Posts tagged Quarantine tips
IIT #14: 6 Easy Steps to Your First Vegetable Garden

As a personal stylist for women, I am fortunate to connect with a wide array of fascinating, fun, unique women as part of my job. Since we’ve been home, I’m hearing from my community about the pros and cons of quarantine life. The In It Together Series is a way to connect both sides of my Poplin community: clients and blog readers + small businesswomen in Seattle in an effort to make life at home easier, simpler and more enjoyable.

We’ve spent a great deal of time these past couple of months outside. In fact, I’m writing this from the backyard. Despite building planter boxes two years ago, we finally planted our first vegetable garden a few weeks back. And by we, I mean, our 9 year old. I’ve done nothing but eat the tasty radishes. He’s been watering everyday before dinner and as it turns out, it’s working!

We weren’t sure how to dive in and expected finding a simple, “how to” to be much easier than it was. So, I asked my friend and gardening guru, Lucinda O’Halloran of Spirit Garden Designs to share her expertise. I hope this helps you dive into your first garden. Have fun!

Getting outside is one of the best ways to reduce stress, and enhance your overall being. And getting outside in your own yard is a great way to enjoy nature and still stay safe.

Have you ever wondered:

“I wish I knew how to grow my own fruits and veggies. How do I get started?”

“I love puttering in the garden but have no idea what I’m doing—I need help.”

“I want to help the birds, bees and butterflies. What should I plant?”

Do any of these questions sound like you? If so, it’s time to work with a garden coach!

As a garden coach I enjoy teaching my clients how to understand gardening and feel more connected to their gardens. I encourage and empower gardeners with one-on-one assistance to connect with their gardens.

I help novices and experienced gardeners, and everyone in between. I introduce people to their new gardens, offer basic garden care instructions, pruning and transplanting tips, advice on small design challenges, ways to grow food and more.

Coaching sessions are one hour long and are tailored to each property and client. Coaching packages are available for those who really want to dig in.

I also meet with my clients virtually, especially during this time of sheltering in place. Just bring your cell phone or tablet and we’ll meet in your garden!

Whether you want to start a veggie garden for the first time, tame the jungle that used to be your yard or attract birds and pollinators, I’m here to help. For now here are 6 easy steps to start your own veggie garden.

6 Easy Steps to Starting Your Vegetable Garden from Spirit Garden Design Owner, Lucinda O’Halloran

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In it Together #8: How to Embrace Your Inner European

Man, everyday life in quarantine is filled with an array of unexpected daily challenges that seem small, but add up quickly. The In It Together Series will make your day to day easier thanks to expert advice from female business owners in Seattle. As a personal stylist for women in Seattle, I’m fortunate to be a part of a community of bright, generous, resourceful women who have the power to improve our situations. Today’s post is from an old friend of mine and the force behind Bold Spirit Travel, Regina Winkle- Bryan. She’s been all over the word and now focuses her energy empowering women through travel. I loved this post so much that I’m posting it earlier than I’d planned. It’s just that good. I hope it inspires you the way it did me.

We do many things well in the United States, but relaxation is not one of them. Short vacays, working weekends, crammed social calendars, and never-ending to-do lists are commonplace. Now, forced to stay home and social-distance, you may not be run-ragged by long commutes and packed workdays, but new stressors have sprung up to replace them.

I lived in Barcelona for a decade next to the warm sands of the Mediterranean Sea. I was often scolded by my Spanish family for working too much and not knowing when to disconnect. It took a while, but I realized that they were right. When it comes to enjoying life, Europeans—especially Southern Europeans—know what they are doing. They’ve been perfecting the lifestyle for millennia.

In this season of uncertainty and anxiety, let’s look to the Spaniards for some schooling on how to calm the hell down.

Your Beginner’s Guide to Relaxing Like a Spaniard

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In It Together #7: Easy Tips to Cook A Great Meal When You Don't Have All the Desired Ingredients

Man, everyday life in quarantine is filled with an array of unexpected daily challenges that seem small, but add up quickly. The In It Together Series will make your day to day easier thanks to expert advice from female business owners in Seattle. As a personal stylist for women in Seattle, I’m fortunate to be a part of a community of bright, generous, resourceful women who have the power to improve our situations. Today’s post is from the Chef Owner of Miri’s Golden Gardens, Miri Plowman. This is sure to be a post you bookmark and come back to repeatedly. Enjoy!

First, I want to acknowledge that everyone is approaching this time in the kitchen differently. I think some find it a time to dive into cooking projects that maybe otherwise they would never dare to take on, others are looking at their kitchen with dread and overwhelm and for some, cooking is business as usual, just more of it. 

For me personally, running a business and a restaurant means that my partner and I end up eating at odd hours, and not very consistently. I have enjoyed this time for reinstating important habits that have fallen to the wayside-like eating three square meals a day all at reasonable hours and mostly at the table. I’ve been really enjoying having a big delicious lunch followed by a smaller, more leftover-y or salad-y dinner.

All this to say, if I could offer one suggestion in this weird time, listen to what your body wants and needs! Try to relish in the slow down and savor mealtime if you can!

The other thing that typically dominates my home cooking style lately is to make do with the ingredients I have. The other day I was looking to make Prad Pri King. A Thai dish with red curry paste, green beans and a protein- typically pork or beef. I had maybe half the ingredients and zero interest in braving the grocery store. 😱


In lieu of the red curry paste I blended some chili pepper flakes, shallot (an onion would have also been fine), a squeeze of 1/2 a lime and some fish sauce. I added some chicken broth for some extra umami. It wasn’t perfect, but it also wasn’t bad. Learning to make do with the ingredients you have means wasting less and also saves time and energy. Over time, you will find that doing this will help you to be more creative in the kitchen. Recipes will only get you so far! I want to be clear this is far more helpful for cooking than it is for baking!

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In It Together #5: How to Reinvent Your Space Right Now

The next several weeks are devoted to making your days better. We’ll be solving problems, decreasing anxiety, making you look and feel better. It’s all happening here. And, it’s all happening thanks to the genius of local small businesses in the Poplin community. Welcome to another installment of, “In it Together.”

As I’ve mentioned in the blog, we’ve been doing some major repurposing over here. We turned our garage into my husband’s “loft like” office by cannibalizing lots of swanky furniture from around the house and building some tables with old doors and sawhorses. We reorganized our son’s room including repainting and putting up a mural on the wall. And, of course, we’ve been building planter boxes and more out front. The point is, we live for this stuff and now is the best time to do it. Not only does it make our space more appealing during Quarantine, but it also is a great way to be creative, productive and achieve flow. I heard from readers that this sort of thing doesn’t necessarily come naturally to everyone. So, I reached out to my longtime friend, Poplin client and genius Interior Architect and Designer, Amy May. Enjoy!

P.S. Next up, I’ll be guiding you through getting dressed everyday in Quarantine. See you Friday!

Reinventing Your Space With Amy May, Founder of May Designs

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In It Together #2: Do Your Mani Like a Pro with this DIY Tutorial

The next several weeks are devoted to making your days better. We’ll be solving problems, decreasing anxiety, making you look and feel better. It’s all happening here. And, it’s all happening thanks to the genius of local small businesses in the Poplin community. Welcome to another installment of, “In it Together.”

While I have lots of great qualities, doing an attractive mani or pedi is certainly not one of them. A few years ago, i discovered how much better I feel when someone else makes my nails look amazing. This is not because I enjoy the process so much. In fact, I often find myself anxious about my schedule when I’m getting my nails done. Nope, it’s because I can’t seem to make them look as beautiful as I’d like.

And, apparently, I’m not alone.

So, today’s IIT post is courtesy of my good friend who is also an incredible resource, Courean Napolitano, owner of Vixen Day Spa and Boutique in Magnolia. It’s a magical land where you can get spa services and pick up a hip and affordable vegan leather jacket before you leave. I’m a big fan.

Enjoy Courean’s tutorial on doing the perfect mani at home.

Friday’s post is all about how to dress for yourself (and your Zoom calls) from yours truly. On deck, how to rearrange your place from Amy May, set yourself up for professional success on your Zoom calls from Kore Kobourlis and much more. Thanks for being here and take very good care.

How to do a Mani Like a Pro

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Hot Tips to Improve Your Mood During Quarantine: from a Stylist who Works from Home

I know, it’s been a while. In the words of one of my clients, “you know I love clothes, but my heart just isn’t in it right now.” True story.

So, my Dear Reader, I can promise you this: I’ll only be writing when my heart IS in it. Because, as far as I’m concerned, I owe that to the both of us. Today, my heart is absolutely in it. Yes, I’ve got a sea of content that I never shared. Spring fashion just isn’t speaking to me right now. I’m going to guess you feel the same way. What is speaking to me? All the hot tips I have for you. After all, not only do I work from home (when I’m not with clients) but I also have been predominantly home since the end of February. So, I’m further down the road than most. Get ready for some ideas that will hopefully inspire you, and if nothing else, give you a few minutes of distraction from the other media. One quick thing before we begin: Remember to listen to the experts and local officials. I especially find the Daily from the NY Times helpful. Wash your hands, stay at home. Okay- Off we go!

10 Ways to Feel Better While You are at Home

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