Whilst much of the country cautiously eases out of lockdown some areas are still experiencing tougher restrictions on movement. Regardless of where you are in the country many people are opting to spend more time at home and are keeping outdoor excursions to a minimum. Particularly as the dark evenings are starting to draw in and the air is developing a bit of a chill, many of us are looking for ways to find entertainment closer to home.
As we dip our toes into the new normal, it's worth having a few ideas up your sleeve to keep yourself occupied and entertained! That's why we've had a look for some fun activities to do at home, to give your day some structure and excitement. No need to thank us, you're very welcome.
1. Start a new book
There's something very cosy about snuggling down in your favourite chair, while the rain beats it down outside, a steaming mug of tea in one hand and a literary marvel in the other. Losing yourself in a fictional world can help reduce depression and cut stress whilst improving your memory, focus and concentration. Sounds like a winner to us!
If you're not the biggest bookworm and haven't had the chance to shop around for your next literary meal, here are a few that might take your fancy…
Girl, Woman, Other
Joint winner of the 2019 Booker Prize, Bernadine Evaristo's novel follows the vibrant trials and tribulations of twelve black British women as they tell their celebratory, energetic and emphatic stories of family, friends and lovers across the country and through the years.
'Her idiosyncratic prose rhythms imitate the wayward impulses of inner thought, allowing readers to feel intimately connected to her characters.' - The Daily Telegraph
The Second Sleep
As a master of mystery and dark intrigue consolidated in his last novel Fatherland, Robert Harris returns with a story of a young priest, Christopher Fairfax, whose determination for the truth over his predecessor's fate takes him on a tumultuous course, testing his faith and the history of his world.
'His portrait of a future Britain, that has more in common with the distant past than the present, is rendered with immense skill and subtle ironic humour.' - The Sunday Express
eBooks
If you prefer your reading material delivered in a more high tech way or you're feeling the pinch then Project Gutenberg may appeal to you. There are over 60,000 eBooks available to download and read on your ereader, laptop, tablet or even mobile phone completely free of charge. You won't find the latest blockbusters on there but you will find plenty of classic reads that are out of copyright - such as Bram Stoker's Dracula or Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
2. Organise your wardrobe
Now we are waving goodbye to Summer with the Autumn fast approaching, organising your wardrobe will give you a fashionable advantage over the changing seasons. It's always a chore, we know, but sorting through the piles of clothes is a great activity to do at home to positively improve your mood and aid productivity.
As the saying goes; "A tidy home is a tidy mind", so let's get started by getting your wardrobe organised, try to visualise where each item should live. You could even pre-prepare outfits and group each outfit into its own pile.
If storage is an issue but you don't want to splash out on a pricey new wardrobe, why not ask family members or friends if they have unused flatpack shelves or storage units you can have? You can even have it delivered right to your door, there's no need to leave the house with our cost-effective parcel delivery services! Book with us and you could have a new-ish solution to your wardrobe chaos by tomorrow.
You might even discover you have created enough space for that pair of jeans you were eyeing up!
3. Discover a new podcast
Maybe you haven't ventured into the world of podcasts yet if so, you're missing out! A podcast is an audio program that you can subscribe to on your mobile phone and 'tune in' whenever you like. There are a wealth of excellently funny and curiously addictive podcasts that you should be listening to in 2020. Here are a few of the best:
Dead Eyes
Cast in the HBO series Band of Brothers, Connor Ratliff was soon dropped by the programs executive producer, Tom Hanks, for having "dead eyes". Effectively derailing his acting career for a period, Ratliff sets off to unpack and examine this singular event which had such a monumental effect.
Part memoir, part interrogation of building a career in show business, Dead Eyes is available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Music and Stitcher.
You're Wrong About
Hosted by Sarah Marshall and Micheal Hobbs, this podcast sets out to re-evaluate particular people or events in the past that have been warped by the media and misunderstood by the public. Covering a wide range of topics like Courtney Love or 2000 US election, this podcast will certainly keep you entertained!
Have a look at their prolific output on Spotify, Apple Music and Stitcher to get in the know.
This Podcast Will Kill You
Two graduates of disease ecology, Erin and Erin explore medical mysteries and historical epidemics in an easy to understand manner. Covering topics from the Plague to Ebola, to an in-depth exploration of COVID-19, this podcast will give you insight into the epidemiology and history of these diseases.
Available to listen to on Spotify and Stitcher for all your medical intrigue!
4. Have a BBQ
Before the sun disappears into winter why not make the most of the last few dregs of warm weather, dust off the BBQ and sit in the garden. Although it feels like it's all doom and gloom at the moment, that doesn't mean you can't have a glorious day in the sunshine!
Don't worry if you're not adept at BBQing or even if you don't own a BBQ, BBQ In A Box is dedicated to supplying all your food for you. Delivering right to your front door, they can have premium marinated cuts of meat to wack in the oven and fresh, tasty sides to pop on the table in next to no time. We won't tell anyone you got some help!
Just throw on those flip-flops and sunglasses and you're good to go...to the garden, or if the weather isn't playing along then pop a picnic blanket on the floor in the living room, crank the heating up and pretend!
5. Experiment with cocktails
Why sit in a bar and wait for your drinks to be made when you can make them yourself (10x bigger!) Bring the cocktail experience home and get mixing - become an amateur Mixologist and create your own signature cocktail or mocktail.
It doesn't matter if its Friday and you're in your pj's on the sofa, a nice espresso martini can spice up any night in! There are lots of videos out there that can walk you through cocktail recipes and make creating a tasty masterpiece easy.
No one needs to be empty-handed, get a cocktail in there ASAP.
6. Do a spot of yoga
There's lots and lots and lots of exercise to be done outside the gym so just because you're not going out doesn't mean you can't get moving! You might think it's not one of the most fun things to do at home but exercising is a must when staying indoors for longer periods of time. If you're not quite ready to dive straight into the HIIT workouts everyone's doing on Instagram then why not start off with yoga.
Relaxing and gently easing you back into exercise, yoga is great for so many things from digestion to flexibility to mindfulness. Following a YouTube video can be a great way to do yoga at home with a guide. Yoga with Adrienne is a fantastic for doing just that; her wide range of tutorial videos enabled even the most inexperienced yogi to get involved and get stretchy!
7. Recreate your favourite restaurant meals
If you're struggling to reserve a table at your favourite eatery then don't worry, bring the gourmet experience to your own kitchen table. You can accept the challenge of recreating your favourite restaurant's meals in your very own home today! Cooking or learning to cook is an really fun thing to do at home and your taste-buds will thank you for it.
Lots of chains have started to release the process of making their famous meals in recent weeks so their loyal customers can enjoy their food safely at home. Restaurants like Burger King and Pret have released instructions to making their Whopper and cookies with ingredients we all have indoors, so don't miss out, get cooking!
8. Start harvesting fruit and veg
In the lovely weather we've had this year in the UK, you've probably been like the rest of us and started your own veggie patch or allotment in the garden. Now the weather is turning a little chillier it's tempting to stay indoors but now is the time to reap what you've sown! All those plants you lovingly cared for over the summer should be ripe and ready for harvesting.
Now is also a great time to plant any spring flowering bulbs, tulips and daffodils are super easy to grow and you'll be so thankful in the spring when your garden is blooming!
If you have leftover packaging from using our shipping services to send and receive parcels, you can use this to create compost or as plant holders. Forget going out and buying expensive seed starter kits, a humble cardboard box is a perfect solution as it's lightweight, sturdy and can be planted directly into the soil as the material breaks down it will add nutrients to the environment. And it's free!
Studies have shown that gardening has a massive positive effect on our mental health (horticultural therapy is a thing!), so if you're a little down with cabin fever give it a go!
9. Start selling online
Last, but not least, selling online is one of the best things to do at home and can be really profitable! In recent months many people have turned to the eCommerce market to earn a little cash on the side or even forge an entirely new business enterprise. Either way selling online has a multitude of benefits for all kinds of sellers so it's never a bad idea to give it a try!
When deciding what to sell it's worth considering recession-proof products and niche markets that are guaranteed to sell. But, if you have a product in mind or are looking to turn your hobby into a full-time job, we can help at Interparcel.
Our cheap parcel delivery services integrate with all of the major online marketplaces, so sellers can benefit from:
- Advanced shipping manager: collate orders from multiple platforms in one place
- In-built address verification and correction, no more manual errors
- New branded tracking, create a seamless brand experience when customers track orders
- Despatch orders in a few clicks and carry on selling!
- Cheap shipping to both UK and International destinations
Integrating your online selling profile with our Shipping Manager is free - all you need to do is create an account with us and connect to your store. You'll be shipping orders in no time! With our hassle-free order processing and discounted parcel delivery, you'll have more time to focus on selling!
We know that approaching our 'new normal' can be daunting and heading back out into our day to day routines can be tricky, but there's still plenty that we can do at home to have fun! Take your time and enjoy the little things at home and if you're still bored, we've got loads of interesting articles for you to cure it with!
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