2020 has definitely changed our lives, particularly in areas of being social and in the presence of each other. Luckily my husband and I were able to squeeze in some fun activities before Covid-19. We saw comedian Dave Chappelle perform, attended a Valentine’s dinner at church, and viewed the Chinese Lights. In early spring the world started experiencing businesses shutting down or drastically changing their hours. Then we were encouraged to stay at home and only go out for essential items. It was terrifying. However, we’re near the end of the year and the Coronavirus is still rampant.
Everyone doesn’t have it in them to stay at home all the time. A change of scenery is nice every now and then, but today you have to be safe and make sure you protect yourself. The safest place to be these days are at home.
The pandemic slowed some things down for me, but for the most part, I’ve stayed busy. Instead of traveling the world, I’ve kept it local and enjoyed nature, connecting with family and friends, and I’m even more social on social media. Check out some of the fun affordable activities I’ve participated in. Surely you can do the same. Oh, and you better believe I was socially distancing!
1. Walking
This is the simplest activity you can do. There are so many benefits to walking. It helps relieve stress, keeps your joints from getting stiff, prevents constipation, releases endorphins to make feel good, and most importantly it prevents you from being sedentary. Since the pandemic, I’ve been more consistent with walking. Especially before I got my bike. I’d walk anywhere from 15 min to 1 hour a few times out of the week.
If you’ve been a couch potato all year, my challenge to you is to try walking at least 30 minutes every day. Make it a family routine. You can make it educational for the younger kids by asking them to identify shapes and colors they see in the neighborhood. A lady in my social media group shared that idea.
2. Biking
This summer I joined my husband and his siblings biking on trails throughout the Charleston area. It was fun. We’d do an average of 20 miles in 2 hours. We explored trails that I didn’t know existed. This whole biking on trails is something I’d never done before, but I liked it. When the pandemic began bikes were very scarce. I had to borrow a bike from my brother in law. Eventually, I was able to find a used bike on Facebook Marketplace. Now I’m able to ride consistently in my neighborhood on my own bike. Yay!
3. Crafting
Get busy with those hands! So I fulfilled at least 3 crafting things I had on my 2020 to-do list. I made a photobook. I also made a wreath that I’m very proud of. Even much so that I shared it on Facebook and received great feedback. See what I did in my post “How to Make a Seasonal Wreath.” Last, but not least I made calendars for 2021 that are currently ready for purchase now on this same website. Click here or just go on over to the online store tab to make your purchase. There are desktop calendars and wall calendars with photos of tropical beaches and various areas in South Carolina and Charleston. See a sample below.
4. Baking
I’m not a vegan, but I try to eat clean or eliminate unnecessary chemicals, additives, and sugars from my foods. A few months ago I took it up a notch and didn’t use flour. White flour isn’t good for you in general, but definitely if you are a diabetic. You can do your own research on it. I tried a new recipe for healthy sweet potato muffins without using white flour, but oatmeal instead. I ground it up and voila, it became flour. See I tried something new and you can too. These muffins were a hit. If Grandma likes it, it’s a done deal. I saved the recipe in my pins on Pinterest. You can follow me here.
5. Gardening
There’s nothing wrong with sprucing up your yard by adding some plants or flowers. If you’re not a gardening pro, just keep it simple. I’ve done a little yard work this year. I’ve raked up some pine straws and replaced them with mulch. It was a good workout too.
Last year my husband and I attended a gardening class in Charleston at Fresh Future Farm. I took several notes with hopes of growing food and spices of my own. The owner is a young Black woman and she’s even been featured in Essence magazine. If you’ve done some fun gardening activities please let me know.
6. Home Improvement Activities
Since you are home more often perhaps you are tired of looking at the same walls hour after hour. Day after day. Guess what? You can do some painting, organizing, and decorating.
Updating the kitchen at our place was on my to-do list for years. My husband and I worked together (I did the majority) and got this project completed with a few items from Home Depot, Walmart, and Lowe’s. We changed up the cabinet handles, countertop, and backsplash. The makeover gave the home a more modern look. I’ll share a step by step process in the future.
7. Play Games (Old School Style)
Take some time away from your devices and pull out the playing cards, the board games, or even the kickball.
I loved board games growing up. I had: Monopoly, Monopoly Junior, Scrabble, Life, and Sorry. As for cards, I played Pitty Pat, Speed, Old Maid, and UNO. Recently I taught my 6-year-old nephew how to play UNO and he loves it. Now with Spades, I’m still rusty on that. The last time I played was last year after the Miss Locs Pageant with my husband and another couple. We underbid a lot and resulted in losing multiple times.
Here’s what’s it’s like when my husband and I play Uno and he’s not winning!
8. Name That Tune
Depending on the size of your family you can play this game at home. During lunch one day at work we did a virtual “Name That Tune” on Zoom. It was different, but still a fun interaction on the job. Instead of yelling the name of the song and artist, you had to be the first person to type the answer in the comments. And you got extra points for actually singing. Your girl won a $25 gift card for playing too. I even thought about hosting one for our family, but then I won’t be able to play. If you decide to play check out my post “Soul Stirring Home and House Themed Songs” as a theme for your game.
9. Joy Ride
Sometimes you just need to get out of the house and get some fresh air. These days we’ve been exploring other areas in our community. If you recall in my “Black Women You Are Loved” post, I was riding down the road with my husband and saw a homemade sign that said, “Black Women You Are All Heroes.” You never know where you’ll find appreciation. Not only that, joy riding helps you appreciate being outside and the beauty of nature.
10. Visit Parks
Take some time to visit the local parks, state parks, or national parks near you. Don’t forget your mask! My husband and I’ve been to a few. Matter of fact, I’ve gone to some by myself on my self-care day. Remember the parks have activities such as hiking, biking, and fishing.
In November we took a road trip to Upstate South Carolina. For the past 2 years, I’ve wanted to see the waterfalls that we have here. My friend Angela went to one in October and that jogged my memory. In the picture below me and the boo are at Issaqueena Falls in Walhalla, SC.
11. Visit the Beach
Do you get like me and want to feel the sand between your toes and hear the ocean waves? My preference is a tropical beach, but these days the local beach will suffice. One Sunday afternoon this summer my husband took me for a drive to one of the local beaches, Folly Beach. We went to the more secluded side. The view was breathtaking. Plus we weren’t surrounded by people. Those moments we spent there meant the world to me. I felt at peace for once.
12. Visit A Farm
If you are in South Carolina you are in for a treat. There’s a drive-through zoo outside of the Orangeburg area called Eudora Farms. This is a fun family activity and you don’t have to get out of your car. Beware some of the animals will come inside your car if you have food to feed them. It may be a little too close for comfort. Then some animals will walk past your car or won’t come near at all. There’s an array of animals such as zebras, llamas, emus, and impalas. It only costs $20 per car.
13. Make Virtual Calls
Since it’s not a great idea to be in a large gathering most of us have been staying home or drastically limiting our visits to family and friends. I know that we can all say we are thankful for FaceTime and Zoom. My church celebrated our church anniversary with some fun games and activities on Zoom. I even hosted a girl’s nite with a few friends via Zoom too. It just felt so good to see everyone after all those months of distancing.
14. Join Social Media Groups
We were created to be a part of a community. If you can’t meet up and participate in fun activities that you normally would with your friends, then join a Facebook group. Take time to learn something new and even share your own ideas, info, and creations. If you love traveling, encouraging people, gardening, etc. there’s a group for you. I learned about this Black woman who started a group- Black Women Who Love Outdoor Living Spaces while on YouTube. She’s been featured on Good Morning America. I decided to join. I’ve only been in the group for a few weeks and I really like it. This group gives me great ideas for my yard.
15. Donate or Sell Unwanted Items
Last, but not least, since you’ve been home more often you may have noticed you have tons of stuff that you don’t use or can’t fit anymore. Well, you (kids too) can pack those items up and sell them or even donate them to a charitable organization. There are many ways to sell. You can do that online via Etsy, Amazon, your own website, or Facebook. Then there’s the good old fashion garage sale. If you are thinking about donating consider the National Kidney Foundation. They will come to your home to pick up the items outside.