“Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life”. Eleanor Roosevelt

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I hope everyone is staying safe and taking extra precautions out there!? I’ve been hesitating to talk about COVID-19 but given that the situation impacts all of us, I felt compelled to share a few tips that have helped to keep my family positive and smiling.

Things have escalated so quickly over the past few weeks in the world, from the freedom of movement and endless outdoor entertainment, to countries going into lockdown and self-isolation. The COVID-19 is really changing our lives in and out of homes … but guys … it’s not all bad news!

Yes, it is definitely a worrying experience for all of us, particularly the uncertainty about how it will affect our families, friends, jobs and economy.

None of us have experienced anything like this before but we must remember that we are now writing the history that the children of our children will be reading about in schools. We all have to work together and make sure that this reading will give future generations hope and reassurance that in difficult times humanity can stand together, fight and win not just a battle but the war.

What we do know is that we will get through this together and this unity is something to cherish and pass onto the next generations.

I have seen some inspiring efforts from governments all over the world. It is amazing what we can achieve when we all work together.

As we are all required to self-isolate, remember how lucky we are instead of complaining how bored we are after a mere couple of weeks. Remember … we are staying healthy indoors … not stuck indoors.

ANNE FRANK AND ME

Do you know the inspiring story of Anne Frank? When her and her family hid in a tiny room for 2 years, they had nothing of the things we have today. The only thing she had was a diary that she received on her thirteenth birthday, just before she went into hiding. During the two years in hiding, Anne wrote about events in the Secret Annex, but also about her feelings and thoughts.

These days we have food deliveries (yes, they’re less frequent and it’s a struggle to book a delivery slot but they are available), endless entertainment on demand, first class medical advice and care, shops stocked with supplies, and access to the internet. Anne had a pencil, paper and books. And unlike Anne and her family, we are fortunate enough to be able to exercise and move around.

How have your days changed since practising social distancing?

I will say that my husband and I have grown even closer as a couple and we are choosing to embrace the new normal and find a way for it to help us keep connected for when we get past this time.

We are still busy as we are lucky enough to be able to work from home, but what really used to eat into our time and energy levels was the travel time required to get to work. Now we have an additional 3 hours and more energy every day to spend together. We also used to go out quite a lot, but now instead of ordering a 3-course meal in a Michelin restaurant we can make an equally good meal together at home, in quantities we like at a fraction of the price! and the list goes on …

Here are a few tips for having fun while self-isolating.

1. THEMED EVENINGS WITH YOUR LOVED ONES

I love entertaining at home and now is the time (when we have been asked to self-isolate) to explore it even more. We don’t need to surround ourselves with tens of people to have fun, it only takes two to tango!

Vibrant eye-catching costumes, colourful cocktails, lively music, delicious food and let’s not forget the most important ingredient…your fabulous fun hungry family! You can do it all at home without the need to rely on other venues to organise this for you! All it takes is a little effort … and we’ve all definitely got plenty of time on our hands at the moment after all!

If you don’t have decorations and you don’t want to spend money on buying them, enlist your family to create some. It’s such a great opportunity to explore your creativity skills whilst having fun.  It’s also a great way to have a fabulous date night with your partner.

As I mentioned a few times, I do love hosting house parties, therefore I already have plenty of boxes of decorations for quite a few different themes. My two favourites are Gatsby parties (find out how to throw the Great Gatsby Party here) and Mexican Fiestas!

LEARN ABOUT COUNTRIES TOGETHER

How about adding an educational element to the party? Explore the culture and traditions of the country whilst you are celebrating with your family. For example what is captivating people’s hearts about Mexico that you can all talk about?

Just a few things to throw into the mix that you can talk about.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) – celebrated on Nov. 2, is a rare holiday for celebrating death and life. It is unlike any holiday, where mourning is exchanged for celebration. Carnival celebrations take place across the whole country.

I do recommend watching Coco (animated film). It’s a light hearted story about an aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, who enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer. Such a fun way to learn about Día de los Muertos. Download this from various streaming providers.

Mexican food – tortillas and other food made from corn are common everywhere, as are peppers, tomatoes and beans. Rice is also a staple. Mexico is known for its tequila, which is made from agave cactus that is well suited to the climate of central Mexico.

Mariachi  – music and dance features heavily in Mexican culture. Mariachi music dates back to the 18th century and is well-known and loved. If you haven’t already heard the song “La Cucaracha” (the cockroach!) then you probably will at some stage of your Mexican exploration.

Festivals and fiestas – are extremely important in Mexico and celebrated even in the smallest villages. Mexico is the country to experience the colour and vitality!

My favourite places to purchase decorations.

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My favourite Margarita recipe

Did you know that, the original Margarita was created by Dallas socialite Margarita Sames on vacation in Acapulco back in 1948. She mixed her two favourite spirits, Cointreau and tequila, together with lime juice and this original recipe has stood the test of over 70 years’ time.

On the rocks

Ingredients: 2 oz Tequila (4 tablespoons or a double shot), 1 oz Lime juice, 1 oz Cointreau

Rub the rim of the glass with the lime slice or Cointreau (if you have a sweet tooth) to make the salt stick to it. Shake the other ingredients with ice, then carefully pour into the glass. Garnish with a slice of lime and serve over ice.

For lightweights like my husband

Add 4 oz of lemonade and voila!

2. WINE & CHEESE TASTING EXPERIENCE AT HOME

For those who like wines and/or champagnes why not to start discovering new grapes? An interesting, delicious & educational way to spend evenings.

I love wine and I have a few books at homes, and it’s not that I’ve never had time and energy to read them, but now is definitely the time!

It’s such a fun way to learn the secret language of wine labels and broaden your palette, tour the great vineyards of the worlds, investigate new and exciting grape varieties and explore different wine styles.

Websites I buy wines from

3. INDOOR GAMES

From Wii, Playstation, Virtual Reality (VR), board games, cards and dice games to darts, foosball and many more! The choice is endless! Playing is not simply for fun, it is a stress-buster, it is an activity that keeps us healthy without giving us the time to realise its value.

The sad truth is that for the kids and adults of this generation, indoor games mean video games or games on mobile phones. This is not how to spend quality time together and you know what, not every game has to be aimed at developing something!

Forget that logical reasoning, colour and number identification, hand-eye coordination, developing cognitive skills, just let your hair down and have fun! How about a pillow fight? Let that feather loose and for once in your life stop worrying about what’s next!

I personally love playing foosball, so much so that I have treated myself to a foosball table! I still need to work on my dart throwing skill though …

A FEW GAMES TO CONSIDER

MUSICAL CHAIRS

This game is perfect for the whole family or a group of kids. You will need music and chairs. Place chairs (1 less than the total number of players) in a circle. Play music and ask the players to dance around the chairs. When the music stops, they will need to sit on the closest chair. The person without a chair is out of the game.

DOMINOES

Stacking dominoes and watching them fall in quick succession can be enjoyable for anyone. It can also give you something to do for an entire day.

CLASSIC SIMON SAYS

Simon says is a classic game that can be enjoyed by all the members of the family.

The rules are super easy … all players have to do what you say … but only if you start the command with the phrase ‘Simon says …’ If you say anything without saying the phrase, they aren’t supposed to do it. If they do, they will be out of the game.

The last person to follow all the commands accurately wins and gets to become the next Simon.

CHINESE WHISPERS

This simple game can end up with hilarious results. Sit around in a circle and whisper anything into the ear of the person sitting next to you.

This has to continue until the message reaches the last person and he/she will need to announce it out. Easy!

BUILDING A FORT FROM CARDS

This game can keep you engaged and occupied for hours. You just need playing cards and you carefully stack up cards together so they don’t fall over.

4. GIN PARLOUR – MIXOLOGY AT HOME

Since my favourite gin place Mr Fogg’s (learn more here) had to close its doors (because of the virus) like all other places in the UK, it’s time to explore some home based entertainment instead.

I always wanted to discover timeless botanicals and unique flavours and learn about the history of gin and the distillery process.

I can’t say that I house an impressive plethora of gins, tonics and botanicals, however I do have quite an interesting selection … just enough to finally explore my gin cocktail book and try some new mixes.

With summer just around the corner, it’s time to experiment and find new favourites to enjoy in the garden once the temperature rises!

My latest discovery, Moonage Daydream.

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5. ALL NIGHT MOVIE MARATHON

I’ve always wanted to do a cinema All-Nighter, eating pizza and watching films until sunrise! Somehow it has never been a good time with thousands of things to do the following day. Now when life has finally slowed down it’s the time, so pick your favourite films ahead of the night, order tonnes of pizza and just make yourself cosy!

6. GLITTER PARTY

Nothing screams party more than glitter and sparkle! I cannot resist sparkles, glitters, or shimmers. Glitter has become a super popular theme not only for kids but also adults parties this year. Go crazy glitter painting faces and see who created the best glitterati!

If you’re looking for the perfect way to add some friendly competition to your house glitter party, then this is the DIY for you. Cover empty bottles in glitter so your family can play the prettiest game of ring toss ever!

I’d love to know what you’re enjoying about staying home? Let me know in the comments below.

Stay safe, stay grateful, stay positive.