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What started as a side hustle for two creative, driven sisters has now become one of the Midwest’s premier event planning and design firms. At Elevate, we find pure, unbridled joy in celebrating all aspects of life - big moments, small gatherings and anything in between.

Working from Home: Winter Edition

Whether we like it or not, the new year is in full swing, yet many are still working from home, much longer than anticipated. Some folks are even making the permanent shift to at-home offices! Whether you are loving your work-from-home life (from your desk/kitchen table/bedroom/couch) or you are dying to return to seeing people in real life again, it is ALWAYS fun to hit the refresh button on your routine and space. Our team has always operated virtually, so we are here to bring you our updated work from home tips and advice… winter edition!

Here are some of our teammates’ best tips to successfully work from home during the winter months:

Kirstie

Kirstie recommends having an actual desk or surface for your work space – it really is a game changer and allows her to sprawl out papers, her planner, and all of the liquids (coffee + water all day, sometimes wine if she’s working or hosting virtual gatherings into the night). 🙂

She also highly recommends getting ready in the morning, versus rolling out of bed and remaining in pjs/glasses/hair up all day. It results in a much more productive day!

April

April starts each day with 3 gratitudes, journaling, and reading a chapter in a personal development book. In trying times like these, it’s how she maintains a positive and well-rounded outlook on whatever may be going on. After working on herself, she writes out her daily schedule and to do’s in her planner sheets! It has been so helpful to start her day off on the right foot AND maintain a positive outlook through it all. 

Eve

Eve highly recommends The Daily Page Planner for organization and intentionality. The premise is intentionally setting up your day to be productive AND well overall. There are a couple of versions (one has a journal built in!) and many additional resources by our good friend, Dani Bruflodt. Pair these helpful tools with a warm cup of tea and you’re set for the day!

Eve also has found that a fresh face keeps her looking good for those endless Zoom calls AND keeps her focused! Lately, she has been loving micellar water or facewash, the use of a great moisturizer, and serums from Beauty Counter! She loves how clean the products are and that they last forever!

Meredith

Meredith makes sure to get outside at least once a day for a walk, regardless of the weather. A true Wisconsin girl!

Likewise, she is most productive in the morning, so setting aside her most difficult tasks to complete in the A.M. hours keeps her workday flowing.

Katie

Katie has a few must haves to get her through the work day! She starts her mornings with a line-up of candles, coffee, and music. Mid-day she and her partner, Lucas, make a point to eat lunch together. Finally, after her workday, she looks forward to doing yoga classes a few times a week!

Being a fellow small business owner, she also has scheduling tips.  Katie tries not to put too much on her to-do list to avoid feeling overwhelmed. She tries to stick to a top three each day, and then if there’s time, complete the other tasks that need to be done. Scheduling a “clock out” time and being done for the day is a goal that she has in place for herself as well to not let her work linger into the evening hours.

Kelsie

Kelsie’s tip for working from home would be to break up your day with a winter walk! Go outside and enjoy music, a podcast, or just the calm of the outdoors to break up the day!

Another suggestion she has is that if you don’t have a home office, switch up where you work in your home. This practice gives yourself more of a fresh start and changes the scenery a bit.

Mallory

Mal’s work from home tip (since becoming a mom to twins) is to treat yourself with some “cozy chic” outfits so you can still feel put together without having to actually put on real clothes. She loves her ivory sweatsuit!

Amber

Amber’s advice is keeping a routine so life at home can feel somewhat normal! Whether that be having a set time to journal every day or getting out for a walk. Something that helps you feel like there’s some semblance of normalcy in this crazy world we’re living in is a game changer.

Camille

In terms of routine and flow, Camille likes to make her to-do list actionable by putting her list items into her calendar. By putting her endless lists into a calendar, it gives them all a time in order to be more tangible and less overwhelming. Another thing she likes to do is make sure to schedule in screen-less activities such as a walk, reading, journaling, or cleaning.

For must-have products, she is currently loving The Ordinary skin care to fight maskne and boost hydration. Another go-to item in her beauty line-up is a good claw clip. It gives her Zoom look a refresh with a simple hairstyle. The last item that Camille recommends is to switch out the typical desk light with a mini table lamp. It is an instant style upgrade!

We hope that you have a productive and refreshing work week and work-from-home winter with these tips, advice, and products! We’d love to hear what you can’t live without this winter!

XO,

Elevate