Thankful Thursday

Many people like to think of November as the month to be extra thankful for the people and things that they have in their lives because this is the month with the wonderful holiday Thanksgiving. Although, we should be thankful all year round, and not just in November or on “Thankful Thursdays”!

Sometimes it is hard to find something to be thankful for each day because sometimes the world is not a great place to be in, and sometimes we are going through a hard time. There have been a many days during the pandemic that I have found it hard to have gratitude towards anything because I look around and think about how different life was a year ago, but then I remember there is always something to be thankful for.

Gratitude does not always come natural to everyone with our crazy lives and stresses of everyday life, and this is why it is best to have a few random notebooks around the house and office to be able to jot down what you are thankful for. I keep a notepad at my home desk, my work desk, and in my nightstand. I do not schedule when I need to write down and acknowledge what I am thankful for, but I do give myself plenty of opportunities throughout the day to be able to be thankful.

“But Samantha, how do I know what I am thankful for each day?” That’s easy! Sometimes sharing the best part of your day is a way of saying what you were thankful for. Even if you had a terrible day and nothing seemed to go right, there is still one thing that happened in your day that was not bad. Maybe you are just thankful that you woke up breathing, or that you were able to drink clean water, or that you are thankful for technology because it let you call a friend or family member to tell them how horrible your day was. There is always something to be thankful for, even on the worst of days.

On our worst days and worst parts of our lives is when we should really be thankful the most .. sounds silly, I know! As hard and painful as it might seem, having gratitude and being thankful can bring some sunshine back into our lives. Later on, we can look back and be thankful for those hard days or rough patches of life because they have made us who we are today.

Here are a few activities that can bring out what you are thankful each day:

• Gratitude notepad – I personally list 1-5 “things” I am thankful for that day (ex: my car, hot water, rain, laughter, etc.) , 1-3 people that I have been thankful for that day, and the best part of my day.
• Sharing your “best thing that happened to me today” at the dinner table with your friends and family. My family friends do this with their kids each night, and I always love joining them for dinner and sharing the best part of my day with them. It is especially wonderful hearing the simple things that make a kid’s day great!
• A thankful jar – each day write down one thing or person that you are thankful for on a small piece of paper and then at the end of the month empty the jar and remind yourself of the things you were most thankful for the past month.
• Drawing it out – as I did below .. easy and fun! This might not be something that you do every day, but it could be a weekly or monthly reflection of the people and things you have been thankful for.

My “What I Am Thankful For” Doodle

If you are looking for gratitude activities for kids, Bestow has a great list of different fun ideas!

One last reminder, being thankful is not a seasonal thing … we can be thankful for something each and every day. I find myself too often taking things for granted, even small things, when I should be thankful for them every single day.

Leave a comment below telling me what you are thankful for this Thursday!

Talk to you later!
Samantha

April Showers Bring May Flowers … and Plants!

Tomorrow is May 1st! We all know the saying “April Showers Bring May Flowers”. With self-isolation restrictions reaching just under two months, people are running out of activities to keep them busy. My roommates have been keeping busy with planting flowers and collecting plants to take care of! Every room in my house looks like a green house and our planter boxes outside have never seen more flower seeds! So, if you need a hobby to keep you busy these next few months, I suggest thinking about becoming a gardener and/or plant parent.

The first thing you need to do is research which flowers, plants, vegetables grow best in the location you plan on planting and in the climate you live in. Nothing is worse than buying beautiful plants and flowers that are not going to grow where you live. You also need to research if your plant/flowers are going to need sun or not. One last thing to research is how often your flowers and plants are going to need water – some can go a few days without water while others need watered every day on schedule. Now, let’s get into some easy plant care tips!

Feel the soil to know how often to water your plants.

For potted plants, you may be unsure of how often to water them. A trick to know is to see if the first inch of so of soil is dry or not. If the soil is dry, this is an indication that the plant needs to be watered. Another indication that your plant might need a little more water than usual is if there are shriveled up leaves that are either dry or discolored.

It’s better to underwater your plants than it is to overwater them.

This is something I did not know before having plants. It is easier for a plant to recover from not having enough water than having too much. To save the overwatered plant, you should probably repot the plant and remove any unhealthy or damaged roots and overwatered soil before switching pots.

Keep your plants put.

Pick a spot for your plant and try to keep it in that same area. Plants thrive once they are used to their surroundings and finding a spot with the right amount of light. Temperature is also important – fluctuating temperatures will shock your plants and therefore lead to the plant not being able to develop and maybe even die.

Prune your plants.

Getting rid of the old-growth on your plants will help your plants grow again. Think of it as trimming the dead ends of your hair. So, don’t forget to give your plants haircuts!

Try to pick pots with drainage holes.

Having a way for your pots to drain is vital for your plant and the soil. Proper drainage will allow the roots to receive air, rather than sitting in water and suffocating the roots. “But Samantha, the cute pot from Hobby Lobby doesn’t have a hole in it and it looks so cute in my house.” Easy fix! drill a hole or two in the bottom of the pot yourself before planting!

Dust your plants!

This is so important. Plants that collect too much dust on their leaves cannot get the sunlight they may need to survive – especially green plants and plants with big leaves. Once every other month, get a damp cloth and lightly wipe down the leaves of your plants on both sides.

Flowers! Starting a flower garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Everyone benefits from gardens because you learn a lot and more times than not you have a pretty section of flowers that you grew by yourself. If you are new to planting flowers, it is best to start with some flowers that are easy to grow: cosmos, geraniums, marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias.

Seedlings should never be allowed to dry out, so you need to water these daily – you can taper off as the plants get larger. After that, how much you need to water depends on your soil, humidity, and rainfall. Once a week is normal for most places. To minimize evaporation, you should water in the early morning. To learn more about how to take care of a flower garden, you can read this article from Better Homes & Gardens!

Flowers can really boost people’s moods! This is important during this crazy pandemic. Could you imagine taking a book outside and reading in your flower garden?! I know I sure could!

Photo Credit: Darrell

If you are having a hard time being positive while in the workplace, try adding a couple of plants! Even if you do not get direct sunlight, there are a couple plants that grow without sunlight! A few plants that grow well without sunlight are Dacaena, Parlor Palms, Snake Plants, Calatheas, Spide Plants, Peace Lilies, Etc.

If you need more tips on gardening, please check out this website to learn all there is about gardening! Now, go start your garden and become a plant parent!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Making Mother’s Day Special

Here is the best occasion to gift your mom, grandma, mother of your children, or any other woman in your life with something meaningful. If you’re like me, you can never think of what to get your mom for Mother’s Day because nothing seems good enough for the woman who raised me! I am going to help you come up with a few options on how to show your mom how special she is.

Presence

If I have learned one thing, moms love when they have their kids home for special occasions like this – especially her grown kids who do not live at home anymore. Quality time is one of the best gifts you can give someone! Just having you home to spend the day with is going to make your mom feel so lucky and special.

Spa Day

If you are in a state where businesses are open, you can gift your mom a spa day! This is my go to gift for my mom – it’s a win win situation because she always wants me to go with her so we get to go to the spa and spend time together! If you are in a state that is not quite open yet, you can purchase a gift card for her to go to the spa when it does open up or even make an at home spa day! You can never go wrong with a spa day for the woman you want to make feel special.

Personalized Gifts

Nothing says you love your mom more that personalizing something for her with your name on it or a special quote for her. There are so many things you can personalize: wallets, necklaces, bracelets, rings, pillows and blankets, candles, picture frames, wall decorations, calendars, pots for plants, key chains, jewelry boxes, cutting boards, mugs, shirts, champagne glasses, etc. You can go to this website to find something to personalize for your mom!

Look at this precious personalized gift. I absolutely love this idea! You can personalize your own on Etsy from KNOTnNEST.

Flowers

This is the most classic special gift. If you are like my mom, she does not get flowers very often and every time she does, she could not be more thankful. I try to order from a local florist, but if that is not an option, I order from 1-800 Flowers. They always send you coupons and have specials for most all holidays. Not only do they deliver every day of the week, but they also deliver plants!

Purses and Jewelry

A woman can never have too many purses or too much jewelry, trust me I know! If your mom is like mine, she never buys herself anything – so it’s my job to buy her the things she wants! Trust me, women will never be upset when they receive that purse she’s been eyeing or a piece of jewelry she will love. Don’t get me wrong, you do not have to buy the most expensive piece of jewelry or purse for them to love the gift!

Whatever you end up getting your mom, stepmom, grandma, the mother of your kids, or just a special woman in your life, they are going to appreciate being noticed. One of the most precious gifts is telling someone how much they mean to you. It is important to remember that no matter what the price tag says, they are going to love you for thinking of them!

Leave me a comment with the special present you decided to buy for your mom or loved one this Mother’s Day!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Virtual Happy Hour

Some of us have now been in self-isolation for 6 weeks now … I am not sure how I have not covered this topic yet, especially because I have missed bartending so much while non-essential businesses have been closed! A virtual happy hour is obviously not as fun as meeting your friends after work on Friday at your favorite bar and catching up, but it is a short-term solution!

The first thing you need is your phone or computer with the app that you and your friends are planning on communicating with. I have mentioned in previous blogs that my friends and I are using HouseParty – it does so much more than Zoom! Don’t get me wrong, Zoom is a great source for work meetings, but for happy hour, you need to try out HouseParty. Not only can you add all of your friends to one screen, but you can also play games with them while you are talking. A few of the games the app provided for you are Draw Something, Trivia, Heads Up, and Chips and Guac.

Okay, so now you have the app that you and your friends are going to communicate through. Now, you need your happy hour drink! One of the best parts about virtual happy hour is you don’t need someone in the group to be a designated driver because you are already at your house! For your beverage of choice, you can keep it simple and pick up a bottle of wine, White Claws, your favorite whiskey, or your favorite beer. If you’re like me, you will want to make a fun and fancy drink that you could get while you are at a restaurant or bar. So, the bartender in me is going to give you a few of my favorite drink recipes!

Blue Lemon Refresher

This first drink is something that I came up with and is my personal favorite. If you are a lemonade person, this will be your new go-to drink! It’s very simple and does not take long to make!

• 1 oz Vodka of choice
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1 oz Sweet n Sour
• Fill with lemonade (I use frozen concentrate for more of a slushi consistency, but normal lemonade works just as good!)
• Garnish with an umbrella, lemon wedge, and cherry!

The first thing I learned when I started bartending was to always garnish! The garnish is what makes the cocktail better than your average drink! For more garnishing tips and tricks, check out this website!

Just look at these beautiful garnishes by Cyd. The garnishes make the cocktail stand out even more!

Watermelon Margarita

I have yet to make this mouthwatering cocktail, but trust me this is the next drink I am making for a virtual happy hour!

• Two cups fresh watermelon
• 1 oz Blanco Tequila of choice
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• Ice cubes

You can blend the watermelon chunks until its a smooth liquid. Next, add in the tequila, triple sec, and ice. Blend until smooth. Rim the glass with lime and dust with sugar. Pour in the blended drink. Garnish with umbrella and lime wedge. Yum!

Pineapple Pisco Punch (Triple P as I like to call it)

I personally cannot give you my opinion of this drink because I am not a pineapple person … I know I know, I’m crazy! But, I have never heard a single bad thing about this drink! This recipe is for a full pitcher!

• 1 750-ml bottle Pisco
• 8 oz water
• 9 oz fresh lemon juice
• 9 oz pineapple gomme syrup
• Garnish: pineapple wedges

Mix all the ingredients together in a large pitcher – refrigerate until chilled (preferable overnight or for several hours). Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with pineapple wedges!

AMFs

This is a very popular drink that not a lot of people know exactly all of the ingredients for, but I thought this would be a perfect drink for virtual happy hours!

• 0.5 oz vodka
• 0.5 oz rum
• 0.5 oz tequila
• 0.5 oz gin
• 0.5 oz blue curacao
• Fill with sweet n sour
• Garnish with orange peel for color

Long Island Iced Tea

Most people do not know that Long Island Iced Tea does not actually contain iced tea, but now you do! This is very similar to an AMF, you just have to substitute a few items.

• 0.5 oz vodka
• 0.5 oz rum
• 0.5 oz tequila
• 0.5 oz gin
• 0.5 oz triple sec
• Fill with sweet n sour
• Splash of coke for brown coloring
• Garnish with lemon wedge

The main difference between AMFs and Long Island Iced Teas are the color and garnishes.

Vodka Press

This is the first cocktails that bartenders learn. It is also one of the easiest and most popular drink. I know what you’re thinking … “Samantha I have been drinking for a long time and I have never heard of this drink or have seen it on a menu anywhere”. That’s because it’s like a secret menu for bars – it is really tasty and very customizable.

• 1 oz of your favorite vodka flavor
• Fill half part soda water and half part 7-up or Sprite
• Top it off with a drop or two of colored liqueur that matches the flavor of vodka you put in (i.e. any red liqueur with raspberry or strawberry vodka, blue liqueur for blueberry vodka, etc.)
• Garnish with lemon wedge, lime, or orange depending on the color or your cocktail.

This is a very light and tasty cocktail! If you want to order one while you are at the bar (hopefully soon), all you have to ask for is *insert vodka flavor* press – i.e. raspberry press, blueberry press, orange press, green apple press. etc. It is that simple and all bartenders know exactly what you are talking about!

For more summer cocktail ideas for your virtual happy hours, you can go to this website that offers over 60 summer cocktail recipes. Now, go make your cocktails for happy hour and drink up!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Quarantine Care Packages

After having a House Party call with two of my best friend this past weekend (if you don’t know what that is, check it out here and download the app to your phone), I decided that I needed to make a few care packages for the people in my life! Post offices are still sending mail and we are still getting mail delivered to us, so why not utilize this function when we are not able to see our friends and family! A lot of people have seen an increase in their depression and anxiety during this time, and as mentioned in my last blog, senior citizens are seeing a decrease in their health due to the lack of people interaction. While we cannot send ourselves through the mail to our friends and family, we can send them a care package!

Care packages can be as simple as sending cookies and a card! The main items that makes a care package great, is just the care package in general. I know all of my friends and family would love a care package from me even if it only had a pack of gum and a note in it because care packages are literally all about the thought of doing something for someone. I like to be creative, so I try to make each care package slightly different depending on who it is getting sent to! It also makes a difference if it is getting hand delivered or mailed. By hand delivered, these days I mean setting it on their porch, knocking, and running at least 6-feet away before the recipient opens the door to abide by the social distancing restrictions!

For example, I have delivered two care packages within the last week. The first care package was to my family. Because they live within driving distance, they received Bundtlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes. There is nothing that my family loves more than a treat from their favorite cake bakery – so I thought this was fitting for them! It was also one of my college best friend’s birthday this week – so, I wanted to make it as special as I could while we are in quarantine. I dropped off a card, flowers, balloons, coffee, and a Smirnoff Ice (yes, I Iced her on her birthday) at her door for her to find!

What does it mean to get “Iced” you ask? No, it’s not the ice bucket challenge! It’s when you hide a Smirnoff Ice for someone to find – whoever finds it has to chug it while down on one knee … they got iced! For more details, go to this website to find out more information on getting “Iced”!

Along with the care packages that I was able to hand deliver, I also decided to send some in the mail to my brother, my cousin, and my hometown best friend! I kept these care packages fairly similar due to trying to limit the stores I needed to shop at! I made them simple and not creative because I was in a hurry to get them to them! They each got some of their favorite candies, some drink accessories like umbrellas and cute straws, and a card with a heartfelt message.

Here are some other items you can add to a quarantine care package:

• Chapstick
• Card games
• Snacks
• Lotions
• Adult or children’s coloring book
• Colored Pencils
• Candles
• Books
• Party decorations to cheer everyone up
• Hand sanitizer – if you can find it
• Toilet paper – a funny joke these days
• Inspirational quotes
• Pictures of you and the recipient
• Nail polishes

You can also order a cute care package from Etsy like the one below.

Photo Credit: PlantsofParadiseShop

Like I said earlier, you can make your care package as simple as possible and someone is still going to love it. I hope I gave you a few good ideas for you to be able to send a quarantine care package to someone you are thinking about! Now, go get a care package together and make someone’s day brighter during this crazy time! If you need any other ideas, email me at samanthalynnsamuelson@gmail.com

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Community Service During Coronavirus

Let’s talk about an event that does not get talked about enough – community service. A lot of people don’t participate in community service because they do not have much time with their job, school, kids, etc. With COVID-19 causing us to be home more, some people might find that they have more time to get involved in community service. So, we now have the time, but we are supposed to be staying home with all of this time. There are still ways to get involved with community service while sticking to the COVID-19 restrictions.

Donate Clothes

This is the time to get rid of those clothes in our closet that have not seen daylight in quite some time. I try to go through my closet every three months and get rid of clothes I do not think I will wear again. When deciding if you want to donate a specific item, ask yourself if you have worn it in the last six months. If the answer is no, then add it to your donation pile. If the answer is yes, ask yourself if it still fits how you like it to and if you see yourself wearing it within the next three months. If you answer no to those questions, add it to your donation pile.

After you get your pile completed, find a local homeless shelter or a donation drop box that you can take your donations to. This will help people who need inexpensive or free clothes get what they need.

Make Cards for Senior Citizens or Hospital Patients

The senior citizens and patients in hospitals are not allowed visitors at this time – two of the places that need the most visitors. Senior citizens are experiencing a decrease in health without having daily conversations. By giving the senior citizens and patients in hospitals friendly cards, not only are you going to make them smile, but it could also increase their health. For ideas on cards and pictures for the senior citizens and patients, go to this website.

Photo Credit: Meredith

Pick Up Trash

I was driving on the freeway this weekend and could not believe how much trash was on the side of the road! This is a simple community service activity that gets over looked often. Most of the time we see inmates from jails and prisons picking up trash on the road, but we are practicing social distancing and that is not possible right now. Put on some neon clothes, take a garbage bag, and safely help clean up our roads.

Pick Up Groceries for Neighbors

If you have any neighbors or friends that have weakened immune systems or are elderly, offer to pick up their groceries for them so they do not have to risk being exposed to someone that has the virus. They can make you a list and you can grocery shop for them while you do your own grocery shopping. This is something small and simple that will take a lot of stress off of those who are afraid to go into public places right now.

Offer Free Tutoring

I know a lot of parents who are going crazy acting as their children’s teachers! If you have the ability to teach any subject, offer to tutor their child in a specific subject a couple times a week. This would really be good for the teachers that are not teaching their own students at the moment. Its a win-win because I know a lot of teachers that are missing their students and a lot of parents that are going to pull their hair out if they have to try to teach their kids math one more time!

Donate Flowers to Local Essential Businesses

If you have a garden that has an abundance of blooming flowers, add some to a vase and take it to a local essential business. This will brighten everyone’s day that works there. It is as simple as picking some flowers, adding them to a vase, and dropping them off at the door of a business. You can do this with fruit or vegetables as well. This is a small act of kindness that makes a lot of people smile!

Take Breakfast or Treats to Your Local Frontline Workers

If you have some extra time to make breakfast burritos, muffins, cookies, or any other food item that is easy to individually wrap, take them to your local fire department, police station, hospital, EMTs, transportation workers, grocery store, etc. These frontline workers are working extra hours and putting their safety at risk for their communities, and they will appreciate you thinking about them and taking time out of your day to thank them!

Donate Time at Local Food Bank

A lot of towns are increasing the amount of times they give food out at their local food banks. They are asking for more volunteers to help out with the increased hours. To find out how and where you can volunteer for a local food bank during COVID-19, check out this website.

Donate Blood

Most hospitals are asking for people to donate blood, this is not uncommon during such a serious event that is going on. If you are someone who has given blood before, you know how rewarding it can feel to help out in such an amazing way! If you have never given blood before, trust me, you will want to give blood as often as they will let you. All you have to do is drink water and lay down while they take your blood – it is simple and rewarding. If you are someone who is afraid of needles, look the other way and you won’t even know when the needle goes in!

These might not seem like the usual community services activities that people participate in, but they will mean a lot to the people in the community right now. This is just a short list of all of the things that can help out our community in these time. If you have any other ideas on how to support our community during this time, please leave a comment below for other readers. Thank you for wanting to help out your community!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Let’s Prepare To Transition To Normal Life Again

While we are unsure as to when the world is going to go back to normal, or at least as normal as it was before, it is still important to prepare ourselves for when that time comes. Our bodies are not used to what they have been doing the last month and a half – some of us have not been working at all, some of us have become full-time teachers to children, and some of us are working more hours than we are used to. Whether we have been laying on the couch watching tv or crafting all day or active 18 hours a day, we need to get our bodies back into our regular routine … because if we don’t, it’s going to be a difficult transition for most of us.

I was in self-isolation for two and a half weeks after returning from Australia. I was not working from home and I was 220 miles away from my roommates and friends. I was going to use these precious days off to get ahead on school work, work out, take my dog on a walk every day, spend time with my family, and occasionally catch up on my tv shows. Well … I can tell you that is not how my two and a half weeks in isolation went. I have not had more than five days off in a row, including both school and work, in I can’t tell you how long. I am always working and I am always doing school work. So, I took these two and a half weeks of “vacation” and did absolutely nothing!

I have never watched more tv in my life, and I am not upset about this decision at all! Sometimes, our bodies and minds just need a break. Did my body and mind need a two week break full of Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy? No, probably not, but that’s what it got! The best part was my dog thought he needed a two week break full of naps and tv as well – I did take him on walks when the weather was permitting and he enjoyed every minute of the walks, but not as much as cuddling and watching tv with me! So, needless to say, my body was in complete shock when it came to the first Monday morning when I had to set an alarm clock and be at work by 8am …

I want to help you all transition your bodies and minds from self-isolation mode to getting back to work mode!

Set An Alarm

If you don’t have kids or have kids that also like to sleep in, I suggest setting an alarm for each day. It does not have to be the usual 5 or 6am, but something close to the time you normally leave the house. When your alarm goes off at 8 or 9am, slowly get out of bed and start your day.

Starting Your Day Off Right

Most people are in a funk due to this whole coronavirus situation, and it is causing a lot of increased depression and anxiety. One way to help aid our mental health is to start our day off right! Get up, shower, and get ready like you are going to go to the office. Most days, we complain when we have to get up and get ready for work, but this can help us stay positive and find meaning for our day.

Get Dressed!

I myself found myself changing into a new pair of sweats or pajamas each day, but this can cause a lot of people more sadness and negativity toward this situation. Even if it is just for a few hours, change into real clothes you would wear out of the house. If you are working from home, dress as if you were going into the office! After wearing sweats for two weeks in a row at home, I seriously tried to convince my bosses to let me where them to work … they did not go with it unfortunately.

Do Something New Each Day

Whether it’s trying a new recipe or helping the kids with a new crafting idea, try something new each day. We will never know the next time we will have this much free time on our hands, so why not try to take advantage of that? I am not saying make a huge long chore list of everything you have ever wanted to do, but make a small list of things you would enjoy doing.

Stay Active

This one is so important! I am not proud to say that 80% of my self-isolation time consisted of me laying in bed or on the couch. This is why my back hurt for the first week and a half after returning to my computer screen and chair! So to prevent this, I suggest 60 minutes of physical activity every day for a week before returning back to our normal world. It does not have to be anything like running as fast as you can for an hour each day, but something as simple as walking for an hour or cleaning up the house for an hour each day. This will get your blood flowing and all of your joints moving!

Celebrate Your Wins

This is so important for us. It is easy for us to sit and dwell on things we did not accomplish, but it is just as easy to celebrate the things we did accomplish. We need to keep our minds healthy during this crazy time – so, how about we acknowledge the things we did get done and not worry about the things we did not get done. I know this is easier said than done because we are our biggest critics, but think about how you feel when someone gives you a compliment versus how you feel when someone puts you down. We need to lift ourselves up just as much as we want others to help lift us up! Instead of getting upset with yourself for not deep cleaning every inch of your house, celebrate that you did vacuum under the couch for the first time in a couple months!

Stay Productive If You’re Working From Home

Staying productive while you are working from home is going to be really important when you go back to work because your body and mind are going to be used to it. If you’re having trouble staying productive if you are working from home, you can go to this website for some tips on how to stay productive and what to do if you find yourself not being productive.

Tentative Routines

Make a tentative schedule that is not too strict. By doing this, you have an idea of things that you need to get done each day, but you also have other options. Just remember, if you do not get your tentative schedule done each day, do not criticize yourself! Here is an example of a tentative daily routine.

Photo Credit: Bored Panda

I know this is all easier said than done. It is important to understand that you are not “stuck at home” – we are all at home safe. You do not need to conquer every single item on your to-do list, and you do not need to be productive all day every day. Take each day as it comes and make the best of this horrible situation! The Mental Health of America provided a list for tips to get through this transition on their website.

If you have any other tips on how to prepare to get back to normal, please leave a comment below!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Practicing Mindfulness During Self-Isolation

Here we are … another self-isolation blog! I promise as soon as we are not on lock down and can get back to our normal lives I will post an event that does not involve staying home! For now, this is our reality, and I want to help you make it through this very trying time as much as possible! Something that I think will aid you in surviving this time at home is mindfulness.

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we are doing, and being able to not be too overwhelmed by what is going on around us. About nine months ago, I had no idea what it meant to be “mindful”, and then I took a course that was offered through my MBA program that helped you become a mindful leader. As I write this, I cannot believe that I had absolutely no idea how to practice being mindful because this is something I now do daily.

Here are some of the benefits to practicing mindfulness:

• It reduces rumination and overthinking
• Alleviates some stress
• Improves memory, concentration, and performance
• It helps with emotional reactivity
• Promotes cognitive flexibility
• Can help create happier relationships
• Reduces anxiety
• Improves sleep
• Promotes mental health
• Can provide pain relief
• Enhances creativity

Of course, not every person that practices mindfulness sees all of these benefits – the benefits are different for each individual. Now that we know some of the benefits to being mindful, let’s look at how we can start practicing mindfulness.

Dedicate a time and space for your mindfulness practice.

You will want a specific place for your mindfulness practice – make sure it is quiet, calm, and soothing. Most people pick a specific time during which you are unlikely to be interrupted, but some people do not limit themselves to the same dedicated time each day. You will want to strictly use this space for meditating; this way, when you sit down, your body will be notified it is time to calm down and practice mindfulness.

Make a conscious effort to focus on the present moment, without judgement.

If you stop to think about it, the only moment in which you are really able to live is the present. Don’t think about the future or the past, and fully accept yourself in the moment. Always come back to focusing on your breath.

Allow yourself to do nothing and just be.

You do not always have to be running around in order to get things accomplished. Often, you need to recharge your mind and body so you can be productive when you need to work. Allow yourself to have this resting time, and think of it as a necessary part of living a good life in the long run.

Pay attention to your motivations, thoughts, words, and actions.

When you are thinking, saying, or doing something, what is the reason behind it? Are you just saying and doing the things you do to benefit from them in some way, or are you trying to help benefit others? Make sure your motivations, thoughts, words, and actions are coming from a good place.

Notice your judgements and let them pass.

It is okay to have judgements – they are normal and part of life. However, it is very important to acknowledge them and allow them to pass as nothing more than thoughts. Judgements are not permanent, and your mind can always change – so don’t get too caught up in your initial judgements of anything.

Return to the present moment.

If you begin to think about the past or present, return your attention to the moment at hand. Stop what you are thinking and realize that there is nothing you can do to change anything that has already happened or anything that may be coming to you in the future. Always return to the here and now to live in peace. Do not get upset with yourself for shifting your thinking to the past and future, just acknowledge them and move on.

Photo Credit: Jared Rice via Unsplashed

Some of the forms of meditation are widely known through yoga and meditation, but there are many other ways you can practice mindfulness. You can practice mindfulness while you are eating, talking to friends or colleagues, while you are at school, while you are at work, and even while driving. To learn how you can practice mindfulness in all of these situations, check out this website.

There are plenty of apps out there that provide you with guided meditations that help you practice mindfulness! There are so many types of meditations that I did not know about until I downloaded an app to help me! There are walking meditations, body scan meditations, love and kindness meditations, and other different types that can help you be more mindful! Here are a list of some of the top rated mindfulness apps:

• Headspace – this is the one I use and really enjoy!
• Calm
• Buddhify
• Breethe
• Aura
• iMindfulness

There are also podcasts that are all about mindfulness. I have not listened to any of the podcasts, but if you are interested here are some podcasts that come highly recommended.

Here are a couple of books that I read during the Mindful Leadership course I took in my MBA program that offered a lot of helpful insight:

• Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body – Daniel Goleman
• Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness – Jon Kabat-Zinn (my personal favorite)
• Mindfulness in Organizations: Foundations, Research, and Applications – Jochen Reb
• The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love – Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits – Judson Brewer

Mindfulness has recently become a popular life style for people. Before I started practicing mindfulness, I was not someone who participated in yoga or meditation, but I learned why everyone loves it so much! There are some amazing benefits that come with mindfulness that you are not going to believe until you start to practice yourself. What better time to start practicing mindfulness than while in a world pandemic that is beyond stressful for a majority of people?!

If you have any other helpful mindfulness tips, apps, podcasts, or books that you would like to share, please leave a comment below!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

A New Event … Grocery Shopping!

I know what you’re thinking, “Samantha, grocery shopping is not an event – some people do this every day without thinking twice about it”. With the lockdowns, stay at home orders, and social distancing, grocery shopping has definitely become quite the event! If you’re like me, as soon as you run out of something in the kitchen, you are dreading going to the store. Not only do you come into contact with other people, but it also takes longer to grocery shop than it ever has before.

Grocery stores are limiting the amount of people in their stores to try to eliminate customers coming into direct contact with other people – this results in long wait times to even step foot in the door. Grocery shopping should not feel like an event, but with all of the precautions put into place to stop the spread of COVID-19, it is turning out to be an event each trip. Can you imagine running out of milk and having to wait 30 minutes in line just to grab a jug of milk for the kids’ cereal in the morning?!

Other stores are putting arrows on the ground to let customers know which direction they are allowed to walk in for each isle. This is supposed to help customers stay six feet away from others, which is the social distancing guideline. This is also causing grocery shopping trips to last longer because you can no longer go down the isles in the directions you need and you are no longer able to pass people without violating the six-feet distance guideline. If you only need one thing in an isle, you are going to have to make sure you start from the right end and wait your turn to get to the section you need. What a hassle!

I am not trying to put these grocery stores down, because in the end, they are just following the rules that have been put into place for our safety during this pandemic. What I am trying to do is help you realize that there are other ways to grocery shop. What if I told you that there was a way to get your grocery shopping for the week done in thirty minutes or less – without waiting in a long line outside of the store and without following the arrows down each isle of the store? You might think this sounds too good to be true, but I promise it’s not!

Walmart grocery pick up is the solution to all of the hassles with grocery shopping these days. I have heard that Raley’s, Smith’s, Target, and Whole Foods also participate in a similar function, but I have not personally tried these stores yet. I did try Walmart grocery pick up for the first time last weekend though! I highly recommend this free service that Walmart offers. From start to finish, this shopping experience only took me about 40 minutes.

Photo Credit: Kristin McGrath

So, what do you do? First download the Walmart Grocery app on your phone or go to their website and sign in or make a new account for free (FYI – you will need the app to pick up your groceries at Walmart). You will need to pick a Walmart location near you and a pick up time – this is a very popular service at the moment, so the pick up time you want may have to be a day or two out. Then start adding groceries to your shopping cart! If you don’t see the item you want on the featured list, just search it in the search bar at the top. When you have finished choosing your items, you “check out” with your debit card. There is a page that asks you which items you will accept substitutes for in case your item is out of stock, but don’t worry, if you don’t like the substitution they choose for you, you can reject the item before they put it in your car.

On the day of your grocery pick up, you need to check in during the slot time you chose. Walmart will either text you or send you an email with a link to check in and a list of the substitutions they had to make to your order. You check in and then head to your Walmart. You will park in the orange parking lot area in front of a number. As soon as you arrive, you go to the app and tell Walmart which number and the color of your car so they can bring your groceries out to you. This is the process that might take 20-25 minutes depending on how busy it is. These days, it is quite busy – I only ended up waiting about 20 minutes for my groceries to get to my car. When the associate gets to your car they will ask you if you accept all of your substitutions, they will load your groceries into your trunk or backseat, and then you leave. It’s that easy!

Not everyone has had a good experience with Walmart grocery pick up, but they have been doing this for a while now and most of the kinks are worked out now! Walmart even gave me a free sample of skincare products in a cute bag! I do have some tips for you to make this a smooth process:

• Sign up through a friend to receive a $10 credit. Refer your friends and you receive a credit as well!
• Grocery shop on the app a couple days before you want to pick it up – this way you can add items in case you forgot something! You can add items up to 12 hours before your scheduled pick up time.
• Make use of the “essentials” list – there might be items on there you need but didn’t think about adding to your list.
• Ask to see your produce before you accept the items – yes, you can do this! Just like you can reject any substitutions, you can reject any produce! The only bad part about rejecting items is that you will go without that item until the next time you go grocery shopping.
• To make sure you do not come in contact with anyone, wipe all of your items down with Clorox Wipes as soon as you get home and throw away any of the plastic bags they gave you. Coronavirus has shown to live on surfaces up to 48-hours – by cleaning all of your items you are limiting the risk.
• You can add other items to your basket that are not “groceries”, like paper plates and paper towels.

Did I mention this service is free? No, they do not upcharge their products when you buy them online. They do request you to purchase at least $30 worth of items, but trust me that is easy when you keep adding items to your cart!

For more tips and things you should know before ordering through Walmart Grocery, check out this website. If you have any stores that you recommend or don’t recommend for grocery pick up, please leave a comment!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

How To Celebrate The Graduating Seniors

For most people, senior year is a memorable time. Senior year is supposed to be filled with college applications, scholarship applications, the final days playing a sport, the last bonfires with the people you have grown with for the last four years, senior prom, and the last Homecoming. The spot light is always on the graduating seniors – it’s their time to shine. This is the last time to make memories with your friends from high school before everyone goes their separate ways. Can you image having all of the final memories you make in high school being ripped away from you because of this pandemic? I sure can’t.

There are a lot of ways that we can show off the seniors in our lives that are upset about not ending the year how they expected:

Highlights Video

These seniors did not get to finish their Spring sports in front of their friends and family. To celebrate the senior athletes, have someone gather each senior’s highlights and put a huge video together. This video can be sent to the players and their families and also on social media for all of their friends to see. It’s not the same as actually playing the game, but it will help the seniors feel special.

Perform Together

For seniors that were in choir, band, theater, or another performing extra curricular activity ask them to perform something that can be recorded. Have someone collect all of these videos and combine them. Once all of the videos are combined, share them with the families and on social media. This will give everyone a chance to show off their talents.

Virtual Prom

For the seniors that are upset about not being able to attend their last prom – hold a virtual prom! With gatherings limited to ten people and distance needing to be at least six feet apart, small proms are not in the question. Get ready with all of your friends on a virtual call, and if you already bought your prom dress/tux, get all dressed up. When you and your friends are all ready, go virtual with your friends and their dates. You can take turns picking songs, and those brave enough can show off their dance moves for everyone! You can check out this website to see how a high school senior class celebrated their prom virtually using Minecraft.

Decorating Doors

A lot of parents around the world are decorating their front doors in honor of their senior. They are decorating it with collages of pictures, academic accomplishments, sports accomplishments, sports equipment, letterman’s jackets, uniforms, school colors, mascots, and other memories. Display your doors on social media so friends and family can see, and neighbors and friends can drive by and see them as well. This will hopefully bring a smile to the senior’s face during this unfortunate time. You can find some examples and ideas here.

An example of a door decoration. Photo credit: Alma Rivera

Virtual Graduation Party

Graduation is such a special time for seniors. Obviously, most schools will not be holding graduation ceremonies due to the pandemic, but there is something you can do for your special senior. You can have friends and family of the graduate record a special message and send it to you. After you receive all of the messages, you can put them together to make one long video. On “graduation day”, you can decorate your living room in the school colors and play the special video for the graduating senior. It won’t be the same as attending graduation, but it might make them feel special!

If you have any other ideas on how to make the Class of 2020 feel special during this upsetting time, please share them with me in the comments!

Talk to you later!

Samantha