Spring Capsule Wardrobe- 29.04.20

I have kept up with my plan to get dressed this past week.  I didn't really dress from my capsule wardrobe over the weekend because we were out doing yard work and that requires me to wear my old, beat up clothes.  I am not great at keeping my outfit intact when I am outside working.  The weather has been beautiful and my tulips are starting to pop out of the flower bed.  I am so happy to have the change in seasons.  I like to be outside in my garden in the spring.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

My New Housework Schedule

My housework schedule is ever-evolving and changing.  The new social distancing measures have changed things up once again.  I had basically been doing the bulk of my cleaning on one day every week.  I usually chose the day when my oldest was in school to do my cleaning.  I am now home with both kids all day, every day.  My routine has changed along with the rest of my life.  I have worked out a new routine that allows me to keep the house up, but also allows me to mostly focus on my kids.

EVERY DAY:

• Make beds
• Do dishes
• Run at least one load of laundry
• Tidy house

MONDAY:  Strip the beds and wash all bedding.

TUESDAY:  Clean the bathroom.

WEDNESDAY:  Dust house and water houseplants.

THURSDAY:  Vacuum house and wash floors.

FRIDAY:  Grocery shopping and meal planning.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:  We work in the yard and prep for the coming week.

 

Spring Capsule Wardrobe- 22.04.20

Getting dressed has really been helpful for my mood and productivity.  I added a piece to my capsule wardrobe.  I added back my black leggings.  It had been really cool out so I wanted to be able to wear my dresses and stay warm.  It has since warmed up, but I really love my leggings so I am getting my wear out of them.  Here are some of my outfits from the past couple weeks.

Happy Wednesday, friends!  I hope you are safe and doing well!

Spring Capsule Wardrobe 2020- 08.04.2020

Our life during this pandemic looks quite different, just as I imagine your life does.  My plan was to get dressed every single day this past week.  I did not meet that goal.  I sprained my foot last week and was laid up for a few days so the 3 days that I got dressed were pretty good.  My foot is doing much better this week and I hope to put more effort into using my whole wardrobe.  Here are the outfits that I put together from the past week.

How are you doing?  Are you making an effort to get dressed or are you living in your PJs?  Honestly, I think that either is fine.  We basically have to try to do our best to take care of ourselves and get through this odd time that we are living in.  I do feel better when I put forth the effort to get ready.  Last week, I was in pain and lacking motivation so I didn't worry about trying to get ready.  I hope you are all doing well.  Happy Wednesday!

Home Reset 2020- The Deep Freezer

Our house came with a huge (and old) deep freezer.  It has been great for storing our extra food and we use it all the time.  I went through the freezer to take a bit of an inventory and to get rid of anything that was no longer good.

Before:

After:

I sorted the contents of our freezer by type of food.  Frozen meals are together, meat is all in one place and so is frozen fruits/veggies.  It makes it much easier when I am trying to find something. I try to keep it this way, but I do tend to just throw items in when I am in a hurry.  I try to reset the freezer every quarter to keep it from getting too bad.

Checklist:

• Take every item out.
• Check dates and get rid of anything that is out of date or badly frostbitten.
• Replace items and group like items together.  You can use cardboard boxes to help organize the bottom of the freezer.

Self-Care During Social Distancing

Most of us are trying to stay home as much as possible.  People who have to go to work have the added worry of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus.  Tensions can be higher both at work and at home.

At home, our family has experienced our fair share of whining, crying and arguing in the kid department.  It grates on my nerves and wears down my composure.  I have found that good self-care can help combat fatigue and stress.  Here are some of the ways that I practice self-care during social distancing:

1.)  Go for a walk.  If you have access to outdoor space, going for a walk is a great stress reliever.  Moving your body releases endorphins and being in nature helps us to feel peaceful.

2.)  Find something funny to watch or read.  Humour can be very individual but the benefits of laughter are universal.  Laughter increases oxygen flow to the brain and releases endorphins.  My husband and I have been enjoying comedy sketches on Netflix and I have been doing a silly home wine tour on my personal Facebook page.  Laughing helps me feel happier and relieves stress.

We toured Bar-Bay mansion for this one.  Ha ha!

3.)  Take time to be creative.  Colour with your kids, do some sidewalk chalk art, design something encouraging to put in your window, sing, write or do whatever allows you to be creative.  I am not a terribly crafty person but I have felt great benefits from creating sidewalk chalk pictures and colouring with my children.  It helps to lift my spirits and is a wonderful distraction from our day to day.

4.)  Take care of yourself.  This one is simple but it can be a real challenge during times of stress.  Eat your fruit and veggies, drink adequate amounts of water (this is a constant struggle for me), take your vitamins, shower and try to get adequate sleep.  If you are struggling to achieve these tasks, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to complete them.  It really is difficult to take care of others if you aren't able to take care of yourself.

5.)  Do an at home workout.  If weather or circumstance doesn't allow you to go outdoors for a walk, try to do an at home work out.  Many of these workouts require very little (if any) equipment and the simple act of moving your body releases endorphins.

6.)  Give meditation a try.  I took a meditation class before this all happened and it has been extremely helpful.  I prefer guided meditations, but there are many types of meditation.  Headspace offers free trials and that can be a great space to start.  There are also great free resources on You Tube.

7.)  Treat yourself.  Sometimes you just need to indulge a little.  The other night, after the kids were sleeping, I took time to have a hot bath.  I ate a bowl of ice cream with Oreos and read a cozy mystery.  It was a wonderful escape and I felt relaxed once I was done.

How are you practicing self care during this time?

How to Feel Connected During Social Distancing

This is a strange time to be alive.  We are being asked to stay home and to social distance ourselves from anyone who does not live in our homes.  It is so important for us to follow these protocols.  The sooner we slow the spread of COVID-19, the sooner we can get on with our lives.  The downside of social distancing, however is a feeling of loneliness and a feeling of disconnection.

Over the past week I have worked proactively to remedy any feelings of disconnection I was having.  I know that in order to keep my mental health in a good state, I need to be proactive.  Here are a few things that I have been doing:

1.) Make a list of people to stay in touch with.  Seriously.  This feels a little silly, but without a list you may be forgetting important people that you would like to be interacting with.  I also made a plan as to how often I plan to contact these people.

2.)  Text your friends.  Ask them how they are doing.  Send a funny meme or tell them something about your day.   

3.)  Call your Grandparents.  If your grandparents are not tech-savvy, pick up the phone and call them.  Ask them how they are doing and tell them what you have been up to.

4.)  Move your book club or meeting to Zoom  I run a Harry Potter book club locally and COVID-19 means that we can't get together anymore.  I emailed everyone and they were game to use Zoom for our meetings.  We had our first one on Monday and it went really well!  The app works great and we all got to socialize from a safe distance.

5.)  Have video message coffee dates.  I planned coffee with a good friend this week.  We both made ourselves a cup of coffee and then called each other on video chat (we used WhatsApp).  It was wonderful to see my friend and have coffee with her in real time.

These times are certainly strange and tough.  The good news is that we can do this.  We can social distance while maintaining connections.  How are you staying connected during this time of social distancing?