Things to do at home

Spring is right around the corner, but right now everything is grey in so many ways.

I work from home, so this situation isn't totally foreign to me. I did, however, try to get out at least once every two days to talk to another person besides my sweetie. Now that face-to-face socialization is no longer an option, here's what I'm doing.

1. Take a walk. You are allowed to go outside and for a walk. Just stay 6 feet/2 metres away from others. The fresh air and break from the media are a great mental break for me.

2. Reader's Digest crosswords. New ones come out daily. Keep your mind sharp.

3. Cooking. I love sitting down with cookbooks and flagging recipes I'd like to try. This is more challenging when you are trying to stay out of the grocery stores and use what you have in your pantry. I'm planning ahead, scouring recipe books for stuff I've always wanted to try (hello, Shepherd's Pie but with mashed potatoes instead of cauliflower), and making lists *by recipe* of what I need. The next time I hit the store, I will try to collect these items like I'm ticking off a bingo card. If all are in stock, Bingo! If not, I'll get what I can and wait.

4. Baking. A lot easier than cooking when it comes to ingredients. (And, honestly, I have 8 - I counted! - bags of shredded zucchini in the freezer. We are going to be having so much zucchini fruit bread and chocolate zucchini cake.) So long as I have flour, sugar, and eggs, I should be good. I'm also dusting off my bread maker to try this simple Italian bread recipe.

5. Read and review. I have tons of free books on my e-reader that I've picked up over the years. NOW IS MY TIME! Also, it only takes a few minutes to leave a review. You wouldn't believe how much reviews (especially on Amazon) help a writer, so please, take a few minutes to help out someone if you enjoyed their book.

I'm hoping to keep upbeat, so please check out my Twitter feed and Facebook page for more things to try.