What a weird month March was, huh? At the beginning of the month everyone was going about their business and then BAM! Toilet paper was gone, restaurants closed their dining rooms and schools shut down. Honestly, our family bought extra groceries and started “preparing” for this kind of scenario in February, but preparing physically with extra groceries doesn’t prepare you mentally for something like this to happen. I feel slightly scared, for my immediate family and my extended. I feel a little lonely because I know that I won’t get to see my friends for a long while. But the biggest emotion that I feel right now is disappointment. I spent much of 2019 struggling with depressive episodes and now that I finally have a diagnosis of PMDD and a few tools to manage it, I felt excited for 2020. Now I kind of want to just hibernate and start again when this is over. But despite those emotions, I’m trying to also figure out a new normal for our family. We are under a stay-at-home order until June, so it’s time to start figuring out a rhythm. I’ve been trying to watch new to-me shows, get back into reading fiction and doing a little bit of online shopping (nothing too crazy). It’s helped a little bit! These March 2020 favorites have been helping me a ton.
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I struggle with reading fiction books because I get SO sucked in. It’s worse than binging Netflix for me. I just cannot put down a good fiction book. I feel like now is a good time to get lost in a book about a different world though, so I started (and finished) the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. These are fantasy books about an island that is shared by humans and faeries, though the two species are separated by a magical wall. It’s got lots of fantasy elements, a fairly relate-able heroine, a love story, a few plot twists and is very entertaining. If you like YA Fantasy, then you’ll probably like this book.
Back in November I did a blogger event at my local Sephora, and we were gifted a swag bag for coming. The bag was filled with different brands of skin and hair care and introduced me to a lot of new products. One of those products was the No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream from Living Proof. I was gifted a small trial size and made that last for several weeks. It left my hair smoother and softer and WAY less frizzy. In fact, I’d even say it’s one of the best no frizz products I’ve ever used. But when it ran out I was hesitant to buy more because it’s $38. Then, this month Sephora announced that they were closing their stores, but still paying their employees. It was the first email from a company that said that, so I decided to go ahead and order the product. I’m so glad I did because now I can have silky, smooth hair. Perfect for all the hanging out at home I’m going to do!
Since I’m spending all my time at home right now, I decided to invest in some nicer loungewear for days spent around the house. I’ve never purchased from Aerie before, but I’ve been interested in some of their stuff. After I got an email towards the beginning of the month saying that Aerie and American Eagle were also closing all of their stores, but still paying their employees, I decided that now was the time to give them a try! I ordered the Play High Waisted Boot Pant (aka yoga pants) and they are so comfy! They are “cozy” lined, so they are nice and warm and soft on the inside. Plus, they are high waisted, so I feel “pulled-in” in all the right places. I specifically bought something that looked more like pants so that I would actually feel like I was getting dressed when I put them on. Getting dressed in real-ish clothes is one of the top ways for me to feel more put together, so these pants are perfect for that. I also ordered a bralette, but I haven’t worn/washed it yet. I wanted something that was a bra, but more comfortable for the days at home too. Plus, I can wear it with off-the-shoulder tops and tanks this summer.
The Bold Type is like Sex and the City, but PG-13 and geared toward Millennials. It takes place in NYC at a magazine that is basically a made-up version of Cosmopolitan. There are 3 main characters all trying to juggle life, their careers, and relationships in the current world. This show is edgy, fun and sexy. If you like shows like Sex and the City or Younger, then this will probably be up your aisle! All 4 seasons are available for streaming on HULU!
I’m so very thankful that all of this is happening when the weather is warming up! I spend at least half of our days outside now and it’s been a huge mood booster for all of us. My PMDD seems to be more manageable if I’m getting more sunlight, so spending a lot of time outside has been great for all of those symptoms as well. The only problem is that my kids absolutely hate coming inside. Haha!
