The Homebody Survival Guide

Mar 17

If we have to stay at home, we might as well fill the days with yummy things to bake and check a project or two off the list. My kids and I will be making nutritious cookie dough energy bites and I can’t wait to finally get my Artkive project started. Here’s my survival guide to being a homebody for the next few weeks.

I saw a post on Instagram recently that this ISN’T A SNOW DAY. It certainly isn’t and we are taking the social distancing mandate seriously. If we have to be at home though we might as well make it fun.

Survival Tip #1: Stay busy...start the day making cookie dough energy bites

Keeping busy is the name of the game these days and a great family activity is baking. We have a bit of a sweet tooth in our house and these nutritious little bites really satisfy. All you need is a cuisinart and some pantry items which you can order off of Instacart. The best part is there's no baking required and the kids can help form them into balls before they go into the freezer. Just take them out when you’re ready for an afternoon snack or a little reward for an hour spent home-schooling.

Survival Tip #2: Liven up the house with some new spring accessories

Now is the perfect time to do a little online shopping and freshen up your interiors. New pillows and throw blankets are a low cost way of spicing up your rooms and the designer pillows on Etsy are a great resource. Just measure your current pillow cover, select a designer fabric that you like, and your handmade pillow cover will arrive shortly. Spark Modern, WillaSkyeHome, and PopOColor are just a few of our favorite Etsy shops for pillows. Shop for pillows on Etsy and support small businesses.

For throw blankets, we are big fans of the eco friendly goods at In2Green. The throws are knit from upcycled yarn and their patterns are classic yet modern, with a multitude of options. You can even personalize a throw for a special someone if you are looking for a present. Shop for throws on In2Green and look for "Eco Right Angles" and "Eco Swiss Cross" for two of our favorites.

Survival Tip #3: Order your groceries and wine online

I for one, will be shopping a lot through Instacart in the coming weeks. You can select your preferred grocery store, CVS, or Petco and get supplies for everyone in the family without ever having to leave the house. For wine, we have just discovered Scout & Cellar clean-crafted wine that delivers to your door. The wines are free from synthetic pesticides, chemical additives and sweeteners. They need an adult home to sign for the delivery but that won’t be a problem these days!Survival Tip #4: Immerse yourself in a project...like Artkive

Luckily we have enough arts and crafts kits to sink a ship and keep my two daughters busy for weeks. We’ll add some math and science lessons from Khan Academy and hope that school sends a curriculum soon. While the kids are busy, I’m going to get to work crossing Artkive off my list (after doing a little designing that is). It’s a great way to archive all of the artwork that comes home from school and declutter the house at the same time.

For $39 I’ve ordered an Artkive box with a prepaid return shipping label to fill with Aubrey and Elle’s favorite art projects. Artkive will professionally photograph everything and upload it to my account to review proofs. After it’s approved, an 8.5x11 hardcover book will come filled with their beautiful creations. It’s that easy, but this project has been on my to-do list for a while and I can’t wait to see the final result. Learn more about the Artkive box here.

Survival Tip #5: Get outdoors at least once a day

I see more walkers in our neighborhood lately and it’s a wonderful way to avoid cabin fever. We have a few long weeks ahead and we’re starting a new family routine to walk 30 minutes together every morning. Fresh air is essential to good mental and physical health and we could all use a little boost right now.