HOW TO SPOIL YOURSELF DURING THE QUARANTINE

Today marks the 46th day that I have been in quarantine. Yep, you heard right, forty-six days. That’s 1104 hours. And during this time, I have learnt what it really means to procrastinate. Some days have consisted of actual dissertation work, some days have been dedicated to consuming novels (I’ve read TWELVE over the course of the past few weeks), some have been spent writing article after article (some about studying in Wales, some about travelling to Wales, some about travelling with Crohn’s Disease, some about travelling to disgusting places, and several book reviews), and others, quite frankly, have seen me spend a full 24 hours in bed watching Netflix shows. It’s been a wild ride.

One good thing that has come out of this is that we now have SO MUCH time to focus on ourselves and the things we love. I have spent so much time learning to paint, journalling, deepening my love for tea, and studying great explorers – and that’s just the beginning. Throughout this post I talk about some of my favourite items that have made me feel a lil’ happier during this time, in the hope that they may do the same to you.

And so, without further ado, here are my top things to spoil yourself with during the quarantine.

BEAUTIFUL LAVA BRACELETS

Last year, when I was living in Canada, I came across a type of bracelet that I had rarely seen elsewhere – bracelets made of lava beads. I immediately fell in love with the concept and have wanted one ever since – which is where Molavaco comes in.

Whilst scouring Etsy for some pre-quarantine self-gifts, I came across these beautiful surfer bracelets which are made with lava stone and natural gemstones. Jared, the owner of Molavaco, then set me a set of two bracelets – and honestly, I fell in love with them immediately. One is slightly bigger and comes with a Magnesite stone in the middle, which is said to instil peace in times of meditation. The stone ‘enhances visualisation, promotes new ideas, and brings a calming effect to emotions.’ Now, during a worldwide pandemic, what could be better?

The smaller one is made entirely from Tiger Eye and Lava Stone, with the former helping to focus the mind and resolve issues unclouded by emotions. It is said that it is particularly useful for healing illnesses and dispelling fear. The lava stones, which also make up the majority of the bigger bracelet, are solidified from molten lava and are said to help with grounding yourself and offering stability. These both came in a drawstring canvas bag, which drew the whole thing together nicely.

I have worn the magnesite bracelet everyday since receiving it, and have given the tiger eye bracelet to my girlfriend because her wrist was looking particularly empty. I have re-visited the Etsy shop approximately 400 times since receiving these bracelets, and am considering ordering a bunch more for both my flatmates and myself, so that they can understand what all the fuss is about, and I can stack more bracelets on my wrist in official surfer style.

Jared says on the website that they ‘hope [these bracelets] bring a little luck and zen to your life. Inspired by my daughter, every stacked bracelet is crafted to explore new boundaries and to live your own lifestyle. From the beach to the mountains, these bracelets can be worn anywhere life brings you.’ I for one plan on taking these bracelets with me everywhere I go, once quarantine is lifted.

This is quite possibly one of my favourite shops ever, as everything is made with so much love and passion. The bracelets are absolutely beautiful and the owner of the shop is the friendliest person ever and always ready to answer any questions. I cannot recommend them enough. Some of my other favourites from their Etsy store are their Tibetan agate bracelets and the cracked orange agate bracelets – perfect for brightening up a dark quarantine day, don’t you think?

BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE PENS

These absolutely breathtaking pens are easily some of the most beautiful items I have ever received. I was sent this set of three from Corby Bender, a talented Omaha artist who works with a variety of media including acrylics, resin, inks, and wood. He is such a cool guy and was super helpful in explaining to me his processes when I wanted to know more about them.

Basically, the gorgeous orange and red pen was made with a casting resin called Alumilite. Corby mixed this with a couple different colours from mica powder, which he then poured into a mould and let cure for a few days until it had formed a very hard chunk of resin. From there, he drilled out two pieces of it to fit the inner tubes for the pen parts, and then put the pieces on his lathe to use a carbine tool to turn the blanks at a high speed. He then finished it up with a wet polishing process, which makes the pen shiny and glass-like and wonderful.

The brown pen was made in a similar way to this, with the only difference being that this is a piece of solid walnut wood. To turn this one, he used a mixture of boiled linseed oil, shellac, and denatured alcohol which he applied before turning it at a high speed. This brings out the natural beauty and grain of the wood. Once that dried, he then applied several layers of CA, a superglue-like substance that adds a shiny and durable coating to the pen so it should not crack if accidentally dropped. He finished it up with the same nine-step wet sanding pad process used in the first pen to remove as many ‘wrinkles’ caused by applying the CA as possible. By the time it was finished, it had a beautiful and smooth, shiny, and hard finish.

Finally, the middle pen! This beauty is what’s called a ‘hybrid pen’, as the blank that makes up the body was cast using both resins (like the first pen) and wood (like the third). Oil was applied to the wood to help bring out the colours of the grain and once it had soaked in, Corby again used the nine-step polishing process. CA was applied for shininess and durability. This was paired up with pen parts that allow the two-piece system to work. The cap includes the clip portion and decorative centre band while the nib is a fountain pen nib. If you untwist the front from the body, you’ll find inside a plastic cartridge that ‘snaps’ into place to hold the ink. This cartridge is replaceable and universal in size so you should be able to find replacements almost anywhere that sells pens. This pen is different from the others as it is a two-part construction. You can screw the cap onto the back, or ‘post’ it when writing and when you’re done, you can screw the cap onto the front nib area to keep the writing nib protected and avoid the ink from drying out. It’s pretty cool.

These pens came in a gorgeous little pouch which Corby had applied oils to to soften it and add a little bit of an ‘old world’ feel. It all comes together to create a gorgeous set of pens which I am completely in love with, and I cannot recommend Corby Bender Art enough.

Perfect for writing letters to people during this global pandemic, eh?

ADORABLE LITTLE BEE NECKLACE

There’s actually a funny story behind this gorgeous little bee necklace, which I completely fell in love with after glimpsing it on Etsy. It was coming up to Christmas, and I wanted nothing more than to treat my girlfriend to a bag full of things that she would truly love. And so I chose some books and some spices – and then this beautiful little necklace to really top it all off.

In the build up to Christmas, my girlfriend made a throwaway comment about how much she loved big, bulky biker jewellery, and was planning on indulging in some new heavy-set rings. I felt my heart drop, because here I had wrapped up this delicate little necklace, hoping that she may love it just as much as I did. But I decided not to say anything, and instead just waited it out until the end of the season.

I then went away to Morocco for a bit to explore some of its cities, and when I returned, I found that she had bought a bee necklace for herself – but one that was nowhere near as delicate and beautiful as this one. Begrudgingly, I handed her the presents, and when she opened the one containing this necklace, she immediately took off her old necklace and replaced it with this one. All the waiting and over-thinking had paid off – she LOVED it.

The necklace is made with sterling silver, and the charm is about 14mm wide. It’s beautifully detailed, and is produced by Emma, the friendly and helpful owner behind the Dainty Toch Etsy store. For the past five months, I have been staring at the little bee necklace around my girlfriend’s neck, and I love how much she adores it. I genuinely think that it was one of the best gifts I have given – and think that it is the perfect little present to cheer someone up during this quarantine.

Looking back at Emma’s site, I’m seeing more and more necklaces that I want to purchase for people. There’s a gorgeous little dinosaur necklace, a beautiful little dragon necklace, an intricate circle. Honestly, I could easily spend the rest of the quarantine stalking her shop and going through everything. This necklace has certainly helped to spread a little Christmas cheer around this dreary time.

GREEN HAND-BOUND NOTEBOOK

This is easily one of the most beautiful notebooks I have in my collection, and I’ve been using it religiously to scribble down notes on teas as I venture into becoming a tea connoisseur (because what other passions is a travel-sick tea lover supposed to take up?). The cover is a gorgeous green woven cloth, with an exposed spine created by the ‘link stitch’ method, and it feels so good to be able to lay a book out flat without having to crack the spine or ruin the binding. The paper is both 100% recycled and also of a very high quality, and thick enough to stop even the most impertinent of ink from bleeding through.

I received this notebook from the Hello Florrie store on Etsy – one of my favourites for wonderful hand-stitched self-gifts. Each notebook is entirely unique and made with love, and have intriguing textures that you just love to fondle in public. I really like the rustic style of the repurposed fabric and contrasted linen for the spine – and can’t help but notice that the colours all come together to form the colour wheel basis of the Welsh flag!

If you want to take up a writing passion of your own during this quarantine, then I really think that this is a brilliant choice. The notebook is gorgeous, the creator is the nicest woman EVER, and the paper is perfect for writing down your desired tea-orientated career change notes. What else could you need?

EXPLORERS’ LEATHER SATCHEL

One thing that I have always, always wanted to own is a gorgeous leather satchel, just like the ones explorers wear in old adventure movies – and I’ve finally found one. Whilst I’m not filling mine with a rusty compass and an old Aztec knife, I still feel as though it helps me play the part of ‘inundated explorer lost during the quarantine.’

I received my satchel from Urban Duck, a gorgeous Etsy store that showcases the most divine bags, all made from 100% leather. They each have their own characteristics, with small natural marks or scars from animals who brushed a little to close to a fence, and I truly admire the fact that each bag has its own story to tell.

The bag arrived with a little note on how to take care of it so that it stays as high quality for as long as possible, and the team is always at the other end of a computer to talk and discuss ideas for your perfect bag. The quality of the satchel is amazing, and it manages to fit both my Macbook and several little notebooks, with the leather being strong enough to hold all of my psuedo-explorer gear wherever I go.

I genuinely think that this is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever owned, and I shall be sure to cherish it for as long as possible. The colour is a gorgeous rich British royal green, and I have received several compliments on it on my one-walk-a-day during the Welsh lockdown. I am in awe of it, and cannot recommend it enough.

BEAUTIFUL LIL’ TIN OF TEA

Anyone that knows me (or, you know, reads the blog) knows just how much I love my tea. I have spent such a big portion of my quarantine time reading up on tea, watching documentaries on tea, and attending online courses on tea, and honestly the more I learn the more interested I become.

In order to help fuel my new tea addiction, I started looking around Etsy to see what sort of tea-related products they had to offer – and came across this super cool tin of sample tea from Marvling Bros Ltd. The collection is full of my favourite types of teas – from senchas to Darjeelings, white teas to Lapsang Souchongs – along with offering teas that I had never tried before, such as Keemun black. This box features the most well-known teas from China and India, and is perfect for tea fanatics and sommeliers alike.

Inside of the tin is a guide for brewing the tea, with methods for brewing water at different temperatures when you don’t own a thermometer. It also comes with filters, which I was inexplicably about as it meant that I could blend my first ever teas. Can you imagine me, an amateur tea sommelier, BLENDING my VERY OWN TEA? I spent the first hour after receiving it making different cups of tea for everyone in my house, and it was pretty entertaining.

There are enough of each tea to make two or three cups, infusing several times before they lose flavour. All of the tea is sourced according to the Ethical Tea Partnership regulations, and the tea filters are all unbleached – and quite honestly, there’s not a single thing that I don’t like about the box.

If you’re looking for something that keeps you entertained whilst also being delicious, then this is it. Marvling Bros Ltd also sells a bunch of other goodies such as Welsh happy birthday matchboxes and cross stitch kits, and I honestly love every last kitsch thing that they offer.

WATERDROP WATER BOTTLE AND LITTLE FLAVOUR CUBES

I’m going to be honest with you – this absolutely massive water bottle is one of my new favourite things and I have taken it out on every single one-walk-a-day during quarantine, receiving endless compliments from it. It’s a gorgeous teal colour and, whilst heavy, is a pretty stylish way to drink the age-long beverage. The 1l stainless steel bottle is very good at insulating and can keep the drinks ice-cold for up to 24 hours – perfect for lounging about in the garden during the quarantine, if you ask me.

As for the little taster Microdrinks that I received from Waterdrop – they have been perfect for both drinking water absentmindedly, effortlessly increasing my daily water intake, and also for being a delicious mixer for alcohol. Several weeks ago, it was my flatmate’s birthday – but as we were all in isolation, we had to stay in with a few drinks to celebrate. I tried the ‘relax’ cube in some water and mixed it with my chosen alcohol, and honestly, it was delicious. Not only did it taste good, but as it was filled with vitamins and fruit extracts, I felt great the next day.

I have been going through the Microdrinks very quickly, and whilst it’s still a bit of a strange concept, I’m already pretty drawn to them. These little cubes are filled with fruit and plant extracts, and you simply add them to water to make the magic come alive. I love drinking water anyway, but this helps to make it a little more fun and exciting – along with adding things like açaí, vitamin c, riboflavin and biotin to my drink. It’s a lot of fun.

CUTE LIL’ COMPASS NECKLACE

I am starting this post off with one of my favourite items in the world ever – this beautiful little compass necklace. I received this sterling silver piece from Diamond Rose Jewellery, a lovely Etsy shop which features the most stunning pieces. They sell beautiful, intricate little travel items, and I fell in love with them all deeply. When looking through the shop to see which piece I would love to treat myself with, I first had to narrow it down to 20-items-I-cannot-live-without. Then, slowly but surely, I made it down to 15. From there, I had no clue.

Eventually, I settled upon this compass necklace, and have worn it every single day since receiving it – making sure to take it off when I bathe, avoid getting perfume near it, and overall just being very careful when taking care of it because I want it to last as long as possible. It’s the perfect size and I love glimpsing it in photographs or in the mirror – it’s great for taking my mind off the quarantine, instead allowing my mind to drift somewhere new and adventurous and warm.

One of my favourite memories from my childhood was going on a road trip with my parents, where on one occasion my father bought me a little plastic compass. I was still a pretty small child and had no idea as to how it even worked, but after trying it out on the way home, relished the responsibility and the olde-world allure. That tiny talisman began to spark a travel lust that would last for decades. Now, whenever I look at this necklace, I am reminded of where I came from and where I hope to eventually be – it makes me feel very optimistic.

Diamond Rose Jewellery has many variations of this particular necklace – some of them offer little gemstones, some have the initial engravings with tiny dates on them, some come with coordinates. There are also different greeting cards that fit inside the box, so that when you open it, you are welcomed with ADVENTURE AWAITS YOU or HAPPY BIRTHDAY or a piece about your birthstone.

I was super excited to receive this piece, and loved the little starry bag and box that it came in. I’m considering purchasing two others with slight variations so that I can give them to my two friends that I’m self-isolating with, as the gift bag is truly lovely and I genuinely believe that it would really brighten their day during this time. It’s a really thoughtful way to remind someone how much you appreciate them. Plus, if you use the code AMY15 at checkout, you’ll get an extra 15% off!

BOMBAY HAND-STITCHED NOTEBOOKS

Have you ever purchased a notebook that you were absolutely in love with, only to get home and find that you have severe writers block because nothing feels worthy of dirtying up the pages? Well, that’s exactly how I felt with these two notebooks. Initially, they felt a bit too beautiful for me to mess up with my right-handed scrawl, but once I got over it, I started to fill them with ideas for new adventures, novels, documentaries, parties – and now I think that they look even better for it.

They are exactly the sort of notebook that I would expect someone like Levison Wood or Reza Pakravan to carry around on their adventurers, and I love flashing them about in public. I received two notebooks – one larger one, with a blue gem in the middle of the leather, and a smaller one, with a gorgeous metal clasp.

I received my books from Brighton Bombay, a gorgeous little Etsy shop that is run from a multi-generational family in Rajasthan, India. These notebooks are fair trade and eco-friendly, tanned using natural dyes. You can see just how much love was put into these notebooks, as they are made with such perfection and skill, and an admirable attention to detail.

The pages in the notebooks are divine, made from recycled, unbleached cotton, as this is a by-product of the garment industry in Jaipur. The paper is chemical free and thick, making it perfect for writing and sketching without the ink bleeding onto the next page. The paper has a certain alluring texture to it, making it both look and feel beautiful.

Each journal is unique and made with so much love, and I know that I shall cherish mine for as long as possible. I plan on taking mine on my expeditions across the globe, and will absolutely relish every second of writing in them. Brighton Bombay also makes a truly stunning array of other items, such as photo albums, purses, cushions, and quilts – and it is no exaggeration to say that I love every one of their products. I plan on plotting more ideas for future trips in these notebooks, sat in the sun in my very tiny garden and drinking tea, pouring my words into these books for however long quarantine is set to last – and then for however long following.

A lot of people are seeing this time as a bad thing, as penance. I think that a lot of us don’t realise just how lucky we are to have this time to really get back in touch with ourselves and the things we love. Besides, we’re in a lockdown, why not treat yourself?

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