9 Ideas On How to Enjoy the Holidays During the Pandemic

The 2020 Holidays are likely to be far different than our past celebrations. We are in the midst of the virus pandemic - limiting our ability to gather - and this can be a fearful, painful, and trying time for many. However, keeping our joyful spirit alive is so important. I rounded up a few ideas on how to enjoy the holidays during the pandemic and thought I'd share them with you.

1. Think positive - as you stay safe during the holidays.

2. Embrace a holiday attitude.

3. Decorate any room in your home with string lights. (I love twinkle lights.)

4.Create a seasonal centerpiece for your dinner table. Pine-cones, bunches of green leaves, candles, Christmas ornaments, etc. to set the mood.

5. Use your favorite tablecloths, placemats for meals.

6. Place a few votives on a plate and enjoy your food in soft lighting.

7. Spread some holiday sheer by baking a bunch of Christmas cookies - everybody loves to cuddle up on the couch with hot cocoa in one hand and a freshly-baked cookie in another. You'll warm up your entire home and fill it with delightful smell.

8. Have a good bottle of wine - it doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. A nice glass of wine can really help you relax and unwind as you enjoy a satisfying dinner.

9. Try to wear your favorite clothes or whatever makes you happy as much as possible. Experts say that what we wear can have a huge impact on our mood.

Hope you have a great day. Stay safe!

Merry Christmas (to those who celebrate), Happy Holidays! 

Lots of love. xx

How to make your house smell amazing during the Holidays.

(Top Photo by Jill Wellington.)

One of the Most Famous Photos in History

{Stanley Forman's famous photograph "Woman Falling from Fire Escape 1975".}

Stanley Forman was a well-known photographer working for the Boston Herald when he attended the scene of a fire. But this famous photograph raised ethical questions about when a photographer should...read on

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Stay safe, take care! xx

(Photo by Stanley Forman.)

Cozy Tray Table

My lovelies, Happy Friday! So I've always enjoyed eating dinner in the living room. Of course, Sunday dinners around the table were a family tradition and a staple of my childhood - but it's all about how you shift to what works for you now. You see, I tend to live in and inhabit my space in a more flexible way.

How cozy this folding tray table is!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xx 

(Photo via IKEA .)

A Punch In the Stomach

{The Vulture and the Little Girl. Original title: Struggling Girl, 1993 by South African photojournalist Kevin Carter.}

The vulture is waiting for the little girl to die and to eat her. When I first saw this historical photograph, it was like somebody punching me in the stomach.

Read the full heartbreaking story here .

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, stay safe! xx

I'm In the Mood for Autumn

So excited that fall is here.In fact, I'm just excited about everything autumn! Now that I'm not going out much due to the pandemic, cozy blankets, hot chocolate, cracking flames are the making of a perfect relaxing evening. I'm so looking forward to Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks.

Please make the most of the Fall season!

Have a beautiful weekend! xx

I Just Want to Be Happy

Happy Friday y'all! Almost everyone wants to be happy. The truth is, bliss isn't a permanent state my friends. 

But what is happiness, really? 

Happiness is subjective. For me, bliss is feeling content with what I have and where I am at. And I still find joy in the little things in life.  

Lao Tzu Philosophies for Life. I found this video very inspiring on "How to be Happy" and thought I'd share it with you.

https://youtu.be/g_Zmk6BnWZo

Hope you have a great weekend! xx

Goals + Have a Lovely Weekend

When it comes to personal goal setting, I do tend to write them down. I start by writing every single goal I want to achieve on my Goals List (I love lists!).

However, writing down your goals by itself won't help accomplish them; you need to focus on your goals and have to put efforts by your own.
But I feel that writing your goals does help achieve them as it helps as a visual, a mental picture and as a result, it's more likely to sink in and be remembered.

Goal-setting helps give us a sense of motivation in life. It often gives us something to focus on. Goals help keep things in perspective.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xx

(Photo via Pixabay.)

Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic Fallacy is giving human feelings to something non-human. It's a form of personification. 
For example, the weather can be used to reflect a person's mood.

I woke up to yet another sunny day and it is as hot as dutch love.  

Sunny is certainly how I am feeling these days. I am also grateful for the rain for staying away as I am just not in the mood for that (yet).
In the meantime, I'm enjoying the cool ocean breeze 'touching' my cheeks.

Hope you have a beautiful weekend! xx

Time Is a Monster

I stayed up late last night thinking about the future; mostly about time. I got so caught up with my thoughts that I could not sleep.
What does the future hold in store for all humanity? What will my future life be like?

Time is a monster. Time devours us all. It devours everything, our precious relationships, the stuff we have, our possessions. Most importantly, time devours our years away.

Oh well, it's very easy to get swept up in our thoughts...

Hope you have a great weekend! xx

Wedding in the midst of the Pandemic

A wedding during the pandemic. Coronavirus can't keep couples from having weddings during the pandemic. Here are some great tips on how to get started for couples planning their weddings.

Hope you have a beautiful weekend! xx

Enjoy the Outdoors!

Summer is upon us and lots of energy and excitement is in the air despite the pandemic. Summertime
is a great time to enjoy outdoors.

Remember, practicing social distancing, avoiding gathering in large groups, staying away from others is especially important on what we can control in difficult times like this.

Let's entertain ourselves outdoors! (For the sake of mental health.)

Hope you have a beautiful weekend! xx

{Bottom photo by Jill Wellington.)

Funny and Cool + Have a Relaxing Weekend

{Comics by Matthew Inman}

The Oatmeal. A funny website to visit when bored.

Have a good weekend! xx

The Oatmeal.

Socializing at a Distance

{Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel. Athens, Greece.}

Summertime is upon us, and with the ongoing pandemic I've been figuring out how to connect with friends while trying to stay safe. In fact, I'm craving for interactions with close friends.

So I compiled a list of social-distancing get-together ideas and things to do this summer season.

Social-Distancing Get-Together Ideas

. Spend time at a park.

.Take a family picnic.

. Go for a long hike.

. Organize social-distancing hikes with friends.

. Go for a nature walk.

. Trips to the beach (bringing a large blanket to make staying apart easier).

. Take a Staycation.

That way you've got your social distance and socialize safely!

When the world feels like too much, stop and breath. Relax your mind. Listen to the sound of the ocean, enjoy the light breeze...
I know it will be a different kind of summer this year, but there are still ways to get plenty of fun in the sun. I secretly love summer.

Have a lovely weekend! Happy 4th of July to my American fellow bloggers and readers! xx

{Azul Sensatori Hotel. Cancun, Mexico.}

Keeping Active and Connected

So the other day I decided to leave my house to take a walk around my neighborhood. Just wanted to breath in the fresh air since the weather is quite lovely. Had to cross to the other side of the street whenever I saw someone coming. This used to be rude; now it's good manners because now there's an etiquette.

As I walked, I noticed a lovely bougainvillea blooming along the street.

I also made a list of activities I can engage in; like cooking, reading books, watching movies, getting around to the chores I've put off, going online to find inspirational photography videos, and going outside to exercise.
It just helps me to clear my mind and just relax. I dare you to try it.

It's okay to feel anxious during these difficult times of Covid-19. Keeping active and connected has never been more essential.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xx

P.S.

Dear readers, I'd love to hear from you! Here's my Facebook profile.

Oh, How Amazing! + Have a Lovely weekend

Title: New York - United States - January 01. LIFE photographer Margaret Bourke-White making a precarious photo from the Chrys.

I've always admired the courage of some people and the passion that drives them. And photographer Margaret Bourke-White is one of them. Margaret Bourke-White was an American photographer and documentary photographer known for her extensive contributions to photojournalism, particularly for her Life magazine work. It is for this reason that we need photographers.

Have a great weekend! xx

Will Life Go Back to Normal?

How are you doing?

Self Quarantine Diary: May 12, 2020

In the times of Coronavirus everything feels too hard. Fear-driven behavioral changes, low mood and anxiety. It seems like things I previously enjoyed no longer hold the same joy.
I knew that somehow I had to face my anxiety so I've decided to ignore my fears and worries that are holding me back, and I'm starting with the..."Get dressed every day even if you won't leave the house."
I'm just hoping for better days to come! Stay safe, take care!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. xx 

Happy May Day 2020!

Happy May Day, everyone! I hope y'all are doing well staying safe in quarantine. In the times of Coronavirus...but cannot keep Spring from coming.

May day is a national, public holiday in many countries across the world usually celebrated on May 1 every year. It is an ancient European Festival of Spring. Also, May Day is a celebration of laborers and the working classes, in most cases as "Labor Day", "International Workers Day" (Wiki).

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Explore and enjoy nature in your own backyard! xx

My New Life of Isolation

{Parnassos Mountain horses, Greece. Photo taken April 27, 2013}

My dears, I hope you and your families are safe and well. I have been at home for more than 40 days now. My life has changed. Everyone's life has changed since Covid-19 struck. This is my new reality.
Building resilience is very important right now. So I have turned to my favorite photographs to cure "coronavirus claustrophobia". I am an animal lover and these pictures of the horses just...

Be Hopeful

{Mount Edgcumbe House. Cornwall, England, UK. 2015}

Dear blogger friends, readers and colleagues. We've been thinking of you all around the globe, and hope that all of you and your families are safe and well.
We're experiencing a new reality that is affecting the everyday lives of all of us. What we need to do is be hopeful.
We hope that this tremendous situation will end soon. Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing: https://www.facebook.com/betty.manousos

Social distancing is really important right now. Stay home, stay safe, stay well!
Sending love. xx

Silver Linings: How to stay positive during the coronavirus crisis.

Motivation Makes Things Happen

Sometimes all we need is a little motivation to get you to your goals and helps you live your dreams; to give you the drive and the zest in doing things. Oftentimes, I find myself suffering from a lack of motivation, feeling unhappy with one or two aspects of the life I'm living. But I'm determined to change my life's attitude and I'm really going to work hard to change my way of thinking for the better. We can't always change external circumstances, but we can always change how we think about any situation that occurs. Success and even how we deal with challenges will depend very much on our attitude.  When we change the quality of our thinking, we change the quality of our life.

I openly say that I'm a quote addict. And this saying has helped me many times to battle a rough day or bad day.
"If you feel like giving up, just look back on how far you are already."

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, stay safe! xx

P.S.
Social distancing measures feel really important right now. Hope you're hanging in there.