Wi-fi speeds have slowed down this spring as many Canadians have transitioned into working from home. Staying home also means you’re probably entertaining yourself and your family by streaming online entertainment much more often.
If you’re getting tired of spending a large chunk of your free time in front of a screen this season, why not try one of these activities? They’ll help you stay productive and engaged with your environment.
The best part is: there’s no modem required!
Start an Indoor Garden
Planting an indoor garden is a great way to add freshness and nature to your home, even if you don’t have the outdoor space to plant a backyard garden.
Some of the best edible plants to grow indoors include:
- Microgreens
- Many varieties of Herbs
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Salad greens
- Carrots, beets and radishes can be grown in deep pots.
In addition to purchasing vegetable seeds and edible plant starters, growing vegetables from scraps is an emerging indoor gardening trend. You can sprout new veggies from the chopped-off ends of kitchen staples like scallions, basil, onions, lettuce and celery. All you need are some containers of water to start the re-growing process as well as some pots of soil to transplant your veggies into once they begin to grow roots and sprout.
Do your research on the indoor climate conditions your plants need to thrive, including:
- Exposure to sunlight or grow lamps.
- Temperature conditions.
- Watering, fertilization, and repotting instructions.
You can bring your plants outdoors during the summer or keep them near your windowsill year-round for easy access every time you cook.
Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning your home and outdoor spaces isn’t as immediately gratifying as curling up with Netflix. Still, it’s a necessary chore that will make spending time at home much more enjoyable.
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces like remotes, doorknobs, and light switches.
- Wipe down your patio furniture and outdoor toys with a solution of warm water and dish soap, then rinse them off with your garden hose.
- Dust lightbulbs during the day while they’re turned off and use a lint roller to remove debris from lampshades.
- Remove and dust your air vents after you turn off the heat and before you turn on your AC.
- Add some spring freshness into your home by washing tablecloths, throw blankets and bedding and hanging them outside to dry on a sunny day.
- Scrub your sink and stained mugs with baking soda.
- Vacuum, wash, and wax your vehicles.
- Participate in a spring declutter challenge.
In addition to the apparent benefit of sprucing up your living space, spring cleaning can help you prepare yourself for your summer workout routine with all of that cleaning cardio. It’s a good idea to delegate cleaning tasks and break up your time spent cleaning into manageable chunks. You don’t want to burn yourself out by trying to pack too many chores into one day. Get your family off the couch and cleaning your home to some motivational music.
Take a puzzle, book, game or creative project outside
When you’re outdoors and offline, you can entertain yourself without worrying about a weak wi-fi connection or pushing the limit of your phone’s data plan. Few activities recharge a screen-fatigued mind more than indulging in your favourite activities (or brand-new hobbies) while surrounded by nature.
- Purchase a puzzle storage mat so you can take your puzzle projects anywhere inside or outside.
- Crack open that book you’ve meant to read for months or start a family book club and read aloud to each other.
- Sit out on your porch or balcony and start a daily journaling practice.
- Write a letter to friends or family members who you haven’t seen in person for a long time.
- Dust off your favourite board games or get creative and design a scavenger hunt. Send members of your household through your home and backyard hunting for the objects you’ve described with your clever clues.
- Turn outdoor family time into a photoshoot. You can even incorporate props and costumes if you like.
If the adult colouring, knitting and crochet trends have taught us anything, it’s that people are looking toward tactile crafts to express themselves and help relieve stress. You can complete many creative projects with materials you already have around your house, or order a few supplies from your local craft store.
- Turn an old photo album into a scrapbook.
- Decorate your front yard with a scarecrow.
- Get ahead of the holiday rush and start making holiday greeting cards for your loved ones.
- Try Origami, jewelry making, or kid-friendly crafts.
Try out one of our suggestions the next time a slow internet connection makes streaming content frustrating. Make a habit of ditching your laptop at the end of each workday or try taking a weekend staycation from all but essential technology. Whichever activities you choose to get outside and off wi-fi, you can make your time offline productive and enjoyable.