What are you doing while isolating that’s something positive and different to usual to pass the time?

[JazzyTheDog]

Really interested to see what sort of positive stuff might be happening in everyone’s “down” time. I don’t mean to make light of those who are worried about family/friends, are in financial stress, or are in shitty home situations etc, but I would like to know what people have found to do that brings something positive to their lives that they weren’t doing last year, and helps pass the time etc when many of us are now stuck at home.

Have you taken up an old hobby again, or found a new one? Have you rediscovered board games? Are you FaceTiming older relatives in a more regular basis when it was always hard to fit in visits every other week?

So I’m in Australia and we’re meant to be staying at home, I’m working from home, kids are online schooling/uni, DP has been furloughed. I’m finishing off mosaic projects and starting new ones (never seemed to have time on weekends), have just finished a mosaic teapot wind chime. Dog is getting more attention and is super happy that we’re home lots but is starting to look concerned if her lead is produced more than twice/day (too many walkies interfere with sleeping). The kids (teens) are baking tasty treats now and then, yum. Me and DP are doing a bit more gardening and general prettying up outside the house than we’d usually bother with.

What are you doing? I need more ideas to keep me busy and if you’re doing crafty stuff please post some pics!

I've been learning to play guitar for a couple of months so I'm trying to stick with it and do it when I can. I don't really get a lot of time though because I'm looking after my son and doing all the housework, but I try and pick my guitar up a couple of times a day.

Redecorating the house. Including upcycling my bedroom furniture I was going to replace. It's gone from dark, orangey pine to antique white and looks fantastic.

Have also spent quite a bit of time on our allotment. We have to go daily anyway because we have chickens. Have set loads of seeds off when we would usually buy plug plants.

Homeschooling ds which is interesting.

A lot more reading. Some baking. Cooking elaborate curries and meals. Walking. Watched more films with the dcs.

I’m making activities for my toddler. Some of them are things I’d seen on FB/Pinterest that I’d always thought I’d do someday but would never get round to. Others are things I’d never have thought of before and would have just bought instead, if things were normal - eg I’m going to draw some pictures on a cereal box and hole punch round the edge to make lacing cards, whereas when my 12yo was her age I just bought them. But now I’m trying to save money and avoid ordering loads online, plus it’s giving me something else to do when bored.

I’m sitting in the garden. Never done that before really. We got given a bench last summer but things were crazy last year and we didn’t really use the garden at all (we’d only moved the summer before after having no garden). I only started doing it because when I‘d had a/the virus I couldn’t walk far so for a couple of days I managed to sit in the sun. It’s a habit that stuck and now I try and sit there and read for a while just for some peace

I'm still working but quite often get sent home with pay because my employer is trying to reduce our exposure to the virus. He'd rather have people on standby at home that at work getting ill. I am very fortunate, I know.

On my days off/time spent at home I have been donating money to the Air Ambulance and food bank (lazy virtue signalling) reading more, and my flat is soooooo clean. My laundry pile is minimal. I have been shopping for ILs . I have tried doing Spanish on Duolingo but gave up!

Some overdo house repairs.
Bits in garden.
I wanted to strip the damaged wallpaper but DH can't agree what to do to the walls afterwards.
I found a voluntary role for someone housebound that will continue as long as I'm not allowed to go to work.

I have made story books using photos and memories for my 4 kids and their kids.

Spent over a week scanning 2500+ photos, asking my kids their memories of childhood, chayyi g about things their little ones have said or think about me (that felt amazing and didn't expect the overwhelming response).

The adult books are 140 pages (Groupon, think it was £28 for 4 total) and the kids books are 40 page and I've made games in the books to keep them fun. There are also counting and learning to read pages.

Ps. I hope my lovely daughter's-in-law aren't on this thread!! If you are, and have guessed DON'T TELL THEM, please! I think the lads all think I've just gone a bit quiet now after being sentimental 😂

I'm learning BSL. I also plan to do my food hygiene before getting back to work.

DH & I plan to do cleaning & sorting but keep putting it off. There's decorating & gardening we want to do but need to wait to buy supplies.

I'm doing lots of cooking and even baking though, the kitchen is my happy place.

I am teaching myself guitar.

I love all your ideas and what you’re doing. There’s so much going in now that is pretty awful or at least not how we’d choose to live our lives.

I might get back into cross stitch too, I haven’t done it for years but whenever I have a look for kits online I tend to find they’re not quite my style. Might go and google again now though ...