Quarantine Bright Sides

It’s week 2 of social distancing over here and I’ve been making all the plans for how to spend this time well. As I bring in inspiration and ideas for the week ahead, I thought I should share them! 

I’ll be sharing homeschooling resources (for those of you who are also suddenly finding yourselves doing this with your kiddos), recipes that take comfort food to the next level, hobbies to jump into with your extra hours, and the best uplifting reads, music, media and more to nourish your spirit. 

We are truly in this together. God remains God. We’re going to be ok, so let’s take some time to reframe and find the bright side. 

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1. Homeschooling

1. Here is the link to the weekly plan I’ve made for K that uses some of the incredible free online resources available to us right now!
2. Some resources that I love right now for online learning: 
   1. Storyline Online (Stories read by celebrities)
   2. Prodigy (Math)
   3. Audible (Free children’s audio books!)
   4. Epic (Read-to-Me stories for developing readers)
   5. Teachers Pay Teachers (Filter for Free Resources)
   6. BrainPop (For instantly accessible lessons and follow up activities on every subject from music to science and more)
   7. Duolingo (For free foreign language instruction that’s also super fun)

2. Family Time

Whether you’re quarantining with your kids, your roommate, or your parents, hopefully you’re getting a chance to get more quality time with your people. Here are some awesome ways to spend it: 

1. Movie marathon! We would suggest Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, Nora Ephron rom-coms, and the Pirates of the Carribean Movies
2. Movie theater at home! If you haven't heard, movies that would have been in theaters are coming to your home for streaming instead. Pop some popcorn with your people and try Emma or, starting Easter weekend the new Trolls movie! My foster daughter will absolutely flip for this. 
3. Game Night! We have blown through SO MANY BOARD GAMES over the last week! I’ve been really enjoying slow and methodical games like Settlers of Catan, Scrabble, and Ticket to Ride, but if you want something more fast paced, try One Night Werewolf or Avalon. 
4. Family Dinners! Well we can’t go out and we can’t have people over so what better time to prioritize family dinner! Ask intentional questions and take time to connect with one another over a regularly scheduled family meal. 
   

3. Uplifting Content

You gotta love all the positivity that is pouring out of the internet these days. Some of the content I’ve come across in the last week has been deeply moving and stuck with me as I continue to try and find a silver lining and healthy perspective even in difficult times. Here are some of my favorites: 

1. Bridgetown Church Teaching: 5 Practices for Becoming a Non-Anxious Presence: 
   
2. Billy Graham brings a word for our times. This gave me chills from the minute it started. This clip is less than a minute but very worth the time: 
   
3. The “Who is More” filter on Instragram stories! This one is just fun and a great way to add laughter to your day
   
4. @justmyenneatype “Navigating the Wilderness of Covid” series on Instagram - talk about a PERFECT way to find spiritual direction for the week
   
5. The @thatsnotcancelled instagram account is bring all the quarantine ideas and is a hub of bright sides. 
   
6. Psalm 91. If you haven’t read it, read it. 
   

4. Hobbies

There’s no time like the present to try a new hobby! Our generation is often accused of not being able to have a hobby without making it a side hustle. This would be the perfect time to find a creative outlet that is just for your personal enrichment, not for work or money, but just to care for yourself and cultivate your creativity. 

1. Embroidery: Ok so my embroidering and sewing hobby basically took over my winter and it’s still something I reach for when I need my hands to be busy while my mind focuses on something else. It’s almost meditative for me and it's a breeze to learn. Here’s my pinterest board to bring you some inspiration: 
2. Stepping up your Make-up Game: If you’ve always wanted to know how to do your make-up better, this would be the perfect time to experiment! Here are some to start with! 
3. Reading: My friend Abby and I are in a reading challenge and it’s giving me the motivation I needed to get back to steady reading! If your looking for some recs, try The Family Upstairs (thriller), The Selection (FAST read and super fun), The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (perfect family read-aloud and classic to get to if you haven’t yet)
4. Digital Planning: Ben got me an iPad for Christmas and I’ve been OBSESSED with digital planning ever since. Start with Creating with Lucy, on Insta and youtube and then search up other ideas. This is my go-to right now for keeping my brain feeling organized and my type-A heart content. 
5. Journalling: My friend Christon very wisely said the other day that this is a time for the history books and someday our kids will want to know what we were up to on these quarantined days. Here are some prompts that might help you jump into journaling: