Took a casual day for myself to watch Tiny Pretty Things on Netflix, do my nails, put a mask in my hair, and relax. I am determined to be more productive this week after feeling off my game the last 2 weeks. I want to focus on the work I’m doing and accomplish my goals. It’s easy to be distracted by social media and everything going on in the world but we ALL have the power to focus. This sweater is one of my favs, it says ‘Create Better Days‘ on the back. I posted about it a while ago where I featured some of my fav CBD products. I ordered it from Sugarhigh Lovestoned and it was too small at the time but it fits perfectly now. Sending love through the internet from my keyboard to your screen. If you need a cheer up, call a friend, a parent, or someone you love. We need to stick together and connect right now more than ever.

Left the house for a stylish walk to the grocery store, since that’s my only outing these days, I like to take my clothes for a spin. It was really nice outside so I changed my mind to take the bike. My outfit wasn’t ideal but I decided to roll with it. It was LOVELY to go for a bike ride, feel the sun on my face, and the wind in my hair. I hope I can still bike a few more days before the snow hits next week.

I swear I’ll never have a ‘live, love, laugh’ sign at our house or the cottage, but, it’s really, it’s important to do all three!! OK? Mum if you are reading this, there’s a meme about it…see more here. These days it’s harder to live (with a lockdown), love is so important, and laughter will brighten your day. One of the things I really love about Sean is that he makes me laugh every single day. I call mum (at least!) once a day for a little love, laughter, and lots of inspiration I went for a nice walk with my sister and we laughed our heads off. Seeing friends for distanced walks truly gives me SO MUCH LIFE. Monday is her birthday so it was nice to spend some time together. I miss my friends but I am thankful for my sister, friends who live close, and technology for bringing us all together. Here’s to a nice weekend at home and getting some rest!

Leaving this here image for today’s memory. Received an emergency alert on my phone today, along with everyone else in the province. We’re in a full lockdown across Ontario with an official order to stay home unless leaving for essential items. I woke up and kinda groggy, forgetting about the state of the world, and had a text about meeting a friend for coffee, if we should even do it. I decided to go for a run, skip the coffee, and do a short distanced walk with her instead. The restrictions haven’t changed much from the previous lockdown and you can find them here. WEAR A MASK. STAY HOME. BE SAFE. WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.

I really tried to be productive today. In my heart, I want to get things done but it’s hard to focus. Today the USA voted to impeach Trump for the second time. I wasn’t feeling great when I woke up and started the day by sleeping in and working on the computer from my bed. I closed out the day with a chat on Clubhouse then a Twitter chat while watching Mrs. & Mrs. Smith on my iPad. It’s nice to talk with people and a good distraction from everything going on. If you’re on Clubhouse, add me ‘casiestewart’. Tomorrow the Stay Home Order is in effect and we are only to leave the house for exercise or essential items. You are not allowed to have anyone over to your house and if outside, you must wear a mask and can’t have more than 5 people together. It’s hard to believe this is real, I know I’ve said that before but every once in a while I get distracted and forget the pandemic, then I see the news or a notification and reality sits in. Please stay safe. Call your friends and family. We’ll get through this!

Sean went back to the cottage this morning and I spent most the day working before taking a walk around 4pm. I chatted with friends on speakerphone while making dinner. I miss my friends so much. On Thursday, Ontario moves into a ‘Stay Home Order’ with more restrictions & curbside pickup at big box stores. I feel like this 2nd wave of the pandemic is much harder to deal with. Back in March/April 2020, there was a bit of a novelty that we had to stay home, we did online workouts and Zoom hangouts. Now, 10 months later, we’re all feeling Zoom-fatigue, we miss family & friends, and the collective trauma is setting in. I really hope this weather stays around 0 degrees because I love going outside and having distanced walks with friends. Colder temps will make that harder and god forbid we get heaps of snow or ice making it hard to walk outside. I’m still terrified of slipping after my accident two years ago. Hang in there my friends, stay safe!

Woke up today and felt tired, could hardly get out of bed. I’ve been going to bed early and trying to get rest, but today was a struggle. My motivation has been LOW since the news on Wednesday last week when the US Capitol was stormed by terrorists. Typing this feels like I’m writing a movie script but it’s real life. Mix that in with rising Covid cases, a lockdown, and general anxiety, it’s hard to focus. I managed to pull myself together, shut out the world for a few hours and zero in on some work before an end of day meeting. I find over the ear noise-canceling headphones really help me focus, even with no music and no outside noise. I think it keeps my thoughts in my head. It is totally acceptable right now if you aren’t functioning at the same productivity levels as pre-pandemic. We’re experiencing collective trauma, living through a deadly global pandemic, a lockdown, homeschooling, and watching what’s happening with the US government. I try to carve out blocks where I put on my headphones, and try to immerse myself in something creative like work or blogging. Going outside for a nice long walk really helps me refocus when I feel anxiety creeping in. It is ok to not be productive right now. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take care of your health. We WILL get through this.

Yesterday I met up with Natalie for a distanced walk outside. Instead of taking the TTC or an Uber, I decided to take a long walk from my area to meet her at Yonge/Bloor. It’s about an hour away by foot, I left at 4pm to get there before the sun went down. We walked around the ROM/Yorkville for about an hour before I headed home. I don’t normally walk outside when it’s dark but since I didn’t have any Friday night plans, I took the hour to walk home along Bloor. Made it back to the house just in time to catch the very last episode of Jeopardy hosted by Alex Trebek. Edited these with the new PinkPapaya app! Mask is by Considerate Goods. I’m planning to spend some this weekend catching up on a few things I didn’t get done for work last week. Found it really hard to concentrate the last few days with everything going on, hard not to get distracted by the news, and fall into a deep doomscroll. I’ve found that taking a little walk during the day helps to boost my spirit and help me refocus when I get back home. It’s all going to be ok. We’ll get through this. xo