Hi hi hi, loves! How are you all doing? Are you all surviving this time stuck at home? Hating it or loving it? I think we’re all feeling the strangeness of this, whether our routine has completely or hardly changed. I only have about three more weeks of classes, so most of my work is on final projects right now, and it’s a lot! But I’m still trying to find the beauty in this time and actually enjoy it in any way that I can. Through all of this change and uncertainty, I have felt so humbled by this experience. I am so blessed to be in a family that has made the best out of this in the way that we are comfortably at home together and enjoying these extra hours of family time. So overall, while I know there are so many people hurting from this, I hope we can all come out of this experience with some sort of benefit or new outlook or something of that nature. I’ve actually been making a mental list of the beautiful things that could come out of this. I truly feel like God knew that we needed some time to rest, spend time alone with our families, get more in touch with our faiths, or just detox our minds a little bit. While this is definitely a time of struggle, I hope it can also be a moment of reflection and beauty.
When my university announced that our classes would be transitioning to online, my initial feeling was excitement! I am that type of person who constantly has a million things waiting to be completed on a to-do list. I also am that type of person who feels like there needs to be another 5 hours in each day to accomplish everything I want to do. So when I considered the fact that I’d be staying home and doing all of my work online, I was so excited about how much I was going to get done! But let me be honest, it hasn’t been perfect each day and I haven’t gotten as much done as I could dream of.. who’s surprised! And sometimes even though you have have so many things on a to-do list you want to get done, you aren’t in the mood to do a single one of them. Seriously, I’ve had one or two days in the last two weeks where I’ve just felt sad and weird, probably because I’m hardly leaving the house and sitting still too much. But in those moments, even the fun things on my to-do list weren’t appealing. And that’s when you need to try a fun recipe and watch your favorite movie. So I compiled a little list of fun things for you all to do! Because maybe you’re having one of those days? Or maybe you’re jut getting bored of doing the same thing each day! Either way, here’s some ideas to cheer you up! Maybe you just need to feel productive for a few hours or maybe you need to chill. I feel you both ways!!!
grab a book
I loooooove to read, and it’s positively one of those things that I don’t do whenever I’m busy with school work or obsessed with a tv show. I also have a super long “to be read” list that deserves some attention!
Here are few from my list:
– Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
– The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
– Harry Potter (still haven’t made it past book 2, lol)
– Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
And a few of my all time favorites:
– The Selection Series by Kiera Kass
– Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
– To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Series by Jenny Han
– The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
binge that show
At pretty much any given moment, I have a show I’m watching when I have my own free time, a show my whole family is watching, and then a few other shows that some combo of my family members are watching. So right now, I’m watching 5 different shows, lol! We go through them quickly, though, so I’m always looking for a new binge series!
Some of my favorites to date:
– The Bachelor/Bachelorette
– Friends
– Gossip Girl
– Designated Survivor
– The Vampire Diaries
– Parenthood
– The Office
– Grey’s Anatomy
– Young & Hungry
New shows I’m loving:
– A Million Little Things
– The Morning Show
– Married at First Sight
– Love is Blind
movie marathon
Gahhhh I have SO many favorite movies. I’m a rom-com and drama fanatic, so if those aren’t your thing, this list might not be helpful, hehe!
New movies I’ve enjoyed:
– Five Feet Apart (if you need a good cry)
– Just Mercy
Some favorite movies:
– 27 Dresses
– Valentine’s Day
– Pretty Woman
– Instant Family
– The Other Woman
– Dirty Dancing
– The Greatest Showman
– He’s Just Not That Into You
– Burlesque
– The Holiday
– Gifted
– The Lucky One
– Friends with Benefits
– The Proposal
try some new recipes
I have such an affection for cooking and baking. My mom and I have been trying many new recipes in this time at home!
Here are some I want to try:
– Beignets
– Lemon Shortbread Bars
– Whoopie Pies (“gobs” if you’re from Pittsburgh)
– Robin’s Egg Oreo Macarons
make a master to-do list
You know how you usually have a few things you either need to do or want to do swimming in your head that you should definitely write down on a to-do list? I always have this happening! And then sometimes I’ll write a few things down on a post-it and a few other things in a cute notebook and then something in my notes app. My idea for you is to make one big, specific “master to-do list” of all of those tasks! And this definitely doesn’t have to be all things that are boring and you just need to do, like clean the windows, haha! My master to-do list has a whole section of things that I just really want to do and that are so much fun to me! When I have free time, I’ll almost always go to my list and see what kind of project or little thing I could do. Make it even more fun by putting it in your favorite notebook or whatever space works for you! I love the idea of putting it on paper, but it’s just so much more convenient for me on my phone/computer, so that’s what I do!
A few things currently on my list:
– rearrange bedroom furniture
– write out recipe cards
– talk to dad about saving money
– pick out decor pieces for basement
– work on vacation planning
– organize my google calendar
work on a project from your to-do list
Pick something to work on from the list you made!
play board games
If you several of you are looking for something to do, games are such a great option!! My family loves having an evening of snacks and games 🙂
Some of our favorites:
– Catch Phrase
– Wits & Wagers
– Word on the Street
– Word Slam
– Friends Trivial Pursuit
dive into your bible
This is a perfect opportunity to spend time with the Lord! I am currently reading through using my She Reads Truth Bible. I love the layout they designed, and they include devotionals throughout, too! It’s a great Bible if you want space for notes and want to follow a guide to read through!
write letters
This just seems like it would be a fun thing to do that isn’t something you’d always have time for. You could write to grandparents you can’t be near right now, a friend you’re missing, or just someone you feel like might need a sweet note. There’s something so lovely about a handwritten letter!
purge your stuff
This is so fun to me because I’m constantly in the mindset of trying to minimize all of my stuff… not really because I’m a minimalist, but because I like to try new things and old stuff ends of piling up, haha! When I say purge your stuff – this could be anything! I know a lot of people are spending this time going through drawers and closets, and that sounds great. You could also clean out some of your electronics. I know my camera roll and notes app are constantly in need of a good purge.
make a new playlist
I have a lot of days where I’m in the mood for just Adele and Ed Sheeran and wish I had a great playlist of some old faves. But I never end up making playlists, because it feels way too time consuming to me! This could be a fun thing to do if you’re bored!
treat yourself to some cozy clothes
I have been living in pajamas and sweatshirts for the past two weeks. Are you guys doing the same? I’ve already noticed myself wanting my old sweatshirts and hoodies to be just a little bit more put together so that I’m not feeling like a mess. I rounded up a bunch of loungewear items for you to shop! Let’s be cozy together, even if we’re far away!!
Tops
Bottoms
Other
Happy quarantine! Xoxo
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