My Lock Down Heroes*

It’s been the longest three months ever and I’m the person who says that regularly about the winter. But I honestly still cannot get over how much the world has changed since February here in the UK. All our wonderful plans for 2020 (and believe me, we had a lot) have all gone and we are just left with a shell of a year, with 6 months still to go.

Although lock down is technically being eased, we’re not rushing out. I work from home and LB isn’t invited back to school until September. I have no need to eat at a restaurant, I don’t need to go to a bar and anything I want to buy I can do it online. So aside from being part of a bubble now so we can see my parents, not much has changed for us. I know this isn’t the case for everyone, but for me, this is life for the foreseeable future. I’m a firm believer in just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I’d rather air on the side of caution and help us move past this than rush out and put us into another lock down.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, some real heroes in my life have come out of this uncertain time, and I’m going to share those with you today;

Wine

I have to say I have drank more in the last few months than I have in the last 8 years. Home schooling is hard, finding work when you’re self employed is hard, being so uncertain about the the future is hard. So a glass of wine while relaxing in the evening became my norm. At first I felt guilty, I’m not a drinker, but when I found out every parent was doing the same, I started to look forward to nibbles and wine (for me, water for LB) with our feet up and our pjs on.

I’m collaborating with the lovely people at Independent Wine just now and they sent me over a couple of bottles this month. Both white which is my favourite for a warm evening. Fresh from the fridge after an afternoon sat on my doorstep reading in the sun. Nothing better.

The first bottle is a Fantasia Chardonnay 2017 | Mendoza Argentina* and is described as “a light summer night drink for those who love this classic grape” which is me all over. I love a dry wine, I find them much more refreshing than a sweet wine. Although it’s dry, it is still crisp and if you’re wanting to pair it, it goes wonderful with chicken.

The second is a Boal De Arousa Albariño 2017 | Galicia Rias Baixas* and is recommended for people who like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc but are wanting to try something new. As Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Grigio are my two go to wines, I knew I was going to love this. It’s very fruity and reminds me a lot of being on holiday in the Med, which is why I think it goes so nicely with seafood. Of the two, this was my favourite.

What I love about Independent Wines is the fact they have such a huge selection of premium wine that you wouldn’t find on the shelves of your local supermarket. It really is the best of the best and i’ve always been a sucker for good food and drink. Not only that, they offer next day delivery which is great if you need a last minute gift for a friend, or if you’re just looking for something extra special to drink yourself.

Loungewear

I can honestly say I’ve never been a loungewear person. If I was just sitting around the house I’d simply wear my pjs but since all day every day for 3 months all I did every day was sit around the house, living in my pjs started to affect my mental health. Enter loungewear. Clothes that I find as comfortable as pjs. Femme Luxe kindly sent me some Loungewear to trial and I’ve been so impressed! I honestly didn’t think I’d find anything in my size but I was surprised.

I’m in love with the light blue joggers*, they are so comfy and will be perfect for when I get to fly again. They come in so many different colours and are well priced. They have pockets are I love how great the elastic is. They sit high up too meaning you can wear with a crop top or a tee tucked in. I honestly never thought i’d be a joggers sort of person but there you go.

They also sent me hoodie loungewear set* which has been perfect for the very changable weather in June. Some days it’s roasting hot, others days it’s freezing and I’m loathed to turn the heating on after May. Again, I wasn’t sure this would be my thing but I actually love the matching style. The grey marl hoodie also goes great with my beloved leggings and is perfect to take out when we go for our daily exercise. What makes the joggers that little bit different is the fact there are zips on the pockets, I like this as it makes me feel better about carrying my phone in my pocket knowing it won’t fall out. The sizing it more generous on this set than the joggers and it comes in three colours including this one.

Finally, Femme Luxe sent me a pair of nude cycling shorts* which work perfectly to prevent chub rub on those hotter days. They’re very generous in size but I don’t mind having them a little looser as I generally wear them under dresses. They’re a really light weight cotton which is perfect as I don’t like feeling too hot with an extra layer on. They come in three colours and I definitely feel like I need another pair before I go abroad again. Or you could wear them on their own a tee as they’re just great loungewear.

DisneyPlus

Thank you Disney for giving us DisneyPlus mere days into lockdown. It’s like you new we needed an endless source of Disney and Disney owned content right at our finger tips to keep us going through such dark and miserable times. Remember those first few weeks where we all watched The Mandalorian, The Imagineering Story and HSM? When it felt like we were truly “all in this together“? When lock down was just new and we all baked and home schooling wasn’t a chore? To me that feels like a lifetime ago but LB and I still watch DisneyPlus daily. We have binge watched so many series, from Kim Possible through to all 30 seasons of The Simpsons. Every night we sit down and watch a movie together on the sofa. Some from my childhood like Escape to Witch Mountain and anything with Lindsay Lohan through to the Star Wars movies.

The made for DisneyPlus content is some of the best though! The first thing we watched way back in March was The Lady & the Tramp movie and I actually liked it more than the original! If you’re stuck for suggestions on what to watch, I shared our favourites over on my other blog.

Can it be time for The Mandalorian season 2 yet? I think Baby Yoda was probably the best part of this year.

Meal Delivery Boxes

During the last three months i’ve only been to a supermarket once, and it was such a bad experience that I can’t see me returning for the foreseeable future. I’m thankful my parents are happy to go (wearing masks and keeping their distance, i’m so proud of them) to pick up the odd bits for me and I get a big shop online once a month.. but the food that has kept me going during this time is meal delivery boxes. Specifically HelloFresh and Gousto.

In the past I’ve always felt they were too expensive because LB wouldn’t eat them, but these days she’s actually really good at trying new things and eating what’s given to her, so during our second month in lock down I ordered HelloFresh. And cooking felt fun again. One of the worst parts of lock down for me has been trying to think of what to cook without having the ability to nip out to the shops. So three times a week I’d have dinner already sorted!

What have been your lock down heroes?