If you’re like me, these stay at home rules are the absolute worst. Drive thrus and grocery pickups activate the brain a little bit, but I can only watch Netflix (or Amazon Prime or Hulu) for so long before my brain starts getting a little existential. So here are three things to do while stuck inside or in your backyard for this spring.
Plant some seeds: You can get seeds at Walmart and Lowes or prepare your own. To prepare your own, take the seeds from a fruit or veg (in this example, we’re going with tomatoes) and place them in a paper bag. Shake the bag vigorously to remove the outer lining of the seed and then pour the seeds into a bowl of room temperature water. Soak them for two hours. If the seeds feel slimy to the touch, scrape off the outer membrane with your fingernail and then put them on a paper towel. Now, here’s the weird part. Put a piece of sandpaper in a mason jar and then place the seeds on top of it. Shake the jar to scar the seeds, which will make it easier to germinate. Then, return the seeds to a bowl with water for two hours. Immediately plant the seeds after this step, using different bowls for different seed types. You could do this with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and pumpkins. Easy seeds to start from seed packs include lettuce, peas, beans and even garlic.
Get some baby chicks! Chicks are super easy and can be found at tractor supply stores this season (also, Google). To start chicks, all you really need is a cardboard box, a heating lamp, chicken food, and a water dispenser, all of which can be found at the hardware store. On top of the fact that you will be the proud parent of what looks like walking pom poms, chickens mature quickly and will be laying eggs once a day within a few months. To up the cuteness level, you could also have baby ducklings. Ducklings require the same basic care as baby chicks, but you will be able to add the spectacular position of duckling swim instructor onto your sparkling resumé. Within a week of hatching, ducklings need to practice paddling around in water—a salad bowl will do for a while. Regardless of whether you choose chicks or ducklings, they are quite literally little balls of sunshine.
Practice a new hobby: I have been attempting to learn how to watercolor for literally three years, but never really had time. But now we do! Armed with my dollar pack of watercolors from Walmart, I am currently horrible at it. Maybe you’re a watercolor expert—do something different! Learn to bake, do a handstand, buy a ukulele, get ridiculously good at yoga, make latte art, beat your high score!
Whether you plant a miniature garden, become a poultry parent, or practice a new skill, let us see what you’re doing! DM us on Instagram with your home life hacks to be featured on our social media!