{I can't believe this is my last Midweek Ramblings for 2020! Follow me on Instagram @miss_alk}
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Southern Belle in Training!
Ramblings:
- COVID scare: Well folks- coronavirus finally hit the radio stations. We just couldn't make it to the end of 2020 without our first cases popping up. (But I have to say- I am so thankful my company stayed COVID free for the first 8 months! What a blessing.) I had an exposure scare at work last week and had to get a COVID test as an abundance of caution. Thankfully, this most recent test went so much better than the painful one I had this summer! This time I went to CVS and did the self-swab test. If you wouldn't mind saying a little prayer for the people at my job who are at home with COVID, and also that we are all able to stay safe and healthy going forward!
- Affects of the pandemic in retail: One of the things that has been so sad about 2020 isn't just the loss of lives to COVID, but how many millions of people all over the world have struggled financially with job loss and layoffs. This article is a fascinating read about the similarities of this year for a woman in California who worked at a department store, and a woman in Africa who works in the garment manufacturing industry. Both have struggled greatly this year.
- Free HBO Max: I learned something awesome yetserday! If you also have Xfinity for your cable like I do, did you know you get free HBO Max and Peacock streaming subscriptions at no extra charge from your normal cable bill?! (You use your Xfinity info to log into these platforms.) This explains a little more about how it works. But how cool right?! Perfect for anyone who feels they have watched everything on Netflix this year. 😉
Weekend recaps:
- Last weekend: Dealing with the COVID exposure scare (from work) I mentioned above. So I did not go anywhere or do anything until I heard more- ha! I stayed home the entire weekend and didn't do much. I did do some much needed cleaning and organizing which was semi-productive, and worked on blog stuff. That's about it honestly.
- This weekend: For Christmas on Friday, I don't have plans as of now aside from doing a Zoom call with my parents to open gifts with them. On Saturday, I'm treating myself to a little solo day in Richmond to do a fun seasonal outdoor activity that I wasn't able to do last year. I'm hoping that'll give me something to look forward to and I'll have a better attitude later in the week about having such a low-key Christmas this year.
Purchases:
- Picked up this fun and chic blouse a couple weekends ago that I love! I really liked the other colors/prints it came in as well, I was tempted to get a second one.
Wishlist:
- I have so many sweaters and don't need another... but it's hard to resist a sweater in this color!
- Ever since I finally tried on some Lilly Pulitzer pajamas at the store in Richmond last month, I'm convinced I need a pair.
- It hit me this week that a lot of the plush blankets I have at home around the apartment are several years old and probably in need of replacing soon. I want to finally get one of these blankets in 2021!
- I think the hairclip trend is sticking around for awhile. This 3-pack is so cute and under $15.
- An easy and comfy top for casual winter days- and it comes in lots of colors.
Currently reading: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Note Dating by Christina Lauren - I wanted to finish the year in reading with more lighthearted romances. I'm halfway done this one but not loving it. The plot is super corny and a bit unrealistic I think. But it's okay! It's about a guy and girl friend duo that try to avoid dating each other... but spoiler alert, sparks fly between them.
Recipe of the week: Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies from Southern Living - These are my favorite Christmas cookies!! I have been making them every December since I discovered the recipe. They do take a little while to make, but are so, so worth it. So good!!
Song of the week: Dreaming of You by Selena - I shared in my last Midweek Ramblings post that I have so enjoyed watching the new Selena series on Netflix this month!! I've been a Selena fan for a long time, but watching the first season of this show has made me rediscover some of her music that I hadn't heard in awhile again.
Favorite blog posts of the week:
- Heather Bien - I so admire Heather for being able to trim down her jewelry collection into a few capsule pieces! I don't think I could ever do the same with my jewelry haha- I have too much I love! But I loved reading about Heather's essential pieces, and how she picked what to keep.
- Style Charade - More fun details about Jenn's gorgeous new closet room!
- Julianna Grace Blog Space - I always enjoy Julianna's monthly book review posts, so I was excited to see all of her top picks for 2020. I'll be sharing my own version of this post next month!
On the blog this week:
God Bless,
xoxo Annaliese
It's funny how comfortable you can get with the 'new normal' and then have an exposure and it hits you all over again how weird and scary it all is! Glad you are feeling healthy and hope everyone at your job gets well soon!
ReplyDelete