Isolation Activities: 6 Weeks In
What have you been doing with your time in isolation?
I came across this and thought it was hilarious (and true!) credit: unknown
Are you working from home and live with roommates? Do you have kids to home school and keep occupied all day while juggling everything else? Are you jobless and trying to find direction and purpose? Let me just say that whatever your situation, you are doing awesome! We’re all going through our own experiences and the important thing is that we reach out to people to stay socially connected, we keep a routine (no matter how small) to keep on track, and we stay kind to ourselves.
“...whatever your situation, you are doing awesome! We’re all going through our own experiences and the important thing is that we reach out to people to stay socially connected... and we stay kind to ourselves.”
In being kind to myself during my isolation, I’m 90% keeping a daily exercise routine, getting dressed and putting on makeup every morning (it makes a difference for me!), making plans for small home projects, catching up with family and friends as often as possible, and baking (and freezing most of it). I also jumped on the bandwagon of making a sourdough starter but it didn’t go as planned, so I’ll try it again soon.
Now, if you’re one of the many people who’ve started growing a sourdough starter, or googled how to make killer banana bread (my dad shared this article with me), or have worked your way through some dusty recipe books for the first time in your life, well, good for you! I’m one of those people, too! However, rather than googling, this is my go-to basic banana bread recipe (adapted from the Joy of Cooking recipe book my grandma gave me) that I’ve adjusted by adding an extra banana, cinnamon, and sometime some Irish cream just for fun. I prefer no nuts or chocolate, but feel free to add those, because that’s your business (thank you, @iamtabithabrown for that term!)
Keeping in line with baking, here is my favourite crusty artisan bread recipe. I use this proofing basket and bake the bread in my dutch oven I picked up from HomeSense last year. And if you’re looking for some other inspiring dessert recipes, you should check out this amazing blog The Sweet and Simple Kitchen. The birthday cake/funfetti cookies, the bomb AF brownies, and the not so basic carrot cake are all tried, tested, and true.
For some tasty savoury dishes, I’ve been inspired by @erinireland, @thefeedfeed, Jenn Messina, and the stack of recipe clippings and cards from my mom and grandma. I’ve also just googled things based on whatever is in my fridge, and some tasty meals have come out of that, too. If you’re feeling a bit lost on what to cook, hopefully these blogs/IG feeds inspire you!
Other than trying new baking and cooking recipes, I’ve also been doing at-home workouts to stave off that super-easy-to-gain quarantine-19. I’ve really been enjoying Adriene’s yoga videos for the last 6+ months on YouTube. They’re free, she has 30-day challenges, but also has such a wide variety of workouts to choose from. I also picked up some dumbbells and a kettlebell for some HIIT workouts. My favourite ones to do right now are with Jill Saunders Fitness. She does a weekly IG live workout that usually only require bodyweight or some dumbbells and/or a kettlebell, and they are awesome! Running outside on quiet residential streets is great, too, and I’ve been enjoying admiring houses in different neighbourhoods arounds my own.
In addition to spending time in the kitchen and on the yoga mat, I’m also working my way through my Spring bucket list which includes some creative activities and spring cleaning ones, too. I’ve decluttered and reorganized the kitchen cabinets, done a closet and dresser spring clean, and worked on a few little creative projects. You can check out the list on this blog post.
And, to keep my interior design gears turning (and spirits high), I’ve been following along with these bloggers as they make progress on their own renovations and design projects – @chrislovesjulia (their blog here), @thegoldhive (her blog here), @jennykomenda (her website here), and fellow westcoaster @sabrinasmelko (her blog here). Three of them are home renovations and one is a commercial space for a growing business. I highly suggest following along with them for insight into the process, and for inspiration!
It’s been over a month of isolation and social distancing, and the ‘end’ isn’t quite in sight just yet. But we will make it to the other side sooner than later. In the meantime, keep your head up and carve out time for your mental health where you can.
Stay happy and healthy,
Hello! Catherine here.
I’m a Vancouver-based interior designer and love all things creative! I’ll be sharing things that inspire me, posting design tips and DIY projects, chatting about all kinds of topics, and hopefully inspiring some people to make little changes at home to create an environment that is functional, beautiful, and a perfect reflection of you!
