Archive of ‘Life Without A Manual’ category

Celebrating Self-Care Awareness Day

Life is crazy busy, and we often put ourselves last on the priority list. It’s not our fault. A third of our days could be spent on work or taking care of our families, while another third we are sleeping. And I couldn’t even tell you what I did during the third slice of that 24-hour pie. Cooking? Cleaning? Showering? Reading? Sky-Diving?

Okay, maybe not sky-diving. I’d remember that.

So, after running errands yesterday, I had a decision to make — go home and do laundry or stop at Rita’s Water Ice for a treat. As if deciding for me, the car sped past the turnoff to my house and headed straight toward the nearest Rita’s. I had the mango gelati with vanilla custard. Delicious. Sometimes, it is the little things that make a big difference.

Yesterday was International Self-Care Day. It is purposely set on the 24th day of July (the seventh month of the year) to remind us to practice self-care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to this website, self-care is meant to “protect one’s happiness and well-being, especially during times of stress.” This year’s theme is “Resilience, Adaptability, and Thriving in Adversity.” That is quite a tall order, but not impossible. When I posted a question about practicing self-care on my Facebook page today, here are some of the ways my friends do it.

  • Stop checking their email
  • Turning off their phone
  • Meeting up with a friend for a meal (or a gelati)
  • Enjoying a nature walk
  • Spending some time in therapy
  • Immersing oneself in an activity they love, such as gardening, tennis, journaling, or krav maga.
  • Saying no and setting boundaries

Practicing self-care is nothing to feel guilty about. We should embrace it and make sure it is an integral part of our lives. It helps us relieve stress, avoid burnout, and feel better. Some days, it’s about treating ourselves to a mango gelati. Other times, it can be a mani/pedi, some retail therapy, or a mental health day. The important thing is to give yourself permission to put yourself first — before doing the laundry.

What would you add to this list? Put your answer in the comments, and then do it. 🙂 

XO,

Elisa

 

What’s in Your Pantry?

I plan to do a lot of cooking today, so I don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner this week. Before I started cooking, though, I decided to reorganize the kitchen pantry. My pantry can only be described as a dumping ground for anything that doesn’t go in the refrigerator. I wish I had taken a “before” picture. There were bags and boxes strewn everywhere without rhyme or reason, and I honestly didn’t know what was there anymore.

I also know I’m buying items I already have at the grocery store – like taco shells. So many taco shells. I’m all set for at least a month of Taco Tuesdays.

When I took everything out, I found many expired products from the pandemic lockdown, like an enormous box of pancake mix from late 2021 and some oven-ready lasagne noodles from 2022. And then, there was a pile of random boxes that I purchased in duplicates and, in some cases, triplicates. Like, what am I doing with three different containers of granola, four boxes of Swiss Miss instant hot chocolate packets, five bags of croutons, and six cans of tomato soup?! Not to mention all of the kosher for Passover items I swore I’d make good use of and never did.

I intended to spend about half an hour going through everything and putting it back neatly. Two hours, three trash bags, and one full bin of recycling later, I now have a beautifully organized pantry.

Now, it’s time to start cooking for the week.

How are you spending your Sunday? Let me know in the comments.

XO,

Elisa

Another First

Jenna is leaving for her first business trip tomorrow. She is headed to St. Louis for a three-day training. I bet this is the first time she will have a hotel room all to herself. No brother to share a bathroom with, and she doesn’t have to hear me snore in the bed next to her. Her job will cover food and travel; she will have to remember to save her receipts and submit an expense report.

Wow! Baby’s first business trip! So bizarre, and yet actually happening. She is already well-traveled, having spent part of her summer in Israel and on her own in Greece. When he returned from that trip, she told us she had become just like her Dad, a Type-A traveler who has her paperwork at her fingertips and makes sure not to pack an entire tube of toothpaste in her carry-on bag.

My first business trip was to Portland, Oregon. I worked in a publishing company as an editorial assistant and was tasked with organizing a retreat for 30 teachers to learn about a pilot program called “new math.” I planned the logistics for the trip and answered everyone’s questions beforehand. I was thrilled when my boss asked me if I also wanted to attend. At that point, I had never been west of anywhere. My family stuck to east coast vacations.

Portland was awesome. We were in the Mount Hood area, which was breathtaking. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time ensuring the food and the buses arrived on time, so I didn’t get to explore beyond my hotel. I realized on that trip if I wanted to be a tourist in the places where I was traveling, I’d have to go a day or two early or stay after the conference ended.

My next business trip was to San Diego. I arrived two days early and hopped on a double-decker tourist bus to see the sights myself. I remember feeling so grown up, and for the first ten years of my career, I traveled around the country to Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Toronto, Orlando, Las Vegas, and many more cities in between. When I came home, I gave my parents cool refrigerator magnets as a souvenir from my adventures. When I go home to visit them, they serve as colorful reminders of where I’ve been.

So where did you go for your first business trip? Let me know in the comments. 

XO,

Elisa

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