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Little indulgences in the age of Covid-19

Ali in OR

By Ali in OR,
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Ali in OR

Ali in OR

Posted
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I find myself incorporating little indulgences into my life now that I never really needed before. There are joys in this time (spring!, all the family home, time in my own home), but so many losses we have to just accept (no being on campus for college kid, no track season for my runner, no eating out, possible job cuts at my school, etc). Also fewer endorphins from just being around coworkers and kids at my high school. It just seems to help if I have little treats to look forward to. The list will probably grow, but here are my current indulgences:

  • Homemade mocha drinks on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings (I never even drank coffee before)
  • A little can of root beer on Friday evenings
  • A Mike's strawberry lemonade or a frozen strawberry margarita on a Saturday evening
  • A Werther's carmel hard candy
  • Sitting on the patio at 6am while the dog does her rounds (only because it's light and not too cold anymore--couldn't do this in March)

I'm trying to avoid such treats as "eating ice cream out of the carton" that will lead to major weight gain! 

Anybody else? What little things help you get through the day?

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Zebra

Zebra

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I think this is an important concept right now.   Little things to look forward to, just to get you through the day.

Partly I have been giving into certain things more.   I always wanted to dye my hair a radical color, and I never have before because it just seemed like a silly thing to do.   And then I thought, now is the time!   I dyed my hair an insane pink color.   It was really cool looking and fun and made me far happier than I expected!   

DH & DD & I have also been watching "This Is Us" and the entire Avengers movie series every night while we eat dinner.   Which is not something I thought I would ever do.   But it gives us something to look forward to every day.   I just feel like right now if I can avoid going crazy, or smoking crack....then I deserve a gold star 🤣 !

(No judgment to anyone who dyes their hair awesome colors or watches tv with dinner on a regular basis!   These are just examples of things we don't do normally.)

 

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J-rap

J-rap

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Little indulgences can mean a lot right now!  We're now empty-nesters...   My dh and I sometimes enjoy coffee and a shared treat late-afternoon, or maybe a glass of wine with cheese and crackers out on the patio.  

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DoraBora

DoraBora

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Taking very long walks with my dog nearly every day is something I normally wouldn't have time to do.  There's a small university campus near my house, and we head that way a lot.  Almost all of the students are gone, but the maintenance workers and campus police are around.  It's quiet and there's lots of shade.  

It makes me happy to be there and to be outdoors.  

 

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kbutton

kbutton

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Hobbies! I caught up on or started new cross-stitch projects. I want to start and embroidery project that's been on the back burner--embroidery is new for me. We are doing more yardwork and home improvement projects (those stores have been open all along in my state, and whenever possible, we order things ahead for no-contact pickup). 

The hobby thing is going to be here to stay--it really helps me relax. 

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catz

catz

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Walking almost daily on our nearby college campus while listening to history chicks podcasts has been my self indulgance.  One adult beverage after 5 pm most days.  Full pot of free trade fresh roast every day.  We have 3 coffee drinkers here.  And Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing has been super fun and chill and something to bond over with my college age son. 

Oh and occasional curbside pick up take out!  We've ramped that up in recent weeks and hope the trend continues!  Our local restaurants are doing a great job with take out and people are definitely taking advantage.  

I have a bunch of great knit/crochet projects back logged I hope to get rolling with again.  I am finishing a really tedious pair of mittens (Norwegian stranded) right now I need to muscle through.  

Edited by FuzzyCatz
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ScoutTN

ScoutTN

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No sweets or alcoholic drinks for me bc of diabetes, but good cheese, coffee, and fresh local cream are yummy splurges. 

Books and movies for all of us. 

Long walks and quiet mornings alone for me. Kids (and sometimes dh) sleep late and I get time by myself, often outside. 

 

Edited by ScoutTN
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wintermom

wintermom

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I had to get my own coffee grinder as the ones I usually access were closed, so now I have the smell of fresh ground coffee beans and delicious coffee to enjoy in the morning. I've also indulged in real maple syrup for sweetener.

Got a subscription to Britbox so I can watch a more British TV series. I love it!

Time for long walks and bike rides.

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Pintosrock

Pintosrock

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We bake something yummy every Sunday. Cinnamon scones, chocolate chip banana muffins, cookies, etc, but only a half recipe. It's usually gone by Wednesday. That way, we're not ALWAYS eating baked goods, but we can patiently wait for more baked goods soon!

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MEmama

MEmama

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I’m kind of channelling Ariana Grande right now : “I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it”. Lol.
Potato chips? Yes. Cookies? Yes. Another beer with dinner? Yes, please. Another pretty pot of flowers for the deck? Yup. I’m not stressing about the price, I know I’m going to be home every single day for the next many months and will enjoy them. A google speaker for impromptu dance parties? Absolutely, because what can be better than dancing with my teen?
Weekly takeout and home delivery of gelato give us something to look forward to. Binge watching Brooklyn 99 together with dinner is just fun. Yes to the little indulgences. Seriously, now is the time. This IS the proverbial rainy day we are always waiting for. Lol. 

 

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vmsurbat1

vmsurbat1

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I took up making and baking sourdough.  I like to cook, in general, and starting sourdough always seemed too time-intensive to add to busy, full days. This enforced time at home gave me the needed head/time space to take it up.  Hopefully by the time we open up and get back to "normal", sourdough baking will be familiar, not stressful.

But, as a true treat, I've been indulging in sparkling water every day.  Normally that was a Sunday-only treat.  I also bought myself a package of tiny wrapped dark chocolates to bless myself.  Like you, I didn't want to gain weight by more choices.  So far, so good!

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Selkie

Selkie

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I'm now totally hooked on wellness shots from Splendid Spoon (ginger, orange juice, lemon juice, and oregano extract), as well as their delicious smoothies (cacao almond, blackberry basil, power greens, dragonfruit berry, orange hibiscus...yum!). They are kind of pricey, but we haven't gotten restaurant food for a long time, so that's how I justify the expense in my head.🙂 

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Matryoshka

Matryoshka

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The stevia-sweetened (no sugar, no artificial sweeteners) extra-ginger Ginger beer (non-alcoholic) from Reed's.

I'm not normally a soda drinker, regular ginger ale leaves me cold (doesn't taste much like ginger at all), but I loooove ginger, and this drink is so ginger-y!   And Zero calories!

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MEmama

MEmama

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1 hour ago, Hilltopmom said:

I made apple pie for DINNER tonight!

had lots of apples getting soft and pie crust in the freezer where I’m trying to clear out space

Oooohhhh pie for dinner! Brilliant. We are big fans of pie for breakfast. 😬

 

 

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MEmama

MEmama

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Posted (edited)
50 minutes ago, StellaM said:

Ds made me buy a new skirt and new boots.

The skirt has a fox pattern and the boots are stompy 🙂 

 

You know with a tease like that we need pictures!

Edited by MEmama
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Garga

Garga

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I’ve been indulging in pretty things for myself.  

For Mother’s Day, I got a very pretty shower curtain.

And decided to paint the bathroom to match (in fact, I’m almost done...am waiting for the paint to dry on one of the cabinets for the last coat.

And since the bathroom went from dark blue/brown to pink and cream, I got new flower pictures to match the new pink walls. 

I’ve also ordered two children’s picture books, simply because the illustrations in them are spectacular.  I don’t need children’s picture books. I won’t read the stories in them and will only rarely look at the pictures, but it makes me happy to know I have them and can look at them whenever I want to.

Plus...Doritos.  Have been eating more Doritos than normal.  And Fruity Pebbles for dessert.  🙂

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SZ9LVDK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0754L813G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

 

 

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1281CA91-9019-4BB2-9F64-791C5EB9160A.png

0264536C-41FA-4750-8A55-5ECC3D5AF796.jpeg

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EmilyGF

EmilyGF

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Posted
9 hours ago, Ali in OR said:

I find myself incorporating little indulgences into my life now that I never really needed before. There are joys in this time (spring!, all the family home, time in my own home), but so many losses we have to just accept (no being on campus for college kid, no track season for my runner, no eating out, possible job cuts at my school, etc). Also fewer endorphins from just being around coworkers and kids at my high school. It just seems to help if I have little treats to look forward to. The list will probably grow, but here are my current indulgences:

  • Homemade mocha drinks on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings (I never even drank coffee before)
  • A little can of root beer on Friday evenings
  • A Mike's strawberry lemonade or a frozen strawberry margarita on a Saturday evening
  • A Werther's carmel hard candy
  • Sitting on the patio at 6am while the dog does her rounds (only because it's light and not too cold anymore--couldn't do this in March)

I'm trying to avoid such treats as "eating ice cream out of the carton" that will lead to major weight gain! 

Anybody else? What little things help you get through the day?

Can you share a recipe?

I have been having one seltzer water per day. Also, I've started doing yoga in the morning.

I've been trying to buy less stuff. Now that I have to live in the house with all the stuff I don't want as much. (But I do want new armchairs, but I don't think that'll happen.)

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ScoutTN

ScoutTN

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3 hours ago, Hilltopmom said:

I made apple pie for DINNER tonight!

had lots of apples getting soft and pie crust in the freezer where I’m trying to clear out space

Will it be all gone, or will there be enough for breakfast?! Pie is my kids' favorite breakfast!!

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Ali in OR

Ali in OR

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Love the shower curtain (and bathroom rehab project), love the skirt and boots, love apple pie! And that reminds me that we've done strawberry shortcake for dinner before during the 3 weeks in June when Oregon strawberries are amazing...that's coming up! I think this would be a good year for that.

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Ali in OR

Ali in OR

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1 hour ago, EmilyGF said:

Can you share a recipe?

Here's what I've settled on:

Microwave 1 cup of milk for 1 minute in a pyrex measuring cup. Add one packet Starbuck's Via OR 1.5 tsp instant espresso (Via for more caffeine and more of a kick; espresso powder is milder). Add 2 Tbs. Torani dark chocolate sauce (sold in our coffee aisle. Hershey's syrup can work in a pinch but it's not as indulgent!). Stir, then microwave 1 more minute and pour into my favorite coffee cup.

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MEmama

MEmama

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7 hours ago, StellaM said:

Stompy Boots.jpg

These are fabulous. I’m so jealous!
I've been missing my Doc Martens that I lived in as a teen and into my 20's. I’d buy myself a pair but I don’t think I can rock the look any more, sadly. I’ll bet you are fierce in your boots+fox skirt combo! 
 

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2squared

2squared

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I am trying to make the most of this wonderful gift - the gift of time with my family. I don’t think we will ever be able to spend this much time together again, especially since my oldest is off to college in the fall. 
Evening walks with my girls

Watching Psych with my youngest before bed (he’s obsessed with the show)

tons of home improvement/decluttering

Read and watched the entire Harry Potter series (book/movie/book/movie/etc)

impromptu Dairy Queen runs

Buying almost anything we want - groceries, Amazon, etc and still spending less than pre-pandemic (but less eating out than before)

Camp fires in the driveway

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Emba

Emba

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I’m cooking things I would normally not because they’re too expensive, or too time consuming, or too caloric, or too whatever.

We have been getting takeout about once a week.

I bought more flowers and garden plants than usual, including impulse purchase strawberry plants.

The last couple of weeks I’ve bought a special dessert for DH and I to eat after the kids are in bed as part of an at-home date with Flavored decaf coffee.

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lulalu

lulalu

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Posted (edited)

Lots and lots of baking happening here. And with that yes, lots more around my waiste. 

Chocolate almost daily. 

I found a great summer juice of mixing strawberry watermellon juice with bitter lemon soda. 

Taking very long and slow mornings with my coffee and the quiet. I haven't lived in such a quiet place in years! It really is a strange feeling, but reminds me of how I grew up. Not hearing any cars, hearing anyone yelling as they sell stuff walking down the streets. Just quiet. I am ready for the activity again of the big city, but a break in background noise has been nice. 

Oh, and best of all dh has been feeling the urge to cook and try lots of new stuff. So I am not needing to cook as much. 

Edited by lulalu
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Donna

Donna

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I love a bit of dark chocolate from the freezer each night.

DD and I try to take two 2 mile walks daily. We take the dog on one and go by ourselves on the other. I love the ourselves walk because we talk more then and I love those talks with her.

Yoga nearly daily.

We are eating really well. DD is trying a lot of new vegan recipes she's wanted to try. We had Ethiopian food last night and it was as good as any Ethiopian restaurant we've tried.

Sitting on the back deck reading (when the weather is cool enough).

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Spryte

Spryte

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Espresso on the front porch with DH in the mornings.  (Ok, we do this every day anyway, unless he’s traveling! #spoiled.)

Lots of time reading on the back deck, listening to the birds.

Watching the Marvel movies, all of them, in order, at night.

Many gardening plants have been purchased, mail order.

Movie nights on Tuesdays, with three flavors of popcorn and a concession stand set up.  That’s dinner on Tuesdays, so no cooking!

Pancakes every Sunday morning.

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Zebra

Zebra

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I didn't know I was going to enjoy this thread so much.   Thank you for starting it and thank you everyone for chiming in.

I think I can speak for a lot of people, but this is why you "deny" yourself in normal times.   Usually, I don't completely give into these "silly little treats", (I am not a paragon of virtue or anything!) but I think a lot of us aren't exactly "indulgers".  Now I am glad I haven't in the past because it seems so much NICER and almost sanity saving right now.    I like what  MEmama said about it being the proverbial rainy day.   That is exactly how I am feeling, but wasn't able to put it so concisely.

I don't mean to sound dramatic about baking a cake or whatever, but it feels a little bit dramatic at times.    

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kbutton

kbutton

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12 hours ago, Margaret in CO said:

I misread that at first and thought, "Why would hobbles make you happy? Are your horses taking off at night? Have you considered a corral?" 

Hobbles for the two ADHD stallions I'm raising 😉. Just kidding. They're good kids and dealing with the isolation well--fixing things up around the house, learning to play badminton, pulling out yard-friendly toys and repurposing them. 

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marbel

marbel

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I hauled out my sewing machine for making masks and am having fun playing around with fabric again.  I made two potholders - they are not lovely;  my corners are terrible (never tried mitres before) but they work and are made of fabric I love.  My husband got a new bathrobe; his was literally falling apart at the seams so I'm going to try to remake it to fit me. That doesn't sound like much of an indulgence but I want to see if I can remake something.  (He is way taller and bigger than I am, so I should work.) The sewing also prompted me to pull out the counted cross stitch stuff, throw away a project I had grown to hate, and start something new.  It also prompted my daughter to start doing some hand embroidery, which I wanted to teach her probably 10 years ago, LOL, it's finally taking.  

We are seeing the value of ordering locally. Out of flour - we found a local mill that delivered quickly. Joann fabric out of everything - I found a local shop that hand-delivered my small order the next day.  This shop doesn't have everything I will ever need, but I will buy from them when I can.  We are determined to keep that up when possible/practical and not automatically order from Amazon.  That feels like an indulgence right there. 

We are not spending much money but rediscovering stuff we already had is pretty nifty too. 

 

Edited by marbel
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Garga

Garga

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I’m not sure if it’s an indulgence or not, but I’m so much more content with mundane things taking up my time.  

In the past: Dang it! I need gas in the car: rush around getting the gas. Dang it! We need some milk: squeeze in a trip to grab some milk from somehwere.  Oh no! The dishes are insane today: miserably wash the dishes, chafing because it’s taking so long.

But now when those everyday things need to be done, I don’t have to rush to do them around other tasks.  I can take my time and be in the moment no matter what I’m doing.

So, I’m finding that all the daily-life things that used to make me feel frazzled don’t frazzle me anymore.  

It feels like an indulgence because I can take the time do things calmly and without having to dash to the next activity.

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Garga

Garga

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20 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

I'm all about some little indulgences!

I've been bingeing anime with my girls (currently My Hero Academia).

We've been having dessert weekly (next week is brownies!).

I finally ordered a new comforter to replace the BROWN comforter I've had for ages in my master BR. (Went with this comforter  and bright white sheets.)

Pretty comforter! It’ll brighten the room. 

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Selkie

Selkie

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30 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

I'm all about some little indulgences!

I've been bingeing anime with my girls (currently My Hero Academia).

We've been having dessert weekly (next week is brownies!).

I finally ordered a new comforter to replace the BROWN comforter I've had for ages in my master BR. (Went with this comforter  and bright white sheets.)

Love the comforter!

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vmsurbat1

vmsurbat1

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11 minutes ago, Garga said:

So, I’m finding that all the daily-life things that used to make me feel frazzled don’t frazzle me anymore.  

Oh yes!  I can't believe I forgot this:  for the first time, in a LONG time, it has been fun to go out into the garden.  I have my four squares and generally, by May they are overrun with weeds and make me feel guilty.  THIS year, it has been totally relaxing to go out, sit around the edges and pull little weeds, water, plant seeds, and just enjoy the process in non-hectic 15-30 minute segments.

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DoraBora

DoraBora

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1 hour ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

My son has been home for over 2 months, so I’ve been indulging him, baking cookies and TexMex every few days, making frozen drinks,  staying up until 1am watching tv;  we bought some watercolors and acrylics and we paint most afternoons. I’m just about ready to get this shower curtain, tho I’ve never considered spending that much $ for one. And then I’ll need new towels...

https://lauralhome.com/products/boho-bouquet-shower-curtain

Gorgeous!

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