What are you doing to keep busy over lockdown?!

[lockdownroundtwo]

Hello!!

So we have found ourselves in lockdown round two..
What are you guys going to be doing to keep occupied and busy?

I'm really not sure what to do, I've got a week and a bit left on annual leave before returning to work since I am a key worker, so want to make the most of it!!

I'm really into arts and crafts, but I'm having a mind blank 🙄🤣 any ideas from you guys would be great! X x

Last year I made bauble wreaths which was god fun, but I kept burning my hands on the glue gun so I think that's off the cards this year. I'm seeing lots of people putting their Christmas trees up! I'm so tempted 🤔☺️

Yes to crafts and diys, walks, film nights at home, kareoke entertainment at home.

Sad I know, but I bought 4 jigsaws from a charity shop the other day

@Banooshka we live in the countryside so walls are lovely here - trying to get in as many as I can ☺️x

@drumandthebass oh not at all! I love jigsaws and they can keep you busy for hours! X

I’m sorting out all the old photos and putting them into albums, chronologically and labelling them. I’m also writing a family history- what i know, I’m not researching the family tree. Other than that, cooking, baking, painting, walking knitting and reading. TV in the evenings with DP and DD.I sound quite busy!

Oh you are so lucky!

Painting by number kits and colouring for er, grown ups. Quite theraputic.

Going to work, taking ds to college, food shopping (takes longer), driving ds across to where his girlfriend lives so they can go for walks together (they usually meet up at youth theatre then go out afterwards), just getting on with my normal life. The only thing missing is having to take ds to youth theatre, singing lessons, piano lessons etc.

We are redecorating the living room.
I am finishing a massive art project I started last year and never had time for.
Also have some freelance work to do.
Three online bootcamps and one online yoga session a week.
Lots of walks with DH and 1-2-1 walks with friends planned.
I also really want one dry night where I can load up the fire pit and sit out with DH under the stars, sipping mulled wine.
Going to make Christmas pudding and cake in advance.
Going to sort out the Christmas lighting for the house, inside and out.

I'm actually looking forward to it a bit, now that the 'Oh God here we go again' panic has subsided.

Also got to tidy the garden for winter and devise 100 ways to use up all our apples and tomatoes.

Lots of autumnal cooking too - soups and crumbles.

Mon to Fri life is normal with work and school which helps greatly. I’ve got a few projects on the go too:

Sort out the digital photos and print photo books (about 5 years worth)

Start a home recipe book and write/stick in all the random bits of recipes stuffed in various files. I want to write a quick reference list too so when I’m meal planning I can refer to the list so we don’t end up eating the same thing all the time

Declutter the garage

Clear out my and DS wardrobes and be ruthless - eBay or charity shop

Christmas prep - Get all the decorations up inside and outside. Finish shopping, wrap everything, send cards. Test Christmas Day recipes including cocktails

Feeling much more positive this time around. I’ve lost the 10 pounds I put on in the first lockdown and I’m looking to the future.

I'm seeing lots of people putting their Christmas trees up! I'm so tempted.

I’d hold off on this one. They’re going to be utterly fed up of it by the time we get to Christmas. Keep it as a plan for later. I still have 2 jigsaws from last lockdown.

Also going to have a sort & declutter a bit. and plenty of long autumn winter walks with soup/hot chocolate to curl up with in front of Netflix when I get back.
Using Duolingo/other online resources to brush up on a language I haven’t used for a while.
Christmas tree & decorations will go up eventually.

Lockdown 1 consisted of working from home whilst also watching/entertaining my 3yo so no time for anything else.

Lockdown 2 I'm on maternity leave with DS2 due in a couple of weeks so using the time to clean and sort and tidy everything I've wanted to do this past year before he comes along.

We have access to fitness training on zoom twice a week courtesy of dh' work so will continue with that.

Got a few jigsaws to do.

Just ordered a paint by numbers kit which I've never done before, a friend recommended it.

Lots of walks on sunny days hopefully. It's depressing staying in all day.

I'll take advantage of meeting one friend as often as possible.

Then TV in the evenings.

Big project, major redo of front and back garden has involved building a patio under a tree and buying furniture including making a canopy. Still have canopy to make have a temp tarpaulin. Front garden has had two conifers removed that became too big we could not get a tree surgeon so have done it ourselves. Wood is now mostly dealt with and in log store, remains will have to go to the tip.

Gaming for all of us, I have just managed to complete a dungeon solo that is a three player activity usually and have received a special in game emblem. May not seem much but only a tiny % of players have done this and it’s a flex in a game where 95% of players that engage in chat are male :) and gaming is way behind in terms of equality.

Sorted out clothes with six bags to the charity shop and books with four carrier bags donated. DS has been taught how to decorate and has done his bedroom, he will decorate the hall soonish. Sorted out all my jewellery which includes lots of costume stuff where I did lots of fancy dress over the years. A few bits to charity shop and I’m making a picture now out of the rest. Considering turning my childhood dolls house in to a nesting box for outside and putting the best bits of tiny furniture in to a printers box I have.

I walk for about 45 mins to an hour a day, DS and I have started watching horror films together. DH hates them so it’s great to have a partner in crime, He is 19 before people start worrying I am forcing a small child to decorate and watch horror films .

Just getting on with my life keeps me busy enough. I'd like to be able to trim my to do list but it never happens.

Three kids, School run, entertaining the two year old. Walks with a friend. Usual tbh.
Also trying to sell our house so cleaning cleaning cleaning and when we have sold, decluttering more.

Trying to not eat for weight loss. It’s amazing how much effort it takes trying to not do something

I wish I had more time during lockdown , but no more spare time than usual

Working, housework, going out for walks - just carrying on as normal really.

This new version of lockdown hasn't changed anything for me, kids still going school, housework to do etc. We aren't ones for going to the pub or restaurants very often so we are plodding along as usual

Working full time (beyond FT - until well into the evening) as per normal, just from home, as it has been since March.

Continuing to produce food for the family that is (mostly) healthy.

Doing taxi duty for the teen to school and home late in the evening (so a glass of wine with dinner is off the agenda).

And continuing to fail to sleep properly. Or get any exercise.

I might manage to get Christmas sorted soon enough, I feel I am very far behind compared to my usual preparations.

Homeschooling my 7 year old who is isolating due to a case in her class, looking after a toddler and trying to find a new job as I lost mine due to Covid.

Oh and doing the school runs for the 5 year old who isn’t isolating.