Hi, friends. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy during this time of quarantine and self-isolation! It’s been a tough few weeks, that’s for sure. I can safely say I’ve never felt this level of uncertainty and uneasiness, so if you feel like you are in your head all day long, know you’re absolutely not alone. (For real, come chat with me over on Instagram here! We’re in this together.)
First and foremost, I want you to know I am sending lots of love and hugs your way! I know it’s a challenging time, but remember what an impact you can make, both for the best, but also for the worst. Stay home, stay safe, listen to authorities and do your part. It is so, so, so important. We can get through this together, but only if we all do our part.
So you’re home, you’re safe, you’re doing your part to be a positive change — and now it’s time to stay busy! As we are all quarantining, I wanted to share a list of productive, calming and fun activities to keep you from going too stir crazy! So many amazing companies are launching incredible ideas and generous free resources, so I’ll be sure to keep updating the list as I learn about more. Have even more ideas? Drop them below in the comments!
Hugs to you all (virtually, of course!). #TogetherApart
Productive To Do’s While at Home
Clean, clean, clean.
My excuse for a cluttered space is always that I don’t have enough time. Well, we’ve got that now. Here are some amazing resources on tips for decluttering, purging, organizing and deep cleaning:
- I’m Organization-Obsessed—Here Are 5 Everyday Hacks I Swear By
- The Small Closet Solutions I Rely on to Keep My Tiny Space From Spiraling out of Control
- How a Microbiologist Keeps His Home Clean to Avoid Spreading Germs
- Clever Cleaning Tips We Learned From Pro Housekeepers
- 10 Household Items You’re Definitely Forgetting to Clean
Check-in on friends and family. Virtually.
Social isolation doesn’t feel as lonely when you can have a Facetime happy hour, chat with friends and family on the phone, and just send some sweet pick-me-up texts throughout the day.
Clear out your inbox.
Another to-do that I typically file under the excuse “I don’t have time…” But here we are. While you’re at it, unsubscribe to emails you constantly just delete. Unroll.me is an amazing tool to help with this.
Do your taxes if you haven’t already.
Just because we got an extension, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hop on it now while we are at home! Now is a great time to work ahead and knock them out. Here are some tips to make tax season a little easier.
Get your workouts in at home.
I actually love getting workouts in at home. Your playlist, your rules, no commute. (Don’t get me wrong, I am missing my CycleBar classes SO much, but trying to find some positivity here.) Even if you only have a mat and yourself, you can still do so much. Pure Barre has on-demand online classes which I’m excited to try later this week (shoutout to CycleBar for the membership while the studio is closed). My coworker got me hooked on Melissa Wood Fitness too, which is another great Pilates-based, bodyweight at-home workout. I also hear the best things about Obé fitness!
Work on your passion project.
I definitely file this project (while still incredibly fun) under the productive category, as you never know when your passion project will become something so much more. For me, that’s this blog right here. I can’t wait to dedicate so much more time than usual to growing my blog and sharing content with you all! Don’t have a passion project just yet? Spend some time thinking and journaling about what you love to do — this article offers some really helpful advice on how to tap into your passions.
Make a vision board
I find vision boards SO inspirational! If you don’t have physical photographs, magazines, etc. around you, make a Pinterest board vision board to help keep you feeling motivated.
Clean your phone inside and out.
First, deep cleanse the outside of your phone to get rid of those mingling germs. Then declutter the apps you rarely use and sort through photos. You’ll feel so much better with a clean phone, side and out.
Cook with what’s in your pantry or freezer.
Make the most out of your cans of beans and bags of quinoa with these pantry staple meals or work through your freezer of veggies, meats and more with these meal ideas straight from your freezer.
Calming Things to Do at Home
Take an epsom salt bath.
Take a second to relax and unwind in a hot bath, and if you’re feeling tense like I am with all that is going on, soak a little extra longer in some bubbles and essential oils. I love throwing in epsom salts for some added muscle and stress relief. It’s also great for your skin. You could also try something a little different with a bath tea!
Diffuse essential oils.
I love having essential oils diffusing for some added stress relief. This set is an amazing budget-friend starter pack that I have used for a long time and if you’re looking for something a little more, this one has 18 different oils to choose from and is another great option.
Transform your room or bathroom into a calming retreat.
Set up some candles, play some calming music, throw a face mask on and some cucumbers over your eyes (because, why not?), maybe run a bath and zen out. I love this idea too for using pantry staples to create a DIY aromatherapy that can transform your whole house!
Put on a face mask.
Or ten. I LOVE face masks and find it so calming. During quarantine, I think I’ve gone through a face mask a day. To ensure you get the very most of a face mask, I love to use a facial steamer beforehand to open up my pores – this is the one I use.
Throw on some facial oil and jade roll.
Jade rolling almost always goes hand-in-hand with a face mask night for me… which is pretty much every night these days (and maybe mornings and afternoons too…). I love this rose quartz roller and always throw on some facial oil (like my favorite Trader Joe’s one or my newfound Honest Beauty face oil) right before rolling it out for a smoother roll.
Give yourself a mani/pedi.
Another incredibly relaxing part of my week: nail night! This is my absolute favorite nail polish that stays put for so long. I also love this option for a budget-friendly find.
Binge Netflix or Hulu – and don’t feel any guilt.
I give out no judgment at all to anyone to tells me they’ve finished an entire show (or three) start to finish during this stay-at-home time. We are constantly go-go-go in our lives, and while this certainly isn’t the happiest reason to pause and unwind, it’s what we’ve been given. Take a little pressure off yourself to do something productive and let yourself watch that trashy, silly show you’ve been wanting to watch.
Create an indoor plant garden.
I love filling my apartment with plants! They help to detoxify your air, decrease your stress, and I find it so rewarding to watch my plant babies grow. You don’t even need to leave your house to start your plant garden — The Sill is an amazing company that delivers plants right to your house!
Relaxation Essentials
Best of Skincare and Nail Care for At-Home Beauty
New Skincare Products I’m Trying
Fun Things to Do at Home
Have a FaceTime happy hour date or dinner party.
Connect with your friends over FaceTime and break open a bottle of wine. I know it’s not the same as a night out with friends, but it can feel close.
Shop, shop, shop – online.
I’ve spent the day exploring new skincare brands, ordering some new products to true, and buying some more comfy, at-home loungewear pieces. While you’re spending time shopping around online, think about small businesses you could buy from – they really need our help right now.
Learn a new recipe.
Crack open a cookbook or browse around on Pinterest and find a few recipes you want to try out. Add the ingredients to your list and rather than head into the grocery store, order your groceries for delivery (I am a HUGE Instacart fan). (And these delivery people are making such a sacrifice during this time to help keep us all healthy and at home, so tip them a little extra!).
Take an online class and learn a new skill.
So many online learning companies are being gracious enough to offer classes for FREE! Now is this perfect time to learn calligraphy or improve your photography skills. Brit + Co, one of my favorite creative companies, is offering free classes until March 31st with code SELFCARE.
Pick up a new hobby.
Now is the time to do the things you’ve always wanted to but have never had the time — as long as you can do it at home! Here is an amazing list of hobbies you can pick up at home.
Play a board game or cards.
My personal favorites: hearts and Yahtzee!
Read your pile of books.
If you’re not the greatest regular reader (like me) now is your time to tackle that pile of bedside books. Do you have some reading recs? Drop them below!
Work on your Pinterest boards.
I could spend days searching around on Pinterest, dreaming up my future home, gathering all of the OOTD inspo, and so much more. (Here is my Pinterest account and here is my new wedding planning profile, if you want to take a look!)
Tour a museum or zoo – virtually.
Zoos and museums are doing free virtual tours, so you can take a peek inside museums across the world from Amsterdam to London! How cool!
Cozy, At-Home Loungewear and Pajama Essentials
Sending virtual hugs your way! Drop any other ideas you have for at-home activities below. Stay safe, stay well, and stay home! XO