Since we’re all suddenly stuck at home for an undisclosed time (April distance brings May existence, people!) you may be struggling to figure out what to do to fill up your days, evenings, and weekends while inside. We asked our Fashion Furniture team what they’ve been doing to pass the time and stay busy. We hope these suggestions give you some ideas on how to avoid going (too) stir crazy during the quarantine.
Bake New Recipes
Baked goods are comfort food, and this is the ultimate time for comfort. If you’ve ever been inspired by the Great British Baking Challenge or even wanted to see if you’re better than the contestants on Nailed It!, now is your time to shine!
Our marketing manager was an avid baker before #quarantinelife – she had a baking blog in graduate school – and has taken this time to try new recipes, such as her new favorite: olive oil cake (sounds weird, tastes great, we promise!) We can’t wait to try her new repertoire when we return to the office.
Photo via I Heart Eating
Tackle Home Improvement Projects
Now that you’re housebound, you might start to notice some things around the house that need a little sprucing up or fixing. Both our CEO and marketing director took advantage of the warm SoCal weather and time at home to finish a few outdoor jobs:
Learn A New Language (or brush up on your skills)
Nessun memomento e come il presente, according to our HR director, who is working on her Italian. Take this time to finally double down and learn that second (or third!) language you’ve always wanted to master, or refresh your vocabulary and see if you can remember those Spanish and French classes you took in high school.
Rosetta Stone offers a free three-day trial to get started on your language journey, or if you have a K-12 student in your home, you can a free three-month subscription: https://www.rosettastone.com/
Check out this article for other free options to learn a new language: https://www.lifewire.com/the-7-best-free-language-learning-apps-1357060
Stay Active
It’s important to stay active for your physical health (gotta work off those slices of olive oil cake!) and your immune system, as well as your mental health during this stressful time. Both our CEO and HR director are fans of Peloton bikes and are riding 4-5 times a week at home. If you don’t have a Peloton, the company is offering a free 90-day trial for their app so you can take classes at home: https://www.onepeloton.com/app
Other workout favorites from our team include at-home barre, running–safely!–outside, yoga, and taking walks to get fresh air.
At-home barre, complete with a pet audience
Fashion’s CEO getting in his Peloton ride
Use Technology To Connect With Family and Friends
It’s times like this that we are thankful we are living in the digital age! Many people on our team have been relying on the perks of modern tech to keep in contact with friends and family near and far! Our digital marketing specialist is using the app House Party to talk to his friends that he can’t see in person. You can include up to eight people in your video chat and just hang, or even play games!
Catch Up On Your Favorite Podcasts
At Fashion Furniture, we are all about podcasts (our marketing manager is the podcast queen). Try switching up music or a TV show in the background for a podcast: there is a topic for everyone and you might learn something new! Some of our team’s favorite podcasts include:
True Crime
Fashion’s marketing manager with the hosts of My Favorite Murder
Comedy/Pop Culture
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
News
The Daily from the New York Times
Exercise Your Mind
Who doesn’t love a good puzzle? Not only are puzzles fun to do, but they are also a certified good-for-your-brain activity! According to research, puzzles exercise both the left and right side of your brain, they improve your short-term memory, and are a great stress reliever! The Parker Rose Design’s business development manager recently completed this puzzle with her daughter–a puzzle only a designer would choose!
We hope these activities give you some ideas on how to pass the time at home with your families. Let us know in the comments and on social media how you’re spending this time at home!