Well, here we are! Hopefully things will start to turn towards the right direction but it looks like we still are heading towards a "new normal" where masks, social distancing, and hand sanitizer are still part of our every day life.
Since it has been this way for quite some time, I like to think I have found a few things that makes this easier to adapt to.
Face Masks First and foremost, masks are just a part of life now. I am lucky enough to have a mom who loves to sew and got into the homemade masks early on to help her small, rural community cope with the risk. (pssst check our her shop, Second Hand Rose in Bennington, Vermont - a woman-owned small business for 30 years!) So my family was rolling in handmade, recycled masks from the start! There is something about having a unique, earth-conscious mask that feels pretty good. Don't forget to wash them daily!
I did have to build out my collection a bit, so here are a few of my other favorites, including some bandanas - be sure to fold them at least double:
Hand Sanitizers Having worked at a well-known bath & body shop chain for a couple years, I have always tended to have some sanitizers rolling around. With the pandemic, I have found some pretty great options that are efficient and actually make you want to sanitize often:
Hand Wash Of course, we all washed our hands before now, right?!? This is the best way to keep safe, even from the every day cold (which I am pretty sure everyone who gets one nowadays has panicked about). Just like sanitizers, there are some great options out there:
Moisturize With all that washing and sanitizing, and, not forgetting it is winter (at least here in the northeast), our hands are taking a beating. It worth spending a little time taking care of them. I keep options everywhere I spend a little time:
"Maskne" I hope not everyone has fallen into this new peril that I certainly have. At my age, it feels pretty strange to have the skin of a teenager again (I am not a teenager and I am not talking about a "youthful glow" here). I am talking about pimples popping up almost daily on your chin and cheeks! If I am being honest, I still struggle with this after all these months but I have found a few things that have helped. I am still searching for the end-all fix here but got some solid advice from a local Esthetician - wash your mask in your face wash instead of detergent. PS - Don't use a benzol peroxide treatment under your mask, trust me - go for the patches!
Eyes I often wonder if anyone can tell I am smiling behind that mask. I sure hope so and think you can tell it by a person's eyes. Why not spend a little extra time caring for your eyes. There are so many options and treatments out there but some of the simple things I use to keep my eyes looking and feeling happy:
Hobbies Social distancing is not exactly going away, so while I am waiting for the warm months where I can socially distance outside, I found the extra time I gained working from home and staying home many weekends lends itself well to some long, lost or in some cases, totally new hobbies. There are so many inexpensive kits and free tutorials out there:
Take care!
Comments