Tag Archives: health

Oct24

Working In The Care Profession During COVID Times

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Working In The Care Profession During COVID Times

Hello! For those of you who don’t know, I am an Independent Provider for people with special needs and I provide care in home and in the community. I have been an essential worker since the beginning of all of this COVID business in March and, I’ll be honest, sometimes I just want to crawl back in bed instead of go to work!

Because I work with some very high risk families, I have been essentially in my own state of lock down for the past seven months. Coffees with friends have turned into FaceTime dates and dinners out with Johnny just means Door Dashing something now. Of course, this is all A-okay, though, because I would never forgive myself if I ever brought this virus to any of my clients. It’s a lot of pressure but it’s just me doing my job.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will not be “going out” and Johnny has too, since we live together (Believe me, I wouldn’t want to. Just the thought of going to a bar or restaurant makes me cringe!). This has put us in very close acquaintance with our TV, Nintendo Switch, and each other literally every day, lol.

Although it can feel like a lot to be so limited to my apartment, I do still treat myself monthly to getting my nails done and it is my outing to look forward to. I know that many of those working in the care and health profession are doing everything that they can to keep their clients and patients safe and I applaud all of them because it’s not easy, that’s for sure.

I also encourage all of us who are hunkered down to participate in a “treat” to help lift your spirits. After a rough day at work or even just hearing the state of the world on the news, I never say no to a pick me up. Whether that be pampering myself with a face mask or maybe ordering something small online – it’s important for me to be in the best mood I can to continue being able to give the best care that I can to my clients every day.

I am very thankful to my clients and their families because they motivate me to be extra careful every day. I am also very thankful to everyone in the health and care profession as well as all employees right now who continue with their duties despite potentially being in harm’s way. We rock and I wish nothing but the best for all of you! ❤

How has your job been affected from COVID? How do you keep your spirits high right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct13

Steps To Take Towards A Healthier Pregnancy

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Steps To Take Towards A Healthier Pregnancy

For a lot of women, simply getting the good news that you’re pregnant can be work enough. However, it’s about to get a lot tougher after that due to the range of health issues that, even if they’re not serious, can plague a pregnancy and make it much tougher to get through. Aside from following all of the advice from your doctor, let’s discuss some tips that can help you achieve a healthier pregnancy.

Before we begin, it’s so important to confirm your pregnancy as soon as possible if you have any suspicions or tell tale signs. This can be done with an at home test or doing Blood Tests Glasgow (or your local area). The sooner you have an answer, the sooner you can begin taking the steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Folic acid and Vitamin D are key:

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is important when you’re pregnant, but there are a few vitamins and nutrients that are worth giving a little more focus. In particular, vitamin D is crucial for developing healthy bones and muscles, while folic acid can help decrease the risk of a wide range of birth defects. As such, talk to your doctor about taking folic acid supplements. These are often prescribed to expecting mothers and are usually taken up until the end of the first trimester when you should be out of the woods.

Keep moving:

Pain is a greater risk when you’re pregnant. You’re gaining weight, a lot of it on your belly, which can change the way that your body handles the pressure caused by gravity pushing down on that weight. This can lead to very achy joints and back pain. For that reason, it’s a great idea to make sure that you remain as active as you safely can through all stages of the pregnancy. There are pregnancy exercise classes that you can do in person or online, whichever is safest at the moment. Otherwise, even daily stretches and walks can make a big difference.

Tackle your pain head on:

By being more active and addressing posture issues, you can make sure that your added belly weight isn’t stressing your body out as much as it otherwise would. However, chronic pain is a regular part of many women’s pregnancies and one that should be addressed with care. As such, look for professionals like a chiropractor that offers specific treatments for pregnant women that take into account your additional health concerns. There are also maternity massages that ensure your baby bump is kept safe while offering you some much-needed relief.

Don’t ignore your mental health:

We naturally complain more when we’re pregnant. We’re in more physical discomfort, we might be anxious about the upcoming birth, we’re planning for a huge life change. However, if you’re having real trouble with your mental health, then it is worth taking the time to reach out to a counselor. Nowadays, it’s much easier to find trained professionals online who can help you deal with a wide range of anxieties and insecurities. Don’t feel like you would be too much of a burden talking to friends and family, either. Everyone wants to make sure you get through this in tip-top shape.

Your doctor’s advice is always paramount when it comes to deciding how you deal with a pregnancy. However, the tips above can be a good supplement to that and are worth keeping in mind!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Sep28

Hold My Beer

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Hold My Beer

Hello! Being self employed is super rewarding and there is nothing better than being your own boss. However, I do have one complaint: Taking time off sucks! When I am sick or going on vacation, I don’t get paid time off so I often end up running myself ragged until all of it catches up with me. Like last week, for example.

I’d like for all of us to take a minute to laugh at what I told Johnny when I returned home from work last Monday. I believe it went a little something like this: “I’m really not trying to take time off until Thanksgiving”. Then, the world said “hold my beer” and I ended up having to take the rest of the week off from being sick.

When I woke up on Tuesday, it was like a switch flipped on and “Sick Mode” commenced. Oh my, was I miserable. I had a hell of a sinus infection and all of the drainage going into my stomach made me nauseous to the point of throwing up. I was so tired constantly even though some nights I slept for close to twelve hours. Needless to say, there was no way I was going into work.

It honestly took falling sick and feeling so yucky for me to realize that I need to be far more generous with my time off – even if I’m not getting paid for it. My health should always come first, especially in COVID times and I can’t take care of my clients or myself properly when I am so worn out and going for months on end without a week day or two off.

Being the CEO to two thriving businesses has its perks. I love making my own schedule, being one hundred percent in control of everything, and only having myself to answer to. But, being the boss also means knowing when an employee needs a break and I plan on being much more accommodating to that from here on out.

I’ll tell you what, being sick and all alone in my apartment while Johnny is at work is for the birds. And not having my parents take care of me like back in the day when I was under the weather is for the birds too. So, here’s to less days off from being sick and more days off for pure fun and relaxation. Let’s get it!

How do you keep sane while self employed? How did you spend your last day off? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep22

Making Fitness Into Your Business

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Making Fitness Into Your Business

Fitness can be one of life’s greatest pursuits. Working out, creating healthy food, and looking after every aspect of your health can make for a very satisfying life, and a lot of people find themselves becoming near-obsessed with this part of their lifestyle. Of course, simply living the life of a fitness addict may not go as far as you’d like. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best ways to make fitness into your business, giving you the chance to take the next step with this part of your life:

Opening A Gym:

Gyms are getting increasingly popular in the modern world. Many people use this sort of resource, and even more would be motivated to do so if they had a gym close to their home. This makes opening a gym a safe and stable business option that will give you the chance to embrace your love of fitness. You will have to make sure that you are prepared for the work that can come with this, as it isn’t always easy to run a physical business. You will find that a big part of running a gym is keeping everything in working order for your customers. This will include hiring a team for commercial gym maintenance so that your machines are always running as they should. You cannot have a functioning gym without functioning equipment!

Becoming A Coach:

While most people don’t look at them this way, sports teams can be incredibly lucrative. With sponsors, ticket and merchandise sales, and a host of other ways to make money, coaching a successful sports team can be a great way to make a living out of fitness. Online schools like The Health Coach can give you the skills you need to pursue a career like this, making it incredibly easy to work up to this while you are still doing a normal job.

Personal Training:

With more and more people going to the gym, personal trainers are in high demand. Working in a role like this will involve helping people to achieve their fitness goals, using science and coaching to improve other people’s bodies. You can find courses around the web that will teach you how to handle this role, and you can choose to look for a regular job or work as a freelance personal trainer. As time goes on, the doors will open to bigger and bigger clients, giving you the chance to climb the ladder.

Don’t forget that you can also offer personal training sessions virtually. This is excellent as you won’t be limited to clients in just one gym but all over! There are plenty of personal training software that you can use so choose what makes the most sense for your needs and training style. This guide for PT Distinction vs Trainerize weighs the pros and cons of two popular software programs used by personal trainers and is most helpful. Be sure to ask other trainers for advice and their likes and dislikes of different platforms too.

Fitness Competition:

Competitive sports are another area of fitness that can be a good money-maker, while also giving you the chance to show off your abilities to a much wider audience. Getting involved with competitive sports can be a long process, with many years of hard work going into achieving the results you want. Each major win will come with a prize, though, and this can make it possible to make a living from this type of work.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of making your business out of your passion for fitness. This process can be tough, but will be well worth it if you are unhappy with your current work and are ready for a change!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Sep20

Boosting Your Energy Naturally, Sans Caffeine

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Boosting Your Energy Naturally, Sans Caffeine

Do you have low energy levels and feel fatigued on most days? Find that you turn to coffee and sugary treats to get yourself through the day? You’re not alone. Our lives are full of long work hours, stressful relationships, and currently a lot of uncertainty, which has resulted in a lack of energy in most of us. Luckily, there are lots of great ways to give yourself a natural boost to get yourself back to being your lively, energetic self – and all without having to indulge in caffeine. Try the following:

Vitamins:

Vitamins, or lack thereof, can play a huge part when it comes to your energy levels and feeling fatigued. Vitamin b12, also known as the energy vitamin, can help give you a big boost and is needed for overall good health. One of eight B vitamins, it helps the body to convert the food that you eat into glucose, therefore giving you energy. It also prevents anemia that can lead to feeling weak and tired and keeps the body’s nerves healthy. Taking supplements is one of the easiest ways of getting your Vitamin b12 intake; however, you can always find the vitamin in foods such as salmon, red meat, feta cheese, and nutritional yeast.

In addition to vitamins, there are also medications used to support weight loss. If this is something you are interested in, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Your General Practitioner will be able to tell you how you can get energy from Tirzepatide or advise on another medication better suited for your body and goals. Even taking new vitamins is something you should run by your doctor first so it is important to let them know before implementing them in your routine.

Reduce your carbs:

Ever noticed how after eating a big delicious meal that’s full of carbs, whether that be potatoes, pasta, or bread, you find your eyes starting to close, and an afternoon nap calling your name? That’s because when we eat that big dish full of pasta (AKA excessive carbs), we have a rapid spike in insulin levels, which causes a drop in our blood sugar levels, leaving our bodies exhausted throughout the digestion process.

Now, that’s not to say that you have to take carbs off of the menu, but you should try to avoid simple carbs and replace them with complex carbs instead, to avoid that mid-afternoon slump. Try and add more whole grains into your meal, alongside leafy greens and vegetables, and you will notice that a well-balanced diet will make a massive difference to your energy levels without needing to turn to caffeine.

Remove sources of stress and anxiety:

It is well known that both stress and anxiety take a massive toll on health, including having noticeably less energy. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to boost your energy levels is by removing the sources of stress or anxiety in your life. This also includes relationships and friendships that drain your energy and don’t serve you anymore. While it is impossible to remove all stress from everyday life, there are things that you can do to deal with it more effectively, such as meditation, NAD+, and yoga.

Exercise:

As weird as it might seem, regularly moving your body and exercising is an absolutely guaranteed way to boost your energy levels and make you feel good thanks to the resulting mood-boosting endorphins. It has been proven that a daily short walk can provide a more significant energy boost than even food. Try to incorporate a walk or another physical activity into your daily routine and you will notice that you feel more energetic in no time.

Try the tips above to give yourself an energy boost, the natural way!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Sep8

How To Embed Health & Safety Into Your Business

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How To Embed Health & Safety Into Your Business

All businesses have a duty of care to their employees, a series of legal requirements that they must meet with regards to the health and safety of those in their employ. Often, the health and safety guidelines are covered in an employees onboarding program, then forgotten about.

With injuries in the workplace costing businesses millions of dollars each year, you can’t afford to let things slip. Here’s how to ensure that health and safety are at the heart of your business:

Support should come from the top:

The importance of health and safety should be evident at all levels of the organization. Everyone from the boss on down should be promoting the importance of health and safety at work, or risk a call from a personal injury lawyer. Don’t just leave everything to one designated person.

Perform annual training:

Health and safety training should be covered when an employee joins the company. This way, you are ensuring that they are getting the very latest information on your policies. But what about those employees who have been with you for a long time? How do they get their information and how much of it can they actually remember? By making annual health and safety refresher courses mandatory, you can be sure that all employees are getting the latest information on a regular basis. These sessions can be completed by management or can be outsourced when you search for a “health and safety training UK company” (or your local area).

Annual training doesn’t have to be an onerous or expensive undertaking, you could put the training online and people can complete it with minimum interruptions to their working day. Remember that if new machinery or safety equipment has been added to your facility, training on how to use it properly should follow immediately. What good is a new piece of equipment or an eyewash station as seen here if no one knows how to use it? These trainings will only enhance the safety of your employees.

Include employees in your policy making:

Rather than making one person or department totally responsible for health and safety within the company, try and find ways to get others involved. You could make health and safety issues a standing agenda item on a team meeting or have some kind of forum that people can make suggestions or report issues. There are also other avenues you can take such as hiring a lawyer. With the help of a lawyer, such as this LLC attorney Colorado, or one tailored to your geographical location, you can receive assistance and guidance with business formations, employment agreements, and mergers. These are great meetings to get your employees involved in!

Show that you are listening:

If you have gone to great lengths to include your employees in the health and safety process, they will soon lose any enthusiasm if you aren’t listening. By failing to act on their concerns, they will assume that they are not being listened to and will eventually stop contributing at all. Make any health and safety changes or results of investigations available to them. Even updates on small changes like adding some White Hygienic Wall Cladding in the employee showers is worth mentioning. It could be the change someone was waiting for!

For example, the employees working in your warehouse might have more safety concerns than those in the main office. Hold a meeting and get them the proper equipment required to continue to perform their jobs safely. First aid and CPR training should be a must as well as knowledge on storing hazardous materials properly. Red Cross can help with the first while Storemasta products can help with the second.

Focus the benefits on the employee:

You have to pitch your health and safety policies in the right way. If you present it as something that is there solely to protect the company legally and financially, it will be difficult to get buy-in. Instead, show how the policy affects their own lives and is there to protect them and keep them safe.

In order to embed health and safety into the forefront of your workforce, you need to ensure that you include employees at every step, communicate often, and repeat training on a regular basis. Not only will it lead to reduced incidents in the workplace, but will also protect your company from potential litigation.

Featured Image By: Benjamin Sow on Unsplash

Aug18

Lil Red And The Rogue Cheerio

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Lil Red And The Rogue Cheerio

Hello! My boyfriend, Johnny, is basically the cutest and he is always doing little things around the apartment that make me think about him when I notice it. For example, he likes to change the position of my wooden artist’s body model and whenever I see which way the legs or arms are stretched out this time around it never ceases to make me smile.

Recently, Johnny has taken up eating Honey Nut Cheerios to lower his cholesterol ever since his friend came back from the doctor’s with a report of his cholesterol running high. It’s a little bit funny but more power to him for making a positive change!

Before he even began telling me about his new breakfast routine of having a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios in the morning I definitely knew. How? He is always leaving a rogue Cheerio behind:

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While Johnny makes his breakfast, he is definitely tired enough to not notice if an escape artist Cheerio ends up on our kitchen counter instead of in his bowl or the bag. So, when I am prepping all of my own stuff in the morning, I am greeted by the Cheerio that got away sitting all alone on the countertop.

When I asked Johnny if he ever notices the rogue Cheerio in the mornings, he replied with: “No, but it’s so you know I’m eating my breakfast”. And, now that he knows I notice it, I think he leaves a Honey Nut Cheerio behind anyways just to make me smile. It seriously always does and I do feel a bit better knowing that he ate before going to work!

The rogue Cheerio may seem like a silly story but I think it’s sweet and something so small can make a huge impact on your day. Normally, waking up for work is a drag but seeing that piece of cereal in the morning just tickles me. Instead of thinking about all of the crap I have to do for the day, I am usually thinking about how happy I am and all of the amazing times Johnny and I have had in our almost year of dating.

Moral of the story? The Rogue Cheerio makes for a very happy Lil Red and a boyfriend who is lowering his cholesterol one bowl of Honey Nut at a time, lol! 🙂

What is something little that makes you smile? What is your favorite kind of cereal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

Smoky Cauliflower Bites Recipe

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Smoky Cauliflower Bites Recipe

Hello! As I get older, I have definitely been trying to eat more healthy. AKA more fruits and veggies and less Taco Bell, lol! But, seriously, sometimes it’s just a hassle to make a healthy meal – especially after a long day at work. Quick and easy recipes are the name of the game in my household and this super simple/speedy recipe for Smoky Cauliflower Bites makes for a delicious and ultra fast appetizer for your fam:

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets

Directions:

  1. Combine all of your dry ingredients and mix into the olive oil, then pour over your cauliflower florets. You might want to let it sit for a few hours, shaking every so often to let the flavored oil sink in on all of the areas it might have missed.
  2. Preheat oven to 450 and transfer into a baking pan and roast until tender – about 15 to 20 minutes. This recipe is by Courtney Stultz of Weir, KS and I have no rights to it!

My client’s brother makes these cauliflower bites often and it is my absolute favorite treat. Last week, he so generously bought a head of cauliflower for me and mixed up the dry ingredients into a zip lock bag so all I would have to do is cut the veggies and heat it up at home. It was such a sweet gesture and I was eager to make it because it is so delicious in every sense of the word.

After fifteen minutes of roasting in the oven, my cauliflower was ready to eat and it was just as good as when my client’s brother makes it. I love all of the seasonings that drench the cauliflower because they add quite a bit of heat to it but it was never overpowering. Johnny and I dipped our bold and smoky cauliflower bites in Ranch dressing and enjoyed it as a side dish with our dinner. Ranch or sour cream is a good bet to have handy with you just in case there’s a little too much “oomph” for anyone at the table.

Easy as pie to make and tasty any time of the day, make these Smokey Cauliflower Bites to spice things up at your next family dinner!

What is your favorite veggie recipe? How do you eat healthy at home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul29

Got Body Pain? Check Out These Weird Causes

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Got Body Pain? Check Out These Weird Causes

Fortunately, many of us go through most of our lives in a pain-free state. But sometimes, we get what can only be described as body pain – and it hurts like mad! Body pain, though, doesn’t seem to have any apparent identifiable cause. It tends to erupt out of the blue, making your day a misery.

So what’s behind it? Why does it happen? Here are some weird causes you’d never expect:

Lack Of Water:

Body pain can emerge for all kinds of reasons, including lack of proper hydration. Water is essential for practically all of the body’s vital processes. If you don’t have enough of it in your system, you’ll start experiencing symptoms, none of which are pleasant.

Researchers think that a lack of water causes pain by impairing functions. This state of deprivation then leads to exhaustion, which has knock-on effects on the muscles. Pain can be especially intense if you lack electrolytes in your system. Muscles can go into spasm – and if that happens, you soon know about it.

Insufficient Sleep:

Body pain can also result from a lack of sleep. When you don’t get enough shut-eye, your body automatically starts to release more alertness compounds to keep you active during the day. However, when it releases too much, it can leave you feeling panicked and fatigued.

Tissues need adequate rest to keep them supple and functioning adequately. So when you go without sleep for an extended period of time, it can prevent them from carrying out necessary repair work. Eventually, soreness accumulates, and you really start to feel it. If you can’t get enough sleep, try drinking chamomile before bed or listening to soft music. Relaxing the nervous system makes it much easier to get effective shut-eye.

Muscular Imbalance:

Every muscle group in the body has an agonist and an antagonist. The agonist moves a part of the body in one direction, and then the agonist brings it back to the center. However, many people wind up seeing their chiropractor when they have a severe imbalance between the two. When muscles are strong in one direction but not another, it can lead to excess strain on particular muscle groups, causing pain.

Resolving muscle balance is relatively easy. You just need to train in the right way. Focus on strengthening the opposite muscle to make it as strong and robust as the other. If muscular imbalance is something you are experiencing, a multifaceted approach to treatment is one of the best ways to help you improve. This can include entering a search for “Owasso Chiropractor” (or your local area) to schedule a consultation as well as working with a personal trainer to target your weaker muscles. The two paired together can create an easy to follow routine to decrease your pain and improve your quality of life.

Lyme’s Disease:

Lyme’s disease is a condition caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium. People acquire the infection from tick bites. It starts off slow, but if it goes untreated, it can cause extreme symptoms, including exhaustion and hot flashes. You can find out whether you have the condition by taking an antibody test.

Multiple Sclerosis:

Finally, many people in the early stages of MS experience high levels of body pain. Multiple sclerosis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath around nerve cells, causing inflammation and pain. Eventually, the condition progresses to the point where the nervous system can’t transmit signals to the brain anymore. It can also lead to trouble walking.

If you are experiencing prolonged pain, schedule an appointment with your doctor ASAP.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jul19

Things I’m Missing

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Things I’m Missing

Hello! Johnny and I have been living in a lock down style state since March 19th when the restaurants and bars in Ohio closed down. Since then, the only things I have left my apartment for other than work has been the grocery store, gas station, and my monthly nail appointment. And, on occasion, we might have a friend over for a drink through serious social distancing in my living room.

Despite being constantly surrounded at home by “entertainment” like the TV, streaming services, video games, books, and board games there are definitely some activities in the community that all of the America’s Next Top Model marathons in the world couldn’t replace. I eagerly await going to all of the following once it is safe to do so:

TJMaxx:

Lol, of course TJ’s was going to be the first on my list! You guys have no idea the amount of TJMaxx related memes that I have been sent by people who have genuinely been thinking of me during this pandemic for that reason alone! I miss going on my monthly shopping trips to TJMaxx with my mom more than anything but we have all been picking and choosing what we do very carefully. For example, my monthly “treat” outing is visiting the nail salon where I feel most comfortable. I know I wouldn’t feel safe in a store full of people so online shopping has been the move for months now.

But, trust and believe that as soon as I feel one hundred and fifty million percent okay, TJ’s will be the first place I visit. I have plenty of birthday gift cards burning a hole in my pocket and I intend on using them on a gigantic haul. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to, haha. 🙂

Restaurants/Bars:

It’s not like Johnny and I went out a ton pre-coronavirus but we would usually go to the bar or out to eat maybe once a week or so. These outings were the best last summer when we could have drinks on all of the outdoor patios in Kent. It was just such a nice way to spend an hour or two after work and I miss being able to unwind with our friends.

Most of all, however, I miss going to the bars where the band my boyfriend is in, The Outside Voices, would play. Going to their shows over the weekend was always something we really looked forward to and I know it has been so hard on him to not be doing anything musical. In fact, I think he misses performing just as much as I miss shopping at TJMaxx and that’s really saying something.

Guilt Free Hang Outs:

I have been able to Skype with and social distance hang out with a few of my friends on occasion. Of course, it’s always nice to see them whether that be on the laptop screen or at the opposite end of the room. But what I really miss is being able to hug them and interact more closely. For example, when Lea usually comes over we like to curl up on the couch and drink wine. Not so much anymore, lol.

I miss all of the little things that I never thought much of before. Big hugs goodbye, sitting on the same couch, or venturing out for random adventures – just for starters. A lot of thought goes into doing just about anything now and I miss the spontaneity that comes with guilt free hang outs with all of my besties.

What are the activities that you’re missing the most right now? Do you have a safe “treat” outing that you participate in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah