5 Drugstore Swaps for Skincare & Make Up

I didn’t wear make up for the first 3 weeks of stay-at-home orders. I’m sure I’m not alone there. I really didn’t see the point. I wasn’t following my routines, I was flailing, and I was feeling pretty crappy to be honest.

3 weeks in, I realized that getting ready was a huge part of my routine and letting go of it left me feeling bad. Plus, I started having more Zoom calls and staring at my face, with no makeup and my hair in an ever-present bun, felt a little bit too much. I started getting ready again and it make me feel so much better.

But then, a few more weeks in… I realized I was dangerously close to being out of a few make up essentials. Worse, I was close to being out of some skincare essentials. This isn’t the worst problem to have, but I’ve been trying hard not to order things on Amazon or that require shipping—I just don’t want to endanger anyone. (No shade if you do! I have ordered a few things, but I’ve been trying to limit it to essentials I can’t get elsewhere.)

I decided to look at some drugstore swaps for my daily essentials and tested a few out, that I got via Target pick up or my weekly run to Walmart for prescriptions. These are all affordable options, available primarily at Target, but also at most drugstores. If you’re doing a grocery or prescription run, these will be there for you to pop into your cart. If you’re in need of some basics, here are a few swaps.

1. Need a foundation? Try Revlon PhotoReady Candid Moisture Glow Foundation.

This foundation is around $7.99-$8.99 depending on where you buy it and one of my favorite new foundations. Full disclosure, Revlon is obviously not cruelty free. But in a pinch, it works. It is definitely a more sheer foundation, but stays in place shockingly well. I find that for Zoom calls and all my digital meetings, this is all I really need; just something so I don’t look red or tired. For reference, I previously wore Too Faced Dew You foundation, which was heavier coverage, but a dewy, moisturizing formula.

2. Need a concealer? Try Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer.

Some days, you don’t want a full foundation, but want to cover any blemishes for a Zoom call, Facetime, whatever. Or just because you like to. However, that concealer stick is running low. What do you reach for that you can get at the drugstore?

Honestly, Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Concealer (well known for its little puffball applicator) is pretty famous and it’s so affordable. I find that the color matching is great too. That being said, I do not recommend using the applicator as it comes; when I see people swipe this on their face, I cringe. You can’t wash it! You just rub it on your face over and over without washing! My recommendation is to use a small concealer or eyeshadow brush to swipe the product off the applicator and onto your face—but that’s just me, the one who easily breaks out if the wind blows a bit wrong.

3. Need powder? Try COVERGIRL Professional Loose Powder.

I put on powder most days, even when I’m not wearing make up, because I am always a bit oily and this tends to keep my face from feeling grimy. I usually use either my It Cosmetic’s Bye Bye Pores loose powder or a compact I got from my Ipsy bag a few months ago (it’s my not favorite, but I keep it at my desk and it helps!) However, I’m running low on both so I reached for my former tried-and-true favorite: the COVERGIRL Professional Loose Powder. For years this was my go-to powder; I used it probably from age 17 to 25 or 26. That’s nearly 10 years!

I still really like it, but I stopped using it when I went primarily cruelty-free. However, without being able to pop into Ulta, I’m relying on drugstore and this COVERGIRL powder is still as good as I remember. It comes in great color options, goes on sheer, doesn’t look like you’re a Victorian when you use it, and is super affordable.

4. Need a face wash? Try Soap & Glory’s Face Soap & Clarify Daily Vitamin C Facial Wash.

I love Soap & Glory’s products and this face wash, their Daily Vitamin C Facial Wash, is a great stand in for two products. If you’re in need of a new face wash because your favorite is running low and/or you also need to re-up on your Vitamin C product, this is a great fill in for both. And it’s less than $15 for a huge bottle. It smells fantastic and makes your skin feel amazing without being too aggressive of a cleanser. Plus, that dose of Vitamin C helps with dark spots, uneven skin, acne scars—you name it. (As a note, make sure to slather on the SPF if you plan to be outside or sitting near a window!)

5. Need a cleansing oil? Try Burt’s Bee’s Facial Cleansing Oil with Coconut & Argan Oil.

I typically buy my cleansing oil (plain jojoba) at Trader Joe’s. But ever since the quarantine, I’ve avoided TJ’s because they are always the smallest stores and they just get too crowded. So, I started looking for a good drugstore alternative and I settled on this one: Burt’s Bees makes some great skincare products and this cleansing oil is lovely. At first, I was suspicious of the coconut oil, which is comedogenic and not great for acne prone skin. But the amount in it is negligible and since I’m double cleansing anyway, I decided to try it. I’ve been really happy with the results, it smells amazing (like rosemary, which isn’t for everyone, but I love), and it works beautifully.

---

Do you have a good skincare or make up swap you’ve made recently? Let me know in the comments. Let’s make it easier for everyone to find what works right now!

3 Sample Routines for Working from Home with Kids

Welcome to my new series all about routines. While developing my own routine over the last few weeks of stay-at-home orders and quarantine, I’ve found myself writing down notes about developing my routine, working from home, having kids, keeping self-care in my day, and staying sane! I wanted to share some of this information with you, to help you succeed and feel more rested, recharged, and productive.

When Forrest was very young (like… a newborn), I remember spending one entire day reading other people’s routines and schedules with their baby. I was trying to find a way to make my day work a little better, to feel a little more sane and more human. I sought out examples of other people’s day because I needed ideas of what everyone else is doing.

That’s why I’m here today. We are all in a new, exciting world: one where school is all online, there is no more daycare or preschool, and the refuge of the park no longer exists. No coffee shops, no malls, no nothing.

It’s not all negative, though. If you’re here, then that means you’re still working, even if it’s from home, and that means we’re both in highly privileged positions! We are navigating these times in a different way than other people and as long as we acknowledge that, we’re golden.

In the course of writing this blog post, I found myself comforted by seeing other people’s routines! Alongside my own, I’m sharing two of my friends routines. I tried to pick a variety of careers, lifestyles, and situations. I’ll explain a bit more about each one later, but I hope you can use these example routines to make space for yourself in your day and streamline your time a little bit.

If you have questions about creating a routine that works for you, stay tuned! I have more posts coming. If you have a specific question, don’t hesitate to drop it in the comments below!

1. Marketing copywriter with 1 child

Oh hi, it’s me! I’m sure you’re all a bit tired of my daily routine at this point, but I wanted to share a quick breakdown of a day where I’m home with my son, Forrest. Here’s a rundown:

• Wake up at 5:30 am. Let out my dog and feed him. Make coffee.

• Morning routine: Check all my work emails and Slacks, check my calendar, create a master to do list for the day that also include my daily habits. My morning hour is usually spent scheduling for clients, as these is tedious work that I can’t be distracted from.

• When Forrest wakes up, we get dressed, eat breakfast, and do morning journaling together.

• After that, it’s quiet play time for him and I settle in to my to do list and tackle as much as possible.

• We eat lunch together, then more quiet play time while I work.

• We have TV time together from 3-4, then make dinner together at 4pm. My husband gets home around 5pm most nights.

• Evening routine: I finish up any outstanding work tasks, then do chores (dishes, laundry, etc). Then, I wash my face, put on a face mask, and either read in bed with my heating pad or play Animal Crossing. This is the number one way I de-stress right now and I do not miss it. While I’m doing this, my husband plays with Forrest or Forrest has quiet play time while my husband works in his office.

Things I rely on: my do list and planner; calendars and reminders; the clock; Forrest’s independence. Some days, it’s easier than others! Our challenge is that Forrest can be very anxious and moody right now; if I notice he’s struggling, I drop everything to take care of him. That’s what he needs from me and I try to be there for him at those times. If you’re a parent, don’t hesitate to do that. One of our other challenges is that my husband leaves for work every day, as he is an essential worker.

2. Lawyer with 2 young children

This is my friend, who we will call A. A has 2 younger children: a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old. She and her husband are both working from home right now. She works as a lawyer. Here’s her routine:

• Wake up with children around 7am, make coffee, and make breakfast.

• Husband watches kids while she answers emails and has meetings.

• Husband makes lunch and they swap: she watches kids while her husband works.

• Whole family makes dinner together and goes on a walk.

• Kids watch a movie while they both answer emails and finish up any work tasks.

• Kids go to bed and they both work. In the evening, she has a routine to clean up the house, do a quick yoga video, and do her skincare routine.

Things A relies on: An online to do app that sends her reminders on her computer and her phone; her husband trading shifts with her; her backyard for picnics, playtime, and more; Amazon Prime kids TV offerings. A has a great routine that works for her and her husband—it is no nonsense and they are both able to power through their individual work times thanks to trading who is watching the kids!

3. Project manager with 3 children

This is my friend, who will call C. C has 3 children: a 7-year-old, a 9-year-old, and a 13-year-old. Her husband is a nurse and so, isn’t living at home right now, as their 9-year-old has an immune disorder (Celiac’s disease) that puts him at high risk. They made the tough choice for her husband to stay at his brother’s home for the duration of stay-at-home orders. She works from home as a project manager for a marketing agency. Here’s her routine:

• Wake up at 5am, make coffee, and call husband. This is an important part of her routine, as her husband is usually getting ready for work around the same time and they connect without interruption. After this call, she takes a shower and gets ready for the day. She doesn’t feel like her day starts until she showers.

• Wake up kids at 6:30amish, get them ready, and have them help prepare breakfast.

• All kids start school by 8am. C calls into her morning meeting with her team and checks her email and Slack for the first time. She then prioritizes her tasks for the day and delegates to her team. (This part of the day is frequently interrupted by her youngest, who needs more help with school!)

• C takes a break after working for a few hours to make lunch, check in with all her kids and fix any issues they need help with. After that, they all start working again.

• At 3pm, school is over and C lets her oldest head to his room with his tablet to have a Zoom call with his friends. The youngest 2 get TV time while C has a final meeting with her team.

• Around 4, C’s brother-in-law drops off groceries for them. Because her middle son is high risk, they don’t go to the grocery store. He leaves groceries on the porch and waves from the driveway.

• The youngest 2 help C prepare dinner. They all sit down to eat together.

• At 6pm, they have a family Zoom call with C’s husband, who fills them in on his day. Afterwards, the kids pick a movie to watch together while C cleans the house, does dishes, and makes a list for the next day.

• In the evening, as the kids are winding down and heading to their rooms to get ready for bed, C picks a TV show to watch on Netflix by herself. She also likes to scroll through Instagram to decompress.

Things C relies on: Her team to help pick up the slack when she needs it; her brother-in-law and family for helping keep her son safe; online school to help occupy her kids’ time; and a running to do list that she re-prioritizes everyday. C is in a tough situation where, not only is her husband an essential worker still outside the home, he is currently living away from the family to keep their son safe. It’s a stressful situation, but she has help from her family and friends and support from her team. Her routine is pretty slow and even, and she gives herself permission to take a break frequently, as she needs it.

What can we learn from these routines?

• No two routines look the same. It depends on your profession, what you have going on in your life, where you live, and more! Don’t feel pressured to take on certain things if you aren’t able to. A prime example is I reversed on my intense homeschooling after 2-3 weeks—it just wasn’t sustainable!

• Give yourself grace. It’s ok to take a break, to take a moment to rest or relax. In my case, my job involves a lot of community management and social media response; this requires a lot of mental energy on my part and sometimes, I really need a break. I see a lot of grief and listen to a lot of woe and it can be taxing!

• Find systems that work for you: For me, I use a combination of calendar-planner-notebook to keep everything organized. I also have a specific notebook for each client to keep meeting notes and write down things to remember. For A, she uses a to do app that she keeps pristine (she showed it to me and honestly, it’s a beaut—she is not the blogging type, but I was very impressed!); for C, she uses a written to do list on an old school legal pad (retro!) and keeps it running day-to-day (which is equally as impressive, honestly).

• Make time for you! Your day needs time for you too. Working from your home, parenting 100% from your home… it gets exhausting fast and burn out is real. Make self-care a part of your routine, whether it’s simply picking a show to watch on Netflix or taking a bubble bath. Make that time and stick with it!

• Have a goal in mind. Your routine should be designed around a goal. Right now, for so many of us, that goal is simply to remain safe and to keep others around us safe. However, thinking of the larger picture, we all have certain goals: for me, I’m trying to build my clientele, hopefully, to keep working. I can’t speak for A and C’s goals, but I know they are goal-minded women! My routine is designed to make space for me to work and grow, while also take care of myself and Forrest. If you’re thinking of adding a daily routine to keep yourself on track, think of the ways it will contribute to your longterm goals!

---

I’m so excited to kick off this series about routines. I hope you love it too! Don’t forget, if you have questions or want to chat about your routine, leave me a comment or reach out to me on Instagram.

Join me next week for an article all about routine essentials!

5 Affordable Self-Care Items

When it comes to self-care, I always say the same thing: self-care has 2 branches, self-care and self-soothing. They get used interchangeably and that’s fine! In this situation, we’re going to talk about self-soothing and things you can do to make yourself feel good at the end of a long day.

If you’re like me, you’re following stay-at-home orders and keeping close to home. But that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve a little self-care.

Each week, we place a grocery pick up order and a Target pick up order. At Target, we’re usually getting household supplies, like laundry detergent, dish soap, and that kind of thing. But each week, I do try to add in a special item, something that will make us happy. This might be a new toy for Forrest, a craft kit, a new book for Danny, a DVD… whatever. Just something that’s a treat.

I wanted to share a few of the affordable, self-care focused items I’ve gotten from Target recently to make my life feel a little more decadent and to show myself kindness everyday. All of these items are $15 or under. That’s right: affordable, available at Target, and most of them should be available for drive up or pick up.

Want more self-care? Here are two previous posts of mine on the topic:

• What My Self-Care Routine Looks Like Right Now

• How to Practice Self-Care for Freelancers

You can also browse all my posts about self-care routines here.

1. Pacifica Stress Rehab Coconut & Caffeine Face Mask

Pacifica is one of my favorite drug store brands: it’s high quality, cruelty free, and contains great ingredients without costing an arm and a leg. My second favorite is YesTo, but I’ve found that a lot of people have allergic reactions to their products and I’m always hesitant to recommend them. 

This is one of my favorite face masks to grab when I’m in need of a little pick me up. At $9.99, it’s not too expensive, but it feels decadent and I love how it makes my skin feel. My skin has been very tired and dehydrated lately—all the stress and coffee have definitely been wearing on me! If that sounds like you too, this is a great way to treat yourself on a Friday night (or any night, honestly). 

2. Macaron Bath Bomb Set

I’m sorry, but these are so stinking cuuuute. And they’re super affordable for a set of 4! They smell amazing and will look super cute displayed in your bathroom. You need them. You’ll love them. They’re so affordable. Get 2. Thank me later. 

3. 52 Lists for Happiness by Moorea Seal

I’m on record as loving Moorea Seal’s books! I haven’t gotten 52 Lists for Happiness yet, but it is on my list. Next month, I’m restarting the original 52 Lists Project (one per day!) and then I think I’ll get this book. However, if you’re new to journaling, or just looking for a way to de-stress, these are a great stepping stone! They’re beautiful, thoughtful, and give you plenty of space to play. They are also very affordable for guided journals—under $15 and available at Target. 

4. OGX Extra Creamy Coconut Miracle Ultra Moisture Lotion

I know most of us probably own body lotion, but let me introduce you to this $6.99 secret: the best coconut smell lotion in existence. 

Last year, I started a project where, whenever I put on lotion, I would repeat, “Thank you, thank you, [body part]” over and over. It will surprise you how much this has genuinely helped my attitude towards my body. It’s also a great way to remind yourself to thank your body, even on hard days, for doing its best. So, at the end of a long day, rub some lotion on those dogs (that’s your feet, natch) and say thank you. You made it. 

5. Fuzzy Socks

These are sooooooo cute. I’m obsessed. I love socks in general, as I don’t like having bare feet in my house. Nothing makes me feel better, however, than putting a fresh, clean, fluffy pair of socks on when I’m feeling stressed or just need to feel better. I’ll often strip off my “house socks” (old athletic socks, usually) and put on some of my favorites when I’m especially in need of feeling better. They keep my feet warm, they look cute, and they make me happy. I love these ones from Target, but they have tons to chose from, obviously.

---

Have something that’s keeping you going right now? Let me a comment below and let me know!

Does My Morning Routine Need a Multi Vitamin?: Ritual Vitamin Review*

I’m a big believer in a daily routine. Whether you’re working from home right now or just trying to survive with your kids, having a routine is great way to feel like your best self. I find that scheduling times to do certain things helps me do them—and reminding myself of my goals, and my daily tasks to meet those goals, is a great way to stay motivated and on task.

One of my big goals for 2020 was actually related to my health; I’ve always struggled with my body and body image, and I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m often too tired to make dinner at the end of the day. Doing so requires me to keep a routine: I meal prep, I plan time to cook, and I make it happen. Stay-at-home orders, however, really threw a wrench in that routine.

It’s required a lot of work for me to put how my body feels first. I try not to think about calories anymore—but rather, what is going to support my health at this point in my life? What is going to make me feel good? And when I talk about feeling good, what does that mean for me?

When it comes to my daily routine, I try to hit a few specific points:

• Feeling accomplished. I know there has been a lot of discourse recently about “you don’t have to be productive right now”. I totally get that. But that’s also not for me. I’m still working and unfortunately, my job is all about production. For me, to feel good about my day, I have to feel like I accomplished something.

• Supporting my health (and my body). For me, this means taking a soothing bath in the evening, eating foods that make me feel my best, and taking a multivitamin that I love. (More about this in a minute!)

• Keeps me motivated. Having a clean home motivates me—that means, every day I have to make time to clean the parts of my home that need it. Typically, this means cleaning every sink and toilet in the house, and vacuuming the floors.

Why I Added a Multi Vitamin to my Routine

I’ve taken vitamins and supplements most of my life. When I was in elementary, I stopped eating dairy for a long time—and I remember my mom making me take those chewy calcium supplements every day. That was my first introduction to using a supplement to support my health and fill in the gaps.

Previously, I’ve always used gummy vitamins in my routine. When I was pregnant with Forrest, I relied on gummy vitamins to get me everything I needed—but I also knew they didn’t have enough calcium for me! (Can you tell calcium has always been an issue for me?)

I recently started using Ritual vitamins** in my daily routine. Every day, I keep them by my coffee maker so I can take one when I drink my coffee and eat breakfast. I take a second vitamin with lunch usually. I’ve always broken up when I take vitamins, especially if I need to take two, because I found this helped my stomach not get upset. (I have a very sensitive stomach, so this is just for me! Most people can probably just take 2 at once!)

The reason I took the leap and went with Ritual vitamins, instead of my usual gummies, is because I was looking for something that would support my diet a little more. When I bought gummy vitamins in the store, I often felt unsure of what I was getting. How was this going to help me?

The great thing about Ritual is that they tell you exactly why they include everything they do. Here’s what they have to say:

Essential for Women contains essential nutrients, each in their absorptive, vegan certified, non- GMO, gluten-free, and dairy-free forms. These nutrients fill the gaps in women’s diets to build a healthy foundation for the future, supporting the brain with Omega-3s, blood and heart health with Iron, and bones with Vitamin K.

One thing I specifically liked was that the Essential for Women vitamin (what I’m taking!) is designed to support the absorption of calcium. When I was pregnant with Forrest, I didn’t get enough calcium and one of my molars rotated. I know, that sounds terrifying. I feel you! I ended up getting an abscess and needed a root canal that took up the better part of a year. I took calcium supplements when I was pregnant, alongside those gummy prenatal vitamins—and I realize now that I probably wasn’t taking the right combination of things to actually support my body absorbing those vitamins!

I also like that Ritual vitamins are dairy-free and vegan; not eating dairy is a huge step I made for my health and while I’ve gone back and forth on it, I definitely feel better when I don’t eat dairy.

How Do I Like Them?

The thing I love most about Ritual vitamins**, to me, was that they are easy to swallow, they didn’t upset my stomach (multiple bonus points there!), and they don’t have that powdery, weird vitamin smell. They smell minty and fresh and amazing. Plus, they’re really pretty—their packaging is just plain cute!

When it comes to how they worked for me, I think it’s hard to say definitively—but I do feel like in the last month, I’ve been feeling a lot better about everything. I think part of that is my mindset: you can make a situation better in lots of ways, and developing a routine that works for me, and really drilling into my work, has helped a lot. But having Ritual vitamins** as part of my routine was a big help too.

There is also something very comforting to me about doing the same things for myself every day: I clean my bathroom sink, I make a cup of coffee, and then I take my Ritual vitamins. And that feels really good.

Are Ritual Vitamins for You?

Do you want to try Ritual vitamins** too? They have 3 varieties:

• Essentials for Women

• Prenatal (I really want to hear more about these!)

• Essential for Women 50+

Visit Ritual’s website to learn more about each variety and what they offer.

If you’re looking to make a multivitamin part of your routine, here’s a few tips:

• Keep your multivitamin where you’ll remember them. When I hide my vitamins in my medicine cabinet, I’m more likely to forget about them. I set a reminder in my phone and add it to my to do list—and I keep my vitamins by my coffee maker, like I said, so I see them every morning.

• Find a routine that works for you. I split up my vitamins, just to make sure I don’t end up getting sick to my stomach (like I said, this is mostly a me issue—sometimes drinking too much water too fast makes me sick to my stomach!). But find something that works for you: maybe taking your vitamins at night or setting an alarm.

• Set a goal related to your vitamins. Maybe you want to make sure you take them 5 days a week at least or you want to take vitamins for a year—just to see if it makes a difference. Set a goal, divide it into daily-weekly-monthly tasks (in this case, taking them every day!) and go for it!

If you would like to try Ritual vitamins, click the button below to order a bottle today! I think you’re going to love them. Let me know how you incorporate them into your routine and what you think.

A Day in the Life of a Freelance Marketing Copywriter During Stay-At-Home Orders

One thing that has brought me a lot of comfort lately has been reading other people’s daily schedules and lives right now. I started thinking of how I could contribute to the conversation; I work a non-essential job from home with a 4-year-old every single day. The last 6 weeks have been stressful and difficult; there has been so many decisions, so much to do.

But I feel like for others in similar positions to me (working from home, trying to care for children, trying to look forward without stress), it’s really helpful to see how others are handling it. How are we scheduling our time? How are we making things work?

This has felt like the most surreal 2 months of my life; I started a new freelance contract in late February and then, stay-at-home orders happened in Oregon. Everything has changed for that particular client and the work I’m doing!

I guess the main reason why I wrote this was to show you: what I do all day; how I’m helping Forrest adjust to this very weird, very isolated time; and to let you know that if you need help troubleshooting your day (or just need to talk!), I’m here.

---

Morning

I wake up at 5am to tackle some scheduling for a client. I live in a rural area, so I basically have 2 forms of internet: unlimited data from 2am-8am, then 15 gb of data for the month the rest of the day. For big data tasks like a lot of uploading, I try to get up early to get those done. 

As I get my computer booted up, I make coffee for my husband. Then, I make an iced coffee from the leftover coffee I keep in the fridge for myself. (I use 1 cup of cold coffee, 3 tablespoons of oat milk, 1.5 tablespoons of almond milk creamer, and 1 packet of truvia, plus ice cubes. If you’re looking for a good, strong iced coffee recipe.)

Scheduling takes a few hours that I usually have to split up over a few days—but in about an hour and a half, I manage to get a big chunk done for all clients. By 7:30, my husband is up and getting ready to leave. He’s a teacher and while he’s not teaching students in person, due to our internet situation, he is still working from his classroom. This is nice because it gives us both a chance to get away from each other and have some room to breathe.

My son usually wakes up between 7:30 and 8. Once he’s up, I help him pick out clothes, get dressed, and comb his hair. Then I make breakfast. Today, I make him oatmeal, which is his new favorite. He has strawberries and raspberries on the side.

Once he’s eaten, I take him to my mom’s by 8:30; she watches him for me while I work for a few hours. For the first 5 weeks of stay-at-home orders, we quarantined away from my parents; my mom asked to start watching Forrest again and I couldn’t say no. It’s been a huge stress reliever for me and F’s behavior and mood has improved as well. He hadn’t been out of the house for 5 weeks and I don’t take him if I need to run errands.

At home, I take a shower, eat breakfast myself, and then jump into work for a client. I manage a Facebook community for a national brand via a local agency. I use time blocking to manage my day, so I dedicate 1-2 hours in the morning to this client. Then, I take a quick break to work out and clean up my bedroom; I make the bed, start my diffuser going so it smells good, and start any laundry. I also move the morning’s coffee from the coffee pot to my iced coffee container in the fridge. 

Then, I spend an hour writing and I answer emails in all my various company emails. 

By this time, it’s 11:30. I let my dog outside, make a second iced coffee, and then head back to my office to tackle an hour of client work, including writing.

Originally I was supposed to have client calls from 12:30-2, but they were canceled and moved to tomorrow, so I head to my mom’s to pick up Forrest. On Monday, we get McDonald’s as a treat; Forrest gets a Happy Meal and I get a large Diet Coke. At home, we have some TV time and I check my client’s Instagram accounts at the same time.

After about an hour, I return to my office and do a second round of community management for one of my client’s—this usually takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Today it takes about an hour. I answer any emails or Slack messages from this client. I have so enjoyed the work I do in community management; right now, I’m a temp employee while their usual social media coordinator is on maternity leave. I’m so excited to see her return, but I’ll be sad to leave this work behind. (As an update: when I wrote this, I was planning to be done in mid-May with them, but I’ll actually be staying on to continue to do their scheduling and weekend community management! I’m very excited as I love this team.)

Once I get that done, I do some admin tasks for myself, primarily related to getting Forrest registered for preschool next year and accounting.

Admin work done, it’s almost 4pm. F is pretty good and doesn’t interrupt me a ton when I work; it helps that my office is separate and we’ve taught him that he doesn’t just walk into it (although I do catch him stealing paper from my printer fairly frequently). I turn off my computer and head to the kitchen. 

We are having leftover chili from the weekend, so F helps me make a new batch of cornbread. Then, I get him a snack to eat until dinner is ready and/or my husband gets home. (It’s a tube of yogurt, his favorite thing.) 

The TV goes off after 4pm, so we listen to an episode of Storytime, a story podcast for kids, or music. Each week we pick a new music artist and I make a kid-friendly playlist for Forrest. (I won’t take credit for this idea—it’s inspired by Elsie Larson of a Beautiful Mess!) This week is Leonard Cohen, which is a bit heavy for a 4-year-old. He much preferred Beatles week or Shania Twain week. 

I usually pour myself a glass of wine during this; I have a Winc wine membership and I have enjoyed every single wine I’ve gotten from them. (Here is my referral link if anyone wants to try Winc!)

Close to 5, my husband gets home, washes his hands, and changes his clothes. I serve up dinner and we eat together as a family. Forrest helps us clean up afterward, then he heads to his room to play. My husband usually relaxes in his office upstairs during this time; it’s right next to Forrest’s room, so he gets to wrangle while I work uninterrupted for a while. 

I finish up a blog post for my website, then double-check my to do list. I’ve pretty much gotten my work handled for the day, so I work on some writing. I’m currently planning my NaNoWriMo novel for November—it’s just something to do! 

When I hit a stopping point during writing, I head upstairs to take a bath. Forrest is happily playing with my husband, so I light a candle, run a bath, and download a new book on my library app on my phone to read. I probably read 3-4 books a week, sometimes more. I wish I could tell you I was reading highbrow works of literature. The truth is, I’ve been reading through Lisa Kleypas’s library of Regency-era romances and have moved on to some of her contemporaries. I have an entire tag full of these books on my library app.

After my bath, I clean up the bathroom and do my skincare routine. It’s nearly 8pm by this time, so Forrest gets ready for bed (brushes his teeth, washes his face, puts on his pajamas). He’s been having trouble sleeping for a while, ever since we moved into our new house, and surprise, things were getting a lot better in February. Just in time for stay-at-home orders!

He watches Lego Movie 2 in bed beside me while I play Animal Crossing. He usually falls asleep during this and we move him to his bedroom. Sometimes, he stays there. Most days, I wake up around midnight to him asleep on the floor next to me in what we call his “nest”. I don’t particularly mind this. 

Before I fall asleep, I check my email, Slack, and social media apps one last time, just to make sure I didn’t miss something urgent. I make a few notes on my phone of things to remember the next day, then turn on my heating pad. 

---

That’s my day! That’s a pretty standard day for us, broken up occasionally by meetings. I’d love to see what your day is like! Let me know in the comments or link your own blog post.

How I'm Transforming My Dry, Tired Skin

Do you ever say or write or think a small brag (not intentionally!) and then immediately have it bite you in the ass?

On one of the last beauty posts I wrote, I said something along the lines of, “Despite my acne, I’m really lucky to have oily skin; my skin isn’t dry and therefore, I’m naturally protected from typical aging.”

Friends, I played myself. The moment I said it, I think my skin heard it, learned about it, absorbed it from my brain… and decided to rapidly turn around and do the opposite thing. For the last 3 months, I have noticed my skin really struggling. I break out, then my skin gets dry, then I look ancient and tired. I’ve always struggled with redness and being kind of ruddy, but lately, it’s been dialed up another notch.

My skin has been flaky at times and generally just tired looking. Dull.

As you can imagine, I was not happy about this transformation. My skin routine is aimed around being oily and while I use oil in my routine, it wasn’t the focus of my routine. So right as the COVID 19 pandemic started to take off, I was struggling with my skin.

Then, of course, being home, not sticking to my skincare routine as much, and being stressed as hell made it worse. Two weeks ago, I looked in the mirror and thought, who is this person??

The need to transform was strong, but I knew I wasn’t going to have my tools I usually do. No going to Sephora or Ulta and asking a million questions, consulting both sales associates and Google on my phone. No samples. No trial and error. I had to work with what I had available and what I got in my Ipsy.

Even in the past 2 weeks, I’ve seen a huge improvement in my skin. If you have dry, slightly dull skin, here are a few suggestions (and general methods) to see an improvement in the next few weeks.

1. Drink More Water.

I normally hate when blogs give this piece of advice. We get it! Water! We don’t drink enough water!

Personally, based on what I’ve read, I think a lot of people drink too much water. If you’re peeing constantly, you’re drinking too much water—sorry not sorry! Your body is peeing out the excess! Stop! That being said: for the first 10 days of stay-at-home and quarantine orders, I realized that I hadn’t even thought about drinking water for a while. I drank 0 water. No water. I drank coffee and that was it. No wonder I felt like crap???

So, yes, sorry: drink some water. Really. Drink water when you’re thirsty and with meals. You don’t need to pound 100+ ounces of water a day, I promise, but like… have a sip. Maybe 2 or 3, honestly.

2. Use Up the Serum in Your Sheet Masks.

I have a collection of great sheet masks that I’ve acquired from TJ Maxx and other various stores. If you are doing the same, now is the time to use those babies up! However, my tip for sheet masks is always this: don’t throw away the serum! Once I do a sheet mask, I dope the extra serum into a small tuperware I keep in my bathroom and then use that serum in my routine. Most often, sheet masks have hyaluronic acid in them, which helps absorb moisture; this is a really economical way to keep hyaluronic acid in your routine day-to-day. It’ll help plump your skin and make sure your moisturizer is absorbing as much as it can.

3. Use an AHA Face Wash and/or Peel.

AHA stands for “alpha hydroxy acid,” a series of naturally occurring acids that can do a lot to improve your skin. When I talk about using a chemical exfoliant in your routine, often what I mean is a mix of AHA and BHA acids. If you have dry skin, though, AHAs, are the best for you; AHAs have molecules that love water and help improve the skins moisture content.

Right now, I’m using the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser every other day (usually when i take a shower!); I’ve reviewed it previously here. This product is exfoliating, but because it also contains AHA, it’s great for dry, tired looking skin. I’ve also been using the AHA! Peel so Good Skin Renewal Gel (that I reviewed here) once a week to help with texture on and below my jawline and flaky skin.

4. Pick the Right Toner.

Toner is a tough one. For a long time, I was kind of under the assumption that toner was a scam. A fancy water I splash on my face? PLEASE.

But now I know that toners contain those all important chemical exfoliants. Right now, I’m using the PureHeals Softening Toner (which I got a deluxe sample of for $3 from Ipsy); this is a moisturizing toner that contains lactic acid and niacinamide, both of which are great if you have acne. It also has oils in it to help with moisture. In short: it’s a great option for me right now! I also have had good luck with the Pixie Glow Tonic, but that seemed a little drying for me right now.

5. Use a Moisturizing Face Wash in the Morning.

I got the TonyMoly Moisture Burst Gel to Water Morning Cleansing cleanser in my Ipsy bag. I generally like TonyMoly’s products: they’re good, but sometimes they can be middle-of-the-road, so I never actually seek them out to buy. I’m glad I added this one to my Ipsy bag though (for $3!); it’s a great, gentle morning cleanser.

I used to never wash my face in the morning, aside from a swipe with water. My logic was that I washed my face the night before and how dirty could my face be again? I’ve realized since then, of course, that my skin needs a blank slate in the morning, plus I spend all night sweating with my hair on my face. I probably just need to wash my face.

Adding this cleanser has been a huge help; morning is often when my skin feels the roughest and driest and if I’m not planning to take a shower, I feel pretty grimy all day. I like this cleanser because it’s really gentle and very moisturizing. However, the cleanser you choose is entirely up to you!

6. Mix Up Your Moisturizer.

I rotate between 3 moisturizers for the day and at night:

• H2O+ Oasis Hydrating Treatment (here is an older version that’s still available on Amazon!)

• Aromatica Calendula Juicy Cream

• COOLA Facial Sunscreen with SPF 50 (I actually don’t alternate this, but rather mix with whatever moisturizer I’m using in the morning!)

I switch between 2 moisturizers right now because I try to take my skin’s needs at that moment into account. I might feel really dry and then I’ll use my Aromatica moisturizer; I might be really oily or have just oiled my face, then I’ll use the H2O+, as it’s much lighter. It just depends! At night, I also top everything with the Youth to the People Superberry Hydrating Sleep Mask.

7. Stay Consistent.

The last and most important thing is: you’ve gotta follow the routine that works for you every single day. Every morning, every evening, even when you’re really tired. I’m not perfect; the last few nights, I’ve been exhausted and wasn’t doing my routine. Your girl’s face is blotchy, dry, and pretty gross this morning, so guess who is back on the bandwagon? Me.

I hope this helps you all if you’re dealing with dry, tired skin! Have anymore recommendations? Share them with me in the comments!

Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links! When you click through them, or purchase through them, I receive a small kickback. However, this post is not sponsored and all opinions remain my own—I use all these products! Thanks for visiting Writing Between Pauses. If you’d like to learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.

5 Tips for Marketing Your Brand During a Pandemic

I’m going to tell you a small annoyance I have: a lot of the women I follow who own businesses have tried to use the current social climate as an opportunity to sell more. To pivot their businesses, or increase their revenue. Here’s the thing: we’re all scared. We’re all nervous about what comes next because we simply don’t know.

One thing I always tell my clients is: you should never take advantage of certain situations to make sales. You can use a tragedy or a societal event to make sales. You can let those things guide your content. But that’s it.

To best illustrate this, here’s an example from back when I worked at an agency: after the devastating fires in California, one of our clients wanted to place targeted ads for their luxury products in the areas most effected by the fires. Their logic was that people needed a place to live, why not buy one of their products to live in?! I remember reading the emails, listening to the conversation, and thinking, “I don’t know how to make people have a heart.”

It goes without saying: we did not comply with their request. We recommended a few other options—such as gathering donations for those effected and driving them to the area, or donating a significant portion of sales percentages—and they didn’t like them. They wanted to make sales, period, on the backs of people who had lost everything they owned.

Friends, I can’t tell you how much this made me want to quit marketing. I think there are lots of misconceptions about marketing, but the one thing that is, occasionally, true is that some businesses will do anything to make money. The good thing is that many marketing agencies refuse to be as cutthroat as these businesses anymore: most agencies have high morals and a specific outlook on how to treat consumers. But battling with clients takes a lot of energy and clout.

I’ve been asked a lot lately about how businesses can best market their products right now. What is the right thing to do? What is the kind thing to do? How can you keep your business afloat and support your community and still participate in marketing so you don’t lose momentum?

Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve been telling my clients.

1. Use Common Sense.

It goes without saying, but: if it feels gross or wrong to do it, it probably is. Posting something that just doesn’t feel right… you probably already know it’s not right. Something that takes advantage of people’s fear (such as posting ads for masks or claiming products help or prevent COVID 19), or something that preys on people’s fears or insecurities… these aren’t good marketing practices even in the best of times.

In general, there are two rules here:

• Don’t post anything that can harm people. Will your marketing cause harm? Will it make people do something stupid (like rush out to buy something they do not need) out of fear or because they think what you said was true?

• Don’t make false claims. Right now, there is a lot of information out there on “this prevents COVID 19” or “this will keep you healthy.” The truth is there is no product you can buy and consume that will prevent you from getting COVID 19, so making claims otherwise is bullshit.

2. Chill Out on Heavy Sales.

Heavy sales-focused posts are going to rub most consumers wrong—and all marketers. I have been screenshotting ads that I feel are in poor taste. One I got recently was for a brand I love (I buy their products at Whole Foods all the time) and it was a special sale code using “COVID 19” or “STAY AT HOME” for a certain amount off. Big oof.

There is nothing wrong with advertising a sale right now. But make sure what you’re advertising is appropriate for the situation and you do so with care and kindness towards your community.

Here’s a good example:

• “We know many of us are at home, which is an incredible privilege. Right now, we are offering a sale on our X product; use code SUNDAY to get 10% off—and we’ll donate 10% of proceeds to [charity].”

Recognize and acknowledge that people might be struggling right now, especially financially.

3. Focus on Compassion.

Related to my last point: a lot of people are struggling now. Some mentally, some financially, some physically. People are ill. People are grieving.

Show some compassion.

If this means pivoting your content away from selling and more towards supporting your community (“what can I do for you? how can I help you? what charities should I donate to?”), then do it. If you have the ability, do it! It’s easy right now to be entirely focused on you and your business. We’re all worried, like I said. There is no point in trying to participate in the “worry Olympics” or trying to make hard times a competition. Yes, some people have it worse. We’re all struggling, though, and being kind of people is pretty much free.

Show some compassion to your customers. Send free product if you can. Cut people some slack.

4. We Don’t Need Another Work from Home Article.

Ok, I’m fully guilty of writing my own work from home article. But if I see one more huge brand posting their work from home tips, I’m going to scream.

After all, it was barely 6 months ago when a business in Eugene told me that they didn’t foresee a world where it was possible for people in my career to work 100% remotely and that asking to work from home so I could more effectively take care of my child was unrealistic. Who is laughing now, friends!? So yes, it sucks to see that very same business churning out work from home content, taking care of your children content, etc. It’s just frustrating for those of us who know that at least some of these businesses have not effectively supported the women or men in their employ who need the ability to work from home, either due to children, commute issues, or disabilities.

So, in short: we don’t need any more work from home content. We just need compassion, support, and a good laugh.

5. Think On Your Feet.

Things are changing every single day. Being able to pivot your content on a moment’s notice is going to be important. For many brands, the ability to stop their content right at the beginning of March was challenging, but it’s taught us one thing: as much as social media managers (like me!) like to have content planned and scheduled months in advance… the reality is that’s probably not an effective strategy in a world where things can change in a moment’s notice.

This also applies to replying to consumer complaints; being able to take on your followers (customers, fans, however you refer to them!) challenges and issues will be part of your strategy from here on out. Seeing a ton of the same complaint? The same issue? How can you help? Can you think of a meaningful response on the spot?

---

I hope these tips help you market your brand in an uneasy time! Have additional suggestions or ideas? Let me know in the comments

Is it Too Early to Introduce Journaling to my Kids?

I’ll be the first to tell you: staying home all day with kids, with no break, and trying to keep them a) entertained, b) educationally stimulated, and c) emotionally taken care of is a challenge. When I had Forrest, I didn’t think that in 4 1/2 years I would be handed the absolute weirdest historical event to raise him in.

The other day, I was talking to my mother (on the phone, of course) about how hard it has been lately to get everything done and take care of Forrest. I usually don’t struggle with this day-to-day… but without preschool, without childcare, and without Danny now that he’s gone back to school, everything falls on me.

I don’t want Forrest’s first memories to be of this time, to be quite honest, but unfortunately it’s not up to me at this point; and I definitely don’t want his first memories to be of me losing my patience with him because I need to finish writing copy for a client. (As important as that copy is!)

As I’ve written, I’ve been working on developing some preschool activities for Forrest. I won’t say I’m homeschooling—it’s definitely not that strenuous, but I’m doing my best! He has always been a child that needs constant mental stimulation; he’s very good at playing independently, but it’s extremely curious and wants to ask questions and learn all the time. It’s one of my favorite things about him! But as a non-educator, it’s definitely a challenge for me as it’s definitely not my personality type. (You can read about how I’ve organized our daily schedule here! I have made some changes to this, so I’ll be writing an updated version soon.)

One thing I’ve started trying to incorporate daily is journaling. It got me thinking: when is it the right time to introduce journaling? I love journaling (you can read all my posts about it here) and it’s something I want Forrest to love too. It’s an incredibly valuable way to destress, record your memories, and focus on good memories—letting the others fall to the wayside.

Here’s what I learned through researching:

• It’s never too early to introduce writing skills. At 4, Forrest can write his name and write some simple words. He very badly wants to be able to write notes! This felt like the perfect time to help him work on his early writing skills. We’ve been doing lots of letter tracing, practicing with pencils, and more. A lot of learning to write is learning to hold a pencil and creating those muscle memories and groups.

• Keep it age appropriate. Your 5-year-old isn’t going to sit down and write a thoughtful journal entry. Keep it to writing about one event during the day and how they felt.

• Don’t take it too seriously. If it becomes frustrating, put it away for both of you.

• The benefits are numerous. Journaling, and learning to write early, has a lot of benefits: better communication skills, better writing and reading skills, and an opportunity to work through big emotions.

There doesn’t seem to be an age limit to introducing journaling!

Introducing Journaling to a 4-Year-Old

Did it go well at first? Not really. Forrest was a little perplexed by the exercise, but he’s come around. As I said, he really wants to write. Badly. He wants to be able to write notes, to read, to satisfy his curiosity. Journaling will be a very positive thing for him once he gets a bit better at writing.

We started with supplies.

I ordered Forrest a primary school notebook to start journaling in. It’s a a basic primary school notebook: the top half of the page is blank (for drawing a picture) and then has primary lining on the second half to write a description or journal entry. (There is also a space at the top to write the date!) Every day, I’ve been having him draw a picture about something he did during the day. The first day, he drew a picture of himself dancing. The second day, a picture of the apple crisp we baked. Then, I helped him write a sentence about it, as well as the day’s date. Usually, this is us sounding out words and writing letters.

To help him write, I also got him some basic pencils and some pencil grippers. The pencil grippers are triangular (I’m sure everyone reading this remembers them! I used them for years) and help new writers learn to hold a pencil. Plus, it widens the part they are gripping and makes it easier for little hands. I was going to order some of the thicker kindergarten pencils, but Danny encouraged me not to; it’s better for Forrest to learn to hold a thinner pencil correctly.

If you’ve got a 4-5 year old, these are all cheap supplies you can get just about anywhere and make writing easier.

We try to journal right after dinner or during quiet time. I want to teach him that it’s a good way to wind down in the evening, take a break, and think through the day. He sees me journal a lot and I’m hoping this becomes a habit that is easy for him to keep! Plus, it will be fun to look back on these journal entries later. During a quarantine, his memories are a mix of things we did and random things (like dancing, playing with his Superman toys, or taking a nap on the couch).

Now, it’s your turn: are you considering introducing journaling to your kids? What’s holding you back?

Disclaimer: This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links.