who knows, you might just find your new weekend tradition.

Keep it Educational

Visit a museum for a kid-friendly spring break activity

With a week off and summer so close you can taste it, it’s always a good idea to keep the littles flexing their minds (and it won’t hurt for you, either). We’ve all been guilty of claiming that we’ll check out our city’s best museums “one day,” so now's the time to follow through. Whether you’re more of an artsy family, you like to keep things scientific, or the kids want to bring some bizarre tales back to the classroom after visiting a spot on the list of “America’s Most Unusual Museums,” you’ll all love spending a day wandering, learning, and chatting.

Treat Yourself

Take a crafting and drinking class with friends

You’ve endured a long, cold winter, too, so why should the kids get to have all of the fun? Take a night out with your besties and find a crafting class to giggle your way through. With DIY workshops taking over every city (most of which offering drinks to accompany your artsy endeavors), all you have to do is settle on a day and make it happen. Plus, you get to walk away with a new addition to your decor lineup, so it’s about as win-win of a situation as you can find.

10 Fun Summer Ideas For The Kids

Sometimes the summer months can be agonizingly exhausting and stressful for us mamas. Between the heat, missed naps, longer days and no school: it can get a little crazy! Keeping your kids, not only busy but occupied for longer than 20 minutes, often seems like a mighty task. Never fear: we have some special and fun ideas for you and your brood to try out this summer. Creating lasting and meaningful memories with your kids is typically on the top of every mama's life to-do list. With these exciting options, you'll be well on your way.

Camp In The Backyard Sometimes summer vacations can be stressful with little ones. If you have kids in a wide age range, this is a good substitute for packing multiple outfits, snacks, toiletries and all the essentials, to lug kids out of town. Instead, you have an entirely new and different setting with the comforts of home just a few feet away. Pitch a tent, have a picnic dinner, tell stories, snuggle in sleeping bags. You can even add a glow in the dark craft or two. It's also perfect because the weather is so much nicer in the evenings and the blaring hot sun isn't up to drain you. Interview a Relative Cultivating the interpersonal skills of our children is so incredibly crucial. One of the best ways to do this is to get them interested in others. To help foster a naturally inquisitive brain, encourage your child to interview a member of the family, preferably someone older. This helps your child get to know aspects of the family tree, and life itself, that may not have dawned on them yet. Though it may sound a bit like schoolwork, your child will likely come to find it fascinating.

Photoshoot In this incessant social media age, there isn't any shortage of documentation and photographs. However, there is something to be said for the physicality of an image. Photos are the very best keepsakes of our lives and memories. Make it a summer tradition to let the kids dress up and have a photo shoot. Using a Polaroid camera is ideal because you have instant access to your pictures. Put them on your fridge, in the car or around the house as little reminders of your fun summer. Visit The Library With our fast paced and ceaselessly digital lives, we can sometimes forget that a library is a beautiful place filled with books of countless stories. Spend an afternoon going through different books with your children. Interact with them, read with them, ask them questions. Even though school's out, they should always be learning and growing. It's a much slower pace than the games they're used to playing on their iPad's, but it also helps them cultivate patience and critical thinking.

Water Balloon Fight Some things should never go out of style. Certain aspects of childhood, like hide and seek and water balloon fights, should live eternally. Lather the kids up with sunscreen and head out to the backyard. Added fun bonus if the sprinklers are on. Fill a giant bucket with water balloons for each kid and let them run wild. A perk of this suggestion is after a couple of hours, they'll be passed out on the couch from an overdose of sun and laughter. Family Game Night We know the electronic devices get to be all consuming, but a little family time is still one of the most fundamentally vital aspects a kid needs. Pull out the old fashioned games, whether it be board games or a deck of cards. Try to play something new each week. This not only helps exercise their analytical and logical minds but also teaches them valuable life skills. A good game allows for great family bonding and requires enough concentration to have your kids hooked.

Organize and Donate Old Toys It's important to give your children context for how to treat their belongings and how to treat others. Telling them it's time to donate old and gently used toys to children less fortunate should be an activity that becomes consistent. Donating items at least twice a year keeps play spaces less cluttered and also teaches your kids valuable lessons about giving, empathy and being of service to others. Let them choose between the toys they want to keep and ones they want to donate. Make gentle suggestions of specific toys you know they no longer play with. Cooking Class Get your kids involved in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the gendered notion that cooking is something that women predominately do is still very much engrained in many people. Whether you have sons or daughters, helping them learn how to cook is essential as a life skill. Whether you use some of your favorite recipes or enjoy a meal cooking service, familiarizing your kids with the kitchen is one of the best uses of their extra summer time.

Scavenger Hunt What you don't want is for your child's entire summer vacation to consist of video games and cheesy puffs. Though there's nothing wrong with those things, having a bit of variety is exactly where that sweet spot lies. There are numerous ways you can orchestrate a fun hour or two of your kids roaming around the house looking for clues. You can try an A to Z scavenger hunt where they must locate an item that begins with each letter. You can also hide little rewards near the object itself. Put on a Show Kids and their creativity and imagination know no bounds. Tap into that by allowing them to put on a show. They can perform a dance number, do magic tricks, tell jokes or any other type of display. Set it up like a talent show complete with costume changes and interesting little tidbits. You can act as the host or an enthused audience member. Children constantly need validation and praise. This is the perfect way for them to get that while also demonstrating their flair and knack for what they have an interest in.

Images via Earthy Andy, HippieWild, DailyDoseofStuf, and Pinterest

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