Another week in self-isolation! Pretty sure this our 8th week now which seems crazy! Things are slowly starting to feel like the new ‘normal’ so it’s going to be really strange when they eventually start lifting the lockdown. This is my 4th week of furlough leave so I’m trying my best to work through my to-do list and be productive!
Monday 4th May
My sleep pattern has been all over the place lately, I feel like I go to bed early feeling exhausted every day but don’t end up getting to sleep until around 11pm for some reason? I’m still trying to wake up gradually earlier to get back into my normal routine and to try and trick my brain into making me an early riser. I woke up at 5am this though so that was perhaps a little too early! Either way, I got up and started the day.
First of all, I started with a bit of writing and finalised last week’s recap. This took a couple of hours over breakfast and then I decided to crack on with a bit more DIY around the house. I finished painting the bedroom so that’s all done now, just the hallway, bathroom and spare bedroom to go.
I love the idea of decorating, but when it actually comes down to it, I find it really tedious. I think the worst part so far has been the fact that I’m currently just working with white paint over old white paint so it doesn’t look like much of a difference once it’s done and it’s tricky to see where you’ve already painted! I’m excited to finally get cracking with the spare bedroom as we’re doing that a light pink for my stepdaughter so at least there’ll be a splash of colour somewhere!
After a long day of painting, I was pretty tired and miserable which led to me indulging a bit today with a few cookies and a Chinese for dinner (oops)
I finally had one of my pin deliveries arrive which was exciting and then finished the day with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Tuesday 5th May
Slept pretty badly again, have had a lot of bad dreams lately and I’m not sure why! This, in turn, made me late for my doctor’s appointment this morning 😬I rushed straight there 15 minutes late after the quickest shower of my life and they managed to squeeze me in for my blood test which was good! It’s so rare that I am late for anything so I felt awful!
Once I got back home, I had a proper shower and then decided to sort my pin delivery into ones I would keep and others I would trade next time I go to Disney.
Once sorted, I had a little look around Skillshare to see what they have to offer. I’ve got a free 2-month premium trial to use at some point so I just wanted to put the feelers out there to see what they have. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure there was much on there that I couldn’t just find on YouTube but I’ll use my trial at some point anyway just to be sure!
I then decided to start tackling the painting in the hallway. It’s tedious but I just want to get it all done now and then I never have to think about painting again until we buy a house 😂(which I’m hoping will be better as we’ll be allowed to do every room exactly how we want to and, if worst comes to worst, I can just hire painter/decorators!) After a few hours of painting, with just the doors and alcoves to do and another coat on the walls, I put down my paintbrush for the day and cracked my jigsaw puzzle back out.
I started this particular puzzle on boxing day after receiving it as a Christmas present, it is honestly the most difficult puzzle I’ve ever done. I did try to do some the other day but I was really tired, not in a great mood and ended up getting really frustrated with it 😂
I managed to do a little bit more today though which gave me a little more confidence in it! This is really the most difficult one I’ve ever done though, all the pieces look so similar, it’s a nightmare to know where to start!
After puzzling for a few hours, I decided to head to bed and watch Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Wednesday 6th May
Started the day early and did a bit of writing and social media catch-up. I then had a look through my to-do list and made a few edits/updates for the weeks ahead. I’m going to try and finish my current online course and hopefully start a new one before having to go back to work.
I then decided to try and complete a bit more of the Disney puzzle, it’s slowly starting to take shape a bit more but I still stand by this being the most difficult puzzle I’ve ever done, I keep having to leave it because I just get frustrated with it! 😂
At 11am I had to attend a video-conference meeting for work to update us all on the current situation and check-in to see how we were all doing. It was weird to see all my colleagues via webcam rather than in the office, strange times indeed.
After my meeting, I got around to doing quite a bit of sorting and actually decided to re-arrange our spare room. This involved taking all the furniture out, re-arranging the rug, replacing all the furniture and sorting through all my stepdaughter’s old clothes and putting them aside for eBay as a lot of them are too small for her now!
The room looked really great after rearranging everything, it’s crazy how just a change in placement can really breathe new life into a room. I also felt really productive which was a nice change as I’ve felt so lazy lately even though I’ve actually done loads, but this was a project with a visual end result so it felt really productive.
Once Lee had finished his work for the day, we did a second coat on the painting in the hallway (very productive day today!) We’re both getting pretty fed up with the painting now so we were glad it was the final coat needed! just the doors and doorframes to do and then the hallway is complete!
Thursday 7th May
Started the day with completing a module of my online course. It started to get a bit repetitive so I fell into a bit of a slump with it but I’m determined to get it done by the time this lockdown is lifted (whenever that may be) After completing the module, I decided to do a bit of financial planning in terms of the wedding, budgeting and saving for a house. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the future and what I want from life. Career-wise I’ve never been quite satisfied. I’ve had various aspirations in the past but something has always changed my mind or got in the way. I’m hoping that the online courses I’m currently completing will give the confidence I need to get back into my nursing/midwifery training. I’ve had a 4-year break since studying healthcare and now I think is the time to hopefully get back into it, hence the online courses!
There are a few things I am certain of wanting in life:
to get married, buy a house, have a stable/fulfilling career and children. (Not necessarily in that order) I know that sounds like your classic textbook list of life goals and for the most part, it’s pretty basic, but that would suit me just fine! I feel like I’ve already had my fair share of drama and shitty situations, I just want to ensure I have a happy life full of lots of experiences and memories so I can hopefully look back on my life one day with little to no regrets.
Lord knows I’m a planner, so I decided to do some financial planning on what I need to save in order to make the above goals happen. I love having at least a rough idea of how to achieve things so this was a great way for me to pass the time and catch up on a bit of life admin.
After my planning, I decided to re-visit the puzzle. It’s so. damn. TRICKY. I decided to lay out all the similar pieces in terms of shape rather than colour which is how I completed the last puzzle I did. (Can’t believe it took me this long to remember that, my memory ain’t what it used to be 😂) I managed to put together a few more pieces before starting to get frustrated again. All the pieces are so similar 😩
I then decided to crack my old scrapbook out and update that for a while. I started scrapbooking about 5 years ago and found it in my cupboard whilst clearing out the other day. I started to update it with things such as our trip to Disneyland Paris on 2017, Walt Disney World in 2018 and 2019 and Universal Studios in 2019 also.
I then read a few more chapters of ‘The Flatshare’ before bed which I’m really enjoying! The characters are likeable, the storyline is interesting and it’s a really easy read.
Friday 8th May
Started Bank Holiday Friday off with a bit of YouTube, catching up with my favourite channels.
I then sat and read another chapter of my book before getting up and ready for the day.
After showering, I did my daily skincare routine with the Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel foaming cleanser which, I have to say, has completely impressed me. My skin is clearing up so well after using this range and I’m so happy to say I haven’t had any new breakouts since using these products. 🙌🏻
I then decided to do a bit more scrapbooking. There’s so much I’ve collected over the years, Disney park maps, tickets, stickers etc. as well as all the photographs I’ve taken on these trips so it’s taking me a while to get it all put together. It’s nice to have another project to dip in and out of when I feel like it at the moment.
As I mentioned last week, we managed to pick up some flour in the supermarket so I decided to try and bake some chocolate chip cookies. The dough was incredible, and I really had high hopes for them. They ended up all spreading into one giant cookie in the oven so I had to cut it back up into separate cookies. We tried a few after cooling for a few minutes, they were still warm and the chocolate chips were gooey and delicious. A bit of a success in my opinion!
I then did a bit more scrapbooking before heading to bed to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. I didn’t feel great today for some reason, I just felt really tired and run down, almost like I had hayfever (I’ve never had hayfever before but I felt how I imagine hayfever feels!) My eyes would not stop watering and I had a huge headache all day and a stuffy nose. Very odd!
After the film had finished, we noticed the moon looked so amazing! I believe it’s known as a ‘flower moon’ and it’s the last one until 2021 apparently. I tried to take some pictures of it but I didn’t have the right lens for my camera, this is the best I managed! 😂I definitely need to invest in a 300mm lens!
Saturday 9th May
After a good night’s sleep, I woke up feeling completely fine today! I think yesterday may have been down to the fact that we haven’t really left the house or been on a walk for a few days now so I was just feeling a bit stuffy and run down.
I started the day with a bit of scrapbooking before getting up and tackling hair-wash day! I feel like my hair is definitely adjusting to not being washed as much which is great, I also decided to switch up my shampoo and conditioner today to the Primark PS Smooth & Sleek range. I bought this set whilst on a work trip in London back in January. I was just looking for a cheap set to give my hair a quick wash the day before the conference just to look a bit more refreshed and professional and I was seriously impressed with this Shampoo & Conditioner. They were only £1.00 per bottle which is an absolute bargain and they leave my hair feeling soft, lightweight and super shiny! I will definitely buy this again once I run out, it’s a great budget haircare solution, perfect whilst I’m trying to save money!
Today we ventured out to the supermarket to re-stock on a few essentials. the weather was so beautiful and it was great to get some fresh air. We then headed home where I spent the rest of the afternoon researching photography techniques and tips for my camera.
I then read a bit more of ‘The Flatshare before finishing the day with the final Harry Potter film.
Sunday 10th May
Again, my sleep schedule is all over the place at the moment! We seem to be going to bed later and waking up earlier which I guess means that my body has finally caught up on sleep since it doesn’t need as much! Crazy to think that it took so long to catch up but here we are!
Today I decided to make some scones. I haven’t made scones since I was in high school so it’s been a while! I used the easiest recipe I could find (thanks Mary Berry) and they actually turned out pretty good!
I then fished out the DS again and played a few games to pass the time. My brothers then phoned via facetime on our family group chat so we all talked for a while and caught up with each other which was nice. It’s weird how you don’t realise how much you miss someone until you see them again. I suppose it’s a bit of an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ situation but I can’t wait for them to come back home and visit once this shit show is over 😂
We then awaited the government update at 7pm which, I’ll be honest is still pretty confusing. I feel like not many people were following the social distancing measures beforehand and now they’ve relaxed them a little I think we’re just going to see a second wave of the virus because if this lockdown has confirmed anything, it’s that the general public literally cannot follow instructions.
After the update, I decided to continue with the metal-earth cinderella castle that I got from Disney World back in October. I struggled with it at first as the pieces are so delicate that a few snapped and I just thought none of it would go together after that, however, I cracked the superglue out and gave it another go.
That was pretty much it for the rest of the evening!
3 things I’m thankful for/made me happy this week
- the beautiful weather! Not that we’ve been out in it much, but it really does play a big part in how you feel and I feel like my mental health (anxiety!) has really improved since the weather has been nice.
- The Harry Potter series – these movies are so darn good and I don’t care how nerdy that sounds. I’ve had a lot of fun re-watching them this week!
- Facetime – once again, keeping us all connected and (relatively) sane this week!
1 Comment. Leave new
You so so much more than me and is great to read what your doing! I love our Fambo video chats xxxx