Let’s Stay Home

Fashion, Lifestyle

Hi, friends! This has been a weird week, to say the least. Like many of you, I have been trying my best to help ‘flatten the curve’ in regard to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to enforcing social distancing, our state government in New York has initiated a full stay-at-home order. This means all non-essential businesses are to shut down, and much of our work force has transitioned to working at home.

I am so fortunate to now have a job in healthcare that allows me to stay home. This wasn’t always the case! My heart goes out to all the healthcare heroes, as well as all the other essential businesses who are facing this thing head on.

It’s a weird time, friends. A confusing time. For some, a scary time. I have had a lot on my mind (and my heart) that I want to share with you today.

1 // SMART SPENDING – We are about to face serious economic hardship. Again, I am fortunate that I have a career that is deemed ‘essential’, but this is not the case for everyone. Many of my close friends and family members are already feeling the effects of the state shut down. JD and I have had to have several difficult conversations this week about what we would do if one of us were to lose our job. For us this is a ‘what if’ situation, but for many it has already become real life. Over the past year, any extra money that comes in, we have put 100% toward student loan debt. In the wake of this pandemic, we have decided minimum payments are enough, and any extra money will now be tossed into savings…just in case. You have probably noticed that many big-box retailers have been having MAJOR sales this week. I mean, that Nordstrom sale was truly shocking. I have fallen victim to the trap of online shopping as a therapy this week, and I am sure I am not alone in this. We need to be smart about spending the income we have coming in right now, and also how much of that we are saving.

2 // SPEND TO SUPPORT – I am going to completely contradict myself in this paragraph. Like I said, these times are confusing. JD and I have spent the week frequenting our favorite small businesses (while practicing safe social distancing) and guys, it was heart wrenching. My husband works within the public sector, and our favorite shop owners have had some difficult conversations with him this week asking for help. Truth is, many of these businesses will not survive this. They count on us to keep the lights on. We need to keep putting money into the economy. However, this only applies if, and only if, you are in a financial position to do so. For us, that means that we are going to put aside a set amount of cash each week to spend on take-out from our favorite local restaurants. You can buy gift cards from places that you frequent often, to use once this is over. Donate to your local charities. Again, I would only suggest this if you have financial capability at this time. These small gestures may help prevent our favorite spots from shutting their doors for good.

If I am being honest, this has easily been one of the most expensive weeks of my life. We have spent way too much on groceries out of fear, but I am thankful we are stocked and know where our next meal is coming from. Right now, I am primarily focused on purchasing products that I know I will use or already love. Before this pandemic, I was hyper-focused on finding special event outfits. Well, all those things are canceled and there is no need for that right now. Instead I stocked up on some beauty and skin care products that I already use regularly, as they are all on major sale. I am investing in items I can use inside my home like workout gear, loungewear, cooking tools. And like I mentioned previously, we will be spending on takeout from our favorite local restaurants. I am trying to be smart.

The reality is, this is uncharted territory for all of us. We can take this day by day and do our best to get by. As for this blog, I have been struggling everyday with how to proceed. My mind changes daily, and it will likely continue to do so. It just feels weird to share spring outfits that we can wear…inside our homes. Our community has always felt like a place for respite, and my hope is to continue to foster that while also being realistic.

So, what else has been on my mind? Staying comfortable. While I highly suggest getting dressed for work if you are working from home, there is just something about cozy loungewear that makes me feel good and less anxious. Bonus if the material feels like a warm hug. So if you are like me, here are some cozy finds to help you get through this.

Also, I want to be clear that I am going to be fine financially if I don’t make a single penny from this post, or my blog, ever again. If you do decide to purchase something based on my recommendations during this tumultuous time (or any time really), thank you. This blog is my hobby. I create these posts with you in mind, and because this community has been my therapy for two years. So, with that being said, let’s stay home, friends. We are in this together, apart.

xo, Kristen