Caramel Chocolate and My Five Favourite Things During Lockdown

I'm a list writer. I have a work to do list, I have my personal to do list, I have the teen and pre-teen’s to do list, a family list, and my husband’s reminder list (of course, the third child), I love a list! When I sat down to write my list of favourite things during lockdown, I didn’t expect to gain such clarity!

1. Recruitment – I know it seems obvious, it’s my chosen career of 21 years and the business I have nurtured for nearly 12 years. Whilst there has only been a fraction of the recruitment I am used to, this time has really highlighted how much of a passion I have for the industry and for my business, it's a massive part of me. It has also shown my children how to keep yourself motivated even during more challenging times. When I have been immersed in recruitment over the last few weeks, I simply LOVE it and that's when you truly know that you're in the right career. I care about the people I am supporting, providing advice as well as finding the perfect person for a role and company. I’m happiest when I am speaking to people and when I feel I have been able to make a difference.

2. Caramel Chocolate Bars – To make it clear, I am ONLY talking about the individually wrapped single bars, although I'm convinced they are smaller now than when I was a child. I only rediscovered them because other versions were out of stock. Maybe trying something outside of our “favourites” list online has opened our eyes to whole array of new options. Again, the luxury of time has helped. The question is: does my morning workout (yes, still doing it, even with one leg due to a toe injury – a story for another time) burn off enough calories to balance the chocolate I eat every evening with my cup of tea?

3. Living in the Present Moment – three months ago the brakes were well and truly put on and it’s been an invaluable lesson. My scientific brain plus my belief in fate has made me think that this time was meant to be. My life was uncontrollable at times as a working mum, always planning to the minute and preparing for the weeks and months ahead. Now, I have time to enjoy the now, I’m noticing everything around me and appreciating it. The teen and pre-teen can have their moments, but I have had time to really value and take great pride in them and who they are growing into. My teen is now nearly as tall as me. Every morning when he wakes up, he smiles at me, it’s the same warm smile he’s always had, it lights up his face. He is a fantastic judge of character with a real intelligence. He is patient, kind and a real gentleman; he really reminds me of my late grandpa. My pre-teen is a little more complicated; she is intuitive and sharp-minded, hilarious, loud at times but also deeply sensitive and always ready for a chat and a cuddle. She was born with the loudest scream and still likes to shout the loudest at home. It amazes me daily to see them transforming into mini adults in front of my eyes and their relationship with each other really blooming. Right now, I can’t think too far in the future and I can’t plan like I used to but I’m enjoying the present moment as much as I can (apart from when the teen and pre-teen are screaming at each other outside my office when I’m on a work call!)

4. Money Heist – my husband and I always love watching a good action series together, but this one has been the stand-out winner (watched in Spanish with subtitles). It’s fast-paced, true escapism, unbelievable at times but hugely intelligent, and above all, entertaining. We hardly breath during each episode because it’s so exciting. We’ve enjoyed watching 4 seasons back to back and we’re now waiting for the next to air. We have our routine, Money Heist a cup of tea and my beloved Caramel chocolate, remember, the small bars only! And it wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t watch it with my husband, it’s the only time that we have just the two of us these days and we love discussing it afterwards, plus….he makes the best cup of tea!

5. Outdoor Space – we are a busy family normally so long walks just haven’t been our thing and we’ve really missed out over the years. There is an array of beautiful open spaces under our noses, literally a stone’s throw away from our house. We’ve discovered walking and cycling routes which we didn’t know existed and it’s been fantastic to clear our minds and just chat. We’ve even upcycled my son’s old bike with some spray paint and creativity, it’s now not a hand-me-down but my pre-teen’s bespoke ombre pink and white bike and her street cred has been upheld. I’ve also started to appreciate driveways, not something I thought I would ever say. They have become invaluable for myself, family and friends. We’ve celebrated many birthdays over the last 2 months on driveways, the pre-teen and queen of TikTok has created many videos on driveways, I have been able to drop food to my mum weekly and see her at a distance on her driveway and friends have walked past to chat on our driveway, we’ve also clapped every Thursday bonding with our neighbours from our driveway.

So, these are my top five favourite things, a combination of work, family, hobbies and the world around me. I suppose the key is to find a balance eventually so that we can live a little more in the moment. If you wrote a list, what would yours be?