Quality Time in Quarantine
As with everyone these days, the day-to-day looks completely different than it did just a couple of months ago. Every day has its own challenges and uncertainty. We are all challenged in the new ways that we are behaving and cannot do a lot of things that we love - including a lot of the things that I usually write about here. However challenging it is, there are bright spots. Sometimes you have to try really, really, really hard to see them but they are still there. I wanted to take some time to share a few of the things that are taking up some quality time in quarantine that have been bringing me joy and might brighten up your days as well.
Making Time for Creative Projects
Whether its a coloring page or painting a table we made to house our new collection of plants, these creative projects have been an outlet for some of my energy and stress over the past couple of weeks. Lots of great brands and artists are coming out with fun coloring pages and the one in the photo is from one of my favorites, Whiskey Jack Designs. I love doing coloring pages because you can do them while listening to your favorite music or podcast and have something colorful and creative to showcase once you’re done!
Tuning Into Some New and Old Favorite Shows
It’s hard not to be drawn into all of the content that is available to stream. I am not one to usually binge a show so I haven’t done many deep-dives into any specific content but I have been keeping up with some of my favorites and finding time to watch some new shows as well.
A few of my favorite things that I have continued to watch as have come out with new content throughout the quarantine have been:
Literally anything that is posted on the Bon Appetit YouTube Channel (I’m especially obsessed with the Gourmet Makes series).
Parks & Rec! You read that correctly. Parks & Rec came back for a single special episode to do as a fundraiser for Feeding America. It has the whole cast of characters and sets them in today’s crazy world. It was so wonderful to see a new episode of my favorite show and have the comfort of seeing these in today’s circumstances and how they would be handling it - which there is a character for everyone in this show.
Saturday Night Live(-ish) at home has been great to see how creative and flexible and talented their whole cast and crew is. Watching Saturday Night Live clips on Sunday mornings has always been a part of my routine and when they came back with that first remote episode it gave some much desired normalcy back to these ever-changing times.
Clips from all of the late-night shows as they do their shows from home! The late night shows are doing such great work and really working hard to make us all laugh and let us all have a bit more humor in this tough time. Each late night host and show has a different vibe so there’s a variety of them for you choose from and enjoy a laugh with.
Some of the new things that I have fallen into watching have been McMillions on Hulu and Pick of the Litter on Disney+ (very different from each other, I know).
McMillions is a docu-series from HBO that is about how the McDonald’s Monopoly game was rigged for years. It’s a riveting story and got me suck into the show right away. It’s only six episodes long, so it’s not too much content to take in. But it was soooo good! That’s all I’m going to say about it because you should definitely watch it .
Pick of the Litter on Disney+ takes the documentary of the same name a bit more in-depth with a new round of puppies in training to be guide dogs. I saw the documentary “Pick of the Litter” in a theater during the Seattle International Film Festival a couple of years ago and it was a delightful film. The experience of sharing the film with others in the theater was great because there were a lot of collective “awwws”. As I am watching this new series on Disney+ it takes me back to those moments in the theater and gets to me thinking and knowing that there are others out there watching this series having those same “awww” moments as I am.
Diving Head-First Into My Bookshelf Collection
I don’t know about you but any time I see a little independent bookstore, no matter where I am in the world, I have to go in and always find myself picking up at least one new interesting book (usually I have to stop myself from purchasing a whole stack of books). I love reading and I love the experience of discovering new books in a store. Though I can’t go to the stores and discover new books, because of my habits I have quite a few books in my home that have been waiting for me to get around to them. I am grateful for the time I can dedicate to these books and even just the memories that some of them evoke of me purchasing them from specific bookstores. And though I still have lots of books to read, I have checked out bookshop.org and the ways that they are supporting shopping small to help fill in the upcoming gaps in my bookshelf that will need to be filled by new books soon!
And then…there’s Animal Crossing
Yep. I’ve joined the bandwagon and am playing Animal Crossing. It’s the first real video game that I’ve ever really given any time and dedication to, but it’s been a blast. The game is so cute and the animation in is spectacular (I mean, have you noticed if you catch the same fish during different parts of the day the light illuminates it and highlights different colors of the fish scales? That’s pretty amazing). There’s always something to work on and improve on the island and each day brings something different. I love that I can get creative with the design of the island, my home, and my wardrobe. Plus, the game is just so cute and wholesome!
I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about how I have been spending some quality time in quarantine and maybe it inspired you with some ways to pass the time. Please stay home and stay safe!