Take Advantage of Your Self-Isolation

So you’re stuck at home, thanks to this nasty virus that’s going around the world. You can only binge-watch so many shows and movies before you get tired, and antsy. What to do with your excess energy?

Why not take some of it and go through your drawers and closets, removing things you haven’t used in ages? You always say you’re going to do this once you get the time. Well, now you have the time! It will keep you occupied doing something useful, and you can cross something off your mental list that’s been sitting there for far too long.

While you’re at it, watch for “I Was Gonna” items you always meant to use, and actually use a few of them. Open up that old needlework kit and start stitching, or take the brand new weights out of their dusty box and start lifting them. Doing this will lift your spirits.

Once you’ve gone through your house for things you don’t need anymore, you may not be able to donate all of your stuff right away, but you can put those “donate” boxes in your vehicle, or your garage, or even near the front door. Once the restrictions are lifted, hopefully sooner than later, your local Goodwill will reopen, and you can drop off all your extra clutter. Won’t getting out of the house and making a donation to a worthy cause feel good?

Black Friday Lessons

I never got into the Black Friday excitement when it first cropped up years ago, probably because I don’t like crowds. But once it moved online, I learned that it could be quite a temptation for me.

Case in point: this Thanksgiving, it was just us at home for dinner because illness was running rampant through our extended family. So once the turkey was in the oven, I was free to sit and shop the Black Friday fabric sales in the comfort of my recliner.

I actually spent two hours looking at fabric, picking out my favorites and then, later, talking myself out of them. There was a needed purchase that I planned on making, and I did so at 20% off due to the Black Friday sale, but that was all I bought.

It was quite a struggle, I can tell you. Each fabric that appealed to me came with its own idea: this would make a cute top, that would make such a nice dress, and on and on. Who knows how many tabs I had open?

But I had to be strict with myself, because I know me. I’ve written about “I Was Gonna,” and how that gets us creative types into trouble. Well, every one of those potential purchases might have eventually ended up on the “I Was Gonna” list. I know this because of my track record, and because I already have several large pieces of fabric waiting their turn to become clothing. I really don’t need more.

The fabric I did buy is needed to finish a project; that’s OK. But starting new projects? Not until those fabrics currently in line become actually finished clothing. Otherwise I end up with a sewing room full of clutter, which is exactly what I don’t want.