6 Unique Things to do in Quarantine That Will Actually Benefit You and Your Home
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times before, but here we are saying it again: These are unprecedented, anxiety-inducing, and just plain weird times that we’re living in (we won’t even mention the virus who must not be named, but you know what we’re talking about). Everything seems to be on hold, from our work to planned events to our hobbies, and with most counties in Florida and around the nation officially instating stay-at-home orders, it feels more real every day. Since the initiation of your time stuck at home, you’ve probably seen countless articles or blog posts that tell you what you should be doing, from innovative home workouts to bread recipes to disinfecting your house. While helpful, we didn’t want to give you just another compilation of tips that you’ve already seen before. Rather, this blog post highlights six things you can do while at home that will actually be beneficial to you, and we promise you haven’t seen these suggestions in many other places.
1. Attract nature in your backyard
Take some time to awaken your green thumb and creative spirit by setting up a garden and/or little nature area in your backyard. Plant flowers, set up a birdhouse, or-- bonus points-- attempt to grow some fruits and vegetables to save some money and trips to the grocery store! Planting isn’t only good for the environment, but, along with your birdhouse, it may attract butterflies, hummingbirds, cardinals, blue jays, and more. It’ll make you spend some time outside, and watching birds and other creatures is actually very relaxing and therapeutic-- it’ll remind you that life is still going on.
2. Prepare, cook, and organize food
Before you do any organizing or cooking, you should absolutely go through your pantry--and fridge, while you’re at it-- and toss anything that’s expired. Then, take inventory of any grains, seeds, or nuts you may have on hand and switch them to reusable storage containers, preferably glass ones. Switching out dry pantry goods to your own containers and out of their plastic or cardboard packaging has been proven to be healthier for you and keep you more organized-- you could even take it one step further and shop in the bulk section with your own jars (once this time passes, of course). Once you’ve gone through everything, if you find yourself with lots of rice, vegetables, or other starches, prepare and cook them! This way, they’ll last longer and they’ll be ready to eat when you want them.
3. Clean ignored areas of the home
When was the last time you wiped your faucets, as in where the tap actually comes out of? What about dusting your blinds or curtains? In between your couch cushions? How about your carpets and bathmats? Yes, you should be regularly cleaning the usual parts of your house, but take this time at home to scour for those often ignored places like the ones we mentioned and give them a good wipe down!
4. Take stock of your cords
From TV to computer to phone charger cords, you probably have a hoard of cords (rhyme not intended) in multiple areas of your house, and perhaps are even hanging on to some broken ones that you just stuffed into a drawer or are from an older phone you had years ago. What about TV or desktop computer cables? Unless you’re ahead of the game, they might be in a tangled mess behind a desk or under a table, out for all to see. Take some time to find the cords and cables you’re actually using, untangle them, and attempt to hide and/or organize them.
5. Set up a recycling and/or compost bin in your home if you don’t already have one
While, yes, it’s 2020 and we should all be recycling by now, perhaps you don’t have a system in place in your home that makes it easy for you! We all have those big blue and yellow bins in our garages or yards somewhere, but do you have a bin indoors, preferably adjacent to your trashcan, that makes it easier for disposing and sorting later? A product like this one will make recycling so much easier for you, and, if you’re feeling especially ambitious, try your hand at composting to further reduce your waste! Start with a simple bin like this one, and check out this guide on how to compost.
6. Tackle projects that will boost curb appeal
Especially if you are or were planning on going through the process of selling or renting your home, don’t stop maintaining that curb appeal! Take this time to perhaps paint the exterior of your house, clean lamp posts and mailboxes, spruce up your landscaping, and try other ways to boost your curb appeal-- after all, there are more people than ever walking around their neighborhoods now!