I Got Bored so I Moved Furniture Around

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Hi friends! It’s another week of staying safe at home and I hope you are being productive while also taking care of yourself. I’ve done a lot of sitting which my body was not used to and my body is telling me to get up and move because I’ve been having aches and pains. Since I am at home all day I don’t get much walking in unless I am walking to the fridge or going to the basement to do laundry. My body is used to getting 10,000 steps in a day so this is a big change.

I was sitting on the couch one day watching another episode while scrolling on Pinterest and got motivated to do some redecorating. I went from rarely being at home to being home all the time so it made me really look at how my furniture was arranged and how it was decorated. Maybe I needed a change of scenery or just wanted to get up and moving but I woke up the next morning and started to move furniture. I took everything out of our living room, cleaned our floors and then started to put furniture back in the room. All it took was flipping our room 180 degrees but now it feels like a completely different space! I also removed a lot of clutter and put stuff into storage so I knew where it was in case I needed it later.

A few days later I moved my bed to another wall and rearranged a dresser making our bedroom look and feel so much bigger! I’m still working on the finishing touches of our bedroom but I love it already because it we have so much more floor space than before. I wanted to share my recent hobby because it costs zero dollars to move furniture around and it helps create a new space. Growing up I would constantly move my furniture around whenever I needed a change. Every few months I would sleep in a different guest room in our house for a week because it felt like a vacation. I kept my clothes and belongings in my bedroom because it was nice to sleep in a clean room without much in it.

A few friends and I watched a movie while we Zoomed each other the other night which was a lot of fun and I highly recommend! We watched Sky High because it was silly and just what we needed. After the movie, I did a quick home tour video to show them the new living room and talked about how relaxing it was to move furniture. Now I’m excited to sit in my living room because it’s different! Turns out, one of my friends does the same thing to her bedroom every few months so she understood that I wasn’t crazy for moving furniture around. Another friend saw how much moving the couch changed the entire room so now she’s motivated to do the same in her room.

It’s a great way to get up and get your body moving too! It can take a few hours or the whole day which is good if you are looking for a hobby that doesn’t involve buying anything or crafting.

Friday Favorites 4.24

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Happy Friday! This week flew by for me so I hope it was the same for you! One thing that has really helped me this week was creating a plan. Set yourself up for success and make sure you have everything you need for the week ahead.

I’ve gotten a few texts about recommendations on what to watch on Netflix/Hulu so I put all of my suggestions in a blog post here. This week I started to watch Mrs. America on Hulu that is about the women’s movement. Gives a lot of insight of what the world was for our parents growing up and how hard it was to get equal rights for women.

A Clean Kitchen // I make it a rule to have a clean kitchen before going to bed because I love waking up to it all clean! I keep cleaner under the sink so I can easily spray the counter tops down after I run the dishwasher. Since I do it every day it helps it from building up to a big mess! We keep joking why there are so many dishes since we are home for every meal and the dishes are multiplying.

Grocery Delivery // There are so many of us who are avoiding going outside when we can so that makes grocery shopping difficult. This week I ordered a produce box for $35 that had veggies, fruit, eggs, milk and butter from Giordano Garden Groceries with free delivery. If you are in the Philadelphia area, I highly encourage you to order a box now. There are a ton of produce distributors that usually deliver to the grocery stores that have extra produce so they are selling it to people directly. Do some Googling to see if grocers are delivering. Also a great way to support local businesses!

SALES // There are so many sales right now at all of the stores so if you can, shop!

Dyson Vacuum // Now that we are home all the time I’m noticing the dirt and dust on our floors. I’ve been really using the vacuum more than ever because it’s so easy to grab and do a quick clean. A friend recently asked for a vacuum recommendation so I thought I’d share this link. This retailer does payment plans and often goes on sale.

Amazon // I ordered a few things from Amazon so I wanted to remind everyone that I keep this page updated on my blog of all of my Amazon finds.

Time To Make A Plan

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It’s starting to feel like Groundhog Day, waking up every morning and it’s the same thing. I try to wake up every morning with a positive attitude and while some days I allow myself to curl up in pajamas and feel all the feels, I do have more good days than bad days. At first I thought this stay home at home because the world has stopped would last a month and then we would slowly go back to normal. But now while I watch the news (riots, lack of resources, people not staying at home) I have started to accept that this is going to go on for a while and it’s time to make a plan.

Keep your morning routine…make breakfast to start your day!
Wake up, wash your face, get dressed and go have breakfast before you do anything else. Take this time to enjoy making breakfast instead of rushing out of the door in the morning. It’s a weird time that we can actually sit down and enjoy our morning without feeling rushed.

Now that this is going longer than we wanted it to, it’s time to get out of pajamas and put on some real clothes. Getting dressed in the morning helps tell my brain that it’s time to get productive. At night, when I get out of my day clothes and into pajamas, it helps tell my brain that it’s time to get ready for bed. Also, leggings are allowed to be considered real pants during this difficult time!

I’m sure you saw a meme about girls running to get their haircut, nails done and waxed as soon as the businesses open up again. Just because we aren’t seeing people like we usually do, it’s nice to still look put together! Do something beauty related each day! Do your nails, a face mask, a hair treatment, put on mascara – something so you can look in the mirror and be happy with what you see. I’ve been letting my hair air dry and not use heat tools but I have been using leave in conditioner and lots of hair oil to keep it healthy. And my at home manicures are a new favorite weekly fun activity!

I’m sure I am not the only one who goes to bed feeling like they did nothing that day. You might have worked from home but it’s hard to feel accomplished when you don’t have much to show for it. To give yourself something to look forward to, watch a movie or start watching a tv series with a roommate. If you don’t live with someone, you can do it with a friend and FaceTime during it or just text while you watch it. It’s nice to have something to look forward to that is also social!

Check your finances. Even if you are working from home, check your bank account and move money from your checking account into your savings that you won’t touch. Right now we don’t know how long this will last or what will happen when things “go back to normal”. Stores are offering so many sales right now so if you are able to, definitely take advantage of the great deals! Just check your finances to see where you are and plan ahead. I like to check my banking account weekly and take note of what bills need to be paid and where my money is going.

Accept it and find a bright side. A few years ago my dad had his knee replaced and he spent the summer at home recovering. It was his first real summer vacation since 8th grade and while it was a weird adjustment at first, he was able to take advantage of the time at home and not having to work. My dad brought this up while I was talking to him recently and told me to accept that I am safe at home and I don’t have to do anything. I was newly unemployed before the pandemic applying to jobs and obviously that was put on hold. Financially I am good – I have money in my savings and I have a boyfriend I live with that can support us until I find a job. Now to look at the bright side of this and realize that this is the only time we will be at home for a long period of time with nowhere to go. Parents and kids are at home creating memories. You pay all that money for rent now enjoy being able to be home and use it! It’s a weird time to think of a bright side, but it helps me change the narrative in my head to not freak out.

Make a list of things to do. From home projects to clearing out your inbox, make a list of things to do during this time that you have been putting off and make your way through the list. Deep clean your house, organize a closet and purge. It helps create structure and feeling accomplished.

Reach out to your family and check in. I’ve been calling my parents more often just to say hi and texting throughout the day. A group of my family members created a book club and we meet on Sunday evenings on Zoom. We rarely talk about the book and not everyone gets to the reading, but it’s a great excuse to set up a call and chat.

This post is to encourage you to stay busy and to stay safe at home. I’m sure I am not the only one who has broken down once or twice because of what is going on and because of the unknown. I journal every day and wrote down this list for myself to change the narrative in my head from freaking out to trying to have more control throughout the day. I thought it would be good to share on here in case you need some encouragement. Please feel free to roll your eyes at my ideas for a routine or to use just one of these. Do what works best for you at this time.

Shows To Watch Right Now

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Since we are spending a lot of time at home right now, I am taking this time to finally watch shows I never finished, never got to and rewatch the TV shows that just bring me joy. I like to have background noise on during the day while I get writing done or clean my house so I’ve been going through shows pretty quickly. I thought I would share some of my recommendations on the blog after my friends and I discussed some feel good shows to watch while they work from home.

FEEL GOOD SHOWS

  • New Girl
  • The Mindy Project
  • Parks and Rec
  • Gossip Girl
  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
  • Grace and Frankie
  • Sex and the City
  • Gilmore Girls
  • Real Housewives
  • Desperate Housewives
  • Friday Night Lights
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine
  • Queer Eye
  • Mad Men
  • Younger
  • The Bold Type
  • Ally McBeal
  • The Good Wife

YES, I’M STILL WATCHING

  • Homeland
  • Shameless
  • Westworld
  • Outlander
  • Peaky Blinders
  • Designated Survivor

Friday Favorites 4.17

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Happy Friday! Is it Friday? Fridays are always a celebration that the week is over and we can start the weekend. A little difficult when you start your Friday in pajamas with no reason to get out of them. Since the quarantine has been going on for a few weeks I’ve started to find my new normal. I have been really committed to creating a routine and staying busy with productivity and fun. I thought it would be a good time to do a round up of my favorite things recently. I’m not buying much and if I do, it has to bring me joy or be a once in a lifetime sale! Now is the time to lay on the couch catching up on emails or watching a show all day. Try to do something fun today to celebrate that another week is over and we did it!

What I’m Watching

Since we have a lot of free time on our hands, I’ve been browsing all of the streaming services we have and catching up on shows that I either started or just never got around to watching. I like to have background noise while I write or get stuff done around the house so I’ve been finally watching the Real Housewives franchise. I’m finally starting to understand the hype and especially the memes. Also recommend: The Mindy Project, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Rec, and New Girl.

What I’m Listening To

I have been avoiding the news because it’s not healthy to be monitoring everything going on so closely. In the morning while I empty the dishwasher I’ll listen to the New York Times daily so I get a good briefing of the news quickly without any fluff. A few months ago I created a note on my phone with a long list of songs I like that I discovered watching a movie or tv show or heard while listening to someones Instagram story. This week I went through the list and added them to a playlist on Spotify so I can listen to them now. Highly recommend listening to the music they use on the tv show, The Bold Type. So good!

What I’m Loving

Happy Hand Lettering : If you are looking for a hobby during this quarantine I would recommend this hand handwriting book! I’ve been an Instagram follower ( @allshewrotenotes) for a few years now and thought now was a great time to buy her book to practice my handwriting. Also a great way to support a small business!

Matching Pajama Sets : Something I have been doing is really making an effort to wear a matching pajama set to bed at night. Even if I am wearing leggings all day with a comfy shirt, I change so I can put on matching pajamas before I go to bed. It helps remind me that it’s time for bed and helps my mental health just to change clothes during the day. I’d recommend not waiting to buy anything because they are selling out very quickly!

Watering Can Basket : I just ordered this for my mom and had it sent to her house as a Mother’s Day present because they are selling out quickly! I signed up to have them notify me when it comes back in stock so I scooped it up right away when I got the notification. So cute! I’m waiting for it to come back in stock so I can order one for myself.

Unsubscribe & Delete : Okay, so this actually brought me so much joy this week. I successfully went through my entire inbox and deleted junk and hit unsubscribe to about every single nonessential email I had in there. (See what I did there?) If there were any blogs or content I wanted to keep up with, I made sure I was following them on Instagram and then followed them on Bloglovin. Bloglovin is a great way to follow blogs in one place without a crowded inbox.

New Shoes : Of course they are sitting in my closet untouched right now, but I am excited for when I can go outside and wear them. DSW is having amazing sales right now so definitely take advantage of the low prices to stock up on work shoes or summer sandals.

Grove Collaborative Box : Now is when I am thanking myself for signing up for a cleaning supply subscription service! I go in more detail about the service and my cleaning practices in this new blog post so you should definitely check it out.

Rethinking Empty Calendars

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Every morning I sit down at my dining room table which has become my desk with a fresh cup of coffee, my planner and a notebook. I’ll start up my laptop and review the previous day’s to-do list as I make the new one. Under categories, I break up tasks under home, work, fun, and self care tasks so it doesn’t seem that overwhelming and also find a few few things to place under the fun category – something to look forward to at the end of the day. The reality is that I have nothing pressing to do during the day. Nothing important that needs to get done because what feels like over night, the world has stopped rotating. We are all going through some type of big change – whether you are working through this pandemic at home or not. Our jobs at home have become more challenging. More laundry, more tidying up and where are all of these dishes coming from? My home has always been a refuge after work, a place to unwind and where doing nothing was actually encouraged as I recharged for another work week. But today, I don’t have a job so I don’t need a place to recharge before I head back out the door. Right now I am making my home a productive place and a place to be relaxing as we enter this time of unknown. Even if I was working from home, I would still have more free time than usual because of being quarantined at home. Spending a lot of time at home makes it hard to break up the day and even more difficult to go to bed after being in “lounge” clothes all day.

I’ve had a lot on my heart lately and definitely broke down last week because I let my mind think of the worst about this pandemic lasting throughout the summer. Jake was in the middle of a work call and had to step away to talk me down to remind me that financially we are okay. We are healthy and taking the quarantine seriously. Instead of thinking about the things that I can’t do, I need to be enjoying this time as much as I can because I don’t have any responsibilities. Jake is working weird hours so he is able to take his laptop and monitor emails next to me on the couch sometimes or use his lunch break to help me with home projects (which he is thrilled about!). I’m trying to see the positives right now and I’ve been enjoying making dinner at night and having the time/energy to clean the kitchen before going to bed. Enjoying the slow mornings enjoying a hot cup of coffee before I get my day started. And finally, coming up with a project or something to accomplish each day so I can feel good that I did something.

This morning when I sat down at my “desk”, I saw that my planner was very empty. This unknown of when we will go back to normal would usually cause me to panic and begin to overthink but I was able to change my mindset into looking on the bright side. For some reason, we begin to believe that we are our best selves when our planners and days are full of activities from morning until past our bedtime. For so long I went through the motions and didn’t get the opportunity to ask myself what I needed. So now I am taking the time to enjoy a blank planner. April was going to be a month of fun trips and things to do so while I am sad about cancelled plans, I am going to enjoy this time of unknown. Our lives were disrupted in every single way possible and I’m trying to think what I can learn from this disruption. It’s definitely made me grateful that I have money in my savings, I have talked to my parents more than ever because I’m just bored, taking advantage of this new free time to do some house projects and most importantly, sit down in the morning and have some alone time.

Here are a few things I have done during this time of our calendars being empty for the unforeseeable future. Instead of stressing about what we can’t do right now, I am finding things to do that benefit me.

  • Made a list of projects I’ve been putting off.
  • Making daily to-do lists.
  • Catching up on laundry and other chores around the house.
  • Reorganizing drawers to make them more functional.
  • Going through all of our stuff to organize it better and purge what I can.
  • Watching shows that I just never had a chance to watch.
  • Clean out your inbox and unsubscribe!
  • Ordering a lot of home organizers/storage items that I need now I am home all the time.