10 At-Home DIYs If You’ve Forgotten How To Do Things For Yourself
by Amy Leisner
As if the shock and confusion of self-isolation and social distancing aren’t enough, adapting our lives to this new reality has been the icing on top of the really shitty, dry, not-moist cake that is 2020. And this crisis, along with forcing us to now face a million new daily challenges and some of our deepest, darkest fears, has also lead some of us to confront this pathetic reality: there are so many things we’ve basically forgotten how to do ourselves.
All of those little things that we were so accustomed to outsourcing? We now have to do them ourselves. And yes, that might sound whiny and privileged, but everything is infinitely harder for everyone right now, which gives us way more appreciation for our usual little luxuries, like our daily $2 drip coffee from Starbucks.
CV19 has knocked all of our routines out of whack. It’s made us slow down a lot, but also scramble to keep some kind of normalcy in our lives. We’re making our coffee in-between figuring out 4th-grade math problems and wondering if “today’s the day” we try to do our own dip manicure.
So much has been so far removed from our skillset that we’re having to relearn it as we go - and it’s pretty annoying. But the good news is that some of these little tasks aren’t all that hard. You might have to be re-taught or reminded how to do them once, but then you’re good to go. You might even like the way you do it better, or uncover some kind of a secret talent or hobby along the way.
1. Make drip coffee that isn’t gross.
That daily stop at the coffee shop on your way to work was probably one of the first things to go under the Stay at Home order, so now you’re faced with making your coffee at home. Some of us use a French press or have an actual espresso machine, but dusting off your old filter drip coffee pot can be an acceptable, if not enjoyable, alternative.
First, make sure your coffee pot is clean. The best way to do this is to run a solution of two parts water and one part vinegar twice, and then just a cycle of water to give it a good rinse. Second, choose a decent whole-bean coffee to grind at home. You don’t necessarily need the gourmet, small-batch stuff that costs $3/bean, but you also deserve something nicer than Folgers. If you’re using a paper filter, give it a quick rinse with water to get rid of impurities.
Ratios are the most essential part. You don’t want watered-down coffee, but you don’t want to be drinking sludge, either. Two heaping tablespoons of coffee for every 16 oz. of water should be just right. Flip the switch to brew your coffee, and then turn it off when it’s done so the flavors can settle.
If you want to take it one step further and do all of this the night before and set your timer to auto-brew the next morning, I promise you won’t regret it.
2. Falling Asleep.
For many of us, we rely on our routines, being in the world, and exercising, to wear us out by the time we collapse into bed. Our days are certainly taxing, but so much of it is emotional. Even if you’re not typically a person who does this kind of thing, try some stretching before bed, and use this truly incredible app for a guided meditation. We recommend the mesmerizing voices of Kate James and Hilary Jackendoff for guaranteed, deep sleep.
3. Blow dry your own hair.
Ok, so many of us still blow dry our own hair and don’t fully depend on Drybar. Remember the magic that women in the 80s created simply with a blow dryer, curling iron, round brush, and a lot of aerosol hairspray?
The 2020 version is much easier, and less damaging to both your hair and your ego. First, take a shower and wash your hair. (Bonus DIY tip: install this water filter as a fun and isolated weekend project if you struggle with dry skin.)
Once you’re out of the shower, go easy on the towel drying. A lot of people scrub too hard with the terry cloth towel, which can be damaging and cause frizz. Now that your hair is wet but not dripping follow these simple steps. And if you know that certain products or techniques just don’t work with your specific hair type, modify as needed.
Get your tools in place. Most people will just need a decent blow dryer, a paddle brush to get out tangles, and a round brush for styling. The longer your hair, the larger the round brush should be. This part’s important: before you dive in with the round brush, dry your hair about 80% of the way.
Now divide your hair into 4 parts: the crown, each side, and the back— clips or some extra hair ties are helpful for this step. Tackle the crown section first. Use your round brush to pull sections of hair up as you hold the hair dryer to blow down.
Real talk: this is substantially easier said than done. It might take a few tries to get it right, but the only way to learn is through practice. If the brush gets stuck, don’t pull it out, calmly unwind it. Round brushes act out when you get nervous. Stay calm.
Dry the crown and each side with the round brush, and lightly clip them when you’re done. These sections will mostly cover the back, so just make your life easier and dry the back using the paddle brush. Finish your look with some cool air on your roots, and your favorite smoothing cream or a little hair spray.
To make the blowdry last longer, use minimal products the first day, sleep with it up in a loose bun using this specific scrunchie at night, and apply dry shampoo every day afterwards, as needed.
4. Come to terms with the end of your lash extensions.
Lash extensions. Such a time-saver, right? And the perfect way to look “done but natural” with minimal maintenance? Well, not so much once you can no longer get them filled. It’s time to accept this loss and focus on keeping our lashes healthy, so that when we finally reunite with our lash person, there’s a healthy crop of lashes ready for her.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any safe over-the-counter solutions for removing your professional lash extensions. But hey, this could be an opportunity for someone to invent it! And we know— it’s incredibly tempting to pull out the last couple of lashes because they look weird and out of place. And will you probably disregard this advice and yank those last suckers out anyways? Yes. But if you can resist, it is advised, because you’ll be pulling out healthy lashes that could leave you with bald spots, and those take forever to grow back in.
Natural lash cycles take a couple of weeks, so be patient. Focus on nourishing your lashes by adding a lash serum to your nighttime routine, and adding this step at night allows the serum to absorb as you sleep. If you’re still putting on makeup during the day (why though?), even if it’s just a little bit, remove it at night. Sleeping with mascara can damage your lashes and make them break. There’s no quick transition out of lash extensions, but at least you’re not going anywhere. And worst case scenario? You can always glue on some quick falsies in a pinch.
5. Learn the art of setting a proper table.
We miss going out to eat. We miss sitting down to a properly set table where all the little forks and knives are in just the right spot, and someone is there to tell you what to use at what part of the meal and clear off the used stuff when you’re done with it, and then wash it for you.
You can recreate this atmosphere, minus the busser, at home, and it doesn’t take nearly as much time as you think. You might finally have an excuse to use the China that you got for your wedding as an unsolicited gift from your great aunt to “keep it in the family.”
Start with a table cloth, placemats, or chargers to give your table some instant ambiance. Forks go on the left and knives and spoons on the right. Remember this because “left” and “fork” both have four letters. Work outside in, from small to large. Small salad fork on the far left, dinner fork on the inner left, dinner/butter knife on the right, and soup spoon on the far right. Line your water glass right above the dinner/butter knife. Stemware goes on the right above the spoons and the bread plate on the left above the fork. The dessert fork and spoon can hang out right above the dinner plate, parallel to the edge of the table.
This is the fundamental way, but there are different combinations based on what you’re serving. It can be fun if you’re into dining and entertaining. And although you might just be “entertaining” your partner and possibly some children, it’s excellent practice for all of the future dinner parties you’ll now be having.
6. Learn how to properly procrasti-bake.
Are your social media feeds full of homemade baked goods too? If your binges of The Great British Baking Show have convinced you that baking is a fun, soothing way to pass the time, but you’re not quite ready for the intricacies of baking bread (yeast? Proving?), let’s stick with cake.
The essential ingredients of a cake are flour, sugar, eggs, butter or oil, a liquid like milk, and leavening agent like baking powder. Here’s a full list of cake recipes that you can scroll through until you find the one that speaks to you. Or just the one that you can make with the ingredients currently in your pantry.
Before you dive in, there are a few simple baking terms you should know. “Cream together” means that you use a fork to mush together these semi-wet ingredients (like sugar and butter) to form a paste-like consistency. “Beat in” means that you more vigorously stir in something, like eggs, with a fork or whisk. “Combine” means carefully mix a little bit in at a time, so it blends more evenly.
7. Mix a simple cocktail.
Welp, turns out that a global pandemic, weeks of social isolation, and being locked up with our loved ones all day is causing us to drink. A lot. Who would’ve guessed? But maybe let’s resist opening a second bottle of wine tonight, or just remove the straw directly from that tequila bottle, and turn, instead, to a craft cocktail. Because they’re easy to make, but they also take some time, so you’re not just treating yourself to something fancy and fun and new, but you’re also practicing some healthy moderation because you just can’t make 15 of them at a time.
Just like cake, cocktails start with some essential building-blocks, and once you have those down, you can get creative with the rest. All you need for a great cocktail is a tumbler, ice, booze, some kind of a wash (or “mixer” to use the ole’ college term), a shaker or another tumbler, and a garnish. Fill your tumbler full of ice, tap it on the counter to make the ice settle, and add more if there’s room. Measure your booze, or use the finger measure technique to look and feel like a real pro— the height of two fingers-worth of alcohol is a standard pour. Fill the rest of the glass with your wash.
The trick to a great cocktail is how you mix it. Don’t just stir it around a little with your finger. Grab that other glass or shaker, dump the whole thing in there, and pour it back in your glass. This is also your chance to add a salt or sugar rim before you pour it back in. To review: ice, booze, wash, dump, rim, pour back into your glass, garnish, and voila. When you’ve got that down, you can get fancy and creative with your concoctions.
One insanely easy recipe that always makes you feel like a sophisticated railroad heiress from the 1920’s? A negroni. Place a large square ice cube in a short glass tumbler. It MUST be a large ice cube, and it MUST be a short glass (a Negroni served in a martini class is just condescending). Using the two-finger rule from earlier, pour in equal parts Campari, Vermouth, and gin, which are all usually shockingly available from Trader Joe’s. Stir vigorously with a fancy cocktail stirrer (or a spoon or a straw, because who has a fancy cocktail stirrer). Garnish with an orange peel if you feel like it. It takes about 3.5 minutes to make, and you will have transformed your kitchen into the trendiest craft cocktail joint in the city.
8. You can still have an at-home massage that’s effective and relaxing.
Doing your own massage, or even receiving one from someone who’s not a certified massage therapist, can be less than enjoyable. And using just your own hands to massage another part of your body kind of sucks too because now your hands need a massage.
If you’re going to get just one massage tool, get a massage gun. There are different brands and price points, but they are honestly delightful. Here’s a list with some coupon codes to check out, too, if you’re interested.
There are different designs with different attachments, depending on your needs and budget. Follow the instructions carefully, of course, to prevent injury, but particularly for larger muscle groups like your back, thighs, glutes, and calves, these massage guns are dreamy.
9. Wash your delicate clothing without fucking them up.
Do you even separate colors anymore? We all just wash everything on cold with a fragrance-free detergent, right? You might have some clothing items that need a little extra care, so let’s treat them with the respect they deserve. Let’s also take some time to appreciate our friendly dry cleaner on the corner who just magically fixes our buttons and gets our stains out, too.
Washing delicates is more involved than you might think. Like most things we’ve gotten used to handing off to a professional, it’s not necessarily “hard,” just time-consuming. Not all delicates are created equally, and after we separate our delicates from the rest of our laundry, we have to separate them from each other. If you haven’t abandoned this project by now, you’re a better person than I.
You have to first decide if the fabric can be tackled DIY style at all. Some might just have to wait until dry cleaners are accessible again. If spot treatment is possible, you’ll want to start by pretreating the stain with a simple stain solution and gently dab it onto the spot. After you’re done spot clearing, soak the item for about 30 minutes. Don’t vigorously ring out the item afterward, either. Press it down to get the water out, or place it on a towel and roll it up to get the moisture out and then hang to dry. Find all the details of the process here.
10. Groom your own dog.
We love them. They’re the best coworkers and emotional support systems. But we also love dropping them off at the groomers for a bath and a trim. So if it’s been a while since you’ve taken on these dog-grooming tasks, here are some helpful tips.
If their nails are getting wild, this is an option, though do your own independent research, and read copious reviews, when it comes to tools like this.
Brush out their coats before the bath to catch any matted spots, and brush or cut out the matted fur if you can. The water shouldn’t be too hot, and even cooler for large-breed dogs that are prone to overheating. Use a doggy shampoo and rinse it out thoroughly, so it doesn’t irritate the skin when it’s dry. If you don’t have a go-to shampoo, this one is hypo-allergenic and great for dogs with sensitive skin, though with any pet, this can all be personal preference. It comes in a huge container, but you can decant into a soap bottle for ease.
Air dry is best, but if you want to use a dryer, just keep it a cool setting - again to avoid overheating. They’ll zoom around the house usually when they’re wet, so don’t freak out. Keep a calm and positive tone, so your pup knows that they’re not being tortured, and reward them with a lot of love and treats when you’re done.
Amy Leisner is a Long Beach-based freelance writer who covers wellness for The Candidly. You can find more of her articles here.
