I do love being at home and just pottering around doing whatever takes my fancy. Although I feel this way (and therefore staying in has and will continue to suit me fine), I appreciate that there are people out there that love going out and miss things like the gym, office, other peoples houses, shops, pubs, and the list goes on. With the Covid-19 R rate (infection rate) going up to above 1 across the UK, I’m in no rush to do these things. I like my own company in my own home. How long for? Who knows.

Today I woke up with a different frame of mind. Usually I would be stressed about the weekend, constantly reacting to whatever anyone throws my way. Whilst having breakfast in the garden, I just wrote my list for the day and then worked through it, allowing any interruptions as welcoming breaks. These were in the form of:

• My eldest daughter coming to me for a morning chat (loved that!)
• My husband asking my youngest daughter and I to help him create a healthy eating plan
• Making lunch… easy one as it was leftover Chinese takeaway, and dinner… I cooked spaghetti bolognese

I still managed to get some things done from my list as follows:

The hallway

After putting some washing in the machine, I decluttered the hallway. It’s amazing how clear it felt just removing a few items that shouldn’t have been there.

Recycling

This wasn’t in my list, but whilst tidying the kitchen/dining room, I noticed bags of stuff by the back door again and also outside which were looking unsightly.

The inside pull-out bins were smelling as well so I took everything out and mopped the base of the cabinet. I then dumped all bins and recycling outside and pulled a chair over so that I could sit in the warm sunshine and sort it all out. I had a good chat with my mum on the phone while going through it. I turned the bins and boxes into a more organised state ready for recycling day on Tuesday.

The front of the house including garage door

The untidy area outside the front door and cobwebs and dirt on the garage door have been bugging me for a while. I decided that I didn’t want that feeling any more when I go out and return home.

I swept outside and then gave the front door and garage doors a wipe down. It was very satisfying. It didn’t come up as clean as I thought afterwards but it was much better.

Staring at the sky

I wrote four self-care type things on my list today that I wanted to fit in. One of them was ‘have breaks’. This afternoon, after having tea and biscuits, I laid down on the swing seat staring up at the sky, listening to calming music, and had my afternoon nap.

It was only about 20-30 minutes but it was wonderfully calming.

Hope you’ve all had a good Saturday and managed to get some time to yourself.

Until tomorrow…

Sandra