Good afternoon and welcome to my first blog post of 2021! I would normally compile a list of goals and new year’s resolutions in January, and spend the first month of the year desperately trying to stick to them in the hope of being ‘the best possible version of myself’. However, this year is, of course, very different. I hope that everyone is coping as best as they can during this winter lockdown. As we have learnt from the previous lockdowns, everyone will be coping in different ways and there is no right or wrong way of coping.
While 2020 was a very miserable and difficult year, one good thing for me was that I decided to start blogging again. Although I do enjoy writing, one of the things I struggled with was finding the ideas to write regular posts about. I’ve spent the vast majority of the last nine months sitting at home, eating biscuits and feeling sorry for myself, do people really want to read about my life? Therefore, I have decided to try a slightly new format for 2021. Each month, I will be writing a list of 5 things that I have been enjoying or has caught my attention. I will be writing other posts, as well, but I will at least be writing at least once a month. So without further ado, let’s start.
- #Bookstagram: As well as writing blog posts, another hobby that I’ve had much more time to do in lockdown is reading. I was such a bookworm as a kid, but when I got older and got distracted by a (slightly) busier social life and the internet, I had less time to sit down and read books. However, I read 22 books last year, which is the most books I think I’ve read since I was 11 years old, when I would borrow every single Jacqueline Wilson title that I could get my hands on in my local library. I find the ‘Goodreads’ website really useful for discovering new books and tracking my reading progress. This month I also discovered the reading community on Instagram. I’ve now set a separate account that I’m using to connect with fellow bookworms, discover new recommendations and share reviews of the books I’m reading (@simonesbookshelf if you want to follow). It’s a really nice little corner of the internet where I’ve so far encountered no negativity.
2. Queer Eye: I know I’m 2 years late to the party but my favourite TV series that I’m watching at the moment is Netflix’s makeover programme, Queer Eye. It’s about a group of gay men in America who, each week, visit somebody who needs a bit of help to improve their self esteem. The fab five don’t tell them to lose weight or get plastic surgery, they simply show them simple ways to look after themselves, and encourage them to step out of their comfort zones. I’m not normally a big fan of reality TV or makeover programmes, but watching ordinary people develop their confidence is perfect feel-good tonic for this miserable time of the year. The episodes are quite short and don’t require a lot of concentration, so they’re perfect to have on in the background when you’re working from home.
3. Zoom quizzes: I know this attract a few eye-rolls as a I think that a lot of people have completely lost any enthusiasm for video calls and online games that we all took part in the first lockdown, but I’ve been taking part in weekly zoom quizzes with my friends from university and they are actually the highlight of my week. Obviously, I would much prefer to be able to go to the pub and live our lives prior to social distancing, but for the moment I think that we just have to accept that pouring ourselves a drink and having a giggle with friends over a video call is the next best thing. Personally, I really don’t mind them as it gives us more of an opportunity to catch up with loved ones who live far away who we wouldn’t often have the chance to catch up anyway. Plus, when it’s cold and raining outside, is socialising with friends from the comfort of your home, where you can wear your comfiest clothes and not have to worry about ordering a taxis, really so unappealing?
4. Baths: I’ve always loved my baths and I feel they are the epitome of self care. I often run a bubble bath when I’m feeling down (which has been quite often during these last 12 months of ‘unprecedented times’) so that I can just sit and unwind, without any temptations of looking at my phone or checking social media. I normally just use a standard bubble bath from the supermarket, but just before Christmas I treated myself a box full of goodies of Lush. I enjoyed a very luxurious ‘Angels Delight’ Christmas bath bomb, and I also tried a couple of bubble bars. These are essentially bottles of bubble bath in a solid form, you break chunks off and dissolve them in running water. Not only are they very pretty, but they are also very environmentally friendly, as they don’t require any plastic packaging.
5. Joe Biden’s Inauguration: I don’t want to make this post too political, but let’s face it, America has had a pretty terrible president for the last four years. While the problems over the Atlantic ocean won’t disappear overnight with Trump leaving the White House, a new leader who doesn’t advocate for white supremacy and instead cares about improving the nation does bring hope. I’m not American, but I watched some of the ceremony on Wednesday afternoon, and it was nice to watch something on the news that wasn’t COVID-related for a change. On a completely non-political note, how amazing was Lady Gaga’s rendition of the American national anthem?
Simone Reddington 
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