No, it’s no April Fools. I am back to doing more with Origami Owl.

I have not updated nor posted anything new on here since Christmas time. I tell myself, “Today, I will!” and then LIFE happens. Honestly, it’s the present, more urgent, and the priorities that that keep me from doing a lot less than I want to on here. It’s not as easy as “If I want to make it happen, it will happen.” If you’ve lived enough life, you will find that wanting to do something is simply not enough. Many other things take precedence and the things you need to do takes up more hours than the things you want to do.

With that said, I am only on here right now because I am up at 630am in San Diego typing on my phone while the baby is in his bassinet asleep within my arm’s reach.

Speaking of baby, we have added to our nest another human. We named him Maverick Eli, before I even knew a movie was coming out with that name, and even before I watched the movie Top Gun that this Maverick guy is based on. I almost changed my baby’s name to avoid the perception of him being named after a movie after I heard about the movie, but in the final hour, we kept the name.

I’m sitting on my bed as he dozes in and out of sleep while I also take this time to express milk. In about an hour, our little space of a home will be up and about and its humans will be pulling me into a million directions and duties #becauselife.

Pregnancies are always pretty hard on me and most days, I barely get by. First trimester is extreme morning sickness all day and the lack of food I’m getting in. Second trimester is growing pains associated with my growing belly and with my loose ligaments. Third trimester is even more pain and with it, the pressures of watching my sugars in diet to avoid complications associated with gestational diabetes and potentially having a big baby. Even the sugar in toothpaste seemed to make my sugar levels go high. Throughout the whole pregnancy, I said, “I think this is my last (and fourth) child. I think I’ll document it with daily vlogs.” That didn’t happen.

When the baby came out on the last Sunday of February, I said, “I’ll relish and deep dive, keep record of my new mom moments and share this beautiful life like I once did on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. As I mentally prepared for it, hubby brought me the news about a potential pandemic that was brewing. I didn’t know what to make of it but he went into prep mode almost immediately to help ensure that the baby, me, and the three older kids would be alright when he returned to work today. We didn’t hoard or panic or anything. We simply made sure our needs, necessities, and most important things including our school aged kids were home with us by the close of the month. We stopped taking them to our homeschooling co-op and enrichment classes at their charter campuses before anyone really knew what to do with the news of Covid-19. Weeks before school closures went into effect for my state of California, shelter in place, social distancing and lockdown was already self- imposed on ourselves. We’ve now been home for a full month except for trips to Costco and CVS and that was also included daddy as he too was home with us due to paternity leave.

One may assume that with all things to a halt in March, and lesser and lesser expectations of us from the outside world (and a new baby that sleeps all day), that it would be easier to get back to my promotions of lockets and charms due to more time. Not true. The new normal that was unfolding before us – things forced to close down, people losing jobs, so many getting sick and dying, the reports of the economy tanking – was mentally taking its hit on me. The last thing I was wanting to do was promote jewelry online while people aren’t able to get their basic necessities in real life.

A month after shutting ourselves in, the pandemic has only gotten bigger. More people are unemployed, people are still not finding basic necessities and some are worried about rent, food and money. So why am I here? To make a buck? No. If it was about the money, I would not be here. I don’t get rich casually selling lockets and charms online.

I’m here because like many others, a part of me wants to go back to some normalcy – what it was before the pandemic – and for me, even before this fourth pregnancy. I would like to go back to the days when I could share a locket and all the pretty little things that make you or someone special real happy, and at the same time, doing so does not display a sense of naivety or tone deaf to what’s going on in the world right now.

If I wanted to make a buck, selling cute face masks on Etsy or in local groups would take care of that need and fill my love of sewing. There’s much need for masks and more so when the CDC contradicts themselves and confirms what logic, science, and almost everyone already knew: face masks 😷 work.

If you’re reading this as a long term customer or someone new to me, know that this is what I’ve been doing since 2012 and not something that I sprung into irrationally due to a pandemic or a way to take money from the most vulnerable. Also know that’s you don’t have to buy anything from me. In fact, I don’t want you to buy anything from me unless your household is safe and secure in all your needs, especially financial and emotional needs. Though I’d love the sales as we too have a reduction in income due to Covid19, please no stress buying here. Save it or even donate to those in need.

If you do want to make a purchase, my site is up 24/7. No pressure and no push. The lockets and charms are available and ready at http://locketsandcharms.origamiowl.com whenever you are.

Even at this time, when they too have taken a decline in sales and bottom line, the Origami Owl company continues to give back to many causes including helping those affected by COVID-19. They are giving back 100% of proceeds from pieces purchased – pieces inspired by the sacrifices of those in the frontlines- to those hit by the pandemic.

In these times of uncertainty, unsung heroes are rising all around. Help us spread kindness through meaningful gifts of love, hope, gratitude and inspiration. Say “I see you” and “thank you” with customizable jewelry.

In our continuing efforts to be a Force For Good, 100% of the Profits from this product [and other products noted on our site] will bless families in need during the uncertainty of the coronavirus (COVID-19) through our Live Sparkly campaign.

To learn how you can help bless a family in your community visit: HTTPS://WWW.LIVESPARKLY.COM/COVID19/

The sets were brought to life to do good while spreading a little love and joy to those receiving it from family, friends, Independent reps for Origami Owl, and amazing people just like you.

I move forward into the new normal with all of you, taking with us what we can before it all went down, while forging ahead with the grit and grace that is needed to make it through the coming days of the new normal.

*baby is waking up*

If you’ve made it this far in reading, I thank you. Thank you for your presence here and thank you for being with me in the days ahead.

I do plan to share with you a bit of what my days entail and what “normal” will be for me, on my social media accounts.

For those here since the beginning of my Origami Owl journey, you may have noticed that I have become more private in the recent years and have significantly cut myself off of releasing content with my face and content overall on my YouTube channel and have reserved my Origami Owl social accounts to focusing only on the products, but with this craving of mine for connection – and you probably have it too- I’ll be sharing more about me, life, and the things that really matter daily. So if this interests you, join me and see you next time on social: @locketsncharms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and maybe even YouTube. Make sure to say hello. I’ll feel a tad better I’m not just talking to myself 😂

Until next time, be blessed and strive to be a blessing.

Sincerely,

Jennylou as @locketsNcharms