*A huge thanks to JCPenney and ShopStyle for collabing with us on this sponsored post. We love their cozy clothes and affordable prices! Right now get an extra 25% off when you spend $75 or more, or extra 20% off when you spend under $75 w/code BASKET8. Promo ends 4/12.

While there are plenty of drawbacks to being quarantined with four kids indoors, I have to daily remind myself to take a second and recognize the really great things about it.

Life has been forced to slow down. It is a refreshing break from the frenetic runaround.
I’ve had time to focus on things forgotten. With seeming new hours in a day, it’s nice to be able to sit down at the piano or read a book.
Our family has grown closer. Despite the normal Mom, he’s touching me! spats, these past few weeks we have been on more family walks and played more games together than I can ever remember.

So take this temporary time to get cozy at home and draw closer together. The time will surely come when we wish for these quiet moments our families again. Here are a few great ways we’re staying cozy and close through this quarantine and I hope you are too.

Cozy Clothes & Quarantine Kids’ Research Projects for the Win

Get Cozy at Home

I can’t even remember the last time I put on jeans. One of the greatest things about quarantine is hunkering down in your coziest clothes. And cozy clothes don’t need to be frumpy! Here are a few of my absolute favorites from JCPenney.

Champion sweatshirt:

I could live in this all day, every day. It’s lightweight, but still cozy with a nice soft lining–perfect for spring. In fact, I’ve got a few more of these in my online cart they’re that awesome!

Xersion leggings

These are my second pair of Xersion leggings and I am highly impressed, and check out this incredible prices! Looks like this pair is sold out, but these high-waisted leggings are a close second.

White Vans

I adore these shoes! So sporty and so comfy. Plus, being inside for the unforeseeable future, I know I can keep them clean!

Draw Closer Together

When I heard that I would be homeschooling my four children, I wasn’t completely devastated. It was a chance for me to put my teacher hat back on and become Mrs. McKinlay again. There are a lot of things I miss about being a high school English teacher, and research writing is one of them.

Probably my favorite things we’ve done together during quarantine are family research projects. We tackle one per week, including inspiring people in history, and places we’d like to visit.

I snagged this awesome Brookstone Day/Night Globe from JCPenney.

It has been so educational for my kids to see the world this way. Together we’ve been studying geography and at night, the globe lights up to show the constellations. If you want a cool educational toy that will enrich your family life, this globe is it!

Places we’ve learned about so far…Bora Bora, Thailand, France, and yep, you guessed it…Arizona. We each take a day to present our research. We watch a YouTube travel video on the place and even cook a meal or dessert from there.

It’s one of the things that I think my family will remember fondest of this time.

This jumbo floor puzzle USA Map has been a really fun and supportive tool for our research. My kids LOVE putting this together and the best part is…I think they’ve learned their states better this way than they did in school. Even my five-year-old can identify many of the states now!

You know all those questions your kids ask? Well, it turns out we actually have time to answer them!

If you’re needing something substantial to fill the time in the upcoming weeks, try mini research projects. You know all those questions that your kids ask? Like “How do they make crayons?” and “Where does money come from?” Well, it turns out that right now, we actually have time to answer them.

Here are some other great indoor puzzles, games, and learning toys that would be perfect during quarantine time with you kids.

Sometimes it’s hard to see the bright side when everything seems so uncertain. But there has never been–and perhaps never will be again–a better opportunity to slow down and spend quality time with the ones that matter most.

So look for the light in these upcoming days and take this quarantine time to get cozy with some fresh JCPenney spring athletic and loungewear. Shopping JCPenney online is one of the easiest experiences I’ve ever had and shipping is impressively fast and seamless. I promise, you’ll be impressed too (and your pocketbook will love you for it!).

Some other cozy clothes favorites:

Pink Champion jogger pants

Color-block Champion windbreaker

This Adidas sneaker

These strap sandals

Right now, take advantage of an extra 25% off when you spend $75 or more, or extra 20% off when you spend under $75 when you use code BASKET8. (Ends 4/12.)

With quick shipping safely to your door, go get cozy with all the new styles from JCPenney. Wishing your family well.