Guess who's back?!

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a year since my last post. Crazy how much time flies! After the holidays a couple years ago, things started to get crazy. I was in full-blown wedding planning mode, we started aggressively looking to purchase a home, my husband's aunt passed, I started a new job... basically, 2019 was a crazy year (and that's just the first half... more to come soon!). So I took a step back from blogging to focus on my whirlwind of a life and time ended up really getting away from me.

But I'm back! And I'm hoping to be more consistent about posting, although I can't make any promises ;) I guess that's one upside of this whole Coronavirus thing... it's a good time to get all of those things done you've been saying you'd do forever but "never had the time." Been thinking of deep-cleaning your house? Rearranging your closet? Writing a long-overdue blog post? What better time to do so that while holed up in your house for several weeks?

And speaking of the Coronavirus... how is everyone holding up? Here in SF, it's only been a few days of quarantining but I'm already going a little stir-crazy. I see all these memes on Facebook joking about how introverts have been preparing themselves for this moment forever, and I was laughing with my girlfriends about how my lifestyle has barely changed. But there's something about being TOLD not to leave your house that makes you really want to do it, haha! So I'm biding my time, trying to find things to keep me busy. I'm still working (from home, thankfully), but my husband is officially out of work for the time being so we get to be locked up in our tiny apartment together for who knows how long. HOORAY. Oh yeah, I have a husband now! It's pretty great :)

I've been seeing lots of chatter about how to keep yourself busy during this epidemic so I thought I'd share some of my faves so far, and some of the things I've personally been doing:

1. Read a book! Seems obvious but I know I've had an ever-increasing stack of books waiting for me to read them for a long time now, and what better time to make a dent in that stack?

2. Start a group chat with friends. This is an awesome one that I highly recommend. My three best friends and I use Marco Polo to chat throughout the day, and it's always so nice to be able to see their faces and keep in touch.

3. Take a walk. Grab your dog, throw on some tennis shoes and take a stroll. That's still allowed (at least where I am). Just be careful to avoid others :)

4. Work out at home! There are TONS of free online workout videos ranging from HIIT to yoga. Take advantage of them while you're home to keep your body moving and creating endorphins, which will no doubt be helpful in keeping you from going crazy from being hold up :)

5. Spring cleaning, anyone? I don't know about you, but I've been telling myself I was going to take a toothbrush to the grout in between my bathroom floor tiles ever since we moved in. And hey, now I have literally nothing else to do! Cleaning my space always makes me feel refreshed and accomplished, and I actually find it quite cathartic. Grab your brooms y'all, it's spring cleaning time!

6. Write in your blog / diary. Many people find writing to be cathartic, especially when experiencing anxiety or depression (as I know lots of folks are right now). I love keeping a blog and I'm thankful to finally have the time to update it!

What are your favorite ways to keep busy while holed up? I'd love to hear some more! Please leave a comment below if you have any to share. I hope you're all staying safe and well <3