*Guys, we've nearly made it; we're on the home straight towards the end of lockdown on June 21 and finally (finally!) there's a light at the end of the tunnel. As per Boris's roadmap, we are all allowed to socialise outside RN - if all goes to plan - life will pretty much be back to normal on June 21. It's been one hell of a year, right? Aside from how terrible we are at dyeing our own hair, over the past year we've proven that we're a pretty imaginative bunch when it comes to innovating from home. We've baked banana bread, we've hosted 284394 quizzes and we've even given French lessons a whirl. If you're keen to make the most of your remaining time at home and learn some new skills, pass the time or simply have a laugh in lockdown (yes, it is possible), we've trawled the internet and quizzed the funnest people we know to curate a definitive guide to plenty of fun things to do at home to keep yourself entertained for the remaining weeks.
Taking care of our mental health and keeping busy is absolutely paramount - even as we approach the finish line. Having structure to your day (especially if you've been furloughed) or are shielding, is essential for your mental health so why not make a lockdown bucket list with plenty of our below suggestions? Have any fun ideas you want us to add? Tweet us as @GlamourMagUK. We know this whole situation sucks but we hope you stay safe and stay positive out there, people.*
1. Host a games night
Bored of yet another pub quiz? We feel ya. Organising a games night is a sure-fire way to keep the whole family or your friendship group entertained this weekend. Here's a few tips...
Assign someone the 'happy hour host' and ask them to give a live cocktail masterclass
Assign 'drinking games masters' and ask them to orchestrate some drinking games and forfeits
Play a good old game of charades
Get one person to mute themselves and mime phrases and see who can read their lips the best
Ask guests to submit a surprising fact about themselves beforehand and see who can guess which fact correlates to which person on the Zoom
Play a good old game of Bingo. Ask everyone to mock up their own Bingo card based on a Google template and use this number generator to kick things off.
We've written a full games night itinerary if you're looking to host one.
2. Download Disney +
If you’ve not got your hands on a Disney+ UK subscription yet, now is most definitely the time. Brits finally have access to a library of all the Disney for the first time ever, from popular classics (Dumbo, we <3 you) to TV shows and new releases. It costs £5.99 per month, but you can save yourself 15% if you purchase an annual subscription. Dreamy.
*Saving is based on 12 months of the monthly subscription price.
3. Bake cloud bread
First there was banana bread, then came whipped coffee, followed shortly by pancake cereals. But now millions of people around the world are now whipping up cloud bread and sharing their colourful bakes on Instagram and Tik Tok. It's a super simple dessert bread that only requires four ingredients and, thanks to food colourings of your choice, can be made into a rainbow of different colours.
4. Whip up a lockdown bath
People have been taking to Instagram, TikTok and Facebook to showcase their delightfully smug isolation baths replete with bath bombs, candles and comforting beauty buys. These are our tried-and-tested ways to perfecting the art of the lockdown bath when the weather is sh** outside and you want to feel cosy at home.
5. Educate yourself on race
You may have posted a black square to your Instagram page yesterday, but do you know why you did it? The #BlackOutTuesday movement was created by two Atlantic Records executives who wanted to encourage black users to step away from social media, 'a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community' through 'an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change'. By reading, listening and watching, we're coming to terms with our own privilege, sitting with our discomfort and our anger and our guilt, and using it to support black communities. We may not always get it right, and we certainly won't ever properly understand how it feels. But what we can do is use this time is to listen, learn, and start our long-term strategy of anti-racism and non-optical solidarity and this weekend is the perfect opportunity. Read our guide to the best podcasts, books and resources to educate yourself this weekend and forever more.
6. Have a go at macramé
This 70s staple is making a comeback in the craft world, and it’s had a makeover. Not only is macramé knotting a really fun project, it’s also been featuring heavily on our Instagram feeds as artsy, bohemian interior décor. If you can get your hands on a DIY kit, it’s bound to keep you entertained for hours.
7. Play virtual ping pong
Hosted by Ade Leigh from Ping Pong Fight Club, this epic virtual ping pong challenge from The Big Smoke Events features an action-packed 45 minutes of hilarious ping pong challenges, trivia and tongue-in-cheek game show banter where you connect and compete against your friends, work colleagues and fun-loving ping pong individuals, all from the comfort of your home. A brilliantly entertaining way to celebrate any type of occasion be it a special team bonding experience, birthday, or party (just be prepared to use the most bizarre objects as bats!).
8. Treat yourself to some champagne pairing
If there is anything 2020 has taught us, it’s that it’s important to celebrate the little moments of joy. And in our humble opinion, joy = champagne so treat yourself to a Friday night fizz with your favourite takeaway (not that you need an excuse!). Francoise Peretti, Director of the UK’s Champagne Bureau, has put together a list of the perfect champagne style pairings for the UK’s most popular takeaway styles:
Fish & Chips – Pair this British classic with a vibrant and zingy Blanc de Blancs champagne, a 100% chardonnay style with citrus notes will match seafood and cut right through that naughty batter, making the whole meal feel much lighter.
Sushi – Pairing perfectly with sushi, sashimi or Poké bowls, Extra Brut or Zero Dosage champagne is the purists choice – a no frills style that is extra fresh with ultra-low sugar, meaning it’s only 60 calories a glass.
Burger – Whether you’re craving Honest Burger or Five Guys, for meaty meals with bold flavours like cheese, choose a Blanc de Noirs champagne. Literally meaning ‘white of black’, it’s made from 100% black grapes (Pinot Noir, Munier), which means the structure and body of the wine has the strength to enhance this tasty, complex dish.
9. Look into your ancestry
Now is the perfect time to start your family history journey by having a dig around on Ancestry.co.uk. Their records include everything from censuses, wills, birth records and even records of people’s jobs. You just enter your family’s names and dates of birth, or as much as you can, and once you start adding them, you’ll get hints for other records and people, that help show you where to look next and lead you to even more discoveries. You might even be related to the royal family without realising it.
10. Improve your posture
We all know that the amount of time we spend sitting down in our daily lives is not doing our bodies any favours and working from home in the current isolation period isn't helping. Being locked in one position for many hours of the day is the total opposite of what the human body has evolved to do and this makes our joints and muscles unhappy.
Why not enlist the expert advice of Postural Alignment Therapist, Posture Ellie (@posture.ellie), who shares simple videos you can follow at home to improve your posture? Check out her YouTube here.
11. Crack the games out
It's time to show some love to that jigsaw puzzle your aunt Karen bought you for Christmas 2010. Or challenge your SO/ flatmate/ mum to a game of six-hour, relationship-testing Monopoly. Shotgun the thimble.
12. Send your loved one a bespoke recording
As we head into the third lockdown, there's no doubt you're missing your loved ones - and your little ones probably are, too. That's why new parents and pro musicians Johnny and Helena set up Story Time Soundtracks - a clever musical initiative that puts your voices into their magical soundtracks to send to your loved ones, from a bedtime story from Grandma or Grandad, to a special song from your child for a favourite auntie. If it's a gift for a little one, they take your voice reading a favourite bedtime story and build a magical, musical soundtrack around it. If it’s a gift for a grown-up, they can set your child’s singing to a bespoke musical track that will turn beloved sounds into lasting memories. Johnny and Helena have been professional musicians for over a decade, performing on the soundtracks for major motion pictures such as The Hobbit, Iron Man 3, The Chronicles of Narnia and How to Train Your Dragon so you can expect magic.
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"Suddenly stuck at home during the pandemic, we wanted to find a way to spread some musical joy around the world by adding specially made musical soundtracks to the stories, songs and messages you might be sending to distant loved ones", they said of their brilliant initiative.
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Prices start from just £9.99 and you can find out more on their website or Instagram.
13. Make flavoured whipped milk
Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll have noticed everyone showcasing deliciously frothy coffee on Instagram. Dubbed 'Dalgona coffee', the whipped, fluffy iced coffee has been littering our Instagram and TikTok feeds with people sharing their recipes, hacks and #artsy snaps of the tipple. You can even add alcohol to make a Dalgona Coffee Espresso Martini.
If you're looking for your next Insta-famous drinks fix - or simply hate caffeine - people are now adapting the Dalgona coffee recipe to conjure up creamy flavoured milk. We've shared the full recipe on how to make your own.
14. Learn to paint
Looking for a creative way to spend your lockdown? Brush and Bubbles has launched a Paint & Bubbly Art Kits, which includes 3 canvases (8x10), 1 x mini canvas and easel, 2 sets of paintbrushes, 1 paint palette, 2 packs of 12ml acrylic paints, 1 pack of 21ml acrylic paints, 1 can of bubbly, 1 artsy postcard, and a Brush & Bubbles keepsake box. Order one and join their virtual paint-a-longs.
15. Join a Harry Potter-esque potion making class
Harry Potter mad? Hogwarts Is Here is an online social network created by fans who are now hosting live Harry Potter-esque classes. You sign up, choose your house and enrol in classes such as Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology. Magic!
16. Host a BBQ
We can finally have 6 pals in our garden - and soon we'll be able to host even more, so what better way to usher in summer than with a BBQ? To make life easy (and impress your guests), we suggest ordering BBQ In A Box - a food delivery service and concept delivering freshly marinated meats and delicious sides to doorsteps at the click of a button. With founder AJ Mair’s Caribbean heritage blended into his cooking, BBQ In A Box is certainly not a traditional offering, with a deliciously vast range of spice-laden and exquisitely seasoned dishes available (trust us, we've tried them). Think 24-hour marinated jerk chicken, homemade ground pasture-fed beef burgers with bacon, a tangy Cheddar cheese and freshly baked brioche buns, with fish options including King prawn kebabs or the Thai infused sweet chilli salmon steaks. Some of the most popular side dishes include the legendary BBQ In A Box purple slaw finished with pomegranate and parsley, the pillowy-soft halloumi bites and corn-on-the-cob accompanied by a special herbed butter. BBQ In A Box boxes start from £40 plus postage and packaging and can be ordered on Allinabox.co.uk.
17. Host a fondue or pizza making night
Who doesn't love gooey, melted cheese? We'll wait. If you want to re-create the Alps in your kitchen, Jimmy Garcia is lending you his kit, along with all the ingredients, fuel and recipes so you can have your own fondue party with his cast iron fondue sets. He delivers on Fridays, and collects the equipment on the following Tuesday. Find out more here. Not into cheese? Make you own stonebaked pizza using his micro wood fired pizza ovens.
18. Take a virtual Harry Potter tour
Thanks to Undercover Tourist, you can take a virtual tour of Harry Potter world and it's pretty magical!
19. Indulge in virtual karaoke
Famed karaoke bar Lucky Voice is offering people a month's free subscription to karaoke service, head to their online karaoke player and enter code LUCKY20 then belt your heart out.
20. Play with animals online
Missing your family pet? Bring a bit of excitement and joy into a shelter animal's day by playing with them online. Head to Petcube.com where you can control the toys in a shelter and play with the animals in real time from their app. You can also watch live animals in their natural habitat, which will whiz the hours away.
21. Play an at-home scavenger hunt
You may not be able to spend long enough outside to enjoy a scavenger hunt but Big Smoke Events have turned their fantastic group scavenger hunt into one you can play at home. They send you 12 challenges to develop the most creative social media posts you can with your wits and your smartphone which you share on social and they choose a weekly winner.
22. Make your own mini golf course
Kids (and big kids) will love this step-by-step to creating your own at-home crazy golf course from Plonk. Plus, 50% of profits from this campaign will go to The Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund.
23. Partake in an at-home bakeoff
Just because you can't channel your inner Mary Berry at Big Bakes: the UK’s first and only live baking competition, doesn't mean that you can't whip up some culinary treats during isolation. The company is organising three bake-at-home classes a week via their Facebook or Instagram and you submit your culinary creations to win a chance to receive a free trip to a live class later on in the year (worth £37.50 each).
24. Curate your own at-home wine cellar
On the topic of booze, if you’ve always dreamed of having your own wine collection, or curated wine cellar (again, who hasn't?), why not start now? Chef Sommelier of Terre Blanche, Aurélie Deharbe, shares her top tips for curating your perfect collection:
Firstly, find a good space - check the storage conditions; see the temperature and the humidity level - too low is going to dry out the cork and the oxygen will get into the bottle and kill the wine. The perfect temperature for a wine cellar is between 12°C and 15°C.
If you have a garage, this is ideal as there is no sunlight. Most people, like me, will be using a wine fridge in which case it will need a sunproof glass door as light has undesirable effects on the taste of wine.
Buy a combination of bottles that need to age, and bottles that are ready to drink - one good tip is to buy second classes of wine from famous Châteaus, they are cheaper than the first cuvées and most importantly you don’t have to wait for them to age.
Wine is a great investment but for that, you’ll need to take good care of it; as you know wine is born, and it lives and dies (unfortunately). So if you’re not going to drink it, then sell it! Or else it’ll be a waste!
Finally the most important thing. A wine cellar needs to be personal, so choose from regions you love. Then you’ll have more to share with your guests than just opening a bottle, you will be able to tell stories about it and bring it to life.
25. Perfect your floral arrangements
Flowers have the ability to transform any space (yes, your kitchen/office hybrid) and bring a smile to anyone's face. Want in? Chris Wood, Head Florist at Waitrose, has shared his top tips...
Preparing your flowers
Cut about half an inch off the stems on a diagonal and remove any leaves from the stem that will be below the water level of your vase. When trimming the stems be careful not to squash the area you are cutting as this can reduce water intake and shorten the life of your flowers. Place your flowers in a clean vase filled with enough room temperature water that it covers three-quarters of the stem.
How do I choose a vase?
Choose a vase that's half the height of the flowers. If the bouquet is bottom-heavy, use a narrower vase, if the top is overpowering, use a wider one. Make sure that your vase is clean before use. Leave the vase to dry naturally, as using a towel can reintroduce bacteria which may cause your flowers to deteriorate quicker.
Where to display your flowers
Place your bouquet in a cool area of your home that is free from direct sunlight and drafts. This will keep your flowers in bloom for longer as warmer temperatures will make your bouquet wilt faster.
Keeping your flowers hydrated
Keep an eye on the water levels in your vase and clean and refill it at least every 2-3 days. For maximum water absorption, cut your stems at an angle each time you change the water. If any discoloration starts to show at the bottom of the stem, be sure to cut off past that point. Don't use warm water when refilling the vase as this opens up the blooms quicker, shortening their lifespan.
26. Make a tea bomb
Those tea bomb videos everyone keeps posting on TikTok? We. can't. stop. watching. Want to make your own? Here's the ultimate guide to making a tea bomb at home.
27. Host your own Come Dine With Me
Get your family to make the most of meal times by hosting your own version of the popular show. Take a night of the week each and impress your family with a three-course meal and entertainment before judging each other's efforts. A bit of competitive spirit will add some fun to boring dinnertimes.
28. Learn some life skills from your favourite celebrities
Join Masterclass, NOW. Dubbed the “best educational investment” you can make, it is a hub of online courses taught by experts and celebrities in any given field. In short, your favourite celebrities are finally there, on-tap, to teach you how to be good at what they do. You can nestle down for two and a half hours of Anna Wintour’s teachings on creativity and leadership, or sit back as the one and only Natalie Portman teaches you how to act. Up there with one of our favourite courses has got to be Bobbi Brown’s makeup masterclass.
29. Play virtual bingo
Dabbers Social Bingo is inviting participants to play virtual bingo every Friday; players will answer a series of questions to discover which numbers to dab off; throw in a hilarious comedian host, party tunes, and fab virtual prizes up for grabs. 10% of all ticket sales will go to support the fantastic work that Hospitality Action is doing.
30. Throw a virtual cocktail party
"Virtual Birthday Party" sounds like something out of an episode of Black Mirror (2020 has so far felt like an episode too I guess), but in response to customer demand, a cocktail company in the UK has started delivering virtual cocktail making parties by delivering cocktail making kits to customers' doors and then hosting the tutorials through a video call to the birthday girl and her friends. Those interested in having a virtual cocktail making class order the kits on the Boozy Events website and a cocktail making kit is delivered to each person wanting to take part. Everyone joins the same video call where they can chat and interact with their dedicated mixologist. Each class will teach you how to make a menu of cocktails and prices start at just £29.99 per kit with same-day delivery available. The equipment is collected the following day so customers are free to experiment or make more of the cocktails they were taught all night.
31. Learn to knit
We are Knitters, a sustainable and fashionable knitting brand, will be running free tutorials via Instagram. Tune in at 5pm on Saturday and Sunday to learn how to knit with a little help from influencer Jonahhands. The tutorials offer a great opportunity for all ages and levels to get involved with something crafty at home and is a great way to pass the time and do something creative with your afternoons.
32. Learn calligraphy
As if Sneha Narayan, a full-time doctor working in intensive care and anaesthetics during this current pandemic, wasn't busy enough, she's using her downtime to teach people calligraphy. She crated her Instagram page @paintpotsandquills to bring the therapeutic benefits of calligraphy and watercolour to people during isolation to encourage them to stay home and create. What a woman.
33. Enjoy cocktails at home
Cocktail membership STIR-UP is set to spice things up this May, bringing the art of creation of the iconic, fiery Picante to you, at home. The STIR-UP Picante box shares the secrets behind the drink, the playlist and the Blanco-Niño Tortilla Chip recipe for its world class guacamole. STIR-UP brings to life the story of the Picante, as well as expert tips, tricks and hacks, so you can create the perfect setting and ambience for mixing and serving the hottest drinks in town. STIR-UP simplifies years of cocktail making, with everything you need to easily make great tasting drinks in the comfort of your own home. Each box creates four delicious, Instagram-worthy drinks for you, your friends and loved ones, giving you the knowledge and skills to be the perfect host for any occasion now that we can finally host some pals. Choose from a single gift box, to a three or six-month subscription starting from £29.95 per month for a six-month subscription, so you never miss the discovery of a new cocktail. Buy at STIR-UP.
34. Join a gaming session
Facebook has introduced a new feature, Facebook Gaming Tournaments, through which anyone can join or organise an online gaming tournament so if you're feeling lonely, log on.
35. Make your own ice cream roll
Pan ‘N’ Ice, the world famous ice-cream roll geniuses, are launching their at-home kits (from £39.95) so you can whip up your own at home. It comes with a recipe book, but you can also follow their YouTube/Instagram videos where they will show you exactly how to make each Pan-n-Ice. Ahhh, summer!
36. Create a wanderlist list
Our holidays might be on hold but that doesn't stop us from dreaming of where we'd love to be when all this is over. We've been using Bimble - an app allowing you to collect, save and share your favourite places. Whether it’s creating a list of all the places you want to travel around the world, the most attractive waterfalls, tourist spots or hikes, Bimble can enable that dream world for us right now. You can also create a list of the local places you’ll visit when the restrictions are lifted and your favourite high street gems are open again. It's getting us through.
37. Learn to tie-dye
It's an activity that'll not only keep you occupied for the afternoon, but will also encourage your creativity and leave you with a great new outfit afterwards. Unsurprisingly, Kendall Jenner - a huge fan of tie-dye - got in on the action last weekend, decorating some of her old white t-shirts with splashes of colour, as did the Beckham clan. Keen to get involved? Read our foolproof 10-step guide that will have you living the Jenner/Beckham lifestyle (sort of) in no time.
38. Make pancake cereal
Pancake cereal, which is pretty much what it says on the tin, originated on TikTok and has since gone viral across Instagram and Twitter where budding foodies are whipping up mini pancakes and dousing them in all manner of breakfast accompaniments. Bowls of miniature pancakes slathered in syrup, yoghurt, chocolate sauce and smothered in sprinkles have been popping up all over social media, with the #pancakecereal hashtag amassing over 10 million views on TikTok alone. Follow our how-to here.
39. Design your own jewellery
If you're a fashion fan who loves personalised jewellery, invest in a Cast Bespoke Jewellery Making Kit (from £29), which contains all the tools and guidance needed to create that killer piece. Once your wax is complete, simply send it back to their workshop inside the free-post envelope enclosed and they'll cast your ring in solid Sterling Silver, hand-finish and return to your specification within 3 weeks.
40. Prepare for your newborn from the comfort of your sofa
It's safe to say there's been a major baby boom during lockdown but with shops currently closed, it can be hard to do that all important nursery shopping. That's where the Mamas & Papas Personal Shopping at Home experience comes in. The complimentary service gives customers who are expecting but can’t visit a store the opportunity to view some of the brand's incredible products virtually. After you have booked your appointment, their in-store experts will contact you the day before to ask what you’re interested in so that they have a few products in mind and available to show on your appointment. They’re also able to offer 1-to-1 advice on products, perform product demonstrations and answer any questions you may have, all from the comfort of your own home. Plus, if you can't be bothered to get dressed (who can?), the video is one way, so you can see them but they can’t see you, so you really can sit back and enjoy a cuppa whilst perusing a plethora of baby goodies.
41. Learn survival training
If you're looking for something to get your blood pumping but are sick of doing yoga in the living room, you need The Apocalypse Survival Training (AST), an app that fuses fitness and storytelling for an immersive action-packed experience. There's different workout types to an epic storyline, set in an alternative-reality alien invasion of the London, where the lives of city’s survivors are in your hands. All you need is a pair of headphones and your device! Who said working out couldn't be fun?
AST is available to download via the App Store and Google Play store, and includes two free trial plays of episode 1, after which it's £6.99 for the first 10 episodes or £0.99 per episode.
42. Make Guinness Bread
Famous to all those who know and love The Doyle Collection hotels (we're obsessed with The Marylebone Hotel), their homemade Guinness Bread is a staple on the menu at all restaurants across their properties and is a nod to the collection’s proud Irish heritage. Served as a side or a light bite, this deliciously moorish bread has almost a cake-like texture and can be enjoyed as it is, or accompanied by smoked salmon for breakfast at the likes of The Marylebone’s 108 Brasserie, or Dorset Crab with apple and mayonnaise as a quick bite at The Bloomsbury’s The Coral Room. Byron Moussouris, The Bloomsbury Executive Head Chef, reveals how to make it below. Banana bread, what?
Ingredients:
• 310g Whole Wheat Flour
• 410gWhite Flour
• 140g RolledOats
• 1 teaspoon Table Salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 270g Milk
• 70g Black Treacle (or molasses)
• 140ml Guinness
Method:
• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Mix together the whole wheat flour, white flour, oats, salt and baking soda in a large bowl
• Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small crumbs
• Add the milk, black treacle (or molasses) and Guinness, and mix until well combined
• Use cooking spray to coat 2 bread loaf pans, and pour the batter into the pans
• Sprinkle a little more oatmeal on top
• Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes to an hour, until the centre is cooked through and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
43. Learn a language (or five!)
Yes, Netflix is great but learning a new language is better. Why not put your brain to work during lockdown and brush up your linguistic skills with the help of Linguistically Sophie - a language platform providing tips and inspiration for learning and using languages. Sophie gives online lessons in English as a foreign language, Welsh, French, Spanish, and Italian. Lessons are fun, casual, and stimulating so that you come away having had a bit of a brain workout, pick up an invaluable skill, and feel like you’ve done something different and escaped the monotonous daily grind, which we could all do with RN. Lessons are tailored to your specific needs so can focus on hardcore grammar, brush up on what you already know or master general conversation to get you by when on holiday (we're counting down the day!). Find out more on her website.
44. Make a chocolate charcuterie board
Cheese is so 2020 (well, we're not quite ready to part ways with it) but Instagram users are swapping out the usual charcuterie staples like cured meats, cheeses and crackers, and replacing it with cookies, chocolate sprinkles, candy canes, hot chocolate sauce and sprinkles to make chocolate charcuterie boards instead. Our mouths are watering...
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45. Break out of a virtual escape room
Fancy some action? Try Trapped in the Web’s virtual escape rooms. Creator, Dave, was looking for something fun and engaging to do for his girlfriend’s birthday during lockdown. After exhausting Zoom quizzes, he tried his hand at making online escape rooms for teams to solve. They have since turned into a huge hit and Dave’s lockdown project has become a massive success for him. With an array of rooms to solve, and an upcoming festive special edition, Trapped in the Web can provide hours of fun for teams of friends or colleagues.
46. Help the vulnerable
The world is a shi**y place RN but you can spread some love and generosity with some simple acts of kindness. Here are ways you can help out right now - even whilst social distancing.
47. Set up your own sound bath
Sound baths are a form of sound therapy that involves laying on the floor while someone gently taps a gong against a bowl. The vibrations from the bowl will apparently envelope the body, clearing away blocked energy, releasing tension and re-aligning the body when it is ‘out of tune,’ the main cause of which is usually stress-induced. Basically, you get to lay on the floor for an hour and totally chill out - who wouldn't want to do that? Read our guide to creating your own here.
48. Binge-watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians before it's over
The 20th - and final sob - season of KUWTK is due on Hayu in 2021 and according to Kim herself, we should look out for it 'early' this year.
hayu is an on-demand reality TV subscription service that allows Brits to stream American reality TV on the very same day that episodes drop across the pond. Genius.
It currently costs just £4.99, but if you sign up now, you can get a one-month free trial. That's 30 FREE days in which to watch as much Kardashian goodness as possible and we do love a challenge.
Episodes from Season 19, which was affected by the spread of Coronavirus, arrived on hayu in October that year featuring a new style of self-documenting that didn't involve their usual camera crew.
49. Catch up on Sex and The City before the reboot lands
It's official: Sex And The City is returning with a brand new series called And Just Like That - with Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis all making a comeback in their original roles. If there was any news that was going to get us through lockdown 3.0 in one piece, this is it.
If you couldn’t help but wonder where you can rewatch the original show, we've got the answer: all six seasons are available now on NOW TV with the entertainment pass. If you need us, you know where we'll be.
50. Get green fingered
If gardening got you through the last lockdown and the weather is keeping you away from your beloved plants, you'll be pleased to know indoor plants are making a major comeback thanks to their ability to help you feel calm, improve air quality, lower blood pressure and improve productivity. There has never been a better time to bring the outside in. Want in? Bloomboxclub.com is a great place to stock up on indoor plants.
51. Throw a fancy dress party
Just because we can't go to parties doesn't mean we can't dress up and throw our own fancy dress party at home. Pick a theme - whether it's Disney, movies or even a letter - and get your household to get their gladrags on and have a themed dinner party and games night.
52. Host a themed movie night
Pick your favourite family movie and theme the entire night around in. Alice in Wonderland? Get a Mad Hatters' tea party on the go. Harry Potter? Grab your broomstick and stock up on chocolate frogs.
53. Join The Beauty Book Club
Love beauty? Love books? Then head on over to Instagram to join @thebeautybookclub. Each month, beauty industry gurus Lisa Goldfaden (co-founder of Goldfaden MD) and Kelly Marks (co-founder of PR agency PuRe) will deep-dive into one beauty book, meet the author and discuss the book as a community.
54. Try a cute plant embroidery kit
All Netflix-ed out? We feel you. If you’re a fellow plant lover, this could be the new lockdown project you’ve been waiting for. Plant embroidery is all the rage right now and Etsy is quite literally blooming with cute little embroidery kits for beginners featuring our favourite shrubs.
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55. Learn all about baby nutrition
Revered Scandi baby brand, Stokke, the purveyors of the iconic Tripp Trapp highchair, are hosting a free weaning webinar: how to raise a confident foodie and help your baby love their broccoli as much as their cake. Charlotte Stirling-Reed Nutritionist and author of 'How to wean your baby', will be on Zoom 28th April at 8pm to teach you all things baby foodie. Get your tickets.
56. A virtual day at the races
Cheltenham Ladies day this year is March 17th, however, you don’t have to wait until then, and you definitely don’t have to give it a miss because of lockdown restrictions. Instead, we have come up with the perfect solution… create your own virtual day at the races! Put on your nicest, classiest and most glamourous evening wear, have a bottle of bubbly on ice, place some bets between the family via Zoom and enjoy a lovely (virtual) day out at the races. You can even choose the best dressed!
57. Real life Cluedo
It was Martin, in the kitchen, with the lead pipe! Oooooo, it gives us thrills just thinking about it. Everybody loves a good murder mystery, and now you can solve one from your very own home, the trick is to get as creative as possible. Whether it’s over Zoom with your family and friends or four of you in a house, it is a chance to nurture your inner detective skills by being the first to solve your very own murder mystery case.
58. Join the #FilterFreeFriday movement
Celebrity makeup artist Brooke Simons has launched a new social campaign – #FilterFreeFriday, encouraging everyone to post a filter free selfie every Friday in celebration of the real us - and we are seriously here for it. Flicking through filters on Instagram with her five year-old daughter to take a selfie, her daughter spotted one that altered her face and said: ‘Mummy wow, I look so pretty!’. It stopped Brooke in her tracks as she desperately tried to explain that she is pretty without any filters and now she's encouraging us all to do the same.
59. Join WFN NextGen: The Launch
Care about the future of our planet? Join the launch of WFN NextGen, bringing together an international cohort of young people to support the Whitley Awards Winner Network: courageous conservation changemakers from across the global south. Sit back and relax as you hear from incredible conservationists including Whitley Award winner Gabriela Rezende, Resson Kantai-Duff and James McCulloch. After each taking you on a whistle-stop tour of their conservation work, the amazing speakers will come together for a panel discussion, and be ready to answer your questions about working at the heart of the next generation of conservation.
WFN NextGen is a new fundraising programme from the Whitley Fund for Nature. Run by an international, interdisciplinary Committee, WFN NextGen aims to facilitate fundraising initiatives for young people, whilst igniting timely conversations about environmental issues and their solutions.
60. Get informed about your next holiday
Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show, the UK’s leading and longest-running live travel event, will return to host its second online edition; Destinations presents Travel 2021 from Wednesday 5th until Sunday 16th May (access to live content 7th – 9th May). Whether for 2021 or beyond, this online travel hub provides comprehensive travel information and holiday ideas enabling visitors to make informed booking decisions. A diverse range of talks and on demand content will be hosted by travel personalities and industry experts, with panel discussions, interviews and live advice clinics with live Q&As.
61. Join The Baby Show Live @ Home
The Baby Show Live @ Home is back this summer from 18-20 June 2021, with a packed schedule of shopping, buying guides, expert advice, discussion panels, celebrity interviews and more! It's the UK's largest virtual pregnancy and parenting event, which for many parents who are not quite ready to be back in the shops is the perfect destination for baby bits and expert advice.
