Easter Weekend DIY
Easter Weekend is coming up and maybe you've got some DIY plans?
Amongst hosting our nieces and mums for the first time in our new home, which Oskar is SO EXCITED about, I'm sure we'll have plenty of things to be getting stuck into. Having moved in just four weeks ago we are still adding to our nest, tweaking and getting a feel for what we want to do with it.
But I know that DIY and renovating your own place can be a real drainer.
Fun - fun - fun - fun - not fun - great. And with a national break coming up (my favourite because everyone else is off too, not filling my inbox!) I just wanted to send out a friendly note to keep the motivation up!
Kindness is undervalued in our busy world, but it’s a pretty good glue to hold us all together.
A small gesture of kindness, when you need it most, has the power to change your whole day – heck, your whole life if you want to be dramatic.
And it feels good to BE kind, as well as being on the receiving end. When we're stressed it's something that can fall at the wayside.
Our brains light up when we do kind things for people, making us feel more content, fulfilled and generally ‘better’. So placing kindness at the top of your values system is a win-win situation.
Leave a heartfelt voice note 💬
We’re bombarded (daily…hourly!) by texts, WhatsApp messages, emails and DM's. Every message wants something from us. A reply, a commitment, a chunk of time you really don’t have. When was the last time you opened a message and it didn't have an ulterior motive or request? Rarely.
Use this prompt to message five people in your life and tell them how grateful you are for them. Tell them why you appreciate them, and thank them for it. This very simple gesture will literally make their day.
And it often springs right back at 'ya which is a lovely feeling☺
Make someone a lunch 🌮
Oskar's new nursery requires a lunch box. We are both SO excited! I love packing a sandwich, snacks and adding a little note (or drawing, in his case). But it still takes time and planning.
So use this prompt to make a delicious lunch for someone. A packed lunch of dreams. Delicious bread, crunchy lettuce, a filling made with love (coronation chicken is a firm favourite in my world). Add in a bag of kettle chips, a big red apple, and a fancy bottle of juice and you’re good to go.
Either hand it over on the door step, or leave it in the fridge and send a text to let them know there’s a special treat waiting for them.
Create a family kindness jar 💗
This is a lovely activity to do if you’re having a big family get together. Grab a large jar and some paper and pens - decorate it for extra points. Everyone takes it in turn to write a kind thing about the others: E.g: “Sarah – you always make time for me and I really appreciate that about you”.
Each kind thing is then folded up and popped in the jar. When you’re all sitting together, everyone takes a turn at reading out the comments and enjoy the moment.
Be kind to yourself 😍
You’ve heard the phrase ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ right? Especially when you're renovating, being kind to yourself is the best way to be kind to others, so cut yourself some slack and take a break. Eat the cheese, drink the wine, have the bath, read the book. Remember to take time out for a run or a cup of tea on your own.
Your needs are essential and valid. Treat yourself to whatever you need so you can do the same for others.
And finally - from me to you. Here is my little black book of contacts for you, a bit of insider info firmly in the 'best kept secret' category if you're spending the weekend buying beautiful items for your home or looking up sanitary ware or lighting suppliers ;)
Wow - you made it all the way to here!
Thank you for reading, and cheers to that! Hopefully you found this helpful.
If you did, please share on social media and shout about my blog and resources to anyone you know in need of a bit of support (or just cheering up whilst the building dust flurries around them - I get it!).
Image credits:
Photos by Julian B. Sölter of Unsplash, Clay Banks of Unsplash, Kelly Sikkema of Unsplash, Marvin Binnig of Unsplash, Michael Fenton of Unsplash, Anthony Tran of Unsplash.