Weekend Staycation: Easter Edition
April 11, 2020
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| Photo by Annie Spratt |
I really miss my childhood Easter celebrations… and by celebrations I mean getting an Easter basket from my mom (aka little gifts and candy), wearing a fancy dress and sitting down for a delicious meal. I know that there is a lot of fear and anxiety right now, but I am grateful to be able to see another Easter. Even though this is a highly religious holiday, I think everyone can embrace the spirit of spending this Sunday being grateful for something no matter what your beliefs are. Most of us are all chillin inside, but here are a few ways to make this Easter Sunday a little more special and on a limited budget.
Watch a Livestream of a church service or an inspiring movie/documentary/Ted Talk.
Pretty much every church has lifestream services right now. I know church sermons usually give me a new surge of hope and positivity. But if you aren’t religious, I find that watching something inspiring is a great way to connect with your spirit and nurture your soul, so to speak. I’m really passionate about fashion, so Fashion Films or old classics are usually my go-to's when I want a little escape. Anything with Audrey Hepburn usually puts a smile on my face. But here are a few fashion films I want to check out. I’ll be pouring myself a glass of rosé and watching one of these on Sunday. I still haven’t seen Phantom Thread!
Set aside time to craft!!
Paint, needlepoint, draw, color, tie-die, trace something in a book or on the computer and then use a watercolor kit to paint it. All of these things help us feel more connected to our creative sides. And if you get really good at it, you can start selling your crafts lol. Here’s a link to my quarantine crafting Pinterest board if you want a little inspo.
Make a fun brunch dish
Make bunny-shaped pancakes or bunny egg bowl. How cute are these! I’m totally making this with eggs and turkey bacon. It’s cheap, full of protein and easy to make aka, it’s right up my alley.
Get dolled up.
Looking like a slob for a month straight doesn’t help anyone feel their best. I will be wearing something colorful around the apartment on Sunday because it’s fun. And if I’m getting a little dolled up, I might as well turn it into a party and drink a little. If you are quarantined with roommates or family, it’s very easy to turn this into a group activity. And if you are hanging solo, just plan a virtual brunch or happy hour with some friends. Also, everyone is having Easter weekend sales so as long as you put money into your savings before shopping, treat yo self just a little. And, all of our social calendars are gonna be PACKED when this is over.
Treat yourself to a budget-friendly easter basket
Who doesn’t want to spoil themselves a little, right? We are doing our part. We are staying home. So why not reward yourself for getting through another week of quarantine? This is what my ideal Easter basket would include: a luxe face masque, hair masque, foot cream, cute pjs (probably pink) fancy hair clips, a new watercolor set, ceramic easter eggs to decorate, the new coloring/paint book that Danielle Bernstein just released, chocolate eggs and sparkling rose. Oy, a girl can dream, right.
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| Photo: Country Living |
Get Drunk
Honestly, you’re already home so it's the safest place to be. And it’s been a long freaking week. Why not let loose and have a bottle of wine. I hope you guys have a wonderful Easter weekend
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| Photo by Dan Russo |
Here are a few things that have been keeping me slightly more sane and helping me tackle the daily anxiety caused by RoRo (that's coronavirus for all my non-ebonics speaking pals... lmao)
One: Virtual Workouts and Dance Classes
I miss my workout classes and dance classes so freaking much. But technology is amazing and there are so many great free workouts on IG and Youtube. They have been such a blessing right now. I'm really into this Dance Body resistance band workout - it's short but really freaking hard! I also really like all of the full-body workouts Revolve has been sharing on IGTV in collab with fitness gurus. The workouts by Katrina have been my favorite because I've followed Tone It Up for years and she is really motivational/pushes you to keep going through the workout and I NEED an extra push to power through a workout lol.
And OMG my literal prayers have been answered by all the virtual choreographed dance classes. I'm obsessed with these three routines to some of my favorite songs like Skin, Girls Need Love and Captain Hook. I will probably purchase one or two over the course of the month because they are super cheap (btw $5-$10) and are the best parts of my day hands down.
Two: All The Grilled Food
Whether you have a real grill or even just a mini George Foreman, I highly recommend grilling any and everything in your fridge. From pineapple to sweet potatoes, or from seafood to burgers, there is something about grilled food. It adds an extra sense of fun, flavor and sometimes luxury feel to every meal. My favorite meal at the moment is grilled salmon paired with grilled zucchini. Uh, I'm so hungry right now.
Three: Cute Loungewear During the Work Week
I've been loving wearing a mix of loungewear and cute outfits. Cute outfits have been reserved for weekends, running to the grocery store biweekly and nature walks. But when I'm being productive, I'm all about the cute loungewear. Here are a few pieces that I have my eye on or own. Although I am currently furloughed and pretty anxious about money right now, I did treat myself to a $10 lounge set from Boohoo (sold out now) and a $20 pink striped PJ set (linked below) last night because I wanted to reward myself for being so productive this past week, for previously setting aside money for an emergency and for pushing through a pretty insense depressive state. And I know I am significantly more productive (and have more positive thoughts) when I feel cute vs. when I look and feel like an underbridge troll.
Kerry Washington AND Reese Witherspoon... do I even need to say more? No, I don't. I'm completely and utterly obsessed and this is the exact escape I need each week. Thanks, Hulu.
Five: Short Guided Meditations to Stop My Anxiety Attacks in their Tracks
So I have this natural ability to really work myself up in a completely unhealthy and sometimes paralyzing manner.
There are a million fearful thoughts running through my mind like.... (prepare for an anxiety rant in three, two, one and skip this paragraph if you think it might trigger you) how the fuck am I going to pay rent this summer if I'm not working by then? Are my mom and brother going to be safe since they are both high-risk? If they get sick, will I even be able to travel there to take care of them or be there if they don't beat the virus? How can I keep paying down debt or pay any of my bills after my emergency fund is gone if unemployment checks are severely delayed? How many people are going to pass away from this virus before a vaccine is ready? Will I have to give up on my dreams and move away from my beloved NYC if this doesn't end soon? What if there is something wrong with my unemployment application and I'm denied... how will I even afford food after my emergency savings run out? Is my career field obsolete since I work in the fashion industry? Is all my hard work from the past 4 years and the promotion I worked my ass off for just gone down the toilet now? Will I be able to afford my dance and pole classes at my gym because they are one of the best things in my life? And the list of fears continues; just like I'm sure your list of fears is ever-growing right now.
But, as we all know, letting thoughts like these control our minds only hurts us. So when I get in this anxiety tornado, I roll out my yoga mat, lie down, focus on breathing and listen to a short guided meditation or calming video/podcast. This usually helps me reset and calm the actual fuck down in five to ten minutes. TBH, I even did this when we were all still working in an office because I keep a blanket at my desk.
One positive thing that has come out of this craziness has been the increase in free mental health resources for us. I know this is a crappy freaking time but we are badasses and pretty resilient. We are gonna emerge stronger than ever after all this. Sending you all the love, and thanks for taking a moment to read this post. Your support means the absolute world to me.
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| Photo by Holger Link |
If you have been living life anything like me right now, you’re probably drinking a lot more wine than usual. And for me, the surplus of sugar in my diet (and the insane decrease in physical activity) is causing my skin to freak the heck out...yay me. Since my main source of income is currently on pause, I need to save every penny I can. Because I’m living a little more frugally right now, I decided to research a few DIY skincare treatments that I can make using the ingredients in the kitchen. But I’m not a freaking dermatologist or beauty expert, so if you decide to make any of the beauty treatments below, make sure you freaking spot test them and google if the ingredients you are using are good for your skin type/you aren’t allergic to them. I know that I have pretty sensitive skin, so I know what to gravitate towards and what to stay away from.
But if you don’t feel like turning your kitchen into a chem lab, I’ve linked to a few products I’ve heard great things about or have used myself. Because if you have the funds (and have emergency savings), why not treat yourself to a nice skincare product. Everything is freaking on sale right now, so might as well take advantage of them if you’re in a healthy financial place.
Pro Tip: I have the Rakuten (was previously called Ebates) chrome extension so I pretty much get cash back from every purchase. It's kind of crazy not to make a free account. I need to download the mobile app so I can save money when I shop on my phone.
OOOOHHH, and please leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite at-home beauty treatments/products are. I’d love to add some things to my beauty wish list/to-do list. Wishing you a day full of tranquility and luxury… from the comfort of your home lol.
DIY Beauty Treatments
Exfoliation scrubs via YouTube
I want to try this Coconut oil + sugar scrub. I can tell that my skin needs to be exfoliated real bad. And this would be a fun face and full-body scrub. Plus, I don’t have to worry about sun damage post-exfoliation because it’s not like I’m spending much time outside.
This person uses normal white sugar for her scrub, so I think whatever you have in your kitchen will work.
This two-ingredient coffee scrub looks awesome too! I'm trying both of these scrubs this month.
Moisturizing serum
This honey and coconut oil serum sounds lovely! I imagine it would smell like heaven. Apparently, you pair it with this apple cider vinegar toner to balance the PH of your skin.
P.S. apple cider vinegar is a basic staple for me. From stomach issues to lady who-ha issues, apple cider vinegar usually fixes my ish real quick.
Detoxifying Masque
This Green Tea & Raspberry Masque sounds pretty luxurious. I'm very excited to try this.
Acne treatment
I like to use toothpaste or ice to spot treat pimples. Both usually get rid of pimple inflammation for me pretty quickly. Ice works faster for me, but it’s way less pleasant. I used the toothpaste trick this morning and after 30 minutes, the redness was significantly reduced.
Hair Masque
This avocado hair masque sounds dreamy!! I know this would be hella messy, but half of the time when I buy avocados, they go bad before I can eat them so this will help me be less wasteful.
Lip Treatment
My boss gave me this super luxurious, high-end overnight lip masque for my birthday but I left it at work before the country lockdown!! I love it so much and actually used it during the day too. So now I need to make a lip scrub to use while we are quarantined, and this overnight one looks pretty legit.
Luxe Beauty Products to Try
Future Rich B****: Coronavirus Financial Wellness Resources
March 30, 2020
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| Photo by Josh Appel |
I want to start off by saying, wow… this is such an insane and scary time. I don’t think any of us expected 2020 to take a drastic nose-dive only 3 months into the year. But here we are, and here we will survive, grow and thrive. I know we are all anxious as fuck, and that’s ok. BUT at the end of this, I full-heartedly believe that we will all be stronger, more appreciative and more compassionate than ever before. I, just like a billion other people around the globe, am FREAKING THE FUCK OUT about my finances and the job market. But because I’m a Capricorn, it’s impossible for me to not obsessively research and come up with a plan to overcome my problems. So I’ve collected a few resources below to help all of us make more money from the safety of our homes, stay up to date on unemployment insurance for all my fellow furloughed or laid-off friends, and feel a little more in control during this chaotic season.
- Mental Health/ Motivation
- TBH, sometimes I get so upset about the current situation that it’s hard to get out of bed, let alone apply for jobs, so here is a relatable post about finding the motivation to take the next step forward
- Virtual therapy really does work wonders. Better Help and Talk Space are amazing sources! I’ve used Better Help for over ½ a year and loved it. They are offering 2 weeks of free therapy right now because of Covid 19.
- Laid off or furloughed? Here is an article to help calm your nerves. We are going to get through this.
- Make money honey: We all need to either replace our income or increase it to add more into savings/pay off debt. Here are a few remote companies hiring.
- 75 Legit work from home jobs!
- Great sites for finding remote work
- And here are some grocers and delivery services that are hiring! We are gonna get through this and be stronger than ever my friend.
- The Frugal Chef: Saving money by reducing my food budget is my favorite way to save money. Honestly, making a cheese quesadilla with a side of shredded lettuce, greek yogurt (a healthy sour cream dupe) and salsa is delicious and super freaking cheap to make. Add in some black beans for extra energy and fiber and you’re golden. I also like this guide for stretching your grocery budget to the max
- Student Loans are a Bitch so here’s a helpful article about how to deal with them during this Coronavirus and maybe even get a temporary break from them! According to this CNN article, the 6-month student loan suspension IS NOT AUTOMATIC, so you have to contact your provider to defer.
- If you’re in crisis mode, it’s time to adjust your budget
- More details about the stimulus checks
- Handling credit card debt during this crisis? This is a good article to help navigate it.
- Broke millennial created the ultimate hub for this Covid-19 recession!! This is amazing and beyond helpful no matter what your situation is.
- Podcasts and youtube videos to listen to to help calm the f down
- Marie Forleo - lets focus on taking care of our mental health
- Dave Ramsey messages of hope series
- So money with Farnoosh: All Your Covid-19 Questions
- The Financial Diet’s anxiety and Covid 19 Q&A
- Brown Ambition: Episode 208 The World Turned Upside Down
Signing off with these two hilarious memes because laughter is a strong form of medicine
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