When this pandemic first started and we were all pretty much sequestered to our homes, I had a hard time adjusting; I did not set boundaries for myself at work and working from home didn't turn out to be as fantastic as I thought it would. I initially got up and did my routine as I usually did, almost every day. As spring turned into summer, that got really old, really fast. I was down to doing my makeup once or twice a week and thinking of ways to at least find the wherewithal to do my skincare routine. 

I've settled on a happy medium with makeup: no pressure. This has resulted in a strange acceptance of my bare face, even out in public. This has also had a positive effect on my overall self-confidence; things aren't always as bad as they seem, it turns out. When I do wear makeup, I have gone from a full-coverage glam to light, barely-there or medium coverage makeup, depending on where I am going. 

A part of that is also me spending less time on Instagram. My feed is full of super-glam beauty influencers, makeup artists, and lifestyle bloggers. Pre-pandemic, I didn't keep the app on my phone to limit the time I spent on it. Removing the app certainly helped me focus on real things and not think about my skin or my makeup. While I love looking at beautiful things, spending hours of my day on Instagram looking at perfection isn't so good for me, especially during a time when one of the only people you can look at was yourself. 

Spending much of my time alone has been... interesting... but mostly educational. I have learned so much about myself. The first, is I need to work on my discipline lol. While all this time has afforded me the luxury of working from home, having a routine is extremely important -- I am still working on that. Working outside of my apartment forced me to have somewhat of a routine: I would wake up at 7 am and try my best to be in bed dozing off by 10. I'd work out in the morning a few days a week, and after work, either socialize or come home to wine and relaxation. Weekends were mostly my me time. A lot of people feel the need to be doing something on the weekends; I am not one of those people. What are you doing this weekend? is a question that will almost always get the same answer from me: Nothing, I hope! Weekends were also for brunch, but for me that had become a once or twice a month kind of thing. 

Most days, I now get a lot of me time, and while that hasn't always been pleasant, I have been a lot more aware of how I am using my time. It's made me think a lot more about where I am, where I came from, and where I am going, in almost all aspects of life. I'm writing things down a lot more, I'm setting goals, and thinking about the future while also trying very hard to  remember the present. 

I find myself more into interior design, cocktails, and cooking! I've always liked cocktails and looking at pretty living rooms and kitchens, but I never really liked cooking, or the thought of it! I have the Food Network to thank for that, but I also don't know if that's a long term thing or something I'm just into at the moment. I must say, it does feel damn good to make something and it turns out delicious.

I've had more time to get my apartment together and decorate little spaces at a time. It's definitely contributes to a happier place for me, mentally. I like a lot of different styles, but I'd say I am more of a contemporary gal. My favorite thing in my house is the bar which is a project I am always working on. If you asked me six months ago what my favorite cocktail was, I'd say a Manhattan, but these days I am experimenting with all kinds of things. 

Life hasn't been easy lately, but it could be worse. And I know that's a very cliché thing to say, but it's very true. I am doing more of the things that make me feel good and make me happy, and trying to be thoughtful about the future. The best is yet to come!