9 Things I'm Doing to Stay Upbeat #stayhome

1. I'm getting a puppy. A while ago I said goodbye to my sixteen-year-old spoodle and it has taken some time to grieve for her and be ready for another dog. With all of our face-to-face training on hold and the cancellation of conferences, I now find myself with a stretch of time to get to know, socialise and train my new puppy. I'm expecting her to be with us in early May. Watch out for puppy photo bombing!

2. I've made a commitment to keep all of my staff. This is because I love them. They are good at their job and irreplaceable. We will come out the other end of this stronger.

3. I've pruned my thirty-year-old camellias back HARD. They have really needed this for ages but I've been too busy (and a bit scared truthfully in case I kill them) to do it. They are now stumps and I have faith that at the end of winter they will start to develop new growth.

4. I've been in touch with lots of colleagues to show my support. Our network is generally twofold: the cosmetic medicine industry and hospitals. Our cosmetic colleagues have closed their clinics and some are looking for work and our hospital colleagues are gearing up for possible massive admissions if we don't flatten the curve. 

5. I've ordered a thousand mixed ranunculus bulbs. Yes, I'm a bit of a gardener! This is so I can spend a lot of time in the garden and have something amazing to look forward to in spring. These will complement the many other bulbs I have planted over the years. Canberra may be a cold place to live but the four seasons are divine.

6. I've been shopping for elderly family and my neighbours. My in-laws are in their eighties and my "other" mother is recovering from lung cancer treatment while caring for her husband who had heart surgery recently.  Our neighbours are in isolation after they returned from Fiji where they renewed their wedding vows. I just check in with them when I go to the shops and get extra stuff while I'm there. Mind you sometimes the choices are limited and they don't quite get what they asked for (neighbours thought I was putting them on a diet when all I could get was lite peanut butter).

7. I've organised my Peter Alexander pyjama collection. PA pyjamas are a BIG vice of mine and one of the reasons I love travelling to Brisbane is to visit Skygate and go to the outlet. I realised I probably have enough to wear a different combination of them every day (or night) for the whole time we will be socially isolating and never wear the same combination twice!

8. I'm finishing off some new online courses for you. These will complement the ones we have now and make our suite of education even more relevant. Keep your eyes peeled.

9. I'm telling myself I'm going to do yoga every day. So far I've done it once (get Bendy by Elle Active) but hey, tomorrow is another day to #stayathome!

Image: www.tamaruke.com