isolation - BAB ABOUT TOWN

So, I am on week 6 or maybe it’s week 7? I don’t even know anymore; it feels like week 86 especially with my new fine-line features on my forehead. The days are long, the biscuit tin is empty again and I am slowly but surely losing my mind that I am not able to talk to friends face to face or strangers’ dogs. I think the reason I am losing my mind (I suspect everyone is losing it to) is because we don’t have any idea of when this virus will pass, and we can go back to normality. A good thing is that the alcohol cabinet has not been completed raided…just yet. It’s not all doom and gloom at home, I have been quite busy discovering new independents, developing new skills aka eating quietly and saving & planning for the future.

When the lockdown was first announced and I was told to stay at home, I was pretty pissed about it. I didn’t want to isolate but then I sat down and thought about all the things I could do and didn’t have the time before to do them, for example, a “Sex and the City all-nighter” (INSERT TROLL FACE) thats when I started to get excited and celebrate the isolation…

DAY ONE: LOCKDOWN AKA FREEDOM

DAY FIFTEEN: WELL THATS ALL MY CHORES DONE FOR THE YEAR, THIS SHOULD BE OVER SOON…

DAY TWENTY FIVE: CALLED NAN 50 TIMES TODAY AND THE WALL IS IGNORING ME!!

Of course, I wasn’t speaking to the walls, but I definitely have been speaking to the birds. It does get a little depressing when you can’t see your friends and family but I am grateful that I live with my parents still, In December I was thinking to rent in Birmingham however took the wise decision not to go forward with renting as it’s just dead money and I want to continue to see my savings rise so I can buy not rent, so best deicison I have made because god knows what I would be like on my own. So I have been keeping busy and here are a few thing that I have been doing whilst in lockdown AND a few updates on me!

INDEPENDENT SHOPPING

So, I have been focusing more on shopping independently whilst in lockdown so buying my essentials independently rather than queue at Asda for half an hour for out of date bread. I have tried out some new fantastic independents in which I have blogged about in My North of Birmingham self-isolating guide and hoping to review in my next blog post. I finally got to visit some well-known favourites such as OnTheBreadLine well known for their tasty bakes and breads, also discovering new businesses such as Silvertree Catering which have become an instant favourite of mine for delivering my essentials.

SUPPORTING BUSINESSES

Most of you will know that I have been constantly supporting local independent businesses throughout lockdown. I’d put together a self-help guide to help those who are isolating and can’t make it to the lengthy ques of Tesco, why go queue for basic Bitch Warburtons when you can get freshly home-baked bread delivered to your front door? I have been so busy every week researching and updating the blog post, I have been posting quite a lot on my social media to get the word out for businesses and the response has been incredible! Many people use the guide every day and have passed it to those who are vulnerable, what is so heart-warming is receiving messages from people who have said the guide has helped their vulnerable loved ones so much (I cried the other day because a girl messaged me saying she uses the guide every day to help her ill Dad and that it’s literally saved them) I have put a lot of hard work into the guide so it’s really lovely to hear such positive feedback from people. I have mentioned above that I will be putting together a review blog post of all the independents I have used whilst in lockdown so look out for that next!

HELLO BABY! SAY HELLO TO MY NEPHEW HENRY KIT

There’s a new member of the family, introducing Henry Kit who is absolutely lovely! Well and truly over the moon, I have a nephew! It’s a shame at the moment that we can’t hold him, so frustrating as well when you see him and he just looks like he needs a cuddle! A bit of positivity that the family needed after losing Nasher (our dog) I think as a family it all hit us really hard and it seems that we were all really down so it’s nice to have something new coming in and perking us all up.

IMPROVING AND DEVELOPING NEW SKILLS

Okay, so I have really got into my cooking lately, I love experimenting with all kinds of things (wink wink) but especially with food. Last weekend I made this pretty dirty burger and I was pretty impressed with myself using Stripclubs Streetfood DIY kit. I have also been experimenting with healthy meals as well, trying to cut out the yeast and cut down on the salt/sugar intake (that burger is definitely not an example of it) but I’ve made meat-free burritos and spicy prawn one pans, that was absolutely delicious! So, I am excited to look forward to having my own kitchen and experimenting more. I have also been topping up my photography skills, street photography/food photography/ and floral photography. It’s always great to keep creative, I have even taken up drawing again which was absolutely bizarre holding a pencil to paper as the last time I did that was in detention at secondary school, God I hate pencils.

I have also been keeping creative in the garden and dabbling with a bit of self-portrait photography, mainly focusing on my editing skills and creating something that people wouldn’t expect has just been taken in someones back garden. My Dad has also shown an interest in photography so I have been teaching him portrait photography where of course MOI as the subject, I think he’s done a pretty good job!

HAD A MELTDOWN AND CHOPPED MY HAIR

So not many people know I wear hair extensions, so It came to many as a bit of a shock when I posted this on my social media. I chopped it myself, I just watched a YouTube video, washed my hair had a swig of beer and chopped it. I defiantly look older because I didn’t get ID’d for a Gin & tonic in Marks and Spencer’s the other day and the old little Lady who lives down the road from me stropped saying “Hello chicken” to me on my daily walks now. I feel pretty free without them although they did give me confidence but I feel like I have changed so much from when I first got them I had no confidence at all and now, I just feel 100% good about myself! It’s always nice to have a change so we shall see how it goes!

DATING ONLINE? NAAAH

The one thing that kind of sucks about being single is when you are constantly surrounded by people who are not single, it’s almost like you pressured into jumping onto a dating app and speaking to the first guy that you think is a worthy 5/10. Don’t get me wrong I have been on the dating apps, but it has become quite clear that I am just not interested. They say Hi, I say Hi back, they say I have a cute face and I just ghost them, I don’t like talking online, I rather do it face to face but its look like that’s not going to happen for quite some time. So, I’ll just jump on Bumble at like 10 pm at night and talk to someone for 30 minutes, I fall asleep and thenI forget about them the next day. I sound like an absolute fuckwit and I know girls would kill me for doing it because we give guys a hard time doing it to us girls but I can’t help feeling bored and obviously a bit frisky …oh Come on, We have all been there!

When the time is right it will happen and if doesn’t happen, oh well! there is always cute dogs to keep you company!

THAT COFFEE TREND IS BALLZ

I tried that Dalgona whipped coffee trend that everyone is going mad about and well honestly, it was just a bag of balls trying to attempt to whisk the bloody thing. I tried to do it old school using my hands and well, this was the finished product, my “whipped” coffee. Just embarrassing, it’s a coffee alright without the sodding whip! never again.

Daily walks and seeing new places, It’s always good to experience something new once a week. So I like taking my bike (robbing my Dads bike) riding down the country lanes and seeing new spots. I would go through the park but it’s just so packed! full of kids running into you and complete nobs in gangs on bikes, rather go somewhere quiet and on my own and feel like I’m not in Sutton for one day! It’s like a mini-holiday without the fruity cocktails, shit karaoke and GUCCI “lucky lucky” geared up blokes.

So there you have it, a little bit of an update on me in self-isolation! Hope you are all keeping safe and looking after yourselves, also remember to check in on your loved ones now and again!

AMY ELIZA

2020 has well and truly shat all over our lives with the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s turning out that many of us will have to switch off the light and close the door to society outside our four walls. Whether its two weeks, a month or three months of isolation, how the hell are we going to survive without Saturday’s nights in Be at One [insert troll face]

From concerns of isolation resulting in feeling lonely and depressed, this is the time we must come together to help one and other, two words that have summed up 2020 so far, Be Kind. So far, the community of Birmingham coming together to support hospitality business’s in the City has been a beautiful sight to see, from donations to media coverage it really does prove that the community will come together to pick up those who are suffering to help them back up onto their feet again. Even to those who are isolating, restaurants are now offerings deliveries, neighbours offering to go food shopping and strangers just checking in. It’s going to be tough, but it’s important to keep busy, isolating doesn’t mean you can’t speak to anyone and it doesn’t mean you have to completely shut out the whole world. There are many things you can do, things that will get you excited and motivated for the future. There maybe things that you haven’t had the time for and now you can finally do, so here are 10 things that I came up with that you can do whilst isolating.

SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19

For now, many businesses have closed their doors but still offering the option of online shopping, takeaways and deliveries. You can always support these businesses behind your computer screen by sharing content via social media, purchasing gift vouchers and personal donations. If you don’t want to see our independent’s disappearing from our streets then do visit them, buy something or purchase a gift card and use social media to promote them. It’s not just the independents who are suffering, it’s the elderly as well who many live alone, have no ways of transport and are vulnerable. I have seen on social media that many neighbours and even strangers are contacting their elderly neighbours to check in with them and see if they need any supplies then delivering them to their doors. A beautiful gesture that goes a long way to some as your face may be the first face, they have seen in a couple of days even sadly weeks.

YOU NOW HAVE TIME TO WATCH THE EIGHT SEASONS OF GAME OF THRONES

“It’s too long, I don’t have time for it”
YOU KNOW NOTHING, BAB. now it’s your chance to crack out those bloody long boxsets and watch them with your loved ones. It’s like Christmas but without the presents, 100 buffets and Mariah Carey…it’s like going back to the Jesus days oh wait, he did put on a fantastic buffet spread before he…Let’s just go the next paragraph, shall we!?

START AGAIN

All those new year resolutions that you swore to yourself you would do in the year 2020 (lose some weight and become a Victoria Secret model) but still haven’t done as your still warming up for the year well we could just scrap that as we have already failed and start again, right?
Who knows what this year will have install for us…well at the moment no toilet rolls.

THE BIG CLEAR OUT

Clear and breath Honey! let’s dive into that wardrobe and finally get rid of that booty call outfit that you had plans for about 10 years ago. The thing is you don’t have to just get rid, you can make a bit of profit from your clear out. Of course, Car boots are a great way of making a bit of money but due to the virus, these are to be avoided. What you can do, is sell online on websites such as Vinted, Depop and eBay. I use vinted a lot to get rid of clothes and accessories I don’t need anymore and I make a nice little profit. If the money doesn’t matter, you could always advertise on social media and give to those who could make use of it.

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

As mentioned above, you can make a nice little bit of income at home. Something I have actually thought about is dog sitting I mean, I do love them more than people so me and dogs watching Housewives of Atlanta would be the perfect isolation plan.

EXERCISE, CLEANSE…NO EXCUSES

You don’t have to go to the gym to feel good. Last year I did a yeast detox, I didn’t go to the gym, I went for a jog every day and cut down on rubbish. My skin was clear, I lost a stone within two weeks and I felt pretty sexy. I was starting to show a bit of skin but not too much Jesus, this isn’t a meat market! Just an arm or a leg. It gave me confidence however, I sadly fell back into my bad ways so at the moment I feel like an orangutan. Now, I have no excuse’s so I’ll be squatting and doing laps in the garden for The Victoria Secret show…[Insert Troll face]

TRY SOMETHING NEW: GET CRAFTY, GET BAKEY, AND GET SNAPPY?…

No, none of that makes sense I was just trying to be all arty-farty with my words but now is the time to try something new! Hobbies are never-ending from baking to adding to your cotton wool collection…okay, I made it up but if extreme ironing is a hobby then I’m sure as hell collecting cotton wool can be too. It keeps you busy, it gets you excited and who knows, you might be able to make a career out of it.

COMMUNICATE EVERYDAY

Isolating yourself doesn’t mean closing the door to your room and cutting off all communication. You should be talking to your friends and your family every day! Get on skype with your friends you could play a quiz, watch a film together or you could just catch up. It’s important to talk and check in with one and other as isolation can harm us all. We may feel lonely, sad and not communicating can cause boredom leading to focusing on the negativity in our lives. Check-in with everyone, If you live alone you might want to jump on social media, Bumble for friends and various chatroom apps. Remember it is important to talk if you are feeling the effects of isolation, don’t feel embarrassed as we are all going through this togeather and we are here to support one and other.

MISS LIFE? DOWNLOAD AND PLAY THE SIMS

Missing the drama in your life? well, you can always just recreate it on the Sims and get carried away for about a year. You could create an episode of Coronation Street which is actually thrilling in the game of Sims, you could build your whole life on there if you wanted to however It’s a bit weird when you’re talking to friends or family that you know that you have killed them a thousand times on the Sims and they don’t even know.

So there you have it, but I would love to know what you have done so far in Isolation? Leave me a comment below and remember, to stay safe Babs!

AMY ELIZA