Thursday 28 May 2020

Lockdown Silver Linings Tag

There's no denying that lockdown isn't exactly the best thing ever is it? Some weeks I've been okay and just got on with it and other weeks I've massively struggled and just felt like sleeping all day. I'm sure many other people will have had times like that too. I'm just on a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment. Whilst at times I do feel sad for all that we're missing out on - life does just feel like it's stopped and despite knowing it needs to be done, it's still hard - I do think there can be positives to take from this time. I don't often take part in posts like this anymore, or at least not as much as I used to but I was really happy when I saw Jordanne had tagged me in the lockdown silver linings tag. This encourages people to talk about the good things that have come out of lockdown and whilst they may be few and far between sometimes, they're still worth noting I think.
Bear sniffing daffodils on his walk

More Family Time

The obvious positive that's come from lockdown is more family time with George and Bear. With life and work been so hectic sometimes, it often felt that despite living together, we weren't really getting that much quality time together whereas now we're together pretty much 24/7. Don't get me wrong, we have our moments and definitely need to make sure we still have space from one another but generally it's been lovely having this extra time with each other. We've been having many movie nights with popcorn, nachos and chocolate which is ALWAYS fun, baking together, taking Bear for walks in the woods and just trying to make the most of this unlimited time because it will probably never happen like this again. It's been so nice having all of this extra time with Bear too. He's definitely driven me mad some days, one day in particular a few weeks ago was an absolute nightmare but we won't talk about that but he's also made me smile and laugh every single day. There's been days he hasn't left my side and I know I can always rely on him to be there for a cuddle if I'm having a bad day.

Getting Creative With Recipes

Lockdown has actually really allowed for me to get a bit creative in the kitchen. Whilst I always have trusty meals and recipes that we turn to most weeks, I've loved having the time to try out new things too. During the first few weeks of lockdown too we didn't really have a choice but try and come up with new ideas because there was so little available but I don't think we did too bad. Before lockdown I felt we'd got into a bad routine with too many takeaways and not cooking enough so now I'm really noticing the benefits of eating healthier. It's made such a difference to my skin and hair so I'll definitely be sticking to cooking most nights even when everything opens back up again. I'm not gonna lie though, that first McDonald's will be MAGICAL. I've obviously also been baking more because there hasn't really been loads else to do and I can't even say how much I've enjoyed it. I tried out a cheesecake for the first time in years, I also made a lemon & blueberry loaf cake which unexpectedly went crazy on Twitter and I made Millionaire's shortbread last week which was delicious.

Time To De-Clutter

I'd been putting off so many jobs in the flat but obviously because I'm spending basically all my time here at the moment, it's been hard to ignore them! I really struggle with mess and maybe it's weird/maybe it's not but I find it really impacts my anxiety. If a room is really untidy or needs a good clean I literally can't rest until it's done so lockdown has meant I've been getting way more jobs done around the flat. I had a massive de-clutter recently of clothes in my wardrobe, some I'd not worn for years were still there so it felt good to get rid of all of those (and slowly replace them). I then did the same for books and DVD's so the living room feels a lot less cluttered now and I also finally tackled the demon kitchen cupboards. Generally I've just been really trying to keep each room sparkly clean which is probably more important now than ever.

I'm Finally Getting Through My Huge TBR Pile

I've definitely had moments in lockdown where reading has been the last thing I've wanted to but on the whole I've been working my way through my to be read pile which at times feels endless! I just can't help but buy more books even when I don't need them, it's a problem. About 5 or 6 weeks into lockdown, I lost all motivation and felt really low but over the last few weeks I've picked myself up and so reading has become something I actually want to do again. I read quite a few books in May so I'm finally getting through some of the books that have sat on my bookshelf for months.

It's Made Me Appreciate Everything

Aside from all of the extra time as a family, the biggest thing that I'll be taking with me out of lockdown is just my appreciation for everything. I will never take the simple things for granted again like being able to walk Bear more than once a day, going to the supermarket without it feeling like a military operation, being able to go to a cafe for lunch, going to the seaside. Just so many things that I never thought would be taken away. This time has also made me realise just how much I want to see and do. We already had quite a few travel plans for 2020 and this was going to be our year to get a few cities ticked off our list before hopefully putting all our focus into a house next year but that's kind of been taken away from us which I've really struggled with at times. As I said in in a recent post regarding lockdown, I'm still hopeful that we might get away at Christmas, wishful thinking maybe but it's what gets me through some days and if I don't try to be positive, I will actually go mad. If not we'll just pack more into 2021 instead. I just want to go everywhere! I want to see more of the UK, I want to go on all the city breaks abroad we've thought about for years, I want to sit by a pool for a week with endless ice cream, just everything. I can't wait until it's possible to do all of these things and I know whenever those days come, I'll be so grateful.

So, that's my five silver linings that have come out of lockdown and I tag anyone who wants to take part. Let me know if you take part as I'd love to read what's been keeping you positive over the last few months.

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13 comments

Kelly~Diane said...

It's great that you've been able to tackle those things you hadn't got round to doing around your home. More family time has definitely been a huge positive of lockdown for me.

www.thekellydianereport.co.uk

Riana Ang-Canning said...

I made a lemon and blueberry loaf too! I love looking at the bright side and thinking of the good coming out of this time.

jennyinneverland said...

Yesss this time has made me appreciate things a lot more too. There's always a silver lining! I've loved seeing your baking posts recently - keep them coming! x

Nic said...

Thanks for sharing your silver linings, I have made more blog content on the food side than I have done in years which has been great, but some other things have been less than great during this time. I do hope they get better :)

Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

Sophie said...

I've seen a few people do posts like this now and it's really nice to see the positives that can come from a seemingly bad situation. I've liked that it's given me a bit of extra time to do some of the admin I've been putting off (and I no longer have excuses not to do it) x

Sophie
www.glowsteady.co.uk

Tiffany Timms said...

It's definitely the highlight of lockdown having all of this extra time xx

Tiffany Timms said...

Ooh yay I bet it was delicious! I'm glad you're feeling the same as me, I often feel like I'm being too positive about how this is all going to end and focusing too much on when things are finally better but it's the only way I can get through some days xx

Tiffany Timms said...

Thanks so much Jenny! xx

Tiffany Timms said...

Me too. I've been sharing so many recipes compared to my other usual posts and I didn't want it to get too samey but then I also love cooking so why not share them all? xx

Tiffany Timms said...

Same! I feel like I'm finally starting to get organised again and the flat is thanking me for it haha xx

Heather Nixon said...

More time for family and reading is definitely a plus for me x

Sarah Trademark said...

I can’t wait for mcdonald’s either! xx

Shirsha said...

These lockdown season has been both difficult and enriching. It's truly made us look deep into our lives, and now we have to make a choice about what we want to keep and what we need to let go of!

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