20 Awesome Etsy Finds That Will Get You Through Quarantine

Etsy is a way to support small business owners during the pandemic.

With the coronavirus global pandemic closing the doors of many businesses, which ones will suffer the most? The larger, corporate companies may make it through this with minimal impact, but the small business owners are at the biggest risk of losing it all. Etsy is made up of independent sellers and small business owners from around the world, and they also offer the largest collection of unique and handmade items. Purchasing one of these Etsy finds is the easiest and most fun way to #StandwithSmall.

Consider joining the #StandwithSmall movement and check out some of these useful Etsy finds.

20 Awesome Etsy Finds That Will Get You Through Quarantine — *This post contains affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust. Furthermore, I am not a medical professional and nothing in this post should be taken as medical advice. I am simply a mother who has been there and lived to tell the tale.

Etsy Finds For Your Self Care Routine

Stuck at home during quarantine? What better time to catch up on self care. These Etsy finds make it easy to focus on you. Put in the effort during quarantine and come out of the pandemic glowing and refreshed!

Self Care Kit - Stresscase Shop — StresscaseShop on Etsy

A Customized Self Care Box. Each purchase is curated based on your specific needs and includes things like organic teas, natural beauty products, herbs and even healing crystals.

Hair Growth Kit - NaturalSisters — NaturalSisters on Etsy

Hair Growth Products. Spend your self isolation growing out long, luscious locks. Since you’ve got some time off from constant styling, now is the perfect time to focus on hair health.

Dry Brushing Kit — BIRCHROSEandCO on Etsy

A Dry Brushing Set. Dry brushing is a technique that helps exfoliate the skin as well as massage the lymphatic system for better physical and mental health. This set comes complete with a brush and oil, perfect for your daily self care ritual.

A Relaxing Hammock. Hang it outside or in and it’s sure to become your favorite place to sit and relax. Use it while meditating, watching the kids play or while reading a good book.

Etsy Finds For Your Home Office

As a blogger, I’m used to working at home, but not everyone else is. It can take some adjustments to find the right home office space. Whether you need some privacy for conference calls or are struggling to make a homeschooling schedule, these Etsy finds might be able to help.

Work From Home Door Signs. What’s worse than having your kids run into the room while you’re on a video call? Or having to put someone on hold to answer the doorbell? These customizable wood door signs might be just what you need.

Honeycomb Pen Holder — DimensionsonDemand on Etsy

A Honeycomb Shaped Pen Holder. Can’t keep track of all your office supplies? This 3D printed honeycomb desk organizer has room for all the various supplies you need for homeschooling or working from home.

A Chalkboard Command Center. — CalendarGirlCompany on Etsy

A Central Command Center. You might think there’s less to write on your calendar these days. But you can use this calendar to keep track of your homeschooling assignments, work meetings or conference calls, social phone calls and meal planning so you can limit your shopping trips.

Etsy Finds For Reading and Writing

Reading and writing are important things we should do everyday while stuck inside the house. Quarantine is a good time to finally finish your favorite book. And everyone should be keeping a journal of this historical pandemic so that we never, ever forget.

A Leather Bookmark. Etsy actually has a huge assortment of bookmarks. Many people have made the switch to online or electronic reading, but nothing beats curling up with a good book and a fancy bookmark.

An Old World Style Journal. I think this leather journal is just perfect for detailing all your pandemic chronicles. Imagine being able to pass this down to your kids or grandchildren one day? There’s something romantic and adventurous about living through this historical time period.

A Calligraphy Kit. Learning a new skill is great for our mental health and will keep you distracted while bored at home. Calligraphy is all the rage right now, despite it’s ancient background.

Etsy Finds For Organizing Your Kitchen

It’s not uncommon for those in quarantine to spend a lot more time in the kitchen. Whether you’re expanding your cooking skills, cleaning and decluttering or baking bread, these Etsy finds are sure to help out!

A Spice Rack and Jars. This rustic, reclaimed wood spice rack comes with matching glass jars so you can keep all your spices at hand and on display while you try out those new recipes.

Pantry Labels. While you’re busy organizing your pantry, get a set of matching labels to give it a professional look. And hopefully, your pantry will stay clean after quarantine is over.

Beeswax Food Wraps. If you’ve been meaning to start eliminating disposable plastic in your kitchen, quarantine is the right time to start. It’s healthier for you and for the environment, plus it will save you money and is one less thing you need to stock up on.

Etsy Finds To Keep You Busy

Etsy is one of the best places to find arts and craft supplies, as well as handmade items. Whether you want to start crafting, are looking for ways to incorporate art therapy into your life, or just need to restock some of your supplies, consider supporting a small business on Etsy.

A DIY Organic Soap Kit. Make your own soap at home, and don’t worry about the stores being out of stock. You can make handwashing more enjoyable with beautiful organic, hand made soaps. Or craft them as a gift for a healthcare or front line worker in your life.

A Weaving Loom Kit. Weaving, knitting, crochet, macrame… any of these crafts are great for your fine motor skills and offer a distraction from anxious thoughts. Try utilizing one of these crafts while meditating!

An Embroidery Kit. Make an adorable little critter with these embroidery starter kit. Another way to keep busy and learn a new skill.

Etsy Finds For Your Windows

Have you heard of the Hearts in the Window movement? People everywhere are decorating their windows to brighten their neighborhoods and send messages of hope. Etsy is a great place to find unique and beautiful decorations for your window so that you can spread joy in your own community.

Stained Glass Heart Suncatcher — enbleuetverre on Etsy

A Heart Suncatcher. This stained glass art piece resembles a dream catcher mobile and would look stunning displayed in your sunniest window!

Rainbow Heart Suncatcher. — ZorkaVenera on Etsy

A Rainbow Heart. I also love this colorful geometric heart. I’m sure when the sun comes through this stained glass heart, the entire house is filled with a flurry of color! This seller also makes them in other styles, including gorgeous mandala designs.

Window Clings. Another great option to decorate your windows is by using decals and clings. These simply stick onto your window and also reflect light through them for a rainbow effect when the sun shines through. Bonus – they work to deter birds from flying into your windows!

And finally, if you absolutely must leave the house during the pandemic, make sure you’re equipped with a proper face mask.

Face Mask with filter pocket. Several Etsy shops have started making and selling face masks to keep up with the growing demand. You can find some that are made of organic cotton, have a filter pocket, or with different designs and ear straps, which tend to make wearing them more comfortable. (But keep in mind that nothing sold on Etsy is considered medical-grade.)

These Etsy finds are just a few suggestions of the millions of products you can get to make your quarantine more enjoyable. And by making a purchase on Etsy, you can rest assured that you’re supporting a struggling independent seller or small business owner through this time of financial uncertainty. For postpartum depression printables, don’t forget to check out our own Etsy shop @RuninTrianglesBlog.

Remember to #StandwithSmall and #StaySafe!

5 Things to Do When You’re Feeling Over Touched

A mother’s touch is known to have magical healing powers for a child.

The connection between a mother and their child is as physical as it is emotional. They are a part of our bodies, we feed them from our bodies, and we comfort them with our bodies. Our bodies are the go-to place for our children when they need to feel safe and secure. So at the end of a long day, mothers often end up feeling over touched or overstimulated.

The sensation of being over touched can have a big impact on our mental health. With our skin being our largest organ, it’s no surprise that a large amount of extra stimulation can cause us to feel frazzled and overworked. We end up feeling irritable, annoyed, anxious or even angry. It can cause insomnia and other sleep disturbances. And feeling over touched can have an effect on our relationships as well because it’s unlikely we’ll want to be intimate at the end of the day, either.

If you are feeling over touched after a constantly caring for and hugging babies, try these five techniques to help reset your nervous system.

*This post contains affiliate and/or paid links which means that if you click on one of these links and buy a product, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Rest assured that I only recommend products that I love from companies that I trust. Furthermore, I am not a medical professional and nothing in this post should be taken as medical advice. I am simply a mother who has been there and lived to tell the tale.

1. Take a Time Out

It makes sense that if you’re feeling over touched, a quick fix would be to spend some time not being touched at all. It’s easier said than done for a busy mom, however. The sensation of feeling over touched on a regular basis can build up. Eventually causing worse symptoms, such as anxiety or depression. So it’s important to break that cycle of feeling over touched as regularly as possible.

Start by scheduling yourself some self-care time. Pick a day when your spouse (or someone else) is available to watch the kids in the evening and take an hour or two to yourself. Retreat to your bedroom or another comfortable space and focus just on yourself. You don’t have to do anything at all if you don’t want to.

If you can make this a regular habit, whether daily, weekly or longer, then you can reset your sense of touch and feel refreshed and re-energized. Having the kids crawl all over you may be unavoidable, but at least you’ll be better equipped to handle another round of it.

Self Care Routine for a Stay at Home Mom — .

2. Try Dry Brushing

Now, this one might sound like it makes a little less sense. If you’re already feeling over touched, then wouldn’t brushing your skin just make it worse?

If you’re not familiar with dry brushing, it consists of brushing your skin with a dry, natural bristle bath brush to help stimulate blood flow and massage the lymphatic system. It also has great skin exfoliation benefits, obviously. You can read more about dry brushing in this detailed guide.

One of the benefits of dry brushing is that it stimulates the lymph system, which is the system that is designed to cleanse our body of toxins and waste. Keeping this system moving throughout our bodies can actually boost our immune systems and keep us healthy. Dry brushing can produce an almost instant energy boost just by helping to circulate our lymph.

Dry brushing the entire body can help to reset the sensation of feeling over touched. It is a controlled and intentional way of stimulating the nervous system and sense of touch. Unlike being tugged at and climbed all over by our kids, we are in control of how our skin is being touched and stimulated.

3. Have a Hot Shower or Bath

Water can do wonders to wash away the feeling of being over touched. A hot shower, especially one with a massaging shower head, is another great way to provide full body stimulation to eliminate that feeling of being pulled and tugged at.

Try using thermotherapy, or alternating between hot and cool water, to encourage blood circulation and give you an energy boost. You can enhance the experience by using essential oil shower steamers or luxury soaps and body washes. A shower is especially wonderful after you’d tried dry brushing, as it helps to wash away all the exfoliated skin.

If you’d rather soak in the tub, then add a scoop of Epsom salts to the bath water or try some relaxing bath bombs. The magnesium in the Epsom salts will relax tired muscles and soften the skin. You can even brush your skin during or after the bath, just add a bit of coconut oil, or other essential oil to your brush.

And most importantly, don’t forget to moisturize afterwards. In fact, you should use a good quality moisturizer as often as possible throughout the day. Dry skin is much more sensitive to being touched. Winter can be especially harsh on skin, and if you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, feeling over touched can contribute to other symptoms as well.

4. Lie Under a Weighted Blanket

A weighted blanket, like dry brushing, is another form of intentional touch. It might sound counterproductive to use deep touch pressure therapy (DTP) when we already feel so over touched. But again, this is a different kind of touch that works like a giant reset button on our nervous system.

Think of a fussy baby being swaddled, or an anxious child being hugged tightly. Steady pressure that consumes our entire body at once can make us feel calm and boost our serotonin levels. But as an adult, it’s harder to find a way to create that sense of steady full body pressure.

Weighted blankets are an excellent solution. You can lie under a weighted blanket for anywhere from a few minutes to an entire night, depending on your preference. You are in complete control of removing it, so you don’t need to worry about feeling trapped or suffocated.

Using a weighted blanket can be especially helpful if feeling over touched is causing insomnia or night time anxiety. Over stimulation is a major cause of sleep disturbances. Using a weighted blanket can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night.

The hardest part about using a weighted blanket is trying to choose which one is right for you. There are so many options in weight, filling, covers and sizes so how do you even know where to begin? Here are some tips about how to choose the right weighted blanket.

5. Sensory Deprivation Tank

This is, perhaps, one of the more extreme forms of therapy for feeling over touched, but it’s also a luxurious way to relax and reset. Sensory deprivation tanks, or “float tanks” are popping up everywhere now. While it’s actually an ancient form of healing, they’ve become popular in modern society for their known benefits of relaxation.

If you haven’t heard of them, they’re basically a tank filled with water that is as close to your body temperature as possible. It also contains a high amount of Epsom salts so that your body easily floats and remains suspended in the water. It is designed to mimic the feeling of floating in space. Here is a detailed article that contains more information about sensory deprivation tanks and how they work.

In addition to the water, the tank is in complete isolation, which means that it’s dark and you’re cut off from outside sounds and smells. You are basically floating in complete nothingness. By depriving the body of all of it’s senses, you can be in a state of mindfulness and complete relaxation.

Everything You Need to Know About Postpartum Anxiety — .

As a mother, you’re always ready and prepared to give the hugs and cuddles and be the rock for your children to climb on. Even when you’re feeling over touched, you’d never want to deprive them of that. But you can give better and stronger hugs when you’re feeling relaxed and rested. This is why self-care is such an important task for moms.

If the thought of being touched makes you cringe, it doesn’t make you a bad mother. While you may have to take a few additional steps to reset your senses each day, the feeling won’t last forever. So take care of yourself, mama, and then hug those babies. Because before you know it, you’ll have to chase them down just to get one.

7 Ways to Make Your Space a Self Care Sanctuary

Creating a self care sanctuary in your own home is easier than you might think.

While the term “self care sanctuary” might sound fancy, it’s really just a place filled with things that make you feel comfortable and at ease. Having a dedicated space to practice regular self care can make doing it seem like less of a chore. For women battling postpartum depression and anxiety, it can be a place to get away from the everyday mess and chaos that’s associated with motherhood.

Your self care sanctuary can be anywhere you choose. It doesn’t need to be a separate room in your house – it can be your bedroom, bathroom, or even an outdoor space in your backyard. You should be able to access it easily and on a regular basis. Most importantly, it should be a place that you enjoy being and where you feel like you can focus on yourself, regardless of how much time you have.

Here are some tips on how to turn your space into a self care sanctuary.

Detoxify the Environment

The first thing you need to do to create your self care sanctuary is detoxify the space. Clean the area thoroughly using non-toxic cleaning products and get rid of any clutter or unnecessary items. A minimally styled space opens the door to peace and healing and will allow you to focus on yourself without being distracted (and let’s face it, who can relax in a dirty room?).

Once you have a clean, clutter-free space, you can start to incorporate different things to purify the air.

Burn some dried sage. The ritual of sage burning can remove the negative energy from within the room (also called smudging).
Light candles or incense to promote a healing environment. Try a Himalayan salt candle holder for extra purifying benefits!
Use essential oils in a diffuser. Here’s an all in one kit.
Adopt a houseplant. Choose one of several plants that clean and purify the air in a room. Outdoor spaces filled with flowers and greenery are also perfect locations for a self care sanctuary.

Your self care sanctuary is a place where you can go to detoxify from the inside out.

This is why it’s so important for it to be free of toxins and negative energy. The environment should never feel sterile, but it should feel fresh, clean and pure. Every mom should have a place where they can avoid dishes, dirty diapers and scattered toys – even if it’s just for a few minutes a day.

Select Comfort Items

When it comes to self care, comfort is essential. It’s almost impossible to relax when you feel too hot or too cold or if your clothes are restricting and uncomfortable. Escaping to your self care sanctuary means you get some time away from being climbed on like a jungle gym, or constantly being needed and pulled in different directions.

Consider all the different aspects that make you feel comfortable.

Choose furniture that you truly love to curl up in. It can be a bed, sofa, lounger, hammock, swing or something else. Try to think outside the conventional idea of comfort.
Dress comfortably, whatever that means to you. You can put on pajamas, a robe or even relax completely naked! Slip on some wooly socks, house shoes or try some toe spreaders.
Invest in a weighted blanket. Weighted blankets have been scientifically proven to help ease stress and anxiety.

Your self care sanctuary is the ultimate place of comfort and relaxation.

This means different things to different people. For example, I prefer to be warmer rather than cool and so I love my cozy blankets and fireplace. But someone living somewhere hot may need a fan or open window to feel comfortable instead. Try out different things until you find the right combination of comfort.

Surround Yourself in Beauty

Stimulate your brain visually and create a feast for the eyes. Even if you plan to keep your eyes closed the entire time, your self care sanctuary should still be filled with beautiful views. The things we look at each day, whether we focus on them or not, form part of our subconscious.

Use positive imagery to help retrain the subconscious mind.

Look out the window. If you have a naturally beautiful view through your window, then make it your focal point. If you don’t have a great view, install beautiful window coverings or hang plants or sun catchers instead.
Cover the walls. Cover the walls in artwork, favorite photos or motivational posters. Paint the walls a soothing color or make a chalkboard wall where you can write your own inspirational messages.
Decorate with intention. Lighting fixtures, decor, plants and furniture all contribute to the overall feel of your self care sanctuary. Try to choose pieces that you love or that have special meaning to you.

Your self care sanctuary is a visually stimulating place that inspires you.

If your self care sanctuary is normally a communal space, then you can still keep it in line with the design of the rest of the house. Print and frame quotes that inspire you and hang them up in the rest of the house too (Etsy is a great place to find some). Even if you don’t read them everyday, your mind will soak up the beauty, inspiration and positive vibes.

Just Survive Today and Repeat Again Tomorrow

Download these 4 FREE 8 x 10 Inspirational Prints in the Running in Triangles Free Resource Library, available exclusively to subscribers of the Postpartum Depression Survival Guide. Click here to subscribe.

Soothe the Skin

Our skin has a lot to put up with on a daily basis, and yet, it’s one of our most neglected organs. We can end up feeling really over touched at the end of a long day of caring for children. Treating the exterior of our bodies is a great way to feel refreshed and should be an essential part of any self care routine. As mothers, we tend to keep things low maintenance on a daily basis, sticking to the bare necessities of skin care.

Why All Moms Need to Spend the Day at Thermea — .

Escaping to a self care sanctuary is the perfect time for a little bit of pampering.

Do a home spa treatment. Apply a face mask, cooling gel eye mask (or cucumbers), coat your hair in coconut oil and wrap it in a warm towel.
Soak in the tub. Add some epsom salts to soothe sore muscles and absorb magnesium to help fight anxiety and depression. If baths aren’t an option, then soaking your feet offers the same benefits.
Exfoliate and Moisturize. Exfoliating the skin is a great way to feel refreshed and soften the skin but don’t forget to moisturize afterwards! Try this all-natural line from Rocky Mountain Oils.
Try dry brushing. This is one way to stimulate and exfoliate the skin while also improving blood circulation and reducing stress.

How to Reset When You're Feeling Over touched — .

Your self care sanctuary is where you go to feel renewed and refreshed.

Keep a basket of your favorite skin care products in your self care sanctuary. This way, you’ll be able to pamper yourself any chance you get. You don’t need to go all out on skin care every day, but remember to take care of yourself on the outside as well as on the inside.

Cleanse the Body

As important as it is to take care of the outside of our bodies, we also need to remember to take care of what’s inside as well. Leave any thoughts of dieting or weight loss outside the self-care sanctuary. Eating healthy food is something we should be doing all day long and not just during our self care time.

There are still things we can do routinely while in our self care sanctuary that help to cleanse the entire body.

Drink lemon water. This simple combination has many health benefits, especially for those suffering from depression and anxiety.
Indulge in healthy drinks. Sip on smoothies, green tea or naturally flavored water.
Take your vitamins. Make sure you’re eating foods packed with vitamins or invest in supplements.
Practice deep breathing. Take long, slow breaths to help clear the lungs and feel energized.
Meditate. Try different forms of meditation to find the right fit.
Perform a detox. A detox can be beneficial to the healing process if done correctly. Listen to your body’s warning signs and do your research before beginning a detox.

Warning Signs Your Body is Screaming for a Detox — .

Your self care sanctuary is where you can reset your mind and body.

Create a routine for yourself that includes daily trips to your self care sanctuary. Then incorporate all the things you should be doing on a daily basis, such as taking vitamins and checking in on your overall health and well being. Eventually, it will become second nature.

Make Room for Physical Movement

While your self-care sanctuary doesn’t need to be fully stocked with gym equipment, it should have enough space for some physical movement. You should never feel obligated to “work out” during your self care time, because that can cause added pressure and might make you avoid it altogether. But physical movement releases happiness-inducing endorphins, which are definitely a good thing.

There are several different ways to incorporate physical movement within your self care sanctuary.

Stretch. Simple stretching can loosen up a stiff neck or back, a common side effect of stress.
Run. Running on a treadmill can help to burn off extra pent up frustration or anxiety.
Yoga. This popular option has several benefits for treating depression and anxiety.
Dance. Turn on your favorite music and let it move you. You can literally dance like no one is watching.
Punch. If you find that you suffer from anger management problems or postpartum rage, install a punching bag.

amazing benefits of yoga for postpartum depression — .

Your self care sanctuary is an outlet for releasing emotions in a physical way.

The point is not to burn calories or build muscles. The point is to connect with your body, get your heart beating and find an outlet to express any negativity. And if you just don’t feel like doing anything physical that day, it’s perfectly fine. Don’t ever feel pressured to have to do anything at all during your self-care time.

Embrace Your Creative Side

A self care sanctuary should be a safe place for you to express yourself. Often, it’s hard to communicate what we feel using words alone. Art is a different outlet for expressing the stress and feelings that often get built up inside of us.

Artistic expression comes in a variety of different forms.

Journaling, drawing, coloring or painting. You don’t need to be a professional artist, and it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. Try one of these deluxe paint by numbers kits from Winnie’s Picks.

Crafting, knitting, sewing or macrame. Don’t try to copy something you saw on Pinterest. Instead, use it as a way to express yourself and only do it if it makes you happy. Check out some of these DIY craft kits on Etsy.

Woodworking. This one is a little more extreme but many people use woodworking as a form of therapy. The art of working with your hands to create something out of nothing can be so rewarding.

Singing or playing a musical instrument. Don’t feel like you need to be a good musician, sing along to your favorite songs or teach yourself how to play a new instrument without any judgement.

Blogging. This can be a job, but it can also be a hobby that helps you express yourself through writing and graphic design.

Your self care sanctuary is a place for self-discovery.

It might take some time to find the right creative outlet and it may change regularly. If there’s something new you wanted to learn how to do, then the serenity of your self care sanctuary could be the perfect place to start. You never know what you are capable of until you give it a try. Having some time and space to work on what’s important to you is a great way to practice self-care.