10 Things You Haven’t Done Yet During Quarantine

Roscoe the kitty enjoying his sunny bench inside

April 8, 2020

We are nearing the beginning of Week 4 in Quarantine due to Covid-19. My husband works from home everyday while I bounce back and forth between reading books, writing blogs, starting new flower seeds, and working at the farm.

Most people don’t have the luxury of owning a vehicle to transport you to a private, outdoor space with plants, a purpose and no one to bother you… so I’ve shared some things below that helped me through the first few weeks of quarantine before I could start going to the farm.

I sincerely hope this is helpful and inspires you to do something different — Comment below if you have other ideas!

1. Free your email from spam forever

   Quarantine is the perfect time to get ahold of your massively out-of-whack email account. Are you one of those people that have 2,000 unopened emails, most of which is utter garbage? Even if you have THAT much spam, you can take back control of your email account. It will take half a day, or maybe even a whole day, but when you’re done you will thank yourself for years to come.

   Free yourself from spam: Open every email and UNSUBSCRIBE from every single one you don’t want anymore. Sometimes it takes a few steps, like reentering your email so make sure you do this on a desktop or laptop computer for ease. For the extra-spammy emails (you know the ones), don’t open them, just flag them as SPAM.

   This really does work!

2. ladies, clean your makeup brushes

   When was the last time you actually did this?

   I clean my makeup brushes by soaking them in individual glasses of boiling water with a few tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar for an hour. After soaking, I run the brushes under a faucet and move them back and forth across my palm until all the makeup is out and the water runs clear. Lay on a towel to air dry. Your brushes will be super soft and clean after this!

3. Setup a Framework for Better Decision Making

   In my previous blog post, Now’s The Time to Become an Essentialist, I describe how a book changed my approach to making decisions and consequentially, changed my entire life! I encourage you to read it and also download my free Essentialism Worksheet!

4. Tell stories about your stuff

   We’re surrounded by all our possessions inside our homes. Last week I caught myself looking around my living room, asking myself where all my stuff came from, a few things of which I’d kept with me nearly my entire life as they’d been passed down to me from other family members.

   I thought my husband and I could make an entire evening just describing to each other where our possessions came from, the stories they hold, and what they mean to us, from musical instruments to mugs in the kitchen cupboard.

   I encourage you to do this with your family members, taking turns telling each other the stories of your possessions. Even children can tell stories about their favorite toys, blankets, or items they’ve found and collected. You may even realize which of your possessions don’t hold meaningful stories and decide to donate them as a result.

   Related Post: On Living a Creative Life

5. Watch concerts on YouTube

   Attending shows by our favorite musical artists is my and Jesse’s favorite thing to do together. Sadly, none of us will be attending concerts anytime soon, but YouTube can provide quality in-home entertainment. Search for your favorite Artist + Concert Tour and you will find full-length recorded concerts from years past!

   One evening last week, we poured a few drinks and watched Father John Misty’s 2017 Pure Comedy Tour taped in Port Chester, NY and it brought back memories from when we attended the same tour in Chicago that year.

   Instead of listening to an album, watch it!

6. Start a blog or a new social media account

   When I started this blog back in 2016, it was after I had just been unexpectedly fired from a job and I wasn’t sure what path I was going to take next. Writing in my new blog was the first time I truly felt like an individual human being, a feeling I never would have realized if I hadn’t took the leap and started my own online presence. I had full control over something on the internet, I could write my opinions and try to help people grow gardens using my own knowledge, and anyone in the world could access it (some posts even became popular, and my old website accumulated over 100k hits).

   Having your own online presence with the intention of helping other people solve a problem — a problem you’re passionate and knowledgeable about — is one of the most liberating things you can do for yourself. Most of us live under the guise of someone else’s (or a corporation’s) dreams and aspirations, taking on that false identity. NOW is the perfect time to free yourself!

   I recommend Squarespace for starting a blog or website. If you don’t want to pay for a website, simply starting a new Instagram or Twitter account is totally free and the easiest way to reach new people to connect and learn with.

   Related Post: On Following My Dreams

7. Draw up a landscape/garden plan

   For those of us that have yards, now is the perfect time to come up with a plan to improve your landscaping, or put in a veggie and herb garden. You can even get out there and start digging in preparation for it! Some plants can be purchased online and shipped to your home.

   You might want to read this new article I just wrote: How to Start a Garden Using the Sheet Mulching Method

   This is a very rudimentary explanation for a garden plan:

   First, walk your property and take inventory of the trees, shrubs, flowers, etc you already have growing. Figure out what areas you want to improve based on your observations — are there blank spots, do you want to remove ugly bushes, do you want to add color?

   Second, write down what functions you want your yard to serve: do you want a flower cutting garden, an easy maintenance perennial garden, fruit trees and fruit shrubs, a gathering space with a fire pit, a place to hang a hammock, or tall sprawling garden roses, an area of unencumbered lawn for your kids to play, etc?

   Third, print out an overhead view of your house & yard on Google Earth (print a few copies). Using different colored markers or pens, indicate where each of your desired functions will be served in your yard.

   Fourth, create a Google Spreadsheet or write out all the elements you will need to purchase (essentially, create an all-in-one Action Plan and Budget). This could include: trees, shrubs, flowers, seeds, soil, outdoor furniture, stepping stones, etc.

   Fifth, break up your landscape plan in phases — you won’t be able to tackle it all at once. Decide what you will achieve this season, and focus on that for now.

   Sixth, get out there and start digging new earth, removing old plants you don’t want, etc. Once you start moving earth, you will be more likely to finish what you started! Here’s a blog post I’ve written about soil prep and the importance of soil health.

   Seventh, order some plants! Beautiful garden roses can be purchased from David Austin, vining plants and shrubs can be found at White Flower Farm, and tons of edible fruit trees and fruit shrubs from Stark Bros.

   Related Post: Edible Medicinal Herbs and Plants You Can Grow at Home

8. Have deeper conversations

   During our engagement, I purchased a book for Jesse and I to use in lieu of traditional marriage counseling. The book is called 201 Relationship Questions: The Couples Guide to Building Trust and Emotional Intimacy by Barrie Davenport. There are many self-guided marriage counseling books, but we chose this one due to its secular nature and the excellent reviews on Amazon.

   This book prompts you and your partner to work through many questions you’d never think to ask each other. Not all of it is comfortable and some chapters may leave you huffing at the end; however, this book has helped us improve our communication, expectations, goal setting, and so many other issues. I highly, highly recommend every couple read this book together.

9. give yourself a facial using ingredients in your kitchen

   Pamper yourself easily (and for free!) by creating some moisturizing infusions for your face using ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.

   • Coconut Oil + Honey Mask = 1 tbsp melted raw virgin coconut oil, 1 tbsp raw honey

   • Pumpkin + Honey Mask = 1 tbsp pumpkin puree, 1 tbsp raw honey, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (use the rest of the canned pumpkin to make a smoothie with ice, 2 bananas, cinnamon, almond milk, and honey/maple syrup/agave if you like it sweeter!)

   • Oatmeal + Yogurt Mask = 1 tbsp oatmeal (finely ground), 1 tbsp plain organic yogurt, 1 tbsp warm raw honey

10. grow delicious, nutritious sprouts in mason jars

    Chances are you have a bag or two of raw lentils, chickpeas, or beans laying around… why not try bringing them to life in just a few days by sprouting them in mason jars? This is a fun activity to do with your kids, too!

    For sprouting instructions, read my post on How to Grow Edible Sprouts in Mason Jars

The one thing we can hold onto is: This won’t last forever. I wish you health and happiness during this time and look forward to hugging and kissing many of your faces once this has passed.

peace, love + plant magic,

Fran Parrish