Hello my lovely readers! I wanted to write a post that was a bit more upbeat, and I have been thinking a lot about my daily essentials lately. Probably because we’re pretty much on lockdown and are only supposed to go out to get our essential items. But one step further, there are certain things that I use on a daily basis no matter what the conditions are, even without the current coronavirus pandemic.

I always think posts like this are interesting, because it’s neat to see how everyone’s day to day life differs. So here I will break down for you the things I absolutely can’t live without. (A bit dramatic, but you get the picture!)

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Coffee

Who doesn’t start their day with a good cup of coffee? Okay, I know lots of people don’t. During the week, I always have one cup of coffee that I take with me to work. Bubs and I have a whole routine going in the morning, and he makes my coffee perfect! On the weekends… I probably drink way more coffee than I should. LOL. Currently, our favorite coffee is Folgers Black Silk Blend. It’s a REALLY dark roast and absolutely delicious!

Tea

I have a serious obsession with tea! During the week, after my one cup of coffee I usually switch to tea. I honestly drink tea all day. LOL. Yogi Tea is one of my favorite brands, because they have a huge assortment of different teas for different purposes. I absolutely love their Sweet Tangerine Tea that supports Positive Energy. I love the light citrus flavor, and it definitely is a mood booster. They have others that I like too, such as their Honey Lavender for Stress Relief. Delicious and relaxing! A bonus is their little quotes on the tea tabs.

Bluetooth Earbuds

Whether I’m working in the office, or my home office, my earbuds are always within an arm’s reach while I’m working. I focus better when I’m listening to music. It drowns out all the other distractions going on around me. For example when I’m in the office, I can tune out all the customers (I don’t typically deal with the customers), and my very loud speaking coworkers. When I’m in my home office, I can tune out the TV that the kids have on in the next room, and the kids stomping up the stairs like a herd of elephants. (My nieces are still at my house during the day, and they LOVE running up and down the stairs even though they know they’re not supposed to!) I got a pair of bluetooth earbuds two years ago for Christmas from my secret Santa, and have been in love with them ever since. I will NEVER go back to wired headphones. Before the pandemic took over the world, I got this set off of Amazon. So happy I did. I like that the charging port has a cover, and the case closes. I think it kind of looks like a floss container.

My Homemade Body Butter

Before I switched to my homemade lotions, I always had lotion with me regardless. As I have mentioned in other posts, I have eczema. Having lotion with me at all times that is beneficial to my skin is a necessity. It provides so much relief. I actually keep 3 containers of my homemade lotion in specific locations: One in my room next to my bed, one in my purse, and one at my desk in my home office. I am constantly washing my hands, so this gets used several times a day.

I  recently got more essential oils, and am having a lot of fun coming up with new scents and blends. I am naturally a curious person, so I like researching which oils are good for certain skin conditions and types. Since I am also a creative, I have been coming up with labels (like the one pictured above) because some of my friends have expressed that they would like some! Let’s be honest, we could all use some good moisturizer and not just because we are all washing our hands a million times a day.

Hand Sanitizer

Prior to COVID-19, I didn’t ALWAYS have hand sanitizer with me. I usually kept it around for activities like camping and long trips etc… Now, I keep it in my purse for anytime we go out to get essentials. Unfortunately. Like in many places, we ran into a serious shortage, because everyone was buying it. So I had to scrounge up the alcohol to make my own. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one who thought to do this. Finding rubbing alcohol in a high enough concentration and aloe gel was extremely hard to find, but I was able to do it!

Fortunately I already had aloe gel on hand. I also already had reusable silicone bottles on hand since I use them for my homemade lotions and face wash. When we do go out for necessities and I use it, I still always wash my hands as soon as I get home. Nothing can replace the power of good old soap and water!

My Hydroflask

I kind of jumped on the bandwagon with this one! LOL. Originally I knew I just wanted a new powder coated metal water bottle -OR- a wine tumbler of the same sort. I was looking for one in my specific “Helina’s A Hot Mess” purple, and have been unsuccessful. Well… when we were shopping for the teens sports (before they were cancelled) I saw that they had A TON of hydro flasks. I figured, well why not? We were already there, and I have been looking for one for a long time. I didn’t find one in my specific purple, but a lighter purple. Then to personalize it with my blog logo, I printed a sticker! I absolutely love it. I actually like the contrast of the two purples.

I drink more water, since it is somewhat of an extension of me. I don’t bring it to the office, because I don’t want it to get damaged. So when I am working in my home office it is always there on my desk. And before I go to bed, I bring it downstairs with me so I have something if I need it in the middle of the night. The kids were especially entertained when I got mine, because both of the girls have one. So of course, I also printed them stickers of their choosing. This will be great during the summer for camping and day trips to the lake!

Lip Balm & Hair Ties

The very last thing I am going to tell you guys about is of course my lip balms and hair ties. My lip balm is much like my homemade body butter, I have it strategically placed. Usually one in my purse, two in my office, and one by my bed. I also keep extras on hand at all times. Never know when it will run out!!

I used to use the Chapstick brand, but ever since I started having allergies pop up out of nowhere for everything I switched to an all natural, non GMO, gluten free, vegan brand – Eco Lips. (What a mouth full!!) So far I really like them. They’re not too expensive, and they’re larger than traditional lip balms. So far, loving it!

And my hair ties. I can never seem to decide to leave my hair down all day. I don’t know what it is. I usually have it down in the morning, then I put it up when I eat. Sometimes it stays up, sometimes not. If it gets windy outside, I put it up… You get it. Hair ties are about as elusive as pens. So, I keep several on a carabiner keychain in my purse! It solves so many problems. If we’re out at the lake and my nieces need one, I have an extra. They’re also great for tying up loose swimsuits, or closing chip bags and so many other things.

All The Things…

So, other than my cell phone, my purse and my computer; those are the things I use on a daily basis. Several times a day in fact! By the way… Can you tell my favorite colors are pink and purple? LOL, lots of things I have are either pink, purple, or blue.

How about you? What are some things you just couldn’t live without? Has it changed since the Coronavirus took over? Let me know in the comments, I am curious. Let’s get to know each other.