Remember FOMO, the fear of missing out? Well, JOMO, the joy of missing out, could be the new normal. Letting go of FOMO and embracing this time to care for ourselves and our families gives us all an opportunity to just go with the flow of staying home.
Joy in Cooking
Lately, I’ve decided to cook more time-consuming, complicated meals whereas, before the pandemic, I would just bypass a recipe with more than 6 ingredients and over 15 minutes of prep time. The pleasure of chopping and dicing, then simmering a big pot of stew on the stove, especially now that the weather has turned a bit colder, has been very therapeutic.
All summer I hesitated to turn on the oven (does everything need to cook at 400?!?), but now I appreciate a one-pan dinner, and not just because of the easy clean up. The delicious aroma of chicken, veggies, and potatoes roasting together makes the whole house smell so good.
Joy in Outfitting
I’m a total fashionista and, in the beginning, I felt bad about pushing my favorite outfits to the back of my closet to select more comfy attire. But with FaceTime and Zoom classes, I make sure to wear a cute (comfy) outfit, style my hair and put on makeup, even when no one will see me. Well, my husband works from home, but still.
Joy in Preserving Memories
This is a great time to tackle that project you’ve been putting off FOREVER. I finally have the time to sort through the many family photo albums I inherited after my parents and grandparents passed. I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through them all but my grandmother had a weird way of saving pictures. There are some from the 1930’s on the same page as her great grandchildren. And none of them are identified. I’m trying not to judge…
I bought lots of scrapbooking supplies to make sense of it all and this is something the kids enjoy. They love learning about their ancestors and hearing the stories about why they left Italy to settle in this country, dating back 100 years.
Joy in Indoor Adventuring
We’re all running out of ideas, though, to keep the kids occupied while keeping our own sanity intact. Indoor camping continues to be a favorite. Little ones love to make a blanket fort, jammed with pillows and stuffed toys, with the lights turned out to make shadows in the dark. Eventually they’ll ask to see a movie (perhaps a nature documentary?) and eat junk food. It’s OK to give in once in a while, if for no other reason than to sneak in some Me Time.
Before you sneak away, make some Indoor S’mores with the kiddos:
Line a tray with parchment paper and distribute 3 cups of mini marshmallows (they have no nutritional value but, whatever)
Put ¼ cup milk chocolate morsels in a heavy-duty resealable bag and heat on medium-high in the microwave for 30 seconds; smoosh it around and heat 10 seconds more until they’re all melted
Snip a tiny corner from the bag and drizzle over the marshmallows then sprinkle with 1 or 2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs
Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes until chocolate is set
Draw hot water into the bathtub with some bubbles … because it’s spa time for you. Hopefully, there’s another grown-up in the house to referee the sharing of the S’mores.
By Kim Amato / Founder / Baby’s Bounty