Quarantine Favorites

 

Hey Friends!! So here we are in August, where most of us have been spending a lot more time at home for over 5 months now. Back in March I naively ordered a couple of apparel items that I figured I would wear post quarantine and ha here we are where I have yet to touch them other than a quick try on session. Instead most days I get up, throw on something super comfy that looks okay from the shoulders up and sit down at my desk for the workday.

So while these picks may not be the most fashion forward you have ever seen they are what has been working for me recently and what I will likely continue to spend my time in for the foreseeable future and would recommend if you are looking for some cozy work from home options.

Since I haven’t exactly been stepping out of my fashion comfort zone in recent months I have purchased some other non-apparel items I have been loving!!

  • I switched over to a cleaner Shampoo and Conditioner and am in love with Innersense Beauty, I have been using their Hydrating Hairbath, Cream Conditioner and Create Quiet Curl product and am officially sold on this line. I’ve been trying to clean up my skincare and beauty routine for a while now but for some reason put hair products off to one of the last things I’ve switched on. I was reading “No More Dirty Looks” and realized that some of my scalp issues and dryness I’ve struggled with for years is very likely a result of the harsh chemicals in the more traditional hair care products. I saw a pretty immediate difference with my scalp cleaning up after switching to Innersense beauty so consider me converted!

  • Milk Frother this was just an impulsive Amazon purchase but one that I’ve found myself using daily and it oddly brings me a good bit of joy to have a frothy layer of milk with my morning coffee, it really is the little things!

  • So Alaina from The Everygirl got me hooked on these Equilibria CBD Bath Bombs and since getting these have found myself taking a bath once a week which is something I didn’t realize I was missing out on before, another quarantine habit that I hope to keep up!

  • I’ve also tried out several different Primally Pure items. Sarah Adler from Simply Real Health talks about this brand a good bit, I’ve been using Native a cleaner deodorant for well over a year and it has worked well for me so I didn’t see much need in switching until she put the ingredient list for the two side by side. So far I’ve tried their Lip Balm, Deodorant, Dry Shampoo, Everything Spray and Body Butter and will probably order all of those items again when I eventually run out. I got The Starter Kit at first to try these items out and want to try out The Spa Kit next. Also Sarah has a discount code for your first order on her favorites page!

  • Streaming online workouts, I started with Beach Body on Demand because of how many workouts they offer for the price but switching over to Daily Fuel as my BB subscription expires in October. Daily Fuel is an awesome new start up that my sister is launching, you have the option to do the class live with her or on your own time. She is offering strength, sweat and restore classes and all with a give back model that supports Rise Against Hunger.

In addition to just lounging around in my comfy clothes and working from home I have been finding joy in other parts of this slower time

  • Appreciating slower mornings, time for devotional and prayer before starting my day. This is something I’ve always tried to do but have never been great about, I have really enjoyed being able to sleep in later and still be able to make time for a slower morning and spending time with God.

  • At lunch I’ve been enjoying big yummy salads from my CSA share through Wild Hope Farm and being able to squeeze in a workout at lunch most days which I would choose over a 5am wake up call anyday!

  • And after work have enjoyed the quality time with my husband, meals on our back porch, hanging out with our puppers & the new tradition of DePolo Pizza Night :)

  • We have also done some projects around our home, the first room we have done completely from start to finish is our bedroom which I just finished up this week

  • I also started a garden and composting, I am so far from a pro at this but have enjoying learning and reducing our waste a little along the way

 
 
  • I’ve also spent a good bit of time just dreaming about and researching for trips we want to take once we can travel again. We are hoping for Patagonia, Greece and heading back to Canada once we move past the COVID challenges

  • Understanding more about white privilege has been another thing I’ve been focused on, understanding the biases I’ve grown up with and figuring out how to be a better ally. The more I read and learn the more I realize how much further I need to go, this is serious work, spiritual work and something we should all be making time for. In addition to thinking about actions in past and things I can do better today I’ve also been thinking about how I want to raise our kids when that time comes.

  • Learning a lot about women’s hormones and menstrual cycle is another topic that I’ve found myself interested in. While it sounds odd especially since I am not yet ready to have kids I do hope to one day so have started reading and researching in hopes of being more prepared and knowledgeable when the time comes. And wow there is a lot to learn, now that I have started learning about our cycles and hormones I’ve realized just how little I knew before, how little these things are talked about and taught when we are younger. While I am grateful for what I have learned recently I wish I had learned a lot of this 10 years ago.

  • And lastly, I can’t lie ha we have also done a good bit of bingeing on tv shows, we have spent the majority of our time on Bosch, Homeland, Yellowstone

Let me know if the comments below how you have been making the best of quarantine times!

 
Michelle OwensComment