Happy 1st day of December!
What a year! And somehow we managed to get to the last month of it… It’s beginning to look a lot more festive even in the current situation so I decided to still go with my annual tradition of Blogmas. In previous years, I always tried to post a new post every single day from the very first day of December up until Christmas and always failed. It always got a bit overwhelming sometime in the middle of the month so I simply gave up on the idea.
This year, however, I am taking a new approach and I really hope that it will be much more successful than my previous experience. For this Blogmas I will try to post 7 more focused posts in 7 different categories – Life, Home, DIYs, Travels, Beauty, Fashion, and Recipes. I will still follow my schedule from the past two months because it has kept me on track with regular posts. I hope that I will be able to add my two cents in the pool of amazing holiday posts that are published every year and that, I am sure, will be coming to your feed soon again.
You can expect not only Christmas themed content but also posts that will be relevant for all the seasons. We just got in our second (partial) lockdown in Bulgaria last Friday, which will continue up to the holidays, so it seemed pretty reasonable for me to include a more general content as well. We do not have any festive plans for neither travels nor social gatherings this December so we will be staying home for the better part of the month. This gives us the opportunity to try new Christmas activities and spend more cozy nights in the comfort of our own home.
So as we are going to spend even more time at home, I decided to share with you my 5 small things that I will try to do daily in the course of this month. There are so many small moments of joy around us but sometimes it is necessary to get some reminders of them. With our never ending to-do lists it is very easy to forget about what makes us truly happy so we need to be a bit more mindful. Therefore, I give you my “5 Small Things”.
EARLY MORNINGS
I have always been a fan of an early morning – I feel much productive in the mornings and I always tackle the most difficult tasks in the first part of the day. However, recently I have been struggling to make the most of the early start of my day. I usually spend it browsing endlessly on my social media or watching the morning shows on TV which has proven both unproductive and, to be quite honest, a bit depressing. The Bulgarian morning shows always start with the negative news and with the coronavirus it just seems that there are no positive news at all in this world. So I decided that this was not a good way to start my day.
I have adopted a new morning routine featuring no TV or social media but focusing more on the house chores for the day. This makes me move right from the beginning of the day and it allows me to start my working tasks in a fresh, tidy, and clean home. I also dedicate some time for getting myself ready – I put on a cute working-from-home outfit, I brush my hair, I apply a slight tint of makeup, and I put on my everyday jewelry pieces. No more working in my pajamas!
DAILY WALKS/WORKOUTS
The people who still work from home will understand this – it is very easy to get caught up in the numerous work tasks throughout the day and simply forget to actually move from the desk. While I worked in an office, I had to walk at least 1 hour per day – not only to and from the building in the morning and later on the evening, but also during the lunch break. This, in combination with regular morning yoga sessions, helped me stay in shape and remain active even in the busiest days.
This changed quite drastically in March when I started working from home permanently. It quickly became apparent that I had to make special efforts to stay active even in the new working environment. So I have set myself the task to do something every day – this can be either a walk when the weather is still nice, or a quick workout during my lunch break, or a yoga session early in the morning to properly wake up. I take it easy and listen to what my body needs every day.
ENERGIZING BEAUTY
One of the things that has always made me feel happy is the opportunity to have a pamper routine every now and then. A moisturizing face mask, or a deep clean hair mask, or an energizing body scrub has always helped me relax and recuperate after a long to-do list that I have completed throughout the day. Recently, I have tried to include luxury-feeling beauty products that make my beauty routine an absolute joy. It really is those little things that put a smile on my face at the end of the day. Do you have any suggestions for really good beauty products that I can try out?
COZY NIGHTS
I have never preferred wild parties over spending a cozy night at home. This is the reason why the idea of spending more time at home is not a big deal for me. I actually like being at home and spending my nights under a blanket just talking to Kaloyan, or watching our favorite TV series, or reading a captivating book. Currently, we are watching the Bulgarian reality TV show, The Farm, which is drawing to its end so I am open to suggestions on what to watch next.
MORE MANAGEABLE TO-DO LISTS
At the beginning of the pandemic, I tried my best to stay as productive as possible, filling any minute with working/house tasks. This quickly proved to be counter-productive as it was becoming more and more overwhelming. So recently I have cut down and rearranged my tasks so that I can make my to-do list a bit more manageable. Work-wise, it is getting busier and busier as the end of the year is approaching but I have learnt that it is okay to rely on my team members and I can delegate whatever is necessary. House-wise, I’ve split the house chores more effectively tackling one task at a time – small daily cleaning tasks have become my go-to approach and this has allowed me to have a clean home without feeling overwhelming. Blog-wise, I have started scheduling my posts in advance, working at small bits every day. This has helped me stay on top of my blog posts and actually post more regularly. So, as the holidays are approaching, take a look at your to-do list, cut it down a bit and enjoy some time off – you deserve it!
I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT SMALL THINGS YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
