Here we are... 14 weeks since Boris Johnson announced that the UK was in lockdown in an attempt to help with the pandemic sweeping across the world.
14 weeks is a long time. Lots of things have changed in that time. Time is both moving really quickly and slowly at the same time. One day just seems to roll in to the next, I have no idea what day it is but on the whole it hasn’t been too bad. I have still been going to work for part of the week so it’s been a small slice of normality for me, even though I’m doing something different and supporting another team.
As we start to gradually move out of lockdown and things start to return to some kind of new normal, I honestly feel like I am coming out of the other side of lockdown having grown as a person (cheesy I know). Here’s some things I have learnt....
It is ok
Yes we are in a global pandemic and everything is different but you know what it is ok to crave things that your missing out on however big or small. I’ve seen lots of posts online from people saying how selfish it is to be sad about things you had plans that you can’t do because of lockdown... I’ll be honest it’s not selfish at all... yes we all understand lockdown and the reasons for it but that doesn’t mean we can’t be sad about that missed birthday celebrations for your little one, your family holiday, days out you had planned. Even the simple stuff like swimming lessons, going to church, heck even just the simple things like going to mum and dads for a coffee and a chat.
Enjoy time together
Life sometimes can be so hectic. I’ll be honest, some weeks it feels like Adam and I barely see each other in the evenings with him doing choir practice, teaching piano etc so one thing lockdown has taught is to do is enjoy the time together we have. We got into a terrible habit once Erin was in bed of sitting watching the same old rubbish on TV - Normally repeats of old panel shows like QI or something like that which is Adams default to put when there is nothing on tv. We would basically sit there and both either playing on phones or laptops and spend the evening just sat there.
Over the last couple of weeks in particular, we have been playing games together on the Nintendo switch and we did a jigsaw which Adam brought me the Christmas after we got married with a wedding photo on. We spent just under a week doing it and now it’s ready to glue and frame. We enjoyed it so much we ordered a couple more.
14 weeks is a long time. Lots of things have changed in that time. Time is both moving really quickly and slowly at the same time. One day just seems to roll in to the next, I have no idea what day it is but on the whole it hasn’t been too bad. I have still been going to work for part of the week so it’s been a small slice of normality for me, even though I’m doing something different and supporting another team.
As we start to gradually move out of lockdown and things start to return to some kind of new normal, I honestly feel like I am coming out of the other side of lockdown having grown as a person (cheesy I know). Here’s some things I have learnt....
It is ok
Yes we are in a global pandemic and everything is different but you know what it is ok to crave things that your missing out on however big or small. I’ve seen lots of posts online from people saying how selfish it is to be sad about things you had plans that you can’t do because of lockdown... I’ll be honest it’s not selfish at all... yes we all understand lockdown and the reasons for it but that doesn’t mean we can’t be sad about that missed birthday celebrations for your little one, your family holiday, days out you had planned. Even the simple stuff like swimming lessons, going to church, heck even just the simple things like going to mum and dads for a coffee and a chat.
Enjoy time together
Life sometimes can be so hectic. I’ll be honest, some weeks it feels like Adam and I barely see each other in the evenings with him doing choir practice, teaching piano etc so one thing lockdown has taught is to do is enjoy the time together we have. We got into a terrible habit once Erin was in bed of sitting watching the same old rubbish on TV - Normally repeats of old panel shows like QI or something like that which is Adams default to put when there is nothing on tv. We would basically sit there and both either playing on phones or laptops and spend the evening just sat there.
Over the last couple of weeks in particular, we have been playing games together on the Nintendo switch and we did a jigsaw which Adam brought me the Christmas after we got married with a wedding photo on. We spent just under a week doing it and now it’s ready to glue and frame. We enjoyed it so much we ordered a couple more.
Self care is important
I think we can all admit that we are guilty of spending so much time rushing around that we often neglect ourselves in the process. I’m the first one to admit I’m guilt of this. I’m so busy spending time trying to make sure everything is organised and planned, taking time for myself comes right at the back of the queue. I’ve been trying to take some time for myself to properly look after my skin, time to draw which I absolutely love and reading which I haven’t done for a long time... I even dug out my kindle!
Appreciating everything
I think one of the main things you suddenly learn when your unable to do something is how much you appreciate it. Once we were told we were in lockdown, you suddenly realise the importance of being able to nip round to family and have a coffee or just visit when you want. Suddenly being only the next street away from my mum and dad, but not being able to visit was horrible. They may as we have been on the other side of the world. About 4 weeks after we went into official lockdown, my Nanna fell and broke her hip and shoulder. Even something as simple as someone being able to go to the hospital with her, and being able to visit changed. We haven’t seen her since then and it is the hardest thing in the world to know she’s all alone and not being able to visit her in the hospital especially as she has had quite a difficult time of it. Once all this madness is over, I am vowing to try and appreciate every little thing in my life.
The waste
I started being more conscious about the amount of waste and things we produce as a family way before lockdown and thought about ways we could maybe try and reduce this. Slowly I have started to introduce new things into our lives to try and reduce this. One of the main things we did was to swap to using reusable baby wipes. I’d seen a number of times over on Charlotte Taylor’s Instagram that she used something called cheeky wipes but felt like as Erin was coming up to nearly being ready to potty train, wasn’t sure if it was worth the investment. I decided to give them a go anyway and ordered a couple of the sets they have on offer - one for nappy changes and another for hands and face. I am honestly completely converted and wish it is something we had found sooner. Not only am I converted but so is Adam who normally when I decided to try something like this just kinda goes with it as one of my crazy ideas but he absolutely loved them too. We’ve found them so much better and when it says one wipe per poop - it really does mean it.
Slowly I’m introducing other changes too - we brought a compost bin for food and garden waste, I’ve brought reusable sheets for my oven instead of using so much tin foil and I even brought some bees wax to make my own wraps!
Embracing things - a change can do you good
I have been straightening away my curly hair for at least the last 10 years and couldn’t imagine not using my GHDs. Most people when I say my hair is curly are total jealous and would love the curls but I think after getting some mean comments when I was teaching from some of the students (looking back silly little year 9 boys who used to tell me I looked like Heather from Eastenders) I decided to change it.
One of my friends posted on Facebook just after lockdown about the curly girl method - a way of cowashing your hair to embrace and enhance the curls. I had seen another friend mention it a few years back and when I saw it this time I decided to look into it a bit more. Lockdown seemed like the perfect time to give it a go. On 23rd April I did my first curly girl wash and I haven’t picked my straighteners up since. Yes there has been up and down days but I finally feel like it’s starting to look nice instead of a hot frizzy mess.
What have been the biggest lessons you have learnt during lockdown?
♥
I seem to flit back to my little corner of the internet every now and again however I felt there was no better time to come on here and document what is happening in the world.. if nothing else so in years to come, theres a record for me to look back on and see what kind of crazy things were going on..
Imagine starting the new year and new decade as we all did, with high hopes of what this wonderful new time would bring only for 3 months in, the whole world literally to be falling apart! Imagine if someone had said to you on January 1st, there would be a time, in the not too distant future that you would be advised not to leave the house. That you wouldn't be able to visit friends and family. That anything you knew as normal, going to work, going to the shops, swimming lessons, playgroup, church.. would all just stop! Well it happened!
Covid 19 or Corona Virus. Thats basically what is causing the whole world to stop. Its trickled in varying stages with China starting the main bulk of cases only for it to move around the world. As of today (31st March 2020) there have been a total of just over 41,000 deaths across the world, just under 2000 of those in the UK.
The UK has been on "lockdown" for a week now - what does that mean? Anyone who isn't a key worker shouldn't leave the house unless its for food or their 30 minutes daily exercise. There are lines around the supermarkets queuing outside with everyone having to stand 2m apart. Socialisation with anyone who doesn't live in your house is not allowed.
I'll be honest it is hard. I am quite lucky in the sense that my job as an NHS worker is classed as a key worker - even though I am not clinical I have been moved to support a vital team. This means I still get to leave the house - even if it is to go to work. For me, the hardest thing is not seeing mum and dad and particularly for Erin not to see them. Obviously at nearly 2, she doesn't have an understanding of what is going on at all, all she knows is that mummy and daddy are home more which I think in one sense is actually good.
I think the hardest part about this whole thing is that none of us know exactly how long it is going to last.. could be weeks.. it could be months. The effect on the economy is going to last I fear for longer as there have already been several casualties in terms of well known retail businesses.
For now, I am just grateful we are all happy and healthy and pray that it will remain that way until this crazy thing is over.
Stay safe everyone xxx
♥
January is one of those really reflective months where you have a think about having a fresh start, but most people fall into the problem of trying really hard for the first 2 weeks of the month and then giving up.
I’m determined that this year I’m not going to be in of those people who sets a really silly amount of unrealistic goals! So I’ve thought long and hard about what I want 2020 to bring...
Create more
I have started to spend more time in 2019 getting back in to crafty.. I did quite a few crafty bits for Christmas and actually really enjoyed it so I want to do more creating... in whatever platform
Read More
This one ends up on my list every year and yet I never seem to achieve it! I want to read at least 1 book every month for 2020.. more would be lovely but a minimum of 12.
Healthier me
Yes I want to lose weigh but I don’t want to write this on the list... I don’t just want to lose weight I want us all to be more healthier!
Be more organised
I seem to spend an awful lot of my time doing things which if I was more organised could be condensed. Mostly this related to meal prep and such but there’s a lot of other bits included in here.
Skincare
I’m still on a journey to find my favourite products when it comes to skincare. I’ve found some really good products over the last few months as I’ve been exploring new products but there are still other things I want to add into my routine. Then I also need to keep on top of the routine (this is a big one for me)
And that’s it. I don’t want to make loads. I want to be realistic and try to keep on top of them. Let’s see how it goes eh!
Skincare is something I have always had a love hate battle with when it comes to having a proper routine, often making the quick and lazy choice over something that was actually good for my skin.
These are the bits I keep in my bedroom on my dressing table. Normally I start the day with Clinique face wash. Then I use the nip + fab pads as kind of a second cleanse. I’ve recently started using the sanctuary spa glow radiance toner since my Clinique 3 step one ran out. This has 5% glycolic acid in which I have noticed is making a huge difference to my skin. I then use the oils of life essence lotion. I picked this and also the eye cream up when we went to this morning live back in May after having a chat with the lady on the body shop stand. Adding this step in helps to lock in any other moisture I pop onto my skin after and I have noticed a huge difference since using it. I’m yet to find a nice serum that I like and have noticed a huge difference in, I’ve been eyeing up the one from Beauty Pie but at the moment I’m using this vitamin C one from generation, it’s nice but I’m not sure it’s as nice I would like a serum to be. My moisturiser of choice at the moment is the L’Oréal Hydra Genius. I’ve been really enjoying this and is a massive change from a normal cream and is more of a silky gel. I think this would be something I would repurchase.
I’ve always been quite lucky really when it came to my skin type and have never really suffered with excess dryness, oiliness or breakouts and just had what skincare experts would call “normal” skin.
After having Erin, it seems like I fell victim to what lots of women do, and a crazy rush of hormones made my skin go wahhhhh! And suddenly I went from having a normal skin type to it being very dry! As I was also on the approach to turning 30 I decided it was time to start having a proper look at my skin and trying to figure out actually what the best things to start using were.
I’ll be honest, after bobbing up and down in that bubble of trying to find a proper routine with a small baby and not knowing what to use, I didn’t actually get into properly sorting out where I was until after my 30th birthday. As a treat to myself during the week I had off at the end of March, just before I went back to work full time after maternity leave, I booked myself a facial with the girl who does my brows.
I’ve never really had a proper facial before, Anneli had been doing my brows a while so we started with a good chat about my skin. She told me my skin was dehydrated and explained some type of products which would benefit them, however she said the main thing that would benefit it was a proper routine! So as soon as I got home I started looking at some of the things she said and doing my own research on blogs and websites from such gurus as Caroline Hirons.
I’ve been using a proper routine for a few months now and have been making a special effort to make sure I take my make up off which is something I always fall down on!
These are the bits I keep in my bedroom on my dressing table. Normally I start the day with Clinique face wash. Then I use the nip + fab pads as kind of a second cleanse. I’ve recently started using the sanctuary spa glow radiance toner since my Clinique 3 step one ran out. This has 5% glycolic acid in which I have noticed is making a huge difference to my skin. I then use the oils of life essence lotion. I picked this and also the eye cream up when we went to this morning live back in May after having a chat with the lady on the body shop stand. Adding this step in helps to lock in any other moisture I pop onto my skin after and I have noticed a huge difference since using it. I’m yet to find a nice serum that I like and have noticed a huge difference in, I’ve been eyeing up the one from Beauty Pie but at the moment I’m using this vitamin C one from generation, it’s nice but I’m not sure it’s as nice I would like a serum to be. My moisturiser of choice at the moment is the L’Oréal Hydra Genius. I’ve been really enjoying this and is a massive change from a normal cream and is more of a silky gel. I think this would be something I would repurchase.
Other additions to my skincare routine come in the way of things I tend to use in the bathroom... face wash, make up removers, masks and exfoliators.
In terms of make up removers, I’ve tried my fair share over time. I have decided more recently I love a nice balm cleanser and my 2 go to ones would be the Body shop camomile and the No7 radiant results.
I’m yet to discover a decent mask or exfoliator which I love... I recently purchased the ordinary “vampire mask” although yet to try it but if you have any firm faves in either catagory girl me a shout!
I think that as with anything, there’s so much room for change. I often can’t resist a new product launch but I think I’m finally starting to get into some sort of routine with knowing what works well for my skin and what doesn’t! Fingers crossed anyway!
The say that time flies when your having fun and let me tell you there’s nothing like having a baby to throw this statement into your face! One minute your on the delivery suite waiting to meet your previous baby for the first time and the next she’s turning 18 months old!
As someone with an incredibly close relationship to my own mum, having children of my own, especially the prospect of having a daughter is something I have been excited for, for a long time.
Being a mum is one of the best and most challenging things I have ever done. No matter how many people you chat to beforehand, no one can prepare you for the real highs and lows that being a parent truly brings. The joy of a new word or new thing learnt or hearing them shout mummy at you far outweighs the anguish of not sleeping, feeding dramas and the general bad days that come with raising a tiny human determined to make their own mind up about the world.
At 18 months old, Erin has now developed her own proper cheeky personality! She has a look of pure mischief and cheekiness on her face a good 60% of the time. She is so confident in walking now and her speech is coming on so quickly! I honestly feel like I come home every day to a new word! It’s so amazing watching her learn!
I have to say I am enjoying this age! Not that I haven’t enjoyed it so far but it’s so lovely now she can communicate with us properly! She is absolutely going to be a girl who knows what she wants and goes for it as we can already see this quality in her! She’s also got absolutely no fear and will give anything a go which I hope is something (safety provided of course) that she doesn’t lose!
We recently started swimming lessons after searching for so long to find a class that fitted in with out schedule and I can honestly say I am so happy with the class. It’s early days as Erin has only done 2 lessons but I can always see her confidence blooming!
I’m not going to be one of those people who says having a toddler at this age is perfect, it comes with it’s own challenges of crying because she’s frustrated and not sleeping (thanks 18 month sleep regression you bitch) and the final leg of teething for a while but on the whole as I said before, the good days far outweigh the bad! I mean look at that gorgeous smile!
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