On this day last year, I experienced what working in an office felt like for the last time. Ever since I came home from work that day, I’ve been here. All. The. Time. With the exception of medically necessary appointments, grocery shopping (every 3-4 weeks), picking up takeout orders, and spending time away from other humans in the great outdoors, I have not been anywhere or seen anyone in person. I really cannot believe it’s been a year. HOW HAS IT BEEN A YEAR?!
I figured it would be kind of interesting (and maybe a little depressing, to be honest) to look back on how we spent the last year by selecting one photo per month to share with you all. Gary indulged me in this exercise, so all of the photos below were selected by both of us…you know, on a rollicking Saturday evening at home!
March 2020
Oh my goodness, this photo kills me. This was my work setup for the better part of three months, beginning in March. Gary and I got to experience what it was like to work from home in a one-bedroom apartment, and boy was that a trip! There were many mean mugs shot across the living room when *someone* was being too loud on a phone call, and if I never hear the phrase “let’s hop on a quick call” again, it’ll be too soon. Needless to say, my back definitely took the brunt of this workstation setup. Oof!
April 2020
In April, we were still trying to find novel ways to stay entertained at home. Pillow forts were built, video games were played, and we even took an online Marketing Analytics course from Coursera during this time period. At this point, we still had makeshift bandana masks, the baking madness had just begun, and we figured we’d be back to “normal” by the summer at the latest, and traveling internationally in the fall. Sigh. How naive we were.
May 2020
How irritated does Gary look in this photo?! The trash bag straight jacket makes me cackle!! By May, Gary hadn’t had a proper haircut in several months and he was starting to look like a shaggy dog. I managed to snag some hair clippers and shears (which were hard to find back then), and had a go at being a cosmetologist. Needless to say, my client did not leave a tip.
Since I always promise realness, the stir craziness also started to set in for me in May, too. I remember waking up before 7 one Saturday morning and just needing to get out of our apartment. I told Gary I was leaving and he could come with me or he could stay and that I didn’t care what he chose to do. We ended up going for a walk on an empty beach, and it was just what the doctor ordered.
June 2020
The highlight of the month of June for us was us starting a little garden on our balcony! I kid you not, I went out to check on our plants every single day. I would even FaceTime my mom to show her how they were doing! It was so fun to see flowers, herbs, and veggies spring to life. In the month of June we also learned how make the perfect poached egg (a total game changer for my runny yolk-loving husband), and we completed a hilariously disgusting Chopped challenge at home. Truly, what would you make with english muffins, maple syrup, hot dogs, and artichokes??
July 2020
July was a hard month for me. I love 4th of July festivities, pool days, and my birthday celebrations. During a normal July, we typically gather with my family at least once to celebrate with good food and company. Not in 2020. I literally cried the night before my 28th birthday because I didn’t know if all of my loved ones would still be alive next year to celebrate with. But, in came Gary to the rescue! He baked me my favorite Funfetti cupcakes (that was his first time baking and using a hand mixer by himself, by the way), cooked my favorite taco birthday dinner, and showered me with love and gifts. Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for him?
August 2020
We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary in August, and since there wasn’t going to be any fancy date night out, we attempted a fancy date night in, complete with digital Kauai ambiance and an unreasonably large charcuterie board. This was the first charcuterie board I ever made, and I have not stopped since! It’s just the perfect little snack to make an evening at home feel more special. Other than that, by the looks of my camera roll, August was pretty boring…by the way, Gary has called me out on saying that about literally every single month so far. Ha!
September 2020
On September 1st, we welcomed all things fall into the Peiffer household! Up until this point, I had not ventured out to Trader Joe’s during the pandemic because I had only heard horror stories of long lines and crowds. Count me out! But, in September, I finally cracked and went first thing in the morning on a weekday. It seriously felt like the happiest place on earth. I swear, I blacked out and bought the whole store! When I came home with an excessive amount of seasonal items to display on our table, Gary just shook his head at me. He had to know it was coming though! I figured if we were going to be stuck at home all the time, the least we could do was make it more festive with fall leaves, and fall foods. In September I solidified the name for this blog and designed the logo as well, so even though that isn’t autumnal in any way, it feels worth mentioning.
October 2020
October was another mellow month for us. Per usual, we enjoyed making fancy meals for two, and enjoying them on our balcony together. We missed being able to go to the pumpkin patch and corn maze in 2020, but we still carved a pretty fun pumpkin together (despite not having a work competition to compete in like usual)! In October, it really started to sink in that we were not going to be able to spend the holidays with our families, so I went into overdrive thinking about how we could create new traditions and still make the end of the year special for us. I like to think that my efforts were successful!
November 2020
Our biggest accomplishment in the month of November was cooking a Thanksgiving feast for two, even though we ended up with enough food for many more than that! We made a whole turkey, homemade stuffing, yam pies, roasted red potatoes, and green beans. Everything was so tasty, but we both hope that we don’t have to do all of the Thanksgiving cooking ever again…it was a lot of work!
December 2020
Disclaimer: We purchased and set up our very first Christmas tree in November, but the gifts sure piled up in the month of December! We agreed that this photo summed up our month the best. New traditions, lots of gifts, and being cozy at home. December was just festive all around! We celebrated Chanukah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve just the two of us, and while that looked different than most years, I know we’ll look back on December 2020 fondly. And don’t forget, I shared more about our Holiday Break fun in my Life Lately ā Holiday Break 2020 post as well!
January 2021
Even though we all had hoped that we’d resume a sense of “normalcy” in 2021, we really just turned the page on the calendar and kept on keeping on. Cooking, walking on the beach, and going for picnics in the park kept the two of us entertained throughout the month of January. We loved enjoying the warm Santa Barbara weather since it gave us an opportunity to get out of our tiny apartment. I cannot even begin to describe the number of food photos I have from January alone, but hopefully you’ll see them as recipes on the blog in the coming months š
February 2021
Since I already shared a bunch about our Valentine’s Day festivities in my last Life Lately post, Gary and I both agreed that our Super Bowl snacks stole the show in the month of February! In true Peiffer fashion, we made enough food for an army, even though it was still just the two of us. Between the deviled eggs, buffalo wings, pretzel bites, and cheesy dipping sauce, we were in hog heaven. Emphasis on the hog!! February was also monumental for me because I finally launched this blog after years of dreaming about it. Yay!
March 2021
And here we are, one whole year later. What a ride it’s been. There have been some ups and there have been many downs, but one thing is for sure — quarantine would have been much worse without my best friend by my side! We’re looking forward to getting through this, being able to visit friends and family, and (hopefully) traveling by the end of this year. So please, for the love of all that is good in the world, keep wearing your mask, and get vaccinated if you are eligible!!
xoxo
Jennifer