Home Decor

Silver linings and intentional time

Jessica Crawford
Cotton & Co.

(5/2020) I think it’s pretty safe to say, whether you’re isolated at home, still working as an essential employee, or braving those front lines, this current situation is probably wearing on you. This is an extremely trying time for everyone; mentally, emotionally, and possibly financially. With the store (Cotton & Co) temporarily closed, I’ve been working from home and ‘home schooling’ my two little ones, like most parents these days. It was an overnight shake-up of life and routine and normalcy. Normally, I would focus my articles on vintage and home décor. But with the current world climate as it is, I thought I’d write more on lifestyle and how our family has been coping and surviving through these challenging times.

My husband, while his job remains ‘essential’, has been able to work mostly remotely from home, and we fashioned a home office in our attic for him. Like many other families out there, our family has spent over a month holed up together, weathering this storm. And while some days are easier than others, I will say, we’ve had a lot of fun. This has allowed us the opportunity as a family to slow down, reconnect, recenter and refocus on one another, and spend quality and intentional time together. We’ve been learning new skills, that we’ve been wanting to learn, but always putting off too.

We’ve been doing our best to be creative in finding constructive ways to pass all of this time that’s been handed to us, rather than allowing it to be squandered away. We live on two acres in Westminster, and have a mini-homestead. Last year when we purchased and overhauled the shop and business, that little homestead saw some serious neglect, while working out the kinks and getting settled into life as business owners.

This current slow-down period, has given us the opportunity to get our 5,000 Ft2 vegetable garden tilled and prepped. As part of our home studies, we spend a few hours a day outside, in the sunshine. The kids love learning about gardening and seed planting and imagining all the delicious ways they’re going to prepare and eat all the food they’ve planted, once it’s ready to harvest. One major lesson I have learned over my eight years as a parent, is the vast benefits of involving children in the production of their food. The more involved they are in the process of planting, growing, harvesting and preparing their food, the more adventurous and diverse their appetites, palettes and diets will be. Even if this means, just a couple of pots on the front stoop with some herbs and tomatoes.

Every Spring, we also make Dandelion Jelly and Wild Violet Jelly. Both flowers are likely blooming in your yards right now. Both the leaves and blossoms of these plants are edible, and can be prepared in many ways. Dandelions make a sweet jelly, that tastes remarkably like honey. Wild Violets make a hot pink jelly with a mild, sweet, floral taste. These are great recipes to do with children, because they can either be completed in stages, or done all at once. It also offers a great outdoor activity, which children need in their daily routine. And additionally, it offers a memorable bonding experience, teaches a new skill, and they’ll feel a huge sense of pride in the finished product. Plus it’s fairly inexpensive to make, as you’re foraging the main ingredient. If you’re interested in these recipes, check out our Facebook and Instagram pages (@CottonAndCoVintageBoutique), I posted them there for reference.

I’m also a huge advocate for backyard poultry, as a way to connect children to their food. In terms of a farm animal, they’re easy to raise, and are a lot of fun. Over the years, we’ve raised turkeys and meat chickens for food, and have maintained a flock of hens and ducks for egg production. During this time of home isolation, we got a round of ducklings and chicks, and our children help take care of the animals. As always with anything, you’ll want to do your research first. On compatible breeds, habitat and materials required to raise the animals, whether or not your community allows chickens, etc.. But raising backyard birds has always been an educational and rewarding experience for our family.

The kids have also been begging for about a year to learn bread making. Which for me has always seemed to be this big mountain to climb, and skill to learn. I love to cook, and cook most meals for our family, but bread-making has always felt like a mental hurdle. Until this forced time to slow down. We got our hands on a large bag of yeast, and have been slowly chipping away at bread recipes from friends and family over the past month. It’s been a great skill to learn and master together as a family.

One of the biggest ways we’ve been finding joy in all of this, is removing ourselves from the confines of the walls of our house, and getting outside into the sunshine. Soaking up some rays and Vitamin D is one of the best ways to clear your head. Send the kids outside as much as possible. Pour yourself a hot cup of tea or a glass of wine, and join them. We happen to have a delicious line of loose leaf teas in the shop, and we can ship most small items now too.

This is all hard. Everyday can feel like a rollercoaster, that you can’t get off, with no end in sight. But we are trying very hard, as much as possible, to focus on the positive that is around us. The little silver linings and hidden life lessons, buried in this whole experience. Follow along with us on social media, Cotton and Co Vintage Boutique. In between sales albums, new merchandise and projects, we are also focusing on lifestyle, and surviving this experience together, with posts to inspire and offer fun activities and ways to spend your time. Stay healthy, we can’t wait to see everyone when this is over.