Listening to Podcasts

Being stuck at home and finding a way to escape reality can be difficult. Going a little stir crazy while trying to escape is tough. I found that listening to podcasts are a great way to help escape reality for a bit. In each one you hear a story from beginning to end. Some of them are true stories, others are fiction. There are a few that you have to wait until next week to hear. Here are some of my favorite podcasts to binge listen to, even when I’m not at home.

• My Favorite Murder from This Is Exactly Right. A true crime comedy podcast. Each episode covers a different one from around the world or right in your backyard. Hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark.
• Gymcastic: I am a huge gymnerd. I love watching gymnastics and hearing about what is going on. In indie podcast hosted by Jessica O’Beirne and Spencer from The Balance Beam Situation you can get all of the gossip and keep up on what is going on in the gymnastics world. Especially, the dumpster fire that is USAG right now. Plus, they have commissioned episodes that cover past Olympics, famous gymnasts, and World Championships. Sometimes they even have special guests like McKayla Maroney and Aly Raisman.
• Rose Sinister: Vampires: This one I came across in New Orleans a couple of years ago when my tour guide, Rose Sinister, announced that she has her own podcast. Since then I have been hooked to them. I can listen to her podcasts over and over again.
• Hollywood and Crime: The most famous Tinsel Town murder of all has to be the murder of Elizabeth “Betty” Short aka The Black Dahlia. Well, if you want to hear more stories like this tune into Hollywood and Crime from Wondery. There you can hear what hides behind the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
• Big Things with Zach Miko: In this podcast by model Zach Miko, Zach interviews many authors, actors, and actresses across the board. There are some where he answers questions about how he broke into the business. He speaks enthusiastically about changing the modeling world by taking down body shaming and being proud of who you are.
• Unsolved Murders: This was one of the first podcasts that I ever listened to. Here the hosts Wendy and Carter take on some of the most intriguing and heinous crimes ever committed. In each one they try to solve case of who did it. These episodes usually span across two or three weeks. Part of the Parcast network, this one leaves me wanting more and more each time I listen.
• Tales: This is another Parcast podcast. This time the host Vanessa takes a deep dive into some of the most beloved fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast and Mulan, only to reveal that they are not the happy tale that Disney has told.
• Haunted Places: Another Parcast podcast the host Greg takes you into some of the scariest places around the world. He tells you the legend the walls and ghosts have to tell from each place. Each place is different, each place has it’s own tale, but each place is haunted.

There is a list of some of my favorite ones to binge listen to during this time. I hope that you all stay well and healthy!

P.S. The photo I posted is part of the Myrtle’s Plantation in Louisiana. You can hear more about this place in the Haunted Places podcast.

Meal Planning

As I said in my post yesterday my dad and I took inventory of everything we had for food in the house. Before we did we were working on meal plan for the next two weeks. Hence the reason why we had to take the inventory to make sure we had enough food to make the meals we had. So, here is a list of things that I learned for meal prepping for the next two weeks.

• Count EVERYTHING: Yes, I know this one sounds extremely simple. But, last night we emptied out two freezers, three cabinets, and a fridge to get the right amount of food we had.
• Think about old favorites: There are many meals that I haven’t had in a while. One of them was made tonight, chicken divan. You can find the recipe for chicken divan in my recipe section. Luckily, we had all of the ingredients for chicken divan. While taking inventory we found out that we have enough to make meatloaf.
• Think Simple: Now, making chicken divan is a process. But, other meals like the one I made last night beans and franks or franks and beans was simple. All we needed was half a package of hot dogs and a can of bushes baked beans. Being home a lot, I found that I have more time on my hands. But, sometimes the day just gets away, so thinking simple comes in handy at times.
• Lunch and Breakfast for Dinner: A meal that I enjoyed for lunch growing up was grilled cheese and tomato soup. Yes, I know this can be a yummy dinner meal as well. But, it was always a lunch to me. Also, having toast and cereal for dinner isn’t so bad either.
• Think Outside the Box: Hopefully, this quarantine ends where I don’t have to worry about this. But, think about what you can make with the canned goods and frozen veggies in your cabinet. A couple times I have gotten creative with a can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup and stirred in some frozen veggies like corn and/or peas serving it over rice or pasta.

Sadly, it doesn’t look like going to the grocery store for the next two weeks is a possibility. So, this is the list I came up with from what I learned last night by meal prepping. I hope this helps in the future weeks to come. Stay safe and well!

Remembering Christmas: Part 2

The next part in my Remembering Christmas series is Christmas dinner. Tonight my dad and I took inventory of everything we had in our house and meal planned. It made me think of Christmas dinner and an a meal in happier time on a much happier day.

However, I realized that I only had one photo from this past Christmas dinner. The only photo I have is the one above and I didn’t capture any of the food. I do have photos from Thanksgiving. So below are photos of Christmas dinner from the past couple of years. Stay safe and well!

Remembering Christmas Part 1

Since people are putting up their Christmas decorations to spread joy during this stressful time, I decided to share some photos of my Christmas. No, I am not one of those people who is putting up their decorations again. Instead, I am going to share some photos of my Christmas today and tomorrow. Today, well tonight, I am sharing ones of the Christmas tree. I hope you enjoy! Stay well and healthy!

Each year I usually try to make a theme when snapping the photos. This year I chose to take photos of the movie characters. I got ones from: The Wizard of Oz, Disney movies, and Scooby-Doo!

Fun Apps To Play

Hi everyone! Considering the fact that we are all stuck at home I thought I would share the joy of games on your phone. From Words with Friends to jigsaw puzzle to solitaire, finding games to play inside during this time is sure a fun way to pass the time. There is nothing like giving your brain a break by playing a game. Stay safe and well!

Incorporating Yoga

In the first blog post I did on exercise during quarantine I mentioned that I was not doing yoga. After doing some research online I found that there was a way to easily add yoga in. The first thing I do as part of the work out are three sun salutations. After the three sun salutations I continue them, but add in triangle pose, a leg balance, and a twist while in a lunge. From there I do chair, a twist in chair and gorilla pose. Following, I do boat, then bridge and shoulder stand. Then rolling over to do lizard and half pigeon. I am really happy I found away to add yoga into my daily routine when waking up in the morning. Nothing beats doing a chatarunga while in your pajamas! Hope you are all staying safe and well!!

Meals that take Along Time To Make

Is there a favorite meal that you love that you can’t make because you are too busy during the work week? Well, I was able to do that for the first time yesterday with my loaded buffalo chicken casserole. Since I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon and will be, primarily, at home I found finding recipes that take a long time a great way to fill up the day. During the Corona Virus lock down finding things to do has been tough. But,  I did find making my casserole that takes a couple of hours to make a great way to fill the time.

Change of Scenery

Last night I spent the night on the couch rather than in my bed. Being at home during the COVID-19 outbreak I am trying to make things as interesting as possible. So, last night when I slept on the couch it helped out as I changed it up a bit. Yes, I know sleeping on the couch may sound lame but it did help out a bit.

Partaking in Live Streams

Being bored at home is no fun. Especially, when you are being told you can’t go out. Being social and having conversations with others in a group can be hard. So, I started partaking in Arglefumph on YouTube’s Nancy Drew computer game live streams. Growing up I enjoyed playing the Nancy Drew games, so re-watching them online is a blast. While watching I get to partake in conversation with others who enjoyed playing the Nancy Drew games growing up like me. Plus, playing these games you can learn a lot, for example you can learn about the Mayan Culture in The Secret of Scarlet Hand and about Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution in Treasure in the Royal Tower. There are a few games that he has already played, but don’t worry they have been posted. Partaking in live streams has become a blessing in disguise as I get to enjoy taking part in a conversation while social distancing. Stay safe and well!

Praying the Rosary

Sadly, the spread of the COVID-19 virus has resulted in masses being cancelled for church. During the Season of Lent it feels very off not going to church. To solve this issue, I have started praying the rosary once a day. By, doing so I feel myself close to God and His Son Jesus Christ in this time of panic. I hope and pray that this pandemic slows down soon and everything goes back to normal. Praying every night before bed has helped, but I have found praying the rosary has further assisted me.