Happy Family Day my fellow BC loves!!!! Today I wanted to talk about something that is SO important in my family … and give you some insight into HOW I manage to deal with it and the tools Justin and I use to make it work. I am SURE some of you out there are also in a “long distance relationship” and sometimes it can be hard … Justin and I have come up with a pretty good system that works for us so I thought I would share it with you incase some of you are struggling with it or some of you can relate!
As most of you probably know, I work in Vancouver during the week but live in Kelowna on the weekends. That means I’m commuting 8 hours a week with Leo and am doing “long distance” with Justin!! It is definitely quite the trek (especially during the winter) and is sometimes not IDEAL … But filming for Love It Or List It Vancouver is in Vancouver and my “home-home” is in Kelowna so we have to make the most of it and make it work!!! We have had to come up with a system so that we can ALL stay connected during the week when Leo and I are in Vancouver filming and Justin is back in Kelowna working. Follow along with us below as we walk you through some things that work for us …
Here are 5 tips on how Justin and I stay connected!!
1. Make Time For Date Night: Yes, this means scheduling time for just the TWO OF YOU!!!!! I don’t care what you do, you can go out for dinner, go to a movie, cook dinner at home, play board games … whatever you do, MAKE THE TIME to spend with one another! Get a babysitter and try it! This is seriously one of the most important things to do to stay connected with your loved one. I block off one night a week directly in my calendar so that we are SURE to make it happen!
2. Organize Your Holidays: Believe it or not, Justin and I plan out our holidays almost a YEAR in advance. That way we are sure to fit it in …but it also gives us something to look forward to as a family. I use iCal once again on my phone and computer and block out the holidays directly in my schedule so that I’m 100% sure not to book anything else and am “N/A” during that time. I find this SO important and so useful. We both have crazy schedules so it’s EASY for time to slip away and get caught up in our individual lives but when it’s booked off in the calendar … you know you have to start planning!!!
3. Nest Camera: Justin and I love using the Nest camera we picked up at Best Buy to stay connected. Not only is it a security camera but we use it as Leo’s baby camera in his nursery. It’s great for us because it detects any movement in the nursery and goes directly to our phones no matter where we are. Justin can check in on us when I’m putting Leo to bed in Vancouver or I can check in on Leo when I’m filming on set and miss him!!! We also bought the subscription so that we can check rewind and replay the history … we use it to track Leo’s sleep, see when he fell asleep, and monitor HOW he slept.
4. Phone: I know that A LOT of you may think that we ALL need to reduce our phone time and although this is true in some ways … it is also a GREAT tool to stay connected. Justin and I FaceTime every night before Leo goes to bed so that he can wish him goodnight face to face and see what we’re up to in real time. It’s so sweet and definitely one of my favourite times of the day! It gives you a sense of connection even if you aren’t able to be with each other in person. Another reason I love using a phone to stay connected is for Apps like Instagram, Leo’s tracker. I use Instagram in a few different ways, 1) of course to share gorgeous pictures with all of you, 2) to send funny things, things that remind us of one another and photo inspiration to Justin, 3) to keep my friends and family in the loop with Insta stories!
5. Camera & Computer: I’ve lumped this into one because I think they are both EQUALLY important to stay connected. I’ve always loved snapping photos for many reasons, but now that Leo is growing so quickly, I love being able to snap funny photos of him in the moment and on a daily basis to document our life. The camera I use is the Canon EOS Rebel T6i with wifi so that I can instantly upload pictures to my phone and send them to Justin. Onto the computer, Justin and I talk via email for ANYTHING business. We try to keep our personal life to the phone, and anything to do with the new house or business to the computer. It really helps us stay connected on a business level and separate our personal time!
While most people are trying to reduce their use of technology these days, this is something both Justin and I really wouldn’t be able to live without to maintain our long distance relationship. Of course, I agree that some people totally overuse their devices and we all need to WORK ON putting the phones aside at the dinner table and making it a rule to NOT be the first and last thing that we look at before we go to bed … BUT there are certain times where we can really use certain devices to stay connected with the ones we love without taking away from the precious memories.
It’s Family Day here in BC today, which is a great reminder to reach out to loved ones that you haven’t seen in a while and connect!! What are some other ways you stay connected with your family or long distance loved ones??? Let me know in the comments below!!
xo
Jilly
Thank you Best Buy Canada for sponsoring this post. All comments and opinions are my own.
Hi there!
jeans & sweater?? where are those cute pieces from?
thanks!
Thanks for your timely article! It’s true – we should use technology to make life better!! Your little Leo just keeps getting cuter and cuter by the day!!! Hope you enjoy Valentine’s Day with all of your loved ones!
Totally know where you are coming from. When my husband goes on business trips that is how we keep connected. A good morning text and catching up in the daytime and always before we go to bed. You will never get these moments back in time, you have to do the best that you can for you and your sweet family! I am assuming Nacho is with Justin in Kelowna!