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March 18, 2020
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April 21, 2020
40 Things to do at Home
This whole self-isolation thing can be a bit tricky at times! You may be starting to go a little stir crazy and feeling very bored. Luckily, The Susan & Moe Team has come up with 40 things you can do at home! Our list has something for everyone. From the creative, to the culturist, to the organized, or the socialist, we have something for you. Feeling adventurous? Trying new things can make you happier, so why not try out some things on the list that may be out of your comfort zone! You really don’t have anything to lose! If we all have to be stuck at home anyways, why not try something new. Keep it light and fun. Bonus points if you try everything!
Many of the items on this list can be made easier with the help of YouTube, Pinterest or a quick Google search. There are tips for each item with links to where you can find ideas on how to easily execute them. Make them your own without the help of the internet if you want! We hope that our list of 40 things to do at home is able to bring you some joy during these uncertain times.
1. Learn a new recipe
There are tons of great recipes that you can find on Pinterest, Tasty, All Recipes, and so many more! You can categorize by difficulty, ingredients, or whatever you feel like! Want to try a cool idea? Why not try a themed week of cultural meals? You could do Mexican, German, Italian, Indian, etc. Try out some new recipes and have fun with it, your taste buds will love you for it!
2. Do yoga or an at home workout
You can find all kinds of great at home workouts and yoga routines on the internet. One of The Susan & Moe Team’s favourite free yoga routines is Yoga With Adriene. If you are looking for a great challenge for yourself, try her 30 days of yoga. It is a great mix of self centring with small workouts mixed in.
3. Meditate
Meditation doesn’t have to be as difficult or weird as it sounds. With apps like Calm and Headspace, they make it really easy! Meditation is great for your metabolism, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and brain waves. Reset your mind with some much needed R&R. We could all use a little inner peace with all of the stress that is going on in the world right now.
4. Read or listen to a new book
Libraries and book stores may currently be closed, so buying a new book might be difficult right now. You can always try Amazon to have a book sent to you. Or maybe you have that book on your shelf that you have been trying to read for the last 10 years but could never find the time. Now is the time to do it! Audible has some really great audiobooks as well and with your $14.95/month subscription, you get a free book every month! Check out some of their best sellers here.
5. Play a video game
Looking for something to stimulate your mind? Why not play a video game! If you don’t have an Xbox, PlayStation or Wii, you can always play games on your computer or phone as well. There are tons of free games on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Bestgames.com also has a bunch of free online computer games if all else fails!
6. Play a board or card game
There are so many fun board games! If you don’t currently have any fun ones, you can still order them on Amazon. A few of The Susan & Moe Team’s favourites are: Codenames, Sequence, Stockpile, Yahtzee and Ticket to Ride! If you don’t have any board games, I bet you still have a deck of playing cards! Dust them off and play a classic game of Crazy 8’s or Go Fish with your significant other. If you are alone, there is always Solitare and FreeCell!
7. Do a puzzle
I bet if you look hard enough in your basement storage, you will find a puzzle! Now is a great time to break it out and finish it. Puzzles are challenging and relaxing and a great way to get your mind off of what is going on in the world right now.
8. Make a bath bomb
Pinterest is a great place to find some bath bomb making techniques! You can also find videos on YouTube to create a colourful bath bomb perfect for relaxing in your tub! You will probably already have everything you need as the ingredients are regular household items!
9. Take a course
Did you know that 450 free online courses are currently being offered from some of the best Ivy League Schools? Staying at home doesn’t have to be unproductive, why not take advantage of these elite courses and learn something new!
10. Grow a plant
It is FINALLY spring here in Canada and that means new growth! This is a great time to start planting some easy plants indoors before it gets warm enough to transfer them into your garden. Nothing says “hope” like a little green stem coming out of the dirt. Check out these awesome vegetables you can grow from kitchen scraps!
11. Do a craft
Feeling crafty? I bet your kids would be so excited to to try their hand in making something cool! The possibilities really are endless when it comes to crafts. Pinterest is a great place to find some crafts for yourself or your kids. You can find everything from DIY Galaxy Jars, Play Doh, bouncy balls, nail polish mugs and so much more!
12. Practice drawing or learn how to draw
Perhaps you loved to draw as a child, but haven’t had the time in your adult life to pick up a pencil and paper to try it now. With all of this free time at home that most of us have now, this is a great time to get back into this skill! If you don’t have any background in drawing, there are lots of great YouTube tutorials on drawing for beginners. Drawing is a great way to release some of that inner creativity!
13. Write
You may have once had a journal or diary and have since stopped writing in it. Now is a great time to pick up the laptop (or paper and pen) and get back into it! You can unleash your creative mind through short stories, a novel, a blog, or even a gratitude journal. Writing doesn’t have to be difficult and can be as simple as reflecting on your day/week/month and writing about it.
14. Learn calligraphy
Now, if you just put the last 2 items together, you can learn calligraphy! Calligraphy is decorative handwriting or handwritten lettering. This can be used when writing notes, adding names to envelopes, signage, menus and anywhere else you want to write something pretty! Check out this YouTube video for a beginners guide to calligraphy.
15. Enjoy some digital museums
Did you know that you can safely practise social distancing by visiting tons of museums and historical sites from the comfort of your own home? Ever want to explore The Great Wall of China, Royal Botanic Gardens or Yellowstone National Park? Check out this awesome list of 50 ways to experience culture from your couch!
16. Organize your home
This may sound like a nightmare to some of you, or you might be delighted by this idea! There are so many areas of our home that could use organizing. A few great places to start are: closets, refrigerator, drawers, garage, pantry, cupboards. You can always start small and work your way up to the bigger things. The great thing about organization is that the payoff is always worth the effort. You feel so much more at ease when you are open a clean, organized space! Check out our blog post on purging your home for some great organization ideas!
17. Clean your cupboards
Your cupboards might be missing the love that your counters and sinks get. It’s easy to overlook your cupboards when cleaning the kitchen, but if you have some extra time, why not give them a wipe down. Grease from food can easily get stuck to your cupboards and cabinets without you even noticing. Once you start scrubbing, you will realize why they needed a bit of extra attention!
18. Look up something positive
There is a heck of a lot of negative stuff on the internet these days, and we need hope and positivity in the world right now! Check out The Susan & Moe Team’s Facebook page for lots of good news each and every day. We want people to feel good and learn about all of the good that is happening in the world right now alongside the bad. There is also a great website called the Good News Network which releases awesome positive articles and videos from around the world daily. Sign up for their newsletter to have good news sent to your inbox daily!
19. Call or Facetime with a family member
We are luck to live in a time with so many options for face to face calling. You can use Facetime, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Duo, and many more. You may need to create an account, but these listed programs are completely free to use!
20. Learn a new dance move
There are lots of great dances out there, why not learn one of them with this free time we have! Maybe you want to learn the Moonwalk, or Single Ladies, or it could be as easy as the Floss. Either way, your dance moves are going to be on point at the next wedding you attend!
21. Purge your clothing
This is a great opportunity to go through your closet and get rid of the winter wear that you didn’t touch over the last few months. There is no point in keeping that old sweater in the back. You know the one – with the holes and the stain? Out with the old and in with the new!
22. Wash your windows and mirrors
Your windows and mirrors probably don’t get as much love as they should. If you go around your house and take a look at them, I bet you are going to find fingerprints and smudges. A quick clean will make your glass shine and that “squeaky clean” sound is always so satisfying!
23. Have a costume night
What could be more fun than dressing up in a Halloween costume, mask or funny hat? No matter what your age is, it’s fun to dress up. Your kids will especially love it! Why not have a theme like pajama day, superheroes, or dress up as your favourite movie character!
24. Enjoy an indoor picnic
Roll out the blanket and make some sandwiches and enjoy an indoor picnic in your living room! Weather and ants aren’t going to ruin this picnic and you will have so much fun enjoying your unconventional lunch, dinner or snack on the floor with your family!
25. Film a family video
We are lucky to live in a world full of iPhones, Androids and other devices that can easily capture video at any moment. Why not take advantage of our pocket cameras and create a home movie with your family! Some great show ideas are: cooking show, music video, newscast, awards show or recreate a scene from a movie! This will be a lot of fun to make and even more fun looking back at years later!
26. Create a scavenger hunt for the kids
You may be the creative type who can easily come up with an entire map and clues of your own, or you may think that whole idea is a bit overwhelming. If you have kids, they would love a scavenger hunt! Check out this article that features ready-to-go clues so you don’t have to come up with any! With Easter coming up, you might as well hide some eggs and add a few clues in there too!
27. Karaoke night
Who doesn’t enjoy a good old fashioned karaoke night? There are tons of great karaoke songs on YouTube that you can throw onto the TV and sing along with. Don’t have a microphone? No problem! Just belt out the words on the screen and have a good time!
28. Have a photo shoot
Remember those pocket devices we all have on us at all times? Phones these days have pretty amazing cameras on them. Some have “portrait mode”, wide angles, macro abilities and endless editing apps and features. Why not try out some portrait photography of your kids, significant other, or even pets! If you are alone, that is no problem. There has never been a better time to start taking photos of your food! Try making your dinner look spectacular with these basic food plating ideas. Your photos will look like a pro shot them in no time!
29. Have a spa night
Feeling a little overwhelmed by our current situation? The stress of the unknown can be very hard on a person. This is why it is a great idea to take some time for yourself. Throw on a bathrobe, make some cucumber water and turn on the spa music. Try out a hair or face mask (I bet you have one in the back of your bathroom cupboard – if not, you can always make one!). Maybe paint your nails, have a bubble bath or soak your feet in warm water. You body will thank you for it!
30. Bake cookies
Mmmm, the smell of freshly baked cookies. If this doesn’t put you in a good mood, I’m not sure what will! Check out some easy cookie recipes which can be found here. Get the kids involved and make a party out of it. The act of baking cookies probably has the most delicious reward out of anything!
31. Rearrange your furniture
Now that you are spending a lot more time at home, you might be getting bored of the same setup that you have had since you moved in. Why not try switching it up a little! Move the couch and TV to the other side of the room or try pushing your bed up against the wall for more space. Need some inspiration? Check out The Susan & Moe Team’s blog post on home staging for some awesome before and after photos of the same room and same furniture, just rearranged. Its amazing the difference it can make!
32. Build a fort
It doesn’t matter if you have kids or not… building a fort will always be awesome no matter how old you are! All you need is some furniture, blankets, pillows and maybe some lights. Once it’s built, grab your laptop and some snacks and watch a movie from your new fortress! Looking for some inspiration? Check out these epic forts on Pinterest!
33. Make ice cream sundaes
How long has it been since you’ve had an ice cream sundae? The answer is “too long”! Get creative with your toppings, try things like candies, chocolate, fruit, sprinkles, peanut butter, maple syrup and other sauces. I am getting hungry just talking about this!
34. Make a bucket list
Are there things you have always wanted to do but never had a plan to actually do them? Why not try writing a bucket list of things you would like to try, places you would like to visit or things you want to learn. You may even learn something about yourself once you start thinking about it! Once you have all of these ideas out of your head and on paper, they are much more likely to come true. Get the whole family involved and have fun presenting each list one at a time!
35. Meal prep
I bet one of the reasons you haven’t been meal prepping in the past is due to lack of time. Now we have lots of time at home, so why try some meal prepping! Spend an hour or two on the weekend cooking a huge meal that you can divide into a bunch of Tupperware containers for the week. Eating lunch at home can be super easy when you have it ready to go in the fridge! Looking for some delicious and easy meal prep ideas? Check out this article!
36. Play guitar or learn how to play
Do you have a guitar that is currently sitting somewhere collecting dust? Maybe its time to pick it up! If you have never played before, there are some great YouTube tutorials out there and even apps for your phone. If you already know how to play, it doesn’t hurt to practice! If you get really good, you could even try doing a livestream to put on a concert for your family through a video chat!
Looking for a comprehensive and up-to-date guide on Beginner Guitar Chords? Check out this great in-depth article for beginner guitarists!
37. Create a website
Do you have something that you can make and sell? Something that you would like to showcase? Something that you would like to say? A website is a great way to put your creative juices to work and maybe even make some extra money! There are lots of easy programs you can create websites by dragging and dropping. Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and WordPress are all great options! Wix is completely free to use and you can use free trials of many others!
38. Start a blog
Blogs are kind of like websites without the hassle of building out a bunch of pages. Blogs are great for expressing yourself and getting your ideas out into the world with images and text. They can be about anything, really. You can write about places you’ve travelled to, or places you want to travel to, or what its like to be quarantined! There are lots of great things you can blog about. Check out this list for some inspiration!
If you want to create the best possible headline for your blogs to get noticed, check out this informative article on how to create the best “clickable” headline or title for your blog!
39. Create an Instagram account
Instagram is great for sharing photos of landscapes, buildings, friends, pets, food, so many options! Maybe its time for your dog to be Instafamous and you should make an account for him! Maybe you’ve got really good at cooking and plating your food and you want the world to see your culinary skills. Whatever it is that you take pictures of, you can post them in this designated app that is designed for it. Add some relevant hashtags to your post and you will be blowing up in no time!
40. Learn a magic trick!
Okay maybe you don’t want to pull a bunny out of a hat or saw a lady in half, but you can still do some pretty cool tricks with a simple deck of cards! There are lots of great YouTube videos with magicians who actually share their tricks with you and you can learn yourself. If nothing else, it’ll be a pretty cool party trick!
Have more ideas for things to do to keep busy at home? Send us a message! We will post more ideas on our Facebook page from time to time so make sure to come back for updates!
