Let me just start out by saying I had no clue we were doing so much to entertain ourselves during social distancing! I am quickly realizing that we are SO good at entertaining ourselves and we really don’t need to go back to spending as much on entertainment as we did before this period. I think in life after COVID-19, we will definitely spend more time at home while still doing things here and there to support the local economy in the best ways we can! I have broken up the following items into two categories: non-digital and digital.
Non-digital
AR Workshop- I shared our at-home date night craft on Instagram stories at the very beginning of quarantine, back when I think a lot of us thought this was going to be a two week thing. We had SO much fun doing the craft night, and I am honestly thinking about ordering another one to do the week of my birthday. I will keep you all updated if I do! I am trying to keep all these descriptions short, but trust me when I say, these crafts are FUN!
Games
Catch Phrase- We have the decades version, and we love playing back and forth without keeping score. I think Catch Phrase is such a good game to play with your significant other because you’re usually most in sync and have the closest thought process when explaining things- at least that’s how it is for us!
Ticket to Ride- This is actually a two player game, which is surprising! We played last Sunday and Preston kicked my butt 🙁 I would definitely recommend picking this one up because it works as a two player game for now, but is also really fun with a bunch of people once everything opens back up!
Reading
I hope I am not the only one who has struggled to get interested in reading during this time. Even things I am completely interested in won’t hold my attention long enough. Also, the drastic difference in the amount of time I am in the car reduces how quickly I can get through audiobooks, and I actually was unable to finish my last book on time and had to return it to the library before I finished it, but I did get on the list for it again!
Here’s what I have started reading during quarantine:
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy the story of Little Women and why it still matters- I think this is someones research project on Louisa May Alcott and the behind-the-scenes of her life and her inspiration for all her works, including Little Women. It’s really good so far, but not a page turner by any means. I enjoy non-fiction, so this one is fun to pick up every now and then.
The Whisper Network- I am listening to this on audiobook and crossing my fingers I can finish it before my library hold runs out. It’s good so far, but definitely not my favorite thing from Reese’s Book Club.
Evvie Drake Starts Over- This is the book I didn’t get to finish, but I think it was great so far. I actually recommended it to my friend Tessa because she loves baseball, and one of the main characters is a baseball player!
Digital
Animal Crossing- When this game released in March, we were on the fence about buying this game immediately. We, like many of you, are trying to save as much as we can in this time period of so much unknown. However, when we realized social distancing was going to leave us with much more time at home, we decided to splurge and digitally download this game. I am SO glad we did. We both played when we were younger and absolutely loved it. We both also agree this game is way better than any of the previous editions. I am more obsessed with it than Preston is… if you want to chat all things AC, feel free to message me on Instagram! I could talk about it for hours or probably even days.
YouTube
Animal Crossing videos- Before recently, I aggravated Preston all the time about how silly I thought it was that he watched people play video games on YouTube- I mean, total waste of time, right? WRONG. I now see what the hype is. I love to watch island tours, play throughs, tips and tricks, etc. all about Animal Crossing. My favorite is Austin John Plays and then TagBack TV’s island tours.
Bon Appetit- Preston and I have been sucked into the Bon Appetit universe as well. In college, I would hear a lot of people mention these people called “Claire,” “Chris,” and “Brad,” and had no idea what the big deal was! Well, somehow we got started on the Gourmet Makes series and have been hooked ever since. It has inspired me to cook a little more creatively, and I (and Preston) am loving it.
TV/Streaming
Tiger King (Netflix)- no words here, I think you all feel the same as I do about this crazy show.
The Last Dance (Hulu)- This justifies an “OMG OMG!!” I grew up around serious sports fans, but I somehow married one of the very few males without the slightest interest in anything sports related. Preston is very indifferent toward sports- he will go to a game if we have comfortable seats, watch on TV if it is a game I am really interested in, etc., but he doesn’t really go out of his way. We both are OBSESSED with The Last Dance and have been binging it the past few nights. If you aren’t interested in sports, I think you would still really like it. It’s honestly storytelling at its finest.
Masked Singer (FOX/Hulu)- Preston and I really like this show?? And we can’t figure out why, haha. I think it’s because you don’t have to pay much attention and the panel of judges are really funny! It’s lighthearted and great for the background. The celebrities this year have all been A-list, when in seasons past they have leaned more toward B-list. I don’t want to mention anyone specific in case you watch it but let me just say there is a HUGE political figure contestant.
Motherland (Freeform/Hulu)- My friend and I saw the trailer for this all over Freeform (does anyone still want to call it ABC family?), and thought it looked very interesting! We appreciate it for the very different story line it is, but it’s kind of scandalous, so I don’t know if I would rave about it. We are sticking with it for now though just in case it levels out some!
Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)- it seemed like a lot of people watched this recently, and I thought it was really good! It kept me invested the entire time, and I didn’t expect the ending events at all!
The Americans (Prime)- Preston and I always seem to have at least one long show running, and this is our current. It’s about these Russian spies who are posing as a regular American family during the escalation and duration of the Cold War. It’s really good and makes your root for the Russians in the weirdest way.
Outer Banks (Netflix)- A coworker recommended this to me, and I was hesitant at first. I am currently watching this as I type, and it’s actually pretty good. It’s the only show Preston isn’t watching with me, I don’t think it’s really his cup of tea.
Movies
We had a Wes Anderson movie marathon weekend, and it was really fun! He is our favorite director. We still have a few left to watch, but I am really glad we did it! I sat up a “concession stand” and left it up for the entire weekend- that was a hit!
Stargirl (Disney+)- I read this book in middle school, and I was excited when I saw Disney was making it a movie! I think it was better than the actual book
That’s a wrap on the different entertainment avenues we have enjoyed during quarantine! What have you all been doing to stay busy/entertained?
