5 things that are keeping me going during the great lockdown of 2020

Oh wow, I don't even know what week this is. Google informs me that its week 11 of lock down here in the UK. How much tidying and getting my life together have I done with all this so called free time. NONE!! OK maybe one as I had to phone the bank about the mortgage. BUT THAT DOESN'T COUNT I HAD TO DO THAT ANYWAY!
When I was thinking about what to write about in this weeks newsletter I really didn't want to send the same shit that everyone else is sending, no I don't need the top 10 tips on how to de-clutter my life. I like all my stuff thank you. So I've put a list of things together that are keeping me going and making life just a little bit less....shut in

1. I'm going to start off with YouTube,  I watch SO many videos of different types (but mostly DIY) and I find it really helps keep the brain voices calm and is an awesome free bit of entertainment.
I'm going to list my top 11 YouTube channels, please indulge me, I feel that YouTube watcher should be on my CV! Also I'm not going to include knitting podcasts as that's a whole different list.

Fran Meneses
illustrator with the most calming personality and fantastic studio vlogs
Bernadette Banner
Historical seamstress again with the most calming makes videos
TheSorryGirls
Canadian duo that do lots of DIYS but their vlogs are my fave.
Katnipp
Illustrator who has the sunniest personality and SUCH GOOD studio vlogs
Hermione Chantal
a women doing up her really cool house, lots of cheap diys and charity shop finds.
Ordinary Adventures
American couple who LOVE starwars and visit the Disney parks on the regular and share really cool bits about the parks. (worth it even if you aren't a huge Disney fan like me, lots of food)
Pixielocks
this girl is an actual rainbow!
李子柒 Liziqi
the calmest most serene videos I have ever watched, I actually cant describe them .
DIY Danie
her videos are really funny and does make overs that are really accessible
Lucy Wood
has recently moved house and is doing it up slowly. her vlogs are good fun and her baking attempts are wonderful
Laura Melhuish-Sprague
has also recently bought a house and is doing HUGE renovations.

2.Movie nights. I know everyone and their dog is doing movie nights etc. , but honestly its the highlight of my week. At the weekend my two best friends and I pop on a movie that we all have access to and have a cheeky watsapp convo running. we all have our various snacks (Hannah was going for realness and had popcorn down her bra at the end). This week it was 16 candles, and WOW that film has not aged well. I know for us 3 we have been feeling more anxious than normal and its good to just focus on one thing all together, then we can send stupid memes during the week from said film to keep us going.

3. I have the itch to redecorate our bedroom. it was as small itch before everything closed. and its gotten bigger now that I cant! HA!
SO instead of jumping in and ripping a room apart I have been spending probably too much time on Pinterest putting my vision together ( I blame the above YouTube channels.) I'm going for Jungle (i.e. plants) witchy woodland vibes. If you want to see what that means inside my head feel free to check out my pinterest boards . Just wait till BnQ opens.

4.  Dreaming about WIPs.
I'm not sure if you are like me, but I have so many projects kicking about the house, hiding in boxes. At the weekend I dug them all out, listed them all on my phone. and then just sat having a wee dream about finishing them all. In my head I chose which on I'm going to work on next, had a cheeky wee look in the stash at what I could add to the WIP pile, walked away, and felt so much better. Highly recommended.

5.A whole new routine
Like everyone else on the planet, our daily routines have been thrown in the bin and they are now on their way to the tip. Over the past six weeks I have set into a new routine and its really helping me not melt into a puddle. Mark and I have decided that 11am is muffin time, we both sit down with a cup of tea and have a muffin together. it means we both eat something and who doesn't like a muffin. I stay in my jammies until after lunch time, I just don't have the brain power to get dressed and ready as soon as I'm up, so my new get ready time is around 2pm. It helps me take some pressure off myself and HELLO COMFY! We walk Oskar at 6pm every day, good for mental health blah blah you know the drill. then we have tea and watch a film.
I know this is one of the things that everyone is telling you to do, I am certainly not telling you you HAVE to have a routine, I honestly just feel you should do what feels best for you and don't make yourself feel bad if its not the same as everyone else's.