The pandemic has caused many to pause and think about what is truly important as well as change our daily routines to the extreme. One of the byproducts has been a resurgence of family time.
Like you, we have experienced some inconveniences, some warm and fuzzy moments and of course some inevitable upheaval. We are grateful for the additional time we are having as a family and having a full house.
We miss seeing family and friends in person but FaceTime has been wonderful. Brooke and I had coffee with my sister and nephews this morning. She lives in Toronto. It was really nice. This has been a good time to put things in perspective and prioritize. We have slowed down a bit and are able to enjoy the moment and be more mindful too.
We love the noise of the entire neighbourhood cheering for the nurses, doctors and support staff every night. It’s heart warming in a time of uncertainty.
At this time, we felt it was good to shift from our regular posts about home, design and real estate to what to do with all this time (other than frequent 4 groceries stores in order to fill the fridge). We have been make an effort to let people know when we are heading to the grocery store to see if anyone needs anything. People have done the same for us. It’s so nice to see, feel and hear!
The sense of community is strong here. We love that!
A few of the things we have been doing to keep ourselves busy and entertained are: work, checking in with family and friends, working out, cooking, disinfecting and cleaning, enjoying time as a family and reading.
We did some research to get some other ideas and here’s what we found:
- Listen to music. Jann Arden has been putting live music out there on facebook and there are other artists to listen to too. Music is good for the mind and soul.
- Listen to a podcast. Try out spotify, TuneIn, google, CBC Radio or apple. Here is a link to Good Housekeeping’s 30 Best Podcasts for 2020.
- Take a Master Class with the likes of Kelly Wearster, Anna Wintour, Chris Voss, Carlos Santana, Malcolm Gladwell. Serena Williams or Stephen Curry and more. You could learn just about anything here!
- Workout online using instagram or zoom. Many local businesses have been doing this and charging a small fee for it. Y Yoga, Sweat VanCity to name a few. The trainers at @barryscanada have been live streaming their workouts on instagram for free. My sister was doing a virtual work via facebook with her trainer today. Level 10 is offering mobile, in home workouts and fitness programs. Working out is a great way to stay happy and healthy.
- We found a plethora of educational and entertaining kids’ activities in this LiveScience article. Lots of learning to be done and virtual museums to visit. Plus a ton of links to things like Khan Academy, NASA, Royal Ontario Museum and more! This article is pure gold. There is something for every kid’s (and parent’s) passion.
- Take a virtual field trip with We Are The Mighty. There are 28 to choose from. Tour the pyramids, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Smithsonian, Musée d’Orsay or the Louvre. Good for parents and kids!
- Cook and bake. This is more fun with kids or loved ones.
- Family movie night, board game night or puzzle night.
- Cleaning and organizing.
- Make a blanket fort and camp out in your family room. For some inspo, check out these ideas on Pinterest. We loved this as kids. You can even read by flashlight or tell ghost stories if you are really brave. Follow up with some s’mores or banana boats that can be done in the oven with tin foil. Check out our previous blog here for some tasty sticky gooey goodness.
We are finding that most local businesses are willing to work virtually and remotely or deliver items. We feel more than ever, now s the time to support the businesses in our community.
We will be in touch with more activities as we get more creative, network more and get used to the new normal. We would love to know what you are up to. If you have any suggestions, please share!