Like many of us, during this crazy period, we have tried to minimise our spending. Big, big purchases have been placed on hold and swapped instead with little pick-me-ups to brighten our days: the odd bouquet of flowers, cheese and wine from independent businesses to accompany us in endless afternoons in the garden, a glossy magazine to tuck into with a cup of coffee, the letterbox-treat for a friend needing a pick-me-up. These bursts of joy have elevated our days (consisting mainly of work, at present) and have acted as a reminder that there was an exciting and vibrant life which we will return to.
For us, relying on a heady combination of routine, little pick-me ups and a few duvet days has worked out okay. Of course, we don’t think think that something as simple as a purchase can instantly shift the many, and often contradicting feelings, we may be experiencing but these are the things that made us think ‘ahh that was worth it’ , that simplified our lives and that we will be loving post lockdown too. What lockdown purchases do you swear by?
A Good Yoga Mat – It’s perhaps unsurprising that we have been religiously sticking to both yoga and meditation. Simple, twenty-minute classes and some guided breathing have truly anchored us to the point where we aim to continue practising well beyond lockdown especially on those ‘not feeling it‘ days where the thought of a sweaty, crowded gym has the power to put us off exercise for life. A good, thick Yoga mat has been essential – ours are super old Amazon but we note that Yoga Matters has loads including eco versions too.
The Coffee Machine – This is not necessarily a lockdown purchase as it has been on our list for a while but, a month into staying at home, we missed our pre-office coffee, especially the ritual of it, so made a quick Nespresso purchase. Our latte art may not be quite up to scratch, barista will probably never be added to our job descriptions (for good reason!) after too many a disaster but we have started the (incredibly annoying!) habit of announcing a round by loudly stating ‘A nespresso, what else?’ and making George Clooney references so, at the very least, we’re adequately caffeinated and entertained.
The Flower Subscription – This is probably the more boujiee of the pick but we have loved having a fresh bunch of flowers to look forward to, revelling in the therapeutic nature of arranging a bouquet as well as mixing and matching with flowers from the garden. Freddie’s Flowers often have good offers (and we like the instructions and descriptions accompanying every bouquet!) and locally Studio Muse have some super cute arrangements that can be delivered to your door.
What have been your top-purchases during lockdown? Hop over to Instagram and Twitter and join the conversation.
Love,
The Squiggles Team X
