PL2020 - Week 15 | Sahlin Studio

Week 15 seems like a long time ago. We still regularly had snow back then.  I think it's safe to say now, that we might be in the clear as far as snow advisories go, at least until September... 😂 Fingers crossed really, because anything could happen. 

We were actually joking at dinner last night, that we feel like we're in the 97th day of March...

We've been home for 77 days. Which amounts to 11 weeks. 

E L E V E N weeks. 

I've gotten out a bit more recently. I actually ventured out to the grocery store, for a big shop, this week. [I have been ordering on-line and then just picking up] It felt good to do something so normal. Though, there was nothing normal about it. Only a certain amount of people allowed in. Cleaning the cart handle before touching it. Trying to maintain distance between shoppers [most people are really good about it, but there are a number of people who DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT 2m DISTANCE IS] I have never felt so nervous about being in such close proximity to strangers before. Sadly, this pandemic has definitely changed how I view others.

Then, there is one line up for the tills, with lines on the floor, spaced 2 m apart. I found myself towards the very back of the store... Waiting in line. That is another thing I'm not loving. The line ups nearly every where we go.

I guess, 11 weeks in, I've finally really leaned into the 'being at home' vibe. I'm glad I like the people I live with. Not to say there aren't the occasional blow-ups. There are. [Four people, 2 adults and 2 young adults were NEVER meant to spend this much time together]

Things are beginning to open back up again. Which makes me nervous. Now I just don't want to go anywhere... All the places that brought me joy, Second Hand shops, Michael's, Winner's/HomeSense, will all be a totally different experience. I'm sure much of it will be just getting out there a bit. Getting used to our new normal. Such as it is. 

Any way, back to week 15, with the snow that never stopped and still feeling really anxious about the pandemic:

• Making S'mores over tea lights in the kitchen.
• Using my sewing machine to make face masks... [which I do fear will become something we will be required to have on, while we're out]
• Our menu, which I thought would be really interesting to keep track of, because in 11 weeks, we've eaten most of our meals from home. [I'm a smidge tired of being the chef and meal planner] I can count on 3 fingers, how many times we've brought something in. 
• Video chats with friends.
• Cinnamon buns, again. So, SO good.
• Always snowing.
• We had a very quiet Easter this year, just the 4 of us. We made the most of it, eating off our china and in the dining room. 

The following Sahlin Studio products were used:

Pure Happiness Elements: https://the-lilypad.com/store/pure-happiness-elements.html

Pure Happiness J. Cards: https://the-lilypad.com/store/pure-happiness-journal-cards.html

Hooray Collection | Sahin Designs

For Sahin Designs creative gallery for May, I used the Hooray Collection to document the Drive-by Birthday I'd organized for Madelyn.

She turned 15. Birthdays in the middle of a pandemic, are not much fun for anyone. When you have a child, that begins to plan next years birthday, after this years is over, it's even more disappointing. I decided to surprise her with the new Coronavirus-Style, Street Parade.

She had no clue. She thought perhaps Grandparents would drive by at some point during the day. She was shocked when friends first started to drive by. Then extended family arrived. So many came. Lots of smiles from her this day. 

The day was perfection. Not a cloud in the sky. No wind. People ended up parking and staying for a few hours. [I'm glad we didn't get the authorities called on us, because there definitely was a lot of loitering] We all stayed respectfully, 2 metres from one another. 

Having conversations with people, when you're standing far apart, isn't ideal. It still seems so foreign. 

In truth, this was the most people we'd seen, in over 6 weeks. I think everyone needed it. 

Even though she had other plans for her birthday [which involved inviting friends over to watch as many Jurassic Park movies as possible and eating junk food] This is certainly a birthday she'll never forget. 

So, so grateful for everyone who made the drive to help us celebrate our girl. 

The following Sahin Designs products were used: 

Alphas - https://sahindesigns.com/products/hooray-alphas/

J. Cards - https://sahindesigns.com/products/hooray-cards/

Paper - https://sahindesigns.com/products/hooray-papers/

Elements - https://sahindesigns.com/products/hooray-elements/

PL2020 - Week 14 | Sahlin Studio

Going back to week 14. The kids had been off school for 2 weeks. The first week because of school closures and Coronavirus, the second week was our scheduled spring break.

Week 14 was the start of learning at home. 

A huge learning curve, for everyone, as we're all trying to navigate this together.

• Libby doesn't mind having us home all the time.
• Mason's new normal. Scheduled video lectures.
• The baking needs to slow down a little bit...
• Madelyn as well, connecting with school/teachers.
• Favourite funnies or memes I've seen up to the point. 

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

Simplify Kit - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Simplify-Kit.html

Simplify J. Cards - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Simplify-Journal-Cards.html

Day in Review Collection | Sahlin Design

Sahin Designs brand new Day in Review Collection is available now! If you are participating in Ali Edwards, A Week in the Life, this is the perfect addition. 

This collection is available now through Sunday night at 20% off. If you happen to be a newsletter subscriber, watch your inbox for a 50% off link.

This year, a week in the life is a little different from past years. The biggest being, we're in the middle of a pandemic. If that's not a reason to document in detail, a week in your life, then what is? 

I spent last Sunday preparing for this mini album. 

I created a 'recipe' this year. All days will include these elements: 

• A journal card with the day of the week on it and the number that corresponds to that, for example, Monday is Day 1.

• Every day will have a favourite picture of the day. 

• Every day will have a list of gratitudes.

• Every day will have a bit of journaling the corresponds with the 3x4 sized cards. 

I will go into more detail about how I put this album together, with it's repeating elements in another post. 

Here are the first few pages from Monday.  

The following Sahin Designs products were used: 

https://sahindesigns.com/products/day-in-review-cards/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/day-in-review-stamps/

PL2020 - Week 13 | Sahlin Studio

Is anyone else participating in week in the life this week?

I am, and so far, day 3, things are running quite smoothly. 

I went though all my past albums. The first year I did an 'album' was 2008. I haven't done one every year. I'm missing 2009 and 2019. I was surprised not to be able to find 2019... But I have a teeny memory of thinking I wouldn't do it. Which now, looking back, is disappointing. 

My kids are older now, and aren't quite as interested in being in all my 'stuff'. Though having said that, they've endured 10+ years of project life type memory keeping. 

They say they hate it, but love to go back and look through albums. I am more mindful of their privacy now, and don't post publicly things they ask me not to. 

I thought this would be a good year to participate in A Week in the Life, as we're in full swing Global Pandemic. One day, I hope we'll look back and say, remember the year 2020?

Here's week 13 of my project life album. 

• My goal is to do a home practice yoga session 3-5 times a week. 
• Celebrating my big birthday, with just my little 4-some. [I already declared this a birthday do-over for myself, and for whoever else has a birthday during this time. 
• Madelyn made herself a very real looking pair of cat ears. 
• The kids making me birthday break.
• The new way we chat with one another. 
• Game nights are a lot more frequent as of late. We learned how to play Mexican Train. 

The following Sahlin Studio products were used:

Vibe Elements - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Vibes-Elements.html

Vibe Journal Cards - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Vibes-Cards.html

May Template Freebie | Sahlin Studio

It's that time again, the release of a Sahlin Studio template freebie. Follow this link to go to the template, free to download through the month of May.  

This was our last date, before we were all told to stay home. We had no idea what was about to happen. 

It seemed that overnight, our whole world changed.  

I know we had fun and enjoyed ourselves, but had we known then, what we know now... Well, I would have enjoyed the evening that much more. It was the first time we had our 'live-in' driver drop us off and pick us up from an event. 

If we realized this was our last 'date night' in the foreseeable future, maybe we would have stayed out later. But it was a school night after all, and we didn't want to keep our driver out too late. How considerate of us. 

On March 10th, we had no idea that schools would be shut down indefinitely less than a week later.  That idea really would have seemed preposterous.

I'm glad we got this night,  our last night of normal.

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

Shine Bright Kit - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Shine-Bright-Kit.html

May Featured Product - PM Movies | Sahlin Studio

Sahlin Studio featured product for the month of may is Project Mouse Movies.

I think this is being featured at the perfect time. 

I'm not talking about heading out to a theatre to see a movie. Sadly, that's not happening anytime soon. Or in the foreseeable future, as near as I can tell.

We have a ton of movies at home,  many that I have never seen. One result of total crap weather and the Coronavirus, we're watching way more tv/movies than we ever have before. 

Mason was really eager for us to watch the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. They are some of his favourites. 

Madelyn really wanted to read the Hobbit before we watched it [which she did, in one day...] 

Both movies were trilogies. 

By the end of the last movie, I'd watched nearly 20 hours of hobbits, orcs, dwarves, elves and wizards, to name a few. In a very short period of time. 

Not sure what the next movies will be on our 'must see' list.

We recently did a Star Wars Marathon, so I don't think it'll be that. 

Maybe Harry Potter? Mad still hasn't seen some of them. 

We watched the first 2 seasons of Jack Ryan recently, to even out our binge watching. It's been fun watching things together as a family.

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

PM Movies - Elements - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Movies-Elements.html

PM Movies - J. Cards - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Movies-Journal-Cards.html

PM Movies - Word Art - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Movies-Word-Art.html

Exploring [a Travel] Collection | Sahlin Studio

Sahlin Studio just released Exploring, a travel Collection. 

We haven't been anywhere this year, and chances are pretty slim that there will be any trips in our future. I began to reminisce looking through last years photos.

I had done a quick spread of our trip to include in our project life album, but I didn't include much detail. This collection made me want to be a bit more intentional with our road trip stories.

It makes me so happy to have these pictures. Photos just take you right back.

Here are a few pages I plan to add into last years project life album:

I'm so thankful I have these memories.

I'm even more thankful we did this trip last year. What if we'd waited to take it this year? Obviously it was meant to be, and I couldn't be more grateful.

I'm just not sure this summer that we even want to get too far away from home. I think this will be the year of the STAY-cation.

For now, I'll just relive the past...


The following Sahlin Studio products were used:

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Exploring-Word-Art.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Exploring-Journal-Cards.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Exploring-Stickers.html

Livin La Vida Collection | Sahin Designs

This is the latest collection from Sahin Designs.  I love the bright colours of this collection.

I'm loving any colour right now, because we're currently in the 'snow has all melted, but we're weeks away from the green and blooming' stage.

Oh Canada, spring certainly takes its sweet time where I'm from. I understand we could have green grass all years and gardens beginning to bloom early in the year if we lived closer to say, the west coast... [My happy place] Maybe one day... Never say never... But for now, we'll be midway through may as the first flowers start to show themselves and the grass begins to green.

I'm sorry, I wandered there.

This collection from Sahin Designs is on sale through Sunday May 3rd, get it while it's on sale. Also, if you happen to be a subscriber, watch your email for a 50% off link.

Since it doesn't appear that we are going to be able to head anywhere, in our near future, thanks to the Coronavirus, I'm looking back longingly on last years holiday.

Man, am I glad we did it this last year. On top of all the other disappointments that have been 2020, it would be even more heartbreaking to have to cancel a trip we'd spent months planning.

Thankfully I have pictures to look back on and remember.

The following Sahin Designs products were used:

https://sahindesigns.com/products/livin-la-vida-elements/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/livin-la-vida-papers/

https://sahindesigns.com/products/livin-la-vida-cards/