My Stay Home Essentials

We are in a very strange time in the world right now. Illinois has officially extended the "Shelter-in-Place" order until the end of May. It's hard to believe that we've already been home for six weeks and have a minimum of five to go. Over the past month, I've been working to keep myself busy, as well as take care of my mind and body. To help you over the next few weeks, I thought I'd share the items that have been key to my well-being through all of this. From my favorite sweats to the best tea, all my essentials are below.

*Not listed below, my INCREDIBLE couch that I've never been quite so thankful for.

My Stay Home Essentials

LOU & GREY SWEATS

I have basically been living in my Lou & Grey Signature Softblend Sweatpants. They are seriously the softest pants I have ever worn. Bonus - they're currently on sale for 50% off! I may or may not have bought two more pairs...

HULU + NETFLIX

I've recently been watching more Hulu than Netflix. My Netflix staples are New Girl and Criminal Minds, but I wanted something new. Enter The Good Wife. I absolutely love it! I'm so sad that I only have two seasons left. Other Hulu favorites include Blue Bloods and Frasier.

BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING GLASSES

Possibly the most useful thing I'm wearing are my blue light blocking glasses. The amount of time I've been spending staring at a screen, whether my laptop, phone, or tv, I needed something to help my eyes. Mine came from Amazon and some of my friends love their Zenni Blokz.

MOISTURIZER

Being cooped up at home is so drying for my skin! Every night, I'm applying Lubriderm Lotion on my body and Simple Moisturizer on my face. Game changers!

DEVOTIONAL

I'm trying to use this time to grow in my relationship with God. Between online church services and a weekly virtual bible study, my faith has definitely been encouraged. Next on my list is starting the Wholeheartedly Devoted devotional, which was recommended to me by a fellow bible study buddy.

ARTS & CRAFTS

I have been coloring like a fiend. I'm almost finished with the Coffee Animals coloring book, then will continue with my Johanna Basford books. The other artsy outlet I'm doing is calligraphy. A couple Christmases ago, I received the Hand Lettering 101 & 201 to practice, which I've been working my way through daily. I've also been completing a Loveleigh Loops course my sister gifted me, which has been so fun.

YETI WATER BOTTLE

A wonderful gift! I only enjoy drinking water when it's ice cold. Thank goodness the Yeti Rambler keeps it cold for hours - I'm actually drinking water!

KETTLE

When I'm not drinking water, I'm most likely drinking tea. I grew up having tea before bed and have continued that into my adulthood. The kind my entire family drinks is Tetley English Breakfast. Personally, I have mine with milk and sugar.

BEAUTY PICK-ME-UPS

Typically, I get my nails done every two weeks. It's my one beauty vice and I've been missing it so much these past few weeks. To help return my nails to a healthier state, I've been using Sally Hansen Advanced Hard as Nails as a base coat, which is helping them get stronger. The other self-care activity I've been enjoying are face masks. Target has Que Bella ones for $2, so I've been stocking up. So far, I've used "Pore Minimizing," "Revitalizing," and "Cooling."

CANDLES

This has been the perfect time to develop my love for candles. I'll light one for about an hour, which is all I need to have my apartment smelling wonderful. Current faves are Vanilla Bean and 'Tis the Season (despite not being seasonally appropriate). 

MAINSTAYS SHEETS

These sheets are the best. They're super inexpensive and so soft! Each member of my family has slowly started buying them and all rave. They've made getting a good night sleep that much easier.

WINE

With all the Zoom happy hours going on with my friends, wine is a must. I'm a wimp when it comes to wine, so despite being 28, I still drink moscato. My favorite brand is Seven Daughters.

WORK OUTS

For the first month of the stay home order, I didn't work out at all. Finally, I decided I had to get active. The last couple weeks I've been alternating between the Sweat app and Blogilates. I thoroughly enjoy both, it just depends if I'm in more of a HIIT or pilates mood.

SPORTS BRAS

What's sweat pant heaven without ditching the bra and going straight for comfort? I have an immense collection of sports bras, but my favorite is definitely the Power Printed Open Back by CALIA (Carrie Underwood's line). It's not only comfortable, but super cute.

Shop my Essentials Below!

Sweatpants / The Good Wife / Glasses / Moisturizer / Devotional / Coloring Book / Water Bottle / Calligraphy / Kettle / Clear Nail Polish / Pink Nail Polish / Face Masks / Candle / Wine / Sheets / Yoga Mat / Sports Bra

Tell me: What are your essentials?