More Quarantine Tips + Tricks.

Places are starting to open up again, and COVID-19 restrictions are starting to loosen. However, I find that I am still spending a lot of time at home in attempts to avoid those who are being overly zealous and going out in public and maybe even being a little bit less safe and cautious than they should be.

With that said, in the same vein as my last post, I wanted to continue the list of tips n tricks that I've been using to keep myself occupied while at home during this season!

1. Find a new hobby!

This is the only tip on this list that I haven't actually done yet, so that's why I put it at the top of the list. Maybe I should be doing this? Maybe I already kiiinda have actually??? My boyfriend wanted to know if I could draw (I told him I can only draw stick people), so I followed a Pinterest tutorial for drawing a daisy. It turned out sorta okay?! But I haven't touched this hobby again because I'm afraid I won't be able to draw anything else haha. 

2. Make use of fun resources like Netflix Party + YouTube Party.

Okay, so YouTube Party isn't that great and momentarily goes out of sync when an ad comes up, but for my boyfriend and I who live 4,500km away whether quarantine is a thing or not, it works pretty well! Netflix Party is great too (and a lot more legit!!). I've used that to watch movies with my youth small group, and new episodes of shows with my best friend! So fun.

Netflix Party can be installed here.

There are different YouTube Party extensions, but this is the one I've used.

Both of those are Google Chrome extensions, just fyi. Super easy to install though!

3. Do something that's helpful for someone else.

Things have been a little bit crazy and stressful in my household recently, so I've taken it upon myself to always get the dishes done when my mom is at work so that she won't have to think about doing them when she gets home! Honestly, doing the dishes is my least favourite chore of all chores in the world... Except taking out the garbage, I suppose. But knowing that I'm doing the dishes for my mom always makes it worth it. It never takes as long as I think it will which is helpful too. And so is blasting music.

4. Buy some plants!

This seems kinda random, probably because it is. But I've always wanted to have some cute little succulents in my room, so as soon as garden centres opened up again, I went out with my mom and bought some! They're pretty low maintenance which is great, but they still keep me sane by brightening up my room and reminding me to momentarily take care of someone/something else other than myself. It's the little things, folks.

5. Find creative ways to do things with people you'd normally see in person.

Usually go for coffee with your friends? Make some coffee, tell them to do the same, and then chat over FaceTime! You can do this one-on-one, but you can also use the group FaceTime option to stay in touch with a whole friend group at once. Usually see your relatives for birthdays/holidays? Learn to play euchre online and play with your relatives. Yes, this is something my mom's side of the family has actually been doing. I'm not the biggest fan of euchre, but it's all about staying in touch with the fam. On Trickster Cards, you can turn on your webcam and video chat while you're playing! Super fun, and there are more card games on that site than just euchre.

6. Keep your space tidy.

Similarly to my "have some type of routine going" tip in my last post, this is another small trick that just keeps you feeling kind of productive and put together. I love making my bed, dusting surfaces off, watering my succulents (only once a week though), and diffusing some essential oils. I've also been systematically going through different sections of my room and getting rid of old stuff that doesn't serve me anymore. It's been great!

7. Do some online shopping!

This last tip is something that isn't necessarily for everyone, and isn't great for your pocketbook, but it sure is fun! I bought some cute little pots for my succulents (this post is secret all about my lil babies hehe🌱🌵), some new skincare products, another pair of sweatpants - quarantine essentials amiright?!, and I now have some tank tops on the way! Again, maybe not the greatest tip, but I've enjoyed it.

Well, happy first day of summer everyone! I hope you're staying healthy and sane, and maybe even getting out to a patio, or going through a Starbucks drive-thru today. Let's continue to prioritize the health and safety of ourselves and others. Just because we're bored (yes, we all are, not just you) doesn't mean that this pandemic is over!