fashion files & some ways I'm taking care of myself

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm talking about more things I'm saying yes to this week. I'm also linking up with Amy for the weekly Fashion Files and Joanne for Tuesday Talk. I'll jump right in!  

I think I shared this one already? I wore this one day last week; I kind of forgot that I'd purchased this skort thing from Old Navy over the summer! 

I'm missing a day of outfits...I don't know why or how I did that, but there was one morning last week when I was running later than I like. That's probably why. I went back and forth between the skort, dresses, and leggings/button downs last week, because of events going on at work. I'm so ready for different weather when I can vary my clothes again! I have to stay cool, and the only thing that keeps me that way is a dress. 

This was for Saturday brunch...

...Sunday church...

...and then for an afternoon spent poolside. 

Our weather isn't changing this week; we're still experiencing extremely hot temps, so this means indoor recess and more of the same outfits. Maybe next week it'll change? I'm hopeful!


And now for the second part of this blog...

I thought I'd share some ways I'm giving myself some love lately. Yesterday marks one month since Chris died. I wasn't sure how I'd feel on that day, but for the most part, I was okay. I cried on the phone with my Missy when she called to check on me, and then I moved on with the day. I played on my phone, I worked on my blog, and I watched TV. At one point when I went upstairs to make my bed and put on real clothes, I decided instead to crawl into my still unmade bed and take a nap. When I woke up and hour and something later, I took a shower and washed my hair. This felt amazing! I was kind of sad when I was laying in my bed; I was glad that I hadn't made plans to do anything that day.  

One thing I love to do for myself is take care of my home. I love for things to be clean and organized; I spent some time doing that yesterday in preparation of my work week. It feels so good to be able to get things cleaned out and ready for the work week. It's a place that I love to be, so it brings me joy to take care of things here. I love it all...the mundane and the frivolous. 

On the days when I'm at home, if I turn on the TV and start watching a show and feel myself growing sleepy, I succumb to that and will take a nap, even if it's a short one. I know that my body needs extra rest right now, so I try to listen to it and do what I feel in that moment. I don't always watch TV; sometimes I will choose music over that and actually prefer it, honestly. I'm listening to a catchy playlist as I write this on Monday morning. Other times I might read or scroll on my phone. 

I take my lunch breaks one day at a time at work. Some days I eat in the lounge by myself; while I do that, I read. Other days, I will sit in my friend Sarah's classroom since she's not busy when I eat. I let each day be different; she understands the need I have to be quiet sometimes, which is what I did last week. Sometimes I don't want to be alone; other times I feel like I won't be able to talk without crying. Each day is a little different, so I try to take it easy on myself. 

I'm taking care of myself. I treated myself to a mani/pedi on Saturday, which felt amazing. 

I never do that those two things on the same day, but it felt luxurious to be able to do that over the weekend. The pushing point was that all the polish came off my toes Friday night, and I can't stand to have them bare. Ha! 

I'm saying yes to people; dinner after work, weekday movie nights, birthday celebrations that last all weekend long...I'm saying yes to it all. I'm also saying yes to staying at home on the nights when I just don't have it in me to go anywhere else, or when I'm absolutely and utterly exhausted from work. 

I'm trying to take it easy on myself; sometimes this is easier said than done. It's been a long month. It does feel a little easier each day, and the new normal has set in. I am still hopeful of my future, and I'm starting to get to the point where I'm excited about things. It's very minimal, but it's there, nonetheless. I find myself being extremely grateful for the small things in life: time spent with people I love and even the most mundane and minimal of plans, and the offer of emotional support that Chloe consistently offers me. This is me trying to keep on with life to the best of my ability. 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all.

Jen