If you (like the rest of us) spend way too much time on TikTok, you’ve probably come across one of Eli Rallo’s (@thejarr) videos. Eli first found TikTok fame during the COVID-19 lockdowns as she made festive jars (hence the username) as gifts for her family and friends during quarantine. However, she gained a huge following as she started making her “Rules” videos. Eli has written rules for just about everything – she had rules for Thanksgiving, which included that one must watch the Thanksgiving parade with a Dunkin coffee, but also makes rules for things as mundane as the start of a new week (her rules for the week of October 11th included that one must attempt to hit 20,000 steps one day of the week).
Eli has over 400,000 followers, and many of them post on social media about how much they love following her rules. Eli’s rules have allowed her followers to spice up even the most boring things. As we all know, life started to feel super repetitive after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those who work from home. Eli accompanies each of her “Rules” videos with a voiceover explaining why she decided to include the things she chose. In reality, these are mostly Eli’s opinions –that Sundays must be reserved for Chipotle and that Tuesdays are the best days to do laundry, for example. However, including things like laundry in her rules lists makes them more fun, especially knowing that thousands of people now do their laundry on Tuesdays in solidarity with one another.
Making rules allows us to be excited about different events and time periods throughout the year that we might allow to just pass us by otherwise. As the end of February is approaching, we will soon be done with another winter. Here are my rules for the End of Winter:
- first warm day rule
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We’ve all experienced that random warm day at the end of February that gives us just a taste of spring for a few hours before it becomes freezing again. The First Warm Day rule says that although we all know that this day is just a fluke, we have to celebrate it fully. Do homework outside. Listen to country music. Go for a drive. Wear a cute spring outfit. Hang out with your friends even though you normally never do that on Tuesdays.
- get your hair done
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Getting your hair done before spring comes is essential. Once spring hits, you won’t have as much time on the weekends to wither away in the hair salon while you’re missing out on bottomless brunch with your friends. Get it done now so that you don’t regret waiting!
- invest in a staple spring piece
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Once spring hits, we are going to have to put away our winter clothes. Start gearing up for your spring wardrobe now. However, instead of buying hundreds of colorful tops from TJ Maxx, try to choose staples that you know you will wear all the time. Pick a few favorite colors and a few different style tops, for example, that you know you love. Or, invest in a really good quality pair of new spring jeans. This spring, we are going for quality, not quantity!
- new playlist rule
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Warm weather means we turn off the sad music and make a new playlist. Country is strongly encouraged. However, for the country haters (SMH), we recommend scrolling through your songs and adding any that feel like spring – yes, we said that. The songs “Personal” by HRVY and “Take a Walk” by Passion Pit just feel like spring. Choose whatever songs make you think of spring, and add them all onto a new playlist!
- spring cleaning
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Though spring means the end of seasonal depression, it also means the beginning of seasonal allergies. Dust and grime make seasonal allergies a lot worse. Deep clean your apartment, and make sure you get everywhere! Vacuum the rug under your bed, sweep the hard-to-reach places, and wipe down every surface.
- cook
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There are going to be lots of outdoor bottomless brunches and rooftop dinners coming soon. Use the end of winter as a time to save money and eat at home. Though eating at home will probably never be as fun, we can spice it up a little by cooking new recipes and inviting friends over to eat with us.
- make a plan
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The end of winter is going to be a lot easier to get through if you plan one thing that you are super excited about. Using your excitement to push you through the last of the cold, dark days will make it much easier! Plan a trip, a dinner you are excited about, or even just a fun movie night with friends for sometime in the near future.