What a time it is, right? We all know this is our life; we’ve been doing it long enough now. We all know this is the reality of 2020, but I still keep finding myself saying, “So we’re really going to do this, huh?”
No matter what your fall looks like – whether you’re a working at work mom, a work from home mom, a work from home while homeschooling or virtual schooling, or a stay at home mom who is now homeschooling, virtual schooling, or free for the first time in a long time — here is my list of things you need this fall.
A planner.
If you’re feeling bold, you can write in it with a pen, but the safest bet this year may be to use a pencil. We all know we have to hold plans loosely this year. With the school year getting going, my calendar is filling up with drive-thru meet the teachers, device deployments, orientations, virtual parent-teacher nights, not to mention meetings I’m finally getting back on the books, and whatever else is part of our normal lives.
Pencils.
See above. We may want to all write plans in pencil this year. Might as well buy some that we like.
A good water bottle.
I always make sure my kids have good water bottles, but I realized recently that I didn’t have a good one for myself. To make sure that I’m drinking all the water that I need to be, I’ve found it very helpful to have my own nice water bottle. This one is for me and not for sharing with the kids or my husband.
A lovely workspace.
I’ve been working from home since March. Many of us have. Now that we’re a solid six months into this widespread wfh life with no end in sight, it’s time to make sure our spaces are everything they need to be. I’m tired of using a temporary office space. I’m tired of staring at a bleh wall in the back of Zoom calls. I need some beauty in here. So I decided to do it, and I am so glad. It is worth every bit of effort it took to be able to sit in my office space and feel good about it and enjoy where I’m working from. I can’t do much about the kids yelling in the background, but at least it will look beautiful.
Wardrobe adjustments.
I have bought a few clothes during the last six months. I’ve bought plenty of things for my house, but that’s another topic. Starting this new fall semester, I’m making a small upgrade to my athleisure collection. Why wear hard pants when you don’t have to, right? Athleisure companies are really upping their game to give us all we need. Now we can look professional on top and comfortable on the bottom all while looking normal when going out to pick up the kids or run an errand. My favorites so far are some delightful joggers; leggings and yoga pants are obviously near the top too. We can’t say 2020 has been all bad when this athleisure expansion has come out of it.
A fantastic candle.
Is it a mental thing or do candles actually make us feel better? I don’t know, but I’m here for it. I recently got a couple of new candles from fellow contributor Jenny at her store and they actually make me in a better mood because they smell so good.
A visual timer.
This might be one of the most important must-haves. After spending six months with my people home all the time, I have found a game-changer for both the kids and me: a visual timer. I was having a conversation with a friend who also happens to be an adolescent counselor, and she mentioned how helpful visual timers are for kids. Turns out, it’s super helpful for me too. It feels like right when I get on a roll for work, someone comes in interrupting me. Or I may know that I need to step away to do something but it’s too hard. Or sometimes I get carried away doing one task and don’t realize how much time has passed. A visual timer is the key! It can be set to let kids know just how much time you need. For example, “Mom has to work for one hour, and when this timer goes off, we can go to the park.” Or I can set the timer in my office at home and tell them I’m setting this here so I can see when I need to stop working today, and you can come in and check it whenever you want. I have found this tip to be so helpful for them and me.
