We are almost at the 2 month mark as to when we started to change our way of life. Sometimes, it seems so much longer than that! As someone who prefers to be at home, I embraced our quarantine time in the beginning. We had more family dinners than before, we played games every evening, we caught up on all our TV shows and even started some new ones. Well…. that was fun for the first couple weeks. Then time dragged on, life lost its’ excitement and it truly was like living the Groundhog Day movie. I had 2 choices, I could be bored and full of complaints or I could get creative. I chose to get creative! In 4 years, Bella will be off to college so I became determined to make the most of this time, while being safe and putting everyone’s health first.
Now I needed to expand our fun beyond board games and the television. Not that there’s anything wrong with those things. Heck, sometimes watching mindless t.v. is good for the soul!
I’m sure there are others stuck in a rut where one day seems no different from the next. I made a list of activities you may want to try if you find yourself or your family complaining of being bored.
*Organize part of your house. Maybe a closet, cabinet or even your make up drawer.
*Become an artist outside. Decorate your mailbox, driveway, or yard. It will put a smile on your face, your neighbors, waste management and your mail carrier!
*Grab that book you’ve been wanting to dive into! Head to a comfy spot in your house or outside and get lost in the book without feeling guilty!
*Take time to learn a new language. I’m currently learning Spanish through Rosetta Stone. I spend about 30 minutes a day online. I have really enjoyed Rosetta Stone as it has speech recognition to ensure you are speaking the language correctly.
*Throw caution to the wind and learn a new dance. You can use YouTube or TikTok. Since we have a teenage daughter, we went the TikTok route. We had a blast laughing at ourselves!
*Have your meal outside. It could be breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a glass of wine. Sometimes just switching up the scenery makes it more enjoyable and adds a little spice!
*Plant some seeds. They could be flowers, fruits, veggies, whatever floats your boat.
*Go old school with outdoor game choices! Break out that frisbee you haven’t used in forever. Or grab some water guns and challenge your family to a spray off. You could even just turn the hose on and chase one another.
*Put on your apron and try a new recipe. You could cook around the world. Play music from the same area that the recipe is from. Get creative! You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you would like. I had been seeing all the pics of whipped coffee also known as Dalgona coffee. So what else was a girl to do but give it a try! It was different yet yummy!
*Take a drive. Sounds silly, I know. But the hubby and I got some delicious iced coffee, put on Pitbull radio and just drove around town. We got some neat ideas for landscaping and had fun dreaming about some of the houses we saw.
*Grab a fishing pole and some bait (hey a piece of hot dog works in a pinch) and see what you can catch!
*Lit up a firepit. Gather around and put on some music and then put away all devices… cell phones included! And talk. Talk about favorite memories, places you want to visit, fears, anything. Just connect with each other!
*Try a new hobby. Anything you’ve been interested in that you didn’t have time for before? Now’s the time to actually give it a go! I got back into making jewelry. Nothing fancy, just simple beaded bracelets with words that have spoken to me throughout this pandemic.
*This next one is a given after all the cooking, baking and snacking we have been doing-Workout! Maybe you stopped working out or maybe this is just a great time to start your fitness journey. Either way, find something you like to do that is also good for your body and health. Maybe it’s weightlifting, jogging, yoga. Whatever it is, just get out there and do it! I have been using the FitOn app and have fallen in love with it! The variety is endless AND it’s free!
*This next one goes along with working out but you can easily do it as a family. Put on your sneakers and head out for a walk or a bike ride. It doesn’t need to be a race. Just get out there and spend time together while moving your body!
*If you live near the beach and it’s not too crowded, relax there. If your local beach is too crowded to follow social distancing guidelines, try to go at “off time”. We have been going in the evening and it’s not been busy at all. We haven’t been going swimming but we bring dinner or a book or some music and just relax and soak in the views! Trust me, it is good for your soul!
*Venture out to a local produce farm or stand. We went to one and got the yummiest watermelon and tomatoes! It was also a great way to support local farmers!
To say that Quarantine is tough is an understatement. We are all struggling on many levels. Our uncertainty is high as we have so many unanswered questions and worries. But I challenge you to do something positive for yourself and your family. Focusing on worrying will not solve anything. As the saying goes, worrying does not fix tomorrow but it takes away today’s peace. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Try to smile, try to have fun and stay hopeful!
