This is one of those weeks were time has just flown right by. I’ve been very busy at work, similar to the early days of the pandemic, fielding lots of phone calls and trying to create plans that are safe and sustainable. It got me thinking, though, about how much has changed since March. And I don’t mean the big obvious stuff like not traveling or going out to eat. I mean the simple daily stuff that is just . . . different. Since it’s Thursday I came up with 3 things that I have pared down since the pandemic.
- My makeup routine. I always wore foundation every day. Or at least every day that I left the house. Primer, liquid foundation, powder. It was how I rolled. And also eye make up and lip gloss. Now, though? I wear a mask a lot at work and the foundation, well, not only does it get all over the mask but it’s also just not that necessary now that people can only see my eyes and forehead. Same for the lip gloss.
- The jewelry I wear. I have always worn my wedding ring and engagement ring along with my grandmother’s wedding ring on my other hand plus earrings and several bracelets on my left wrist. When we were first shut down and I was working from home I stopped wearing everything but my wedding band and those bracelets. No Apple watch. No earrings. No extra rings. The first time I wore earrings and then put on a mask the earrings caught on it and I haven’t worn them since. I mostly don’t bother with my engagement ring and grandmother’s wedding ring either. I do wear the Apple watch pretty consistently now, though.
- Weekly grocery shopping. I went to the grocery store every Friday (with Jackie once he was old enough) whether I really needed to or not. Sometimes I bought a lot, sometimes a little, but I always went. Since the pandemic I can stretch out my grocery shopping to last 2 or 3 weeks. Once I even managed to not go for 4 weeks. It does require having someone fetch milk but otherwise I can manage. Sure, there are often things I want but the truth is there are rarely things I truly need if I plan ahead and watch my supplies. Not going every week has saved a bunch of money, too.
Have you changed your habits and routines in unexpected ways since March? I’d love to hear about it. And don’t forget to link your post below if you wrote one for today.
A little powder on the shiny parts, eyeliner because my lashes are so pale, Chapstick in my eyebrows to make them mind, a touch of blusher – that’s it.
Because i’m here taking care of my MIL 24/7, my life hasn’t changed hardly at all except I don’t get a night off to go to knitting group anymore. I laughed about the jewelry though. I wasn’t allowed to wear any jewelry at my old job (of 8 years) except wedding rings and earrings smaller than a dime. They were pretty strict about the rules so I got used to never wearing jewelry. Now, I feel SO dressed up when I put on jewelry and half the time when I put on earrings, I end up having to poke a new hole through my ears.
I wish we were saving money on groceries. My husband does the bulk of the shopping now and he fills the cart with cakes, cookies from the bakery section and ice cream. All expensive stuff. And when my daughter goes, she has no sense of budget. She happily buys some $10 spice that will only be used once. But no matter the cost, it’s still better than having to do the shopping myself. 🙂
Since I am retired, I had already given up makeup and jewelry for the most part. I have also stopped buying groceries so often, and I think I have gotten much more cognizant of not letting any food go to waste. I always planned meals ahead of time, but I have gotten better at using up food. Our meals have gotten much simpler than they were pre Covid-19. I am surprised that it suits both of us well. Who knew? We eat less junk than we used to because it is not in the house. I find I don’t really miss it much. I am reading much more than usual. I also have spent more time keeping my house clean. If I am going to be here all the time, I can’t stand a dirty house. There’s no way to escape it now! I am also struggling to keep up my exercise routine, which doesn’t surprise me. I am always much more consistent if I do group exercise. I am also doing a lot less laundry!
I didn’t wear makeup before the pandemic, and haven’t started now! I quite wearing rings when I started washing my hands all the time and haven’t put them back on, but my bracelets are still on my wrists. I’m grocery shopping only for what I need every 2-3 weeks, and have been shocked by how much I had in my pantry. It looks like this is going to go on for a good long while and maybe my pantry shelves will be cleared off and things used up by then!
I buy jewelry but rarely wear it. Same with makeup. I am living in sweatpants though.
Further back in the pandemic (maybe mid April on) I was doing curbside pickup for grocery shopping every two weeks. My sister did most of the shopping for my father in March and April and would drop it off and I would sanitize it. Then mid May, I started going to one local grocery store every two weeks, I have to go this weekend as I dragged it out to 3 weeks. My father (he’s 92 and missed shopping) goes about once week to the local store he likes but they aren’t a busy store so he’s been doing ok. I would try a different branch of the store I go to as some are quieter but I know where everything is and can be done and in line in 15 minutes or less.
So many little things have changed . . . I rarely wear any makeup these days, but when I do, it’s just a quick flick of mascara. I haven’t been to the grocery store since early March (Tom does the grocery shopping), but I have been to Costco a few times. Jewelry? Well . . . I don’t really consider my Apple watch “jewelry” (it’s a checklist-I-can-wear with those rings, y’know . . . ), and I wear mine every day. I also wear earrings every day — preferrably BIG, bold ones. (I thread them through my mask’s ear loops so they don’t get caught up.) 🙂
No makeup since mid-March, and I have not blow-dried my hair since then either so it is just an insane curly mass. I’m also washing it only every other day. No earrings, but I am wearing my two rings, my watch, and (optimistically) a FitBit. When we have video meetings on Microsoft Teams, it’s fun to see who is still dressing up and wearing make-up — not too many are!
I just love this. Isn’t it funny how so much has changed? I’m just relieved that so many people haven’t had a haircut in a while… I haven’t had one in over 3 years, so it’s nice to not be the only shaggy one around :p
The make up routine has really changed drastically here. Really, eye makeup only, mascara and a little bit of shadow. I still moisturize and put on sunscreen… but nothing else. Dry your hair? What is that, lol! (oh and a bra is no longer a “daily” thing, lol)
Make-up seems to be a thing! I always pare mine down in the summer because foundation is just not smart when it’s HOT and humid, and I don’t ever wear much … so I’m still doing the same routine (except for the lips … now it’s just a clear gloss and I don’t even do that if I’m going out because mask). My biggest change is that I haven’t had a pedicure since February, so only closed toe shoes when I go out (I haven’t worn sandals since last year!) … and I put away my rings, in favor of a simple silver band when I started washing my hands all the time. It definitely still feels different, but I’m kind of liking the simplicity.
Like you I never left the house without some makeup but now that it’s covered up, I have given it up. When I walk outdoors I use sunscreen instead of makeup but that is nothing new. I wear my wedding and engagement ring out but don’t go out nearly as much. The big change is to keep more staples and grocery items on hand. This pandemic has changed us all in many ways.