At this rate, staying inside has become the new norm. With living in Illinois, our COVID-19 cases have slowly been going down, but that doesn’t make me comfortable with dining indoors or going inside of anywhere without a mask.

For most young people in their 20s and early-mid (maybe even late) 30s, Halloween is celebrated for an entire weekend. Some call it “Halloweekend” and even have a costume for every day of the weekend depending on what party, bar crawl, or event they’re going to. 

In the age of a seven-month pandemic that’s still going on, it looks like Halloween is considered canceled this year for those who aren’t comfortable with going out during these times. That doesn’t mean you can’t do anything fun at all.

Here are some ways you could celebrate Halloween from inside:

1. Movies: Scary movies, funny movies, or any movie that gets you into the Halloween spirit is a fun way to celebrate. There are so many options on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

2. Cooking and baking: You don’t have to make worms in the cup pudding (unless you’re feeling nostalgic, by all means, go ahead) but cooking and/or baking your favorite fall foods is never a bad idea. A pot of chili and a loaf of pumpkin bread is the best types of comfort foods for fall.

3. Carving pumpkins: Usually, this is more stress and mess for me than it is fun, but there are some who genuinely enjoy this.

As we say goodbye to summer and fully get into fall (really though, the weather dipped about 20 degrees after Labor Day), the brisk autumn air that we all think of as a sign of relief from summer’s humidity could be a bit harsh on our bones, skin, and hair.

Personally, I feel like my skin especially suffers in the cooler months of the year. My naturally oily skin fights with the dryness of the air, making my skin more likely to break out. Even using three moisturizers and a prescribed Curology cream, my skin still isn’t looking its best during these months.

Collagen is a protein that makes up your hair, skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones (source). All aesthetic purposes to the side, our bones are more likely to ache up in the winter (I’m talking to you, past injuries) so collagen would be helpful in this case.

Some of the most popular sources of collagen are bovine, eggshell, poultry, and fish.

Now, some of those aren’t real ways to get it (unless you prefer your eggs with shells in them), but there are many forms of collagen supplements available on NHC.

As someone who avidly watches the news (especially now more than ever), it looks as if there’s not an end in the near future for Coronavirus. At almost seven months into the pandemic, people are starting to adjust and so are businesses. Outdoor eating, some taking higher risks with indoor eating, shopping, salons, gyms, you name it.

While a vaccine is still in the works, getting a flu shot this year is especially important, according to BBC. Getting the flu and coronavirus at once would be a disaster. 

In the meantime, this is a great time to reflect on the positive impacts vitamins and supplements have. It’s hard to get all your vitamins in from the day through foods unless you’re eating a perfectly balanced diet. Lack of certain vitamins could result in not feel 100% healthy, and could lead people into thinking they are sick when they are not.

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As if the unemployment rate isn’t already skyrocketing thanks to COVID-19, many college students and recent graduates are strapped for cash (more than they usually are, at least). Companies are laying off longtime workers left and right, so why would they start hiring a bunch of bright-eyed, entry-level, recently graduated students?

As for current college students seeking an internship, the competition is intense. With most colleges sticking to remote learning, also known as Zoom University, this allows some extra time throughout the day since most students are quarantined at home, in their dorm, or in their on-campus apartments. Companies sticking to remote work gives students an upper hand to balance online classes and an online internship which equals more competition.

It’s discouraging to be in the position of witnessing everyone either land a job, internship, or spontaneously make plans for grad school. There are only so many hours of the day where you could stand looking at a screen and filling out application after application, modifying your cover letter, and anxiously checking your email every 30-something minutes.

Here are a few ways I try to not let the strain of searching get to me:

1. Taking breaks: As someone who doesn’t want to take breaks for anything, this is one thing I’ll allow myself to do while searching. Going for a walk, listening to music, writing, making myself a cup of coffee, just about anything that shifts my mind from endlessly searching goes a long way.

1. Find another aspect of your life you want to work on: As someone who likes to keep in good health and shape, I have been trying my best to exercise more and eat cleaner. It’s hard to always eat clean when you’re at home and surrounded by delicious home cooking, so everything in moderation is good. However, I find myself feeling accomplished when I exercise or cook a healthy meal.

1. Accept that things are slowed down right now: Understanding that things aren’t how they should be is one of the most important steps. Students are in socially-distanced classrooms with masks, in Zoom classes, or taking a gap-semester. 

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This word has come up a lot in me and my friends’ vocabularies within the last few months. When did it arise? 

TikTok has brought manifestation and Law of Attraction into more of a limelight. Did I know about these before TikTok? Yes, because my mom is a strong believer in manifesting the things that you want with strong beliefs of getting them.

For anyone that doesn’t know, manifesting is having strong beliefs that you already have something you want. Basically, acting as you already have it is what’s supposed to make it come true.

There are limitations to this, of course. Everyone has freewill. You cannot manifest a person to do something because they have freewill.

My best friend swears by manifesting because after two months of focusing on getting a job she wanted in Denver, she finally got it. She purely believed that she would get the job and acted as if she was preparing to move. Some called her crazy for preparing to move before she even had the job secured (including her parents) but at the end of the day, she feels that she brought the beliefs of getting a job to her life by acting as if she had the job.

Ways to manifest are to picture yourself having something you want, listening to music that enforces the beliefs of what you want, manuscripting (writing how you’re grateful for the thing you want but acting as if you already have it), and meditating.

As someone who regularly attends concerts over the summer or throughout the year, I’ll spend a pretty penny to see my favorite bands and artists. Whether it means saving up internship money, working another part-time job, or babysitting as many hours as I could– going to concerts is one of the things I loved the most.

I’m not one for big rowdy crowds. Lollapalooza was something I could tolerate when I was younger. The older I get, the less I cared about being up close to the stage. Dealing with the shoving, possible dehydration, and being packed in a crowd like a can of sardines isn’t desirable for me. Smaller concerts with general admission seating and standing space or even arena shows were my favorites. 

With every concert I had purchased tickets for this summer being postponed until next year, it makes me think: How will this change concerts?

Since I don’t have that answer, I think that they’ll have far less people for seated concerts. For general admission shows, I don’t think they’re going to allow as many people in the pit as usual.

I also think that artists aren’t going to tour as much as they normally would. Some artists are used to touring back to back and spend so much time on tour. 

At the rate of things now, I think festivals will take a step back, too. There are the major festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza, but I think the smaller ones won’t happen as often either.

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Gyms reopening are considered high-risk during COVID-19. The gym I go to reopened with spaced out equipment, constant cleanings, and less people allowed in the gym at once.

I contemplated reactivating my membership for a few days. I used to run outside every morning without any issue, but Chicago’s temperatures have been climbing throughout these summer months and 90-degree weather isn’t something I could comfortably run in. I’d even wear a mask inside the gym if it meant going back.

I decided not to out of fear and anxiety of getting sick and it turns out that someone at that gym was infected, so the gym had to close for a day.

What I’ve done instead of going back is invest in equipment of my own.

I can’t afford to shell out almost $3,000 for a Peloton. Even if I could, they’re on backorder until November. I guess everyone had the same idea during quarantine, huh?

What I did instead was invest in a $300 indoor bike from Amazon. It was a hassle to put together, but it works just as well as one at the gym. I’ve also invested in a new yoga mat and some light weights to lift a bit.

Not everyone has this option as money could be tight, but here are some ways to get your workout in:

1. Outdoors: Biking, running, walking, hiking, you name it. Any of those burn calories and being outside puts you at less risk.

2. Build a home gym: You don’t need to go all out and buy a Peloton and recreate the gym you used to go to, but buying some cheaper equipment or gently used equipment could help.

3. Workout videos: I know some people swear by Chloe Ting and Fitness Blender videos, all you need is something to log onto YouTube with and you’re good to go.

“Fast fashion” is a term that not everyone is familiar with. It’s basically anything one could get at a mall for a reasonable price– so just about every store the average consumer could afford: H&M, Zara, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Gap, and so many more.

These brands are under scrutiny because their practices aren’t always sustainable. According to Phys.org, 1.5 trillion liters of water are consumed with chemicals every year due to fast fashion. With that being said, the common question is why can’t everyone afford sustainable fashion.

Sustainable fashion often costs more money than fast fashion. It’s easy for one to think we could all switch over, but when it comes to other expenses in life, that switch isn’t 100% doable for anyone. 

It’s elitist to think that everyone could afford a sustainable crewneck that’s going to cost $70 as opposed to one that’s only $30.

Thrifting is an option as well, but that’s something that comes with luck. Not every thrift store will have your size or style in decent condition.

Here are some ways you could minimize your use of fast fashion:

1. Thrift when possible: Again, it’s not always possible to find exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s a good idea to check.

2. Buy what you need: I’m not really a shopaholic. I buy maybe one to two new pieces of clothing every month or two, but that’s stuff I need. This summer, I was lacking on jean shorts so I ordered two new pairs. After that, I didn’t buy stuff just because I could.

3. Contribute to reducing your carbon footprint in other ways: Whether you’re using a metal straw or limiting your use of plastic, every little bit helps.

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Dragon fruit smoothies and kale and sweet potato bowls topped with quinoa have filled my Instagram feed for far too long. I’d always wondered what those smoothies filled to the brim and colorful harvest bowls tasted like, so I decided to do a trail of Daily Harvest.

Daily Harvest is a meal prep company that seems to be geared towards health-conscious people. The meals all consist of oatmeal with fruits and spices, harvest bowls which are quinoa and vegetables, flatbreads, smoothies, and soups. The part that makes this all easy-to-make is that the meals are frozen and could simply be heated in a microwave, stovetop, oven, or be blended in a blender.

Some of the pros I have are the following:

• Very easy to make: This is perfect for anyone who’s busy or doesn’t know what they’re doing in the kitchen. It’s also an easy meal to make when you don’t want to cook or getting lazy about it.

• Lots of variety: There are tons of options and you’re bound to find at least five things that you like.

• Flavor: For being a frozen meal company, the flavor is immaculate. Their ingredients are all-natural with lots of spices, it doesn’t taste like a frozen meal.

• Ingredients and nutrients are all listed: If you’re trying to track your calories, don’t worry about punching everything into a calculator. Macronutrients, ingredients, and calories are all listed on the back.

• Healthy: This isn’t your regular frozen meal that has a small slab of ribs with a barbecue sauce that you have to melt in a hot cup of water with a side of lumpy mashed potatoes. Instead, this is a healthy meal that’s just been made frozen.

Here are some of the cons:

• The price: This depends on what you get, but I tried to get more lunch and dinner options rather than smoothies and breakfast options. For 14 meals, I paid about $90. The first time I almost ordered, it was $75 for 14 but that’s because I chose a lot of the smoothies which are a tad cheaper.

• Hunger strikes again: As tasty as these are, you’ll find yourself digging through the fridge or pantry in a few hours. I think these meals need to be more filling. Some harvest bowls were as low as 180 calories for the entire bowl. To me, that’s more of a side dish that accompanies the entree.
• No meat: This depends on what kind of lifestyle you live, but if you’re a meat-eater then this meal plan might not be for you. Almost all the options (I might be mistaken, it could be all) are vegan. I think these meals are missing a main source of protein. Whether it’s a chicken breast or baked tofu, I think something needs to be added to these meals to get that protein in.

• Hit or miss: You know your taste buds and what you like and don’t like, but I did order some meals I thought would be good that turned out just being an odd flavor. 

All in all, if you have the money and want to try a new meal plan, I would give this a go. However, go into it with some reminders that these might not be for everyone!

As someone who tries to eat healthy as much as possible, looking at the ingredients in something is the first thing I do. I’m not a nutritionist and there are always varying opinions online when it comes to the best way to eat.

I’ve also been that person who has tried multiple diets (or ways of eating) to see what works best. I’ve found that no one diet works for everyone or feels best for them. For me, I think moderation works best.

One thing I’ve noticed that just a lot of dieticians talk about online is stuff that says “low fat”.

Why low fat? When looking at a pie chart of carbs, fats, and protein, the fats have more calories than carbs and protein. Carbs and protein have 4 calories per gram, but fat has 9 calories per gram. With that being said, it’s obvious that the fats have more calories than protein and carbs. This makes people scared of them and pushes them towards buying low fat products.

Here’s why you shouldn’t fall for low fat products:

When you buy low fat, that means less fat in the product. Since there’s less fat, there are filler ingredients such as sugar or another processed ingredient. While there’s nothing wrong with eating sugar, replacing a pure ingredient like fat with something that may be more unhealthy isn’t always ideal.

Think of low fat peanut butter. Yes, it is lower in calories than regular, but it has more sugar to balance out the taste..

All in all, stick to natural products, full fat and all.

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