Libby is a free app that allows you to borrow books digitally from your library and download them onto your Kindle. All you need to do is input your library card number and search for different books by Title or Author. There are only a certain number of each book available, so if a book you want is already “checked out” you can place a Hold on that book where you will be notified via email when the book is available. You can see approximately how long it will be until the book is available by going to your Shelf in the app, here you can also manage your Holds. The Loans portion of the app shows your which books you have currently borrowed. Each Loan lasts for 21 days, after which the book is “returned” to the library. If you can’t get through the entire book in that period, I suggest putting your Kindle on airplane mode so you are able to finish reading in your own time, while the book is made available to someone else.
Kindle Unlimited:
is a subscription service where you have unlimited access to millions of books, magazines, and audiobooks each month for $9.99. They do offer a free 30 day subscription to new users, just make sure to cancel before the month is up to avoid getting charged. I would take advantage of this offer especially if all the books you want to read are unavailable on Libby for a while.
2. Move Your Body
I try to stay active in my daily life and being at home has not changed that. I miss being able to go to the yoga studio or to a barre class, but I’ve made the best of my situation with at home workouts.
Alo Moves:
I am a huge fan of Alo Moves.This is a one stop shop for everything yoga, mindfulness, and fitness. There are hundreds of videos available and you can filter through by style, duration, even difficulty level. Some of my favorite instructors are Ashely Galvin — her Body Blast series will make you sweat!!, Kayla Nielsen, who is spine flexibility goals, and Jackie Stewart who’s gentle meditations help relax and ground me after stressful days. Whether you’re looking for yoga, pilates, HIIT workouts or wanting to improve on some skills like handstands,Alo Moves has you covered. Normally it costs $20 a month but if you are a new member and use code SPLITS you’ll get at free 21-day trial!!
Running/Walking:
The original free workout method. Weather permitting, everyone should venture outside their house at least once a day for some fresh air. It’s amazing how a simple walk around the neighborhood can clear your mind and give you a much needed break from your home. Of course practicing social distancing is a must! If you venture out make sure to stay at least 6 feet away from people, but get outside and get some air.
YouTube:
YouTube has tons of free online workouts available to everyone. I personally followed Blogilates for years when I was a broke college student! There is something for everyone workout wise on YouTube so no excuses not to get up and move your body.
3. Learn Something New
Now is the perfect time to sit down and learn. Most of us want to improve a skill, whether that be photography, editing, graphic design, or drawing, but we don’t have the time in our normal day to day lives to devote to learning. Why not take advantage of some of this free time you have?
Skillshare:
Skillshare is an amazing website with thousands of free classes taught by professionals on everything from animation to web development. I’ve personally used Skillshare to learn the ins and outs of my DSLR camera and really improve my photography skills. If you want to learn to draw, how to write creative stories, or even some interior design basics there’s a class for you. There is also a Premium version that gives you full access to over twenty-thousand classes, new users can try Premium free for 2 months!!
4. Organize Your Space
I truly love to organize. When my space is clean and tidy my head feels clear and I’m able to tackle my day. A few months back I got really into Marie Kondo, as did many others I’m sure, and I did an overhaul of my wardrobe. I’m a serial shopaholic and was buying clothes just to buy and my closet was at it’s maximum capacity. I went through everything and donated or sold a huge portion of my wardrobe and felt so much lighter after doing so. I used Marie Kondo’s method of sparking joy to help me in the process, only keeping items I truly loved. After everything was said and done I decided to fold and store all my pieces according to her method as well. I was amazed at how well everything fit once folded properly, and how much space I still had after everything was put away.
I didn’t just stop at my closet, I tackled my entire house. I set a big house task for myself everyday, i.e., cleaning all the baseboards, organizing under the sinks, deep cleaning my pots and pans, as well as any smaller tasks I don’t get to on a regular cleaning basis. After a week my house was cleaner than it’s ever been! Take this time to get to those daunting cleaning tasks done, like actually moving and cleaning behind the couch. Spring has sprung so it’s the perfect time to get to spring cleaning.
5. Prepare Your Garden
I love growing my own food. There is something so satisfying about collecting fresh fruits and veggies from the garden that you grew yourself. It’s even better when you make delicious healthy meals with said food after. Take this time to look up when the best time to start your seedlings is. Take inventory of what seeds you have left over, and which you’d like to add to your garden. If you’re new to gardening map the sun in your yard to see where the best place to plant will be Start weeding and preparing garden beds and planning out where you’ll plant everything when the time is right. If you’re in need of supplies but don’t want to spend money on them now just make a list of what you need. I’ve found this post and this postfrom Joanna Gains to be helpful, especially if you’re a newbie.
I hope you found some inspiration on how to pass the time in quarantine. We are all in this together. Stay home, stay safe, and stay sane! Please feel free to share this post if you found it helpful!
