6 Things I've Been Doing During Quarantine
Bingeing all of the TV
I’d been spending hours bingeing an absurd amount of television, which I previously didn’t have the luxury of doing. I watched so many shows from start to finish, including Law & Order SVU, The Game, Insecure, and Dynasty. I cheated on RHOA, starting the latest 3 seasons of RHOBH. I also got caught in the drama of 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days. I watched all 4 seasons with Darcey, Cesar, SojaBoy, and David. Let’s chat below in the comments!
Self Care + Skin Care
Facetiming my friends, socially distanced picnics when the weather was much nicer, and focusing on my skin care routine were the main self-care elements of my quarantine. Do you remember the saying, “when you look good, you feel good” ? In a time of chaos, focusing on a routine or schedule helps to bring about normalcy, and something as simple as taking care of my face was important for my mental health.
Months ago, my dermatologist gave me a detailed skin care routine to follow to minimize and control my acne breakouts and treat my hyperpigmentation. In quarantine, I’ve tried to consistently focus on my skin, and the results are astonishing!
Below are some of the products I’ve been using.
Shopping, Black
Most retailers have been trying to get rid of a ton of merchandise in their warehouses and stores that are basically collecting dust. With new seasons merch still set to arrive, they’ve been having sales trying to clear out inventory. Luckily, I was able to take advantage of many of those sales, and earn money through Rakuten! Once you join Rakuten and make a purchase of $25 or more using my link, you’ll earn a bonus $10.
Of course you all know that I prefer to shop local and small, and make concerted efforts to do so. Highlighting Black-Owned brands have brought many new products and services to the forefront for me. My favorite purchases from Black-Owned brands so far have been wine from LaFête Rose, Black Girl Sunscreen, Mielle hair care, and my very versatile bucket bag from Unoeth, and get $20 off your own bag by using this link.
Here are some of my favorite purchases since quarantine.
Working Out
The #quarantine15 is so real, but thank goodness lounge wear is forgiving! During the first few weeks of quarantine when the gyms were closed, I decided to start taking walks around my neighborhood. I walked 4 miles a few times a week, and getting fresh air really got my endorphins pumping. When the gyms finally opened in June, I safely headed back to my gym to do cardio and weight lifting, and socially distanced pilates.
Cooking
After the first few weeks of quarantine, spending a small fortune on delivery through DoorDash and trying almost every restaurant that was still open, I knew it was time for me to bust out the pots and pans, and finally use my Christmas gift of an air fryer. Cooking is definitely a stress reliever, and creates an escape to focus on the meal and be creative. After a few loaves of banana bread, casseroles, and failed attempts at the air fryer blooming onion, I wanted to continue cooking new meals, but with fail safe recipes. Between the anxiety of going to the grocery store, and never knowing what I actually want to eat, I finally decided to sign up for Hello Fresh. Hello Fresh takes the guess work out of “What to eat?”, because I am indecisive AF! I select 3 out of 21 meal selections every week and a box is delivered to my door with the exact amount of fresh ingredients for 2 servings. I receive step by step instructions with pictures, and I couldn’t be happier to have 6 meals for the week.
Saving and Investing
Because we’re at home not spending money on normal activities like entertainment, traveling, and dining out, I’ve become more involved in my finances. I signed up for Robinhood to start personally investing in the stock market. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but I have made a profit because I purchased when the market was extremely low (I should have paid more attention in my finance classes during undergrad). I’ve also been saving with the Dobot app which I love because I link it to my checking account and the app makes small withdraws throughout the week, and I can set up weekly withdraws on specific days for a specific amount. This is perfect to me since I don’t have to set reminders to transfer the money, so it’s out of sight, out of mind. What I also really love is that you can create goals on the app to have a visual of what you’re saving for and know how far you are away from your goal. I think I may use the money to plan for an epic road trip!
What have you been doing while in quarantine?
