After nearly a week of lockdown I am exhausted. And, I know I am not the only one. When this was first announced my husband and I came up with a plan where we split the homeschooling half and half. However, after a week of doing this I am not sure it’s sustainable. I literally do not stop. Parent / teacher / employee / parent… constantly. To make it worse I am hardly getting time with Hubby as he is working when I am not. So, during this lockdown, these are some things I am doing to cheer myself up! Yes, I am feeling a little sorry for myself.

A spot of gardening

I am new to gardening and I am learning all the time. When to cut things back, when to plant new bulbs. There is so much to learn. I planted lots of pretty plants and colours in the garden last year, some things were eaten by snails/slugs and some I have no idea if they will pop back up again this year. Hubby got me a lovely Gardening book for Valentines Day so I will be reading that and making notes of when I have to do things. It’s definitely keeping my mind occupied and it’s so lovely to have fresh blooms popping up all around the house. This photo is the view outside our front door (the tulips and camellia are nearly ready to pop too).

Creating a mini spa

A little pamper session is always a nice pick me up. I have had this Sand and Sky Pink Clay Perfect Skin kit for such a long time and it has been so nice to use it. Really needing it too. I created a mini spa environment in the bathroom and it was so relaxing. I forgot about the coronavirus for a good hour. If I can’t go on holiday, I can at least pretend I am! The set includes Pore Refining Face Mask & Flash Perfection Exfoliator.

Walking for my 1 a day exercise

I love walking and with the new government rules, we can exercise once a day, so I am making sure the dogs go out for a walk and I get my daily exercise too. I love having some quiet time to think, but also it’s nice to get out as a family altogether too. But we do not do that very often at the moment. Daddy takes the kiddies out sometimes in the afternoons which means I walk the dogs on my own. But I am happy with this as it’s some time away from the madness to sort my head out and I come back feeling refreshed. Or hungry!

Sit outside in the sun

The sun has been amazing this week, you couldn’t ask for better weather for the end of March. I am amazed and in love. I think Mother Nature knew this would cheer us all up a bit. I got a delicious bottle of Fentimans Rose Lemonade for Mother’s Day and it’s perfect to have a nice drink in the garden whilst the children are entertaining themselves on the trampoline. It’s a grown up drink, without the alcohol, which I can enjoy throughout the day. It’s really nice with ice too. This will be a nice way to cheer up if the sun holds out.

Fentimans

Daily puzzle

I am keeping my brain active and away from thoughts of the virus, by completing a daily puzzle when the kids have gone to bed. I love Sudoko, Logic Puzzles and Brain Teasers. I have lots of puzzle books around me and so I grab one in the evenings when it’s quiet. I often sit in the bath and complete a few pages of puzzles. I don’t know why but it makes me feel accomplished and happy that I have finished something. Especially at the moment, when you feel deflated that the kids haven’t completed their school work, it means that there is at least one thing I can do and feel satisfied!

Home updates

With being in the house so much, it’s impossible not to look around and think about how we can make it look better. A lick of paint here and a new house plant there! I am feeling very inspired to get on with the DIY and home improvements, I have a stash of Frenchic Paint in the garage waiting for me to update the house. It cheers me up to think about all the things we can do to make the house look nice. Having a nice environment around me is important, it makes me feel happy.

Lesson planning

As crazy as it seems: having a plan for the next days lessons is really helpful and this cheers me up. It means I am not running around like a headless chicken in the morning, the kids know what is coming and there are no surprises. I wasn’t very prepared yesterday morning and I scrambled together activities, the children didn’t seem interested and it had an effect on the rest of the day. So I am taking 10 minutes every evening to set their worksheets, reading books, spelling tests and a word search for the following morning. We are getting into a little routine with it now, similar to school life. I think this helps the children a lot.

Keeping hydrated

As well as drinking yummy drinks (as above), I am also ensuring I stay hydrated with water. We drink a lot of tea and coffee, limescale build up can happen quite quickly. Zerowater water filter jug is the only filter that removes 99.6% of the waters impurities. So this is the equivalent of bottled water, in your own home. Which is great! It’s nice to know we are drinking fresh, purified, water and I know we are looking after our appliances a little better too.

Online shopping

They say that when you are feeling low a little shopping spree can pick up your spirits. If you have the money to do this of course. I have done the same thing with online shops, finding Easter gifts and looking at things for the Summer. Even if I don’t buy anything, the window shopping with online shopping still cheers me up! I have found some fab deals on Shop Disney for Easter and LEGO have a double VIP points offer on too. In the hope that I am still getting to Dubai this year, I have been doing some bikini shopping too.

Planning nice things

One of the main things that is getting me through this lockdown is the fact I am planning a whole heap of activities over the next month and then for when the lockdown is lifted. We had to cancel our trip to Dubai, so we are going to re-book this as soon as we can. I am hoping Hubby finishes the patio very soon, so we can start sorting out the garden again. Lots of removal of dirt, cement dust and I need to plant some new colour into the garden. I also want to get a new Rattan sofa for the patio – it will look amazing. We have some fun things planned for the Easter weekend. I do not get the kids chocolate usually, this year I have found LEGO themed Easter ideas and even a LEGO treat for me! I love LEGO. To celebrate National Tea Day (21st April 2020) I am planning on having a little afternoon tea in the garden with the kiddies. I have a new tea set just for this special occasion. So, as you can see, lots to focus my mind which helps get through tough times like this.

What have you been doing to cheer yourself up during this lockdown period? Whether you are a parent trying to multi-task homeschooling and working from home, like me or just homeschooling, or neither and just need cheering up? I would love to know in the comments below or on social media: @mummyconstant.

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Last Update: Wednesday, 1st May 2024