Raise your hand if you’re grateful for a short month this side of the End of the Pandemic! And who’s looking forward to travel this year? Industry experts seem to think that some semblance of normal travel may return by the second half of this year (by May in the UK!), so I am (tentatively) excited. I mean, I’d be pretty happy to go basically anywhere at this point. 😀 It’s a great time to look for some travel deals, so I’ll keep my eyes out for some links to share in the weeks ahead. If you have found anything useful, drop me a line!
If you are caught in the daily repeat that seems to be life these days, don’t forget to get dressed in real clothes every day and make a point to reach out to another human. It turns out that our collective stamina for these things has gotten low. Also? My makeup is expired?
Get some sunshine on your face and do something that makes you happy. I have discovered the joy of bubble baths at random times in the day. It feels like I am breaking some rule and it is strangely delightful.
Ok, ready for a few ideas for you (and your life) (and the world) to be just a little bit better? Here are 5 quick links to bring you a little joy, a chance to think or to provide a helpful tool to you in 5 (ish) minutes! 🙂
Here is your Hope in 5 (ish) for the week!
- I don’t know who needs to hear this, but yes, Valentine’s Day is next weekend. My guy is one who is happy with a traditional gift of chocolate, but this list has some great ideas, especially for guys. (Though, the Things to do After Quarantine poster and several others are great for anyone!). Also, there are more lists at the bottom of the article that should cover most anyone you want to give a little love to this year. Maybe consider sending something to someone who has been by themselves this year.
- With my current state of ennui, I found this article an interesting read. ‘You’re not lazy, bored or unmotivated–what you are is THIS.‘ Something to ponder, for sure. I’d have said I was all of these things…haha.
- Though we are all stuck together, I still love taking care of the people in my house–which means I cook for them. Please note: I don’t actually LIKE to cook. I just like my people and it’s a way to nurture and serve them. So, when I stumbled upon this list of 47 cheap and easy meals that are 3 ingredients from Trader Joe’s, I was THRILLED. Let me assure you that I will be serving several of these this week! (I shall skip that kimchi one though–am I the only one who doesn’t like it?) Anywhoo, if you’re looking for some quick and easy and delicious (minus the kimchi) meals–this list has 47 of them. 47!
- If you’ve been hanging around here for a bit, it is no secret that I do not love exercise. KNOWING that it is good for me, I still struggle to do it. Every.dang.day. I came across this Ted Talk about what makes exercising so HARD to WANT to do and it was eye-opening. Check out the article (or scroll down to the bottom of the article to the video). Would her technique work for you? It has helped me.
- Some of you may remember the joy of wandering the video store for an hour on Friday nights, collecting a stack of 7 movies you’d never be able to watch over the weekend. I feel like we do some version of that EVERY time we sit down to watch something on Netflix these days….so let this list of romantic comedies be my gift to you to save you an hour of scrolling through all the various streaming options.
If you discover something you think other folks would find helpful or hopeful or fun, please share that with me! 🙂
Hopefully,
Melissa 🙂
p.s. Was this forwarded to you? You can get it sent right to your inbox next week! 🙂
