So, it’s the 156th day of April and we’ve just recently come out of Level 4 lockdown here in New Zealand. Yes, it’s been a looong month, to be sure. But for the most part, we’ve been fortunate and we’ve managed well. My heart goes out to those who are having a real struggle.
Our current Level 3 isn’t that different from our month at Level 4 from a social point of view because we still have to stay home and keep our distance from those not in our ‘bubble’. But at least we get to order takeout and other non-essential items online now – and that is HUGE, let me tell you. It feels like freedom with a capital F. And takeout has never tasted so good! (Of course, I’m stepping up and doing my part to get our economy back up and running.)
But jokes aside, how have you all been? Is this current way of life feeling a little more normal to you nowadays?
I’ve been feeling a little anxious that I should be clarifying for myself how my life has changed recently, which parts I’d like to maintain when ‘normal’ life resumes, which parts of my old life I can do without, what’s actually important and how I want my life to be after all of this. But I’ve subsequently come to realise (thanks to Glennon Doyle – see link further down in this post) that we’re changing while we’re living this ‘new’ life. The change is happening. And despite all the obvious negatives of Covid-19 (which, it goes without saying, is unbelievably sad), this time of ‘slow living’ can actually be viewed as a kind of a blessing in some ways. It’s been a reality check for many of us.
And now I want to share my April Favourites with you. I hope that you find something fun to watch, read or listen to in this post – something that you haven’t seen, heard or listened to before. (What are the chances after all this downtime we’ve been having?)
My Five Favourites for April
You’ve probably been hearing about the Unorthodox series on Netflix, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you’re in for a treat. We watched it in one sitting – all four episodes. And loved it. PS If you still want to watch it, but haven’t yet, don’t watch the trailer because it pretty much gives away the whole story!
We also watched the movie, 1917 on our projector screen one night. Wow, what a beautiful (and sad) movie – Sam Mendes, the director, is a brilliant storyteller. If you love to watch wartime stories, you’ll love this one.
And here’s another recommendation (yes, we’ve been watching quite a bit of TV recently). Anyway, if you haven’t watched After Life Season 2 yet, make a plan to do that. (Of course, you should probably watch Season 1 first if you haven’t already.) You’ll enjoy this one – it’s real. And you might need tissues.
Have I told you about the app called Psych! yet? (Google Play version here.) What a fun game! Our family played it one night recently (when we needed a break from Cluedo) and it was hilarious. I came stone last, but I still had loads of fun.
I’ve read three good books in the month since I lasted posted (aff links below). I especially enjoyed Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield.
I’ve been enjoying Dress like a Mum (Zoë seems like lots of fun) and Samson the Dood (cuteness overload) over on Instagram lately.
This month I’ve listened to a few podcasts while out for walks. The first one I’d like to recommend is Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend – Conan interviews Ricky Gervais. I laughed out loud while out walking alone – people probably thought I was a little crazy. I don’t care. Those two are so funny and smart, and I loved hearing them chat about all sorts of things.
And have you watched the recent goop interview between Gwyneth Paltrow and Glennon Doyle called Metabolizing Difficult Emotions? I loved this interaction and the many clever snippets describing this time of quarantine, and general life, too. I still haven’t read Glennon Doyle’s latest book, Untamed, but I now definitely want to get my hands on it. Her insights on how we feel about successful women and what we learn as we grow older are fantastic. (Okay this might not strictly be considered a podcast, but I’m including it in this section anyway.)
I hope you find something you enjoy in My Five Favourites today! I’ll be back with the May edition at the end of next month.
And if you’ve got any recommendations or suggestions please share them in the comments section below so that others can see them too. We all still need some inspiration right now. Sharing is caring.
Keep safe, everyone! x
Related posts: My Five Favourites – March Edition
Feature Photo: KAROLINA GRABOWSKA at Kaboompics
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