Socially Distanced Thrifting.

Socially Distanced thrifting during a pandemic has become a thing. For me anyway.

I posted this picture in one of my early posts containing a few thoughts and observations about our Pandemic experience. 

All very non-political or containing any blame. I'm not about that.

But this picture got a lot of feedback - 

While going to Goodwill and other favorite thrift stores is not essential a lot of us missed it! 

We are on Week 17 here and while many things have opened we must continue to be abundantly cautious. So we are at home 99.999999% of the time :)

For that reason we have worked very hard in our backyard on projects and improvements to make spending our Summer at home more enjoyable. 

One thing I wanted was a lounge chair to go beside our stock tank pool

 (which I call The Bucket.)

I wanted something other than a folding metal beach lounger if possible. I really wanted wrought iron and vintage was preferable. That's what I like and the new ones were shockingly expensive and then you need a big, thick cushion. Also a bit pricey. 

But by late April I thought I could make a FB marketplace transaction be safe if I wore a mask and we put the cash in a baggie and left it in the mailbox or somewhere like that for the seller.  I scrolled through FBM constantly. Let's face it, I had time, and then finally in May these popped up!! I didn't even try to bargain. She was 15 minutes from the house and so we jumped in the truck and headed to pick them up. And it was TWO for $50.00!! Yay!

When we arrived her husband came out and chatted from a distance! We were masked and safely apart. I'm so glad he came out. He told us that his wife's father had been a Master Welder and had made these two lounge chairs for her decades ago!! I love them even more. They are not exactly identical because they are handmade

 but they are soooo well made and sturdy.

So the next step was to find new cushions. I had shared on IG that the "color scheme" of the pandemic (for us) had been dark green and white because that's the paint I had on hand when the lock down began. We already had a lot of our outdoor furniture painted a dark green because 

I am from Charleston and it's in my DNA to paint outdoor and porch furniture dark green.

 I can't help it!!

So I, of course, wanted green and white striped outdoor cushions. 

Sounds easy, right? Not so much. 

But after diligent searching online I found an excellent price for Sunbrella chaise cushions through walmart.com. 

I read the descriptions and measurements on other sites where the green and white striped Sunbrella cushions were $249.00 and $198.00. The descriptions matched exactly, were Sunbrella brand like the others and were under $100.00 with free shipping and returns. 

I figured it was worth a try.  

They are so nice, thick cushioned, and perfect green and white striped Sunbrella fabric!

(The dappled light makes funny looking shadows on the cushions - there isn't anything wrong with them! In fact, they are fabulous and I've already spot cleaned one and it looks brand new!)

I have made another masked, socially distanced Facebook Marketplace purchase since this one!

 I'll share soon. 

Quarantine Crafts for the Kiddos

Someday this title will show up in a search engine and the quarantine part won't mean anything to the person searching. It will all be in the past. Cannot wait!

I hope everyone is well and hanging in there (and acknowledging the severity of this situation) while appreciating the little upbeat moments in all of this. 
Find them where you can! 

I used to speak at training events for teachers and my topic was all about creativity and how allowing creative choices and freedoms enhances learning. 

Mollie used to tell people that I went to "teach teachers how to teach!" :)

Not all learning looks like worksheets, quizzes or formal activities. 

In a 2007 clinical report for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the physician Kenneth R. Ginsburg wrote that “play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.” Yet “many [children] are being raised in an increasingly hurried and pressured style that may limit the protective benefits they would gain from child-driven play.”
*Also, please do not think that an older child doesn't need play or learn while being creative. 

Since everyone has a lot of time to fill, and I keep seeing how limiting screen time is a goal for almost everyone (Yay!!), I'm linking some old posts that would be a good starting point for sparking some creative time for kiddos of all ages. 

Creative thinking and problem solving abilities are two of the things that colleges and companies are searching for in candidates. Start fostering that now with some creative freedoms!

These projects are pre-Prime and ordering everything to be delivered and I'm a big recycler/repurposer so a lot of these require mostly found items. 

And if you don't have something let your little artist/creator find a substitution!

Also, these posts are early on and the images are not the best but that doesn't mean the projects are not great activities for this time in our lives. 

Dig out some cookie cutters and a few pantry items and make this delicious smelling
Chocolate Playdough 




Puppet play is fun and a great stress reliever. It's a good way for children to express frustrations or fears without even realizing it. And we should have TP rolls to use!
Make a batch of these Puppets on a Stick to go with whatever they are studying or to act out a favorite book.


This angel project was originally for Christmas but they could easily be changed in to garden angels. A great accent for your gardens - we are all spending a lot of time out in the fresh air - might as well grow something. I did order seeds on Prime the other day! These would also be cute neighbor gifts or make some for the grandmothers for Mother's Day. It is really easy to find lots of recycled items to use for angel wings and halos.





Owls are always fun. This painting activity is all about shapes and can be as simple or complex as a child's age allows. Paint on cardboard, posterboard, the inside of a cereal box. Whatever you have. Craft paints, old house paint, markers. Use what you have.





These do require a saw to slice the branches but after that there are so many possibilities. Wood slices are so unique and make even learning spelling words fun!Use a Sharpie to draw letters or tic tac toe x's and o's. Draw simple images and use like story stones. This one is completely free. You just need a small branch from the yard!

These daisy stakes for the garden are a good way to create an instant family garden! If you don't have clay saucers use plastic lids. Cut wood scraps into circles. Look around. Use a branch from the yard if you don't have a wood stake. Or use a paintstick or ruler. Improvise. Each child can make one and decorate the flower bed. Or make them for May Day and leave as a surprise for neighbors!

Use this sign project as an inspiration for all kinds of messages and found items to create your flower decoration.
So many possibilities!



There are more posts with fun, found object projects that will spark everyone's creativity.
Just scroll through the blog and enjoy learning and creating during this unusual time.
Maybe this will spark a love of creating that last long past our quarantine days.
If you have any questions just let me know!! 
Get creative!!