As much as I would love to spend the weekend wrapped up in a blanket with a bottomless much of hot cocoa and magic plate of self-renewing snacks while I work my way through a lovely stack of books, it might not be the best use of my time. There have been a lot of web posts suggesting things to do inside to keep families occupied and entertained – even though there isn’t a distinct need, I’m choosing to add to the choice opportunities with my own list. Because I can. And because, just maybe, you’d like options for when you’ve finished binge-watching your current Netflix cue.
- De-clutter your closet. Spring is coming friends, and I know when I packed summer clothes away last fall there were pieces that needed to be replaced. We may still need our winter clothes, but taking time to write a list of what will need to be replaced next winter could be quickly accomplished because we’re still wearing that set of outfits. Work ahead by assessing two seasons now and creating a specific shopping list for when spring sales start in earnest. (And if you’ve been meaning to downsize and are intrigued by the concept of a capsule wardrobe, check out Justine Leconte’s series on the subject. Her wisdom applied to fashion is pretty brilliant.)
- De-clutter the toys in your house. This extends beyond Legos and stuffed bunnies – grown-ups have toys too. (Please don’t look under my bed – my craft supplies aren’t toys!) I’ve discovered that if you go into the process with the goal of sharing what you don’t use, rather than simply downsizing, its a lot less stressful and takes less time.
- Bake bread. This used to be a skill that was essential to daily life – now it is an amazing art form. And the physical labor of kneading a ball of dough into a fluffy soft loaf is pretty therapeutic. I’m fascinated by the science that goes into a simple loaf of bread – simple ingredient changes like using milk vs water, adding eggs or eliminating them can completely change the structure of your bread.
- Write all of the words. Dust off our journaling skills, which can be about words or doodles. I love the doodles that other people add to their journals, but am artistically challenged – so I’ll be heading over to the Personal Planner blog and watching the mini videos they listed on simple doodles. (I may also take a look at their Spring Bucket list and see how many items I can cross off in the next week . . . could be fun. P.S. Don’t go to their home page – personalizing a planner is more fun than it should be.)
- Color some art and listen to old radio dramas. I love stories, and well told stories on the big screen are great – but so are the old radio dramas from the 1940’s and 1950’s. While I do some tidying up this weekend, I’ll be streaming a re-released Paul Temple drama on BBC Radio, or browsing iTunes podcasts for Old Time Radio. (Fibber Magee & Molly, George & Gracie, The Saint, Tales of the Texas Rangers, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and Johnny Dollar can all be found quite easily – and sometimes the old radio advertisements make me laugh harder than the comedy routines.)
Though I don’t think it is intentional, social media and news agencies are attaching a certain amount of stress and anxiety to being ‘stuck at home’. But if we flip it around and look at it differently it could become one of our greatest adventures. Leave me a comment and tell me what adventures you’re creating for yourself this weekend!
Paper & Tea Studio 