I wanted to share a fun post with you guys today. After two months of not being able to go anywhere but to work, we've all had to get creative with our free time. I know a lot of us are coming out of the lockdown slowly but surely, but we still have some time to go until life goes back to normal.
So without further ado, here are some of my favorite things that helped me get through isolation.
1. My Kindle Paperwhite
I bought my kindle six years ago, and I forgot I had it for a while. Most electronics don't last many years, but to my surprise, when I fired it back up, it was as good as ever. I've always been more of a fan of "real books" you can hold and smell and turn the pages of, but when you can't afford brand new books and shipping, kindle is the way to go. I also used to go to the library to pick up books I liked, but that hasn't been a possibility lately. So I've been renting out a lot of ebooks, which saves me time and money that it takes to go to the library.
2. The Library App
Speaking of the library... Did you know they have an app for downloading ebooks and audiobooks? I've been crazy about audiobooks this year and have listened to dozens already in the past months. You do have to put certain more popular books on hold and wait a little, but it's free reading!
3. My Crock Pot and Blender
I'm ashamed to say I got really lazy about cooking at home since we've moved and both have busy jobs. But since it's been harder to go out to eat (not to mention we sat down and figured out how much money we'd been spending on eating out), I decided to get back into the kitchen. My biggest friend's been my crock pot, where I can just throw everything in and be done with it.
I use the Yummly app, where I can save and categorize recipes, and it also has features where you can mark the ingredients you need to pick up-- super useful.
We've also been trying to be healthier, so I've started making smoothies again. It's so fun to experiment with different fruits and flavors. I don't have a very good blender, but it does the job!
4. Grocery Store Starbucks Bottles
I've struggled with being stuck in my room and getting inspired, because I used to only write in coffee shops or libraries-- somewhere that I don't get distracted by laundry or the TV. So one thing I've done to "condition myself" and pretend I'm somewhere is to pick up a bottle of Starbucks frappuccino, because it makes my mind ready to settle down and focus on the task before me. Plus, it's cheaper than picking up $5 coffees every day.
5. Creative hobbies
As much as I like to be productive, I've definitely had some extra time. And I can't always be "productive" in the sense where I'm working constantly. Cross stitch has become one of those hobbies that makes me feel like I'm doing something but is relaxing and fun.
I encourage you to find something like that you enjoy doing, like sewing, drawing, or scrapbooking. It calms your mind, focuses your attention on something that isn't stressful, and is creatively satisfying.
I hope you're still thriving during this time. What has been getting you through isolation?