When Life Gives You Quarantine, Make Quarantini!

Seriously though, let's all make the most of our days at home 😊 I have to say I have really adapted to life at home. Well, in my case I still have to go to work, but still, life at the moment is not that bad.

Working at the hospital at this time is scary - tension is everywhere but we are all making our best efforts to avoid contracting and spreading the virus. However, going back home and spending my off days there is comforting. I feel lucky to have a safe place I can always go back to and finally, both me and my husband can really enjoy our home - the house he built with his own hands and the one we spent so much money and time debating on. I feel that even though I still have an actual job to go to, life has slowed down and I wouldn't mind carrying on living at this pace once we get rid of this Coronavirus.

Before I start with the suggestions on what you can fill your days with, I would like to spare a thought for anyone who is a victim of domestic violence, anyone who doesn't feel safe at home, those currently going through a separation/divorce or those feeling lonely in self-isolation. First of all, you are not alone and help is just a phone call away. There are trained professionals who can help you deal with such situations, so please make use of their services. There are helplines for people who feel lonely, and domestic violence victims as well as the helpline for anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

Back to this post's subject, what can you do now that you have more time on your hands?

𝄢 First of all, now is the best time to spend some real quality time with your family living under the same roof. I'm talking board games, card games, discussions (try not to spend too much time talking about COVID-19 though), try a new recipe together, watch a movie, the possibilities are endless really!

𝄢 Technically, you can still go for a walk but try to limit the amount of time you spend outside and avoid crowds of course. If you don't feel like going out, try going up on your roof and have a 'picnic' or outside on the balcony. Now that traffic has decreased, it's much easier to breathe 😉.

𝄢 Catch up on Netflix series or watch the YouTube videos you've had in your 'Watch Later' list.

𝄢 Read a book or two.

𝄢 Refresh any hobby you have neglected due to lack of time. For me, it's stamp collecting. I am also dedicating more time to my blog again.

𝄢 Take up a new hobby altogether! I have recently taken up Diamond Painting - it's cheap, satisfying and kills an hour or two easily!

𝄢 Use this time to do something you've always wanted to but never had the time for, such as learning a new language for example. The Duolingo app is a great tool to help you master a new language, maybe learn a few words or basic phrases ahead of a trip you have postponed for the time being.

𝄢 Home workouts are a great time killer with the added benefit of keeping fit as opposed to eating all the food hoarded in the pantry. I am trying to at least include a 30-minute workout every day that I'm off work.

𝄢 Thoroughly clean the house. This doesn't apply for these times only but keeping the house clean is a great way of preventing getting sick and well, seeing we will be spending so much time inside, might as well do so in a squeaky clean environment. My favourite disinfectant is Zoflora, specifically in the Linen Fresh, Lavender and Bluebell Blooms scents.

𝄢 While you're cleaning, why not do the odd jobs around the house you keep putting off? Or maybe you can plan a renovation for a room or two!

𝄢 Organize stuff around the house - clear out your wardrobe and get rid of stuff you don't wear anymore. Try donating some of the stuff to people genuinely in need and get rid of any rags. Also, declutter anything you don't use anymore or anything you have hoarded in multiples which aren't really necessary.

𝄢 Compile photo books of important family events or past travels.

𝄢 While going through photos, delete ones you don't need from your phone and computer and organize emails and get rid of any email subscriptions you don't need.

𝄢 Take care of your mental well-being by limiting the time you spend reading the bad news and try to filter what you read in the news. 

𝄢 I tend to shop when I'm stressed but there are actually some things you can buy to make good use of, such as lounge-wear or something decorative for the house to spruce up that little corner. Just remember to let any packages you receive sit for 24 hours before opening them and always wipe them and contents well with alcohol or disinfectant and wash your hands well after handling. I have a separate post planned about this subject too.

𝄢 Speaking of shopping now is the perfect time to go through your wishlists. Go over the things you saved in your wishlists and think long and hard whether you really need them or not. I have personally already done this and have decided to put the money I would have spent on high street buys towards something more luxurious.

𝄢 Buy comfortable lounge-wear. Just because you're staying doesn't mean you have to stay in your pajamas all day. On the contrary, changing into something nice and comfortable instantly gives you a boost.

𝄢 Unfortunately, the Coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted the economy of a lot of countries worldwide. It has also contributed to a lot of jobs being lost, thus removing the rug from under the feet of a lot of families. Gather around a table and plan out your finances smartly for the coming few months. Assess your income and put money away for known expenses such as loans, bills and food. Then see if you can save something for the future. Not going out should help us save more.

𝄢 Clean your makeup brushes. Not only you won't be using them as much but product buildup leads to breakouts in the long run.

𝄢 Give yourself a manicure/pedicure/facial, take a long bath...go on you deserve all the pampering 😉 Just remember to keep your nails as short as possible to avoid harbouring and spreading germs and if possible keep them artificial enhancements free.

𝄢 Try on clothes and outfits and take pictures of them to serve as inspiration for when we can all have a social life again.

𝄢 While working on new outfits, why don't you try on new hairstyles and makeup looks while you're at it? It will be like playing dress-up from when we were little!

𝄢 You can do a bit of good too and do the #TheRollMustGoOn challenge and donate to the Food Bank! I have to re-do this as I wasn't happy with the pictures 😝

𝄢 Make the actual Quarantini cocktail and enjoy! Any time of day is OK but drink responsibly, we don't want to go out of the house and end up in AA meetings instead 😉! This version I found contains vodka (or gin), honey and lemon juice. Alcohol kills germs, and the latter two are natural immune boosters. You can also rim the glass with Vitamin C powder. I have used my favourite MgKC from Erba Vita.

What you'll need to make the Quarantini

Lastly, to conclude this post I would like to suggest you change out of your pajamas every day (a perfect excuse to wear your stylish new lounge-wear 😉), brush your teeth, do your hair and wash your face as if you were going out to give yourself a sense of normality while caring for yourself because when we look good, we feel good. Making your bed in the morning also helps to be more productive and the house will somehow feel more organized and clean. Oh, and do stock up on vitamins to boost your immune system and try to eat as healthily as you can 😊. Shower daily and just continue to take care of yourselves! This is a hurdle we will overcome and it is no reason for us not to take care of our appearance 😊.

I hope you found this post useful and do share anything else you are doing to keep yourself occupied during self-isolation.

Stay safe, stay home!