Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, and it is undeniably one of my favorite things about Autumn. I honestly can't even imagine someone not liking Halloween, as it's a holiday that can be fun for people of all ages, and for both introverts and extraverts. Seriously, it's not just a children's holiday, nor is it just a partiers holiday. Halloween is a fun holiday for anyone who likes to have a little bit of fun, get creative, and who appreciate a good scare every now and then. Although, as someone who has a slightly "emo" or "gothic" side, and who happens to have an October birthday, I may be a little bit biased. I suppose there are some people out there who wouldn't take any pleasure in the festivities of Halloween and don't find it fun, but I am most certainly not one of those people. I absolutely love Halloween, and I always like to do at least a little something to celebrate it every year, even if I'll be celebrating it entirely on my own. That being said, as an introverted homebody, I often do end up celebrating it on my own at home, so I know quite a few ways to enjoy Halloween to it's fullest potential right from home.

Although I may have some mixed feelings about Autumn, it is a beautiful and wonderful season, and I certainly look forward to it. But honestly, who doesn't (at least somewhat) look forward to the Fall time? Even as a Summertime girl, I look forward to all of the marvelous things that Autumn has to offer; the aesthetic, the sweaters, the food, the hot drinks, the festivities, just to name a few things. Summer might be my favorite season, but I love Autumn too, especially as an introvert who (mostly) prefers to stay home, even under normal, non-2020, types of circumstances. It seems to be a lot more socially acceptable to stay in during the Fall than it is during the Summer. Or at least, it seems that way to me. I don't even know how many times I've heard some version of "get outside and enjoy the lovely weather" during the Summertime in pre-2020 years. Plus, many people tend to associate Summer with going to theme parks, beaches, festivals, parties, or purely getting out of the house more, in general. Autumn, however, typically offers a lot for both introverts and extroverts alike.

I'm not going to lie to you; I was looking forward to stepping outside of my comfort zone partaking in some Autumnal activities outside the house this year. I sincerely wanted to visit my local apple orchard and check out their Autumnal festival, as I have never really checked it out, even though it's within easy walking distance of where I live, but 2020 is proving to not be the year for that. Even if the government does give the thumbs up for Autumnal festivals to go on, I wouldn't feel great about going this year, even though Fall festivals are primarily outdoor events. It just doesn't seem necessary (or responsible) to go to any type of event this year, indoor or outdoor, even if I wore a mask. So needless to say, I'll once again be enjoying the Fall time from home this year.

I have a confession to make, as much as I love Summer, and I do occasionally enjoy getting some fresh air, I'm not an outdoorsy person. Like, at all. More often than not, I won't spend any more than 15 minutes outside at a time, and an hour is often my maximum. Sure, there are a lot of things that I enjoy about the outdoors, but many of my hobbies are indoor hobbies. I also have to say that it's nice not being attacked by bugs when I'm indoors, versus having them buzzing around my head as I'm sitting on my back porch. There are also some days where it's just too hot to do anything outside. Ohio's summers can be just as intense as it's winters sometimes. So it's necessary to have some activities to have some summer fun indoors, whether you're just not an outdoorsy person, or for the days when the heat is a bit too much.

Without any hesitation, when asked what my favorite season was, I would always say Summer, as I'm sure many people would say. Summertime is often an exciting time of the year for a lot of people, especially those who frequently visit theme parks, festivals, beaches, pools, or other places that are often associated with summer. When you're a child or teen, Summer means school is out, and you're free to do what you want without worrying about homework. For many people, Summer means spending extra time and making memories with friends and family. Although for me, as an introverted homebody, my enjoyment of Summer has always come more from the season itself, and the fact that the weather is usually pleasant, it's the exact opposite of Winter. 

That being said, more often than not, I'd find myself spending almost the entirety of the summertime at home. And while there are a few summer activities I'm more than happy to venture away from home for, I can't say that I haven't found ways to make the most of my summers right from home. And it looks like this year, we're all going to have to try to find ways to make the most of this summer at home. Sure, things are starting to open up again, but I don't particularly feel great about going into potentially crowded places in the name of Summer fun. Even though 2020 was supposed to be the year I got out more, I'm okay with having my Summer fun at home for another year if it means staying safe and keeping others safe. I certainly know how to enjoy the lovely weather from home, so this year I'll do just that once again.

Even before I started my blog, I was spending the vast majority of my time on social media. Admittedly, it would probably be beneficial for me to cut back on the amount of time I spend looking at a screen, as I'm often spending at least 12 hours a day on my computer; and that's a low estimate. Is that terrible? Probably. But personally, I don't view social media or technology in general as being a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of negativity on social media, but there's also a lot of positivity. I'd be lying if I said that technology hasn't had both a positive and a negative impact on my life, but personally, I like to focus on the positive. I honestly believe that social media is what you make of it, and it mainly depends on how you choose to use it.

Personally, I often find myself using modern technology for self-care, and I find that it can actually be uplifting when you look in the right places. Especially right now, as it's making it easy for us to stay connected during these uncertain times where we can't be together physically. All of that being said, while there's still undeniably a lot of negativity and darkness on the internet, I would personally prefer to use social media in an uplifting way. If I'm going to be spending most of my time at my desk, I might as well do something positive with my time online. So with that in mind, I have decided to create a 30-day challenge to use social media in a way that makes a positive impact on my own life and helps to uplift others as well. I want social media to be a fun and uplifting way to stay connected, even when we're apart. So I'd like to challenge myself, and whoever is interested, to do something positive on social media every day for 30 days.

Photo courtesy of Dominika Roseclay on Pexels

It has come to my attention that, suddenly, in the year 2020, people are genuinely curious as to what introverts do for fun. It seems that they sincerely want to know what we do with all of the time we spend at home, and how we don't get bored on the weekends when we opt to stay home instead of going out. It is no longer a rhetorical question when we get asked what we do for fun, everyone actually wants to listen. Interesting. But you know what? As someone who has been an introvert for as long as I could remember, I'm happy to share some insider information with those who are genuinely curious.

Listen, despite my sass, I'm nervous about the current situation going on around the world too, so I know you need a distraction. I know you need something to keep your mind occupied. So if you can find even a little bit of joy in any of my favorite at-home activities, then it's worth it to share them. And if you're reading this in the future when the craziness has all blown over, and you just happen to be stuck at home for some reason, or you're just curious, then I still hope you find something that you might enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Mandy Liz on Unsplash

In my last post, I shared a few ways that you can practice a little bit of self-love for Valentine's Day, and make the most of the holiday, even if you're single. But obviously, expressions of love should not be limited to just one day out of the year, especially self-love. Yet, for myself and many others, self-love is the easiest to allow to fall to the wayside. Especially for those of us who are our own harshest critic, and struggle with negative self-talk. The practice of self-love can also quickly easily fall to the wayside and is often the first to go when life gets busy, whether with school, work, and/or family obligations. Perhaps, you may be the friend that everyone turns to for advice or emotional support, but you rarely take the time to check in on yourself. Or perhaps you're always hustling to try to meet your own expectations for yourself; I know I can relate to that. I also know that when I don't meet my own expectations, self-love gets thrown out the window.

I'll be honest, there was a time when I didn't think self-love was all that important. I had no issue caring for other people. I had always called bullshit when I'd hear someone say that you can't truly love others unless you love yourself, or that you can't care for other people if you're not taking care of yourself. I still call bullshit on that, to a certain degree. I'm not about to say that you can't love others without loving yourself, or that it's impossible to care for other people, even when you're mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. But what I will say is that when you do practice self-love and look after your own well-being, caring for others actually becomes less of an effort. So with that, I'd definitely say that practicing self-love is necessary, and you should never feel bad about practicing it. Especially knowing it can help you care for others more efficiently, and even be more productive.  

Oh, and by the way, you don't necessarily need a lot of free time to practice self-love. Nor do you necessarily need a lot of money. Or any money for the matter. 

Photo courtesy of Julia Kouzenkov on Unsplash

Do you know how when you're a child they tell you to never grow up; or not to grow up to fast? Well, I kind of listened to that, as best as I could as an adult anyway. I may not be playing on the playground anymore, then coming home and playing with Bratz or Barbie dolls until my childhood 9:00 PM bedtime, and I definitely have a few more responsibilities now than I did when I was 10; but I have still found ways to keep in touch with my inner child. As a matter of fact, I have found that I actually have a greater appreciation now for some things from my childhood than I did back then; whether it's through a greater understanding of the subtle adult humor in kids shows, or pure nostalgia of simpler times from my childhood or even my teen years. 

Whatever the case, I like to regularly get in touch with my inner child; as for me personally, connecting with that side of myself is a form of self-care. And I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, I actually don't mind being a little "immature" or childish in some cases. I mean do I really have to grow up all the way, just because I'm in my 20s? I suppose that is definitely a matter of opinion, but personally, I want to hold on to that inner child as much as I can. And there are definitely some great ways to do it, whether you're in your 20s or even beyond. 

Photo courtesy of Dabbles & Babbles

I admit it, I spend way too much time on the internet; to the point where I'm probably way too dependent on it. Although I know I'm definitely not alone here, many businesses in the US will actually close when their internet isn't working; gotta love first-world problems. But seriously, I'm almost always using the internet for something in one way or another; even for my workouts, as I mostly workout from home using YouTube videos. Probably the only thing I don't primarily do online is my shopping, I actually do still like going to the store and buying things in person, but I still browse the online store before going to get a general idea of what they have. 

Needless to say though, my life pretty much revolves around a Wi-Fi connection; so when the internet goes down, there's a serious issue. Of course, I'll go through the process of resetting everything and checking my internet settings, but when that doesn't work after so many tries, I usually come to realize there isn't much I can do about it; and all I can do is wait for it to come back on. A lot of the time the issue is resolved within an hour or so, but sometimes it's down almost all day. So then what do I do?

Of course, I could just sit there sulking and staring at my screen, waiting all day for it to come back on; but then all I'd be doing is wasting the day away. So why not make the most of it instead? Although it's definitely an inconvenience and super frustrating, it's the perfect opportunity to do some things you normally wouldn't. Seriously though, there's a lot you really can do without a Wi-Fi connection (and without using your mobile data if you don't have unlimited). Besides, taking a break from the internet is never a bad idea anyway. 

Here are a few of my favorite things to do when I can't get on the internet (or when I just need a little bit of a break from it).