Hey all, with the current situation of home life on a whole new level, we wanted to share some ideas to keep you busy that maybe you hadn’t thought of before. Or maybe you had, but you didn’t know where to look. If you had ever thought, “if only I had the time do this or that”, well, now you have the time! So let’s see what we can do to keep the stir craziness at bay a bit.
We did a post in our Kid Stuff section here on the site on ways to keep the kids busy during this home time with Time Off Tips, but now, it’s time for the adults to find ways to be engaged and keep their minds going.
Please note: In all of our suggestions, we made sure to find either free or inexpensive ways to take part in these activities. So if you are worried about spending money right now (and really, aren't we all?), we have your back! Also, we are not being paid to do this list, we are just sharing some sites, apps, etc that we think you’d like. We will always disclose if we receive any money from any endorsement or advertisement including referral compensation (example: we are Amazon affiliates) which helps support our site.
Let's get to it...
Online Learning: maybe you thought about going back to school or wanting to take an online class to learn a new skill for work, master that craft or dish or go for that degree you’ve wanted to do for years. What about learning a new language? We put together a quick list of resources on how to get started through online and app platforms.
1.Languages: whether you want to brush up on your language skills or learn a new language altogether, try Duolingo! It’s a fun way to learn for both adults and kids. It’s a good learn by repetition tool with goals you can set for yourself and more. There is a nice long list of 35 languages you can learn (and counting). You can do it on your laptop at: https://www.duolingo.com/ or download the app for your phone or tablet. Best part is, you can do it for free! (there is a plus version as well as a version for teachers and students, but for general learning, the free version is a great way to go)
2.Udemy:this is a fantastic website and app download where you can up your business skills, take a history course, open a craft business and even learn how to self-publish that book you’ve always wanted to write. There is an incredible selection of genres and courses available here and you will even receive a certificate on completion that you can add to your LinkedIn profile/resume. I have personally taken a few classes through them and if you are a visual learner like I am, this is a good place for you. I have a few tips that can help with this particular platform... First and foremost, pay close attention to the course reviews! Many subjects have more than one course on them and you want to make sure you get the best course for your money. So for example, say you are looking to work on your Wordpress skills. There are MANY courses here that cover that particular topic. REALLY look at the reviews to see what will be the best course for the area you are looking for.
Second, right now you can get a number of courses for FREE! Because of the home situation we all now find ourselves in, Udemy has decided to offer dozens of free courses that range from business to art to music, coding, kids stuff and more! (take note of their stipulations for the freebies vs. full courses for example, you will not receive the completion certificate like the paid versions, etc. But they are free!)
Third, Udemy runs many sales. If you see a course you like and may think the price is too high, be sure to check back. Trust me on this one. As of this writing there are courses that initially list for $194 but are on sale for $11.99. I took two business courses at $9.99 each and here’s a bonus...if you use our TopCashback link, you can sign up for free, get a sign up bonus AND get 15% cashback for your Udemy courses! So c’mon, what are you waiting for???
3. Get Fit: getting to the gym is not an option right now and maybe you don’t want to spend money on home equipment or subscription workout apps. Have we found a YouTube channel for you!
MadFit is a channel that we featured on the SWF Facebook page for our first Freebie Friday. It’s packed with FREE workouts that range from full body and target specific workouts, no equipment workouts, yoga and stress relief videos and even apartment friendly and song length intensive workouts. The song length videos are great for when you may not have a lot of time but still want to get in some exercise. What’s four minutes among friends?
She is incredibly fun to watch, does live versions and as for the music? Lots of genres to choose from! And no membership needed!!
Read Those Books:you always talk about wanting to disconnect for a while and catch up on your reading, well, now is the time to do it! Whether you want to catch up on the classics, hit that new biography you heard about, or try and solve that mystery your friends mentioned, there are so many ways you can do it these days. Plus, with the stay home orders, forming online bookclubs is a great way to keep social with your friends and are gaining in popularity again!! 1.Physical Books: While there are of course, many online ways to get your literary fix with ebooks and audiobooks (and we’ve found deals for you there...hold on!), there’s nothing like holding a book in your hands and really escaping into another world. Right now one of the best things about buying a physical book is helping to support small businesses during these uncertain times. Buying used books is an even better idea! What’s great about this is that you can save some money as well as scoring some hard to find books too.
If you go through Amazon, (of which we are an affiliate), when you look up your books of choice, before you hit the ‘add to cart’ look for the alternative options that are listed on the page. For example, say you are looking for a copy of The Da Vinci Code. While Amazon will have their usual choices for hardcover, paperback and Kindle versions, there are many small book stores that sell through Amazon and many different prices, shipping options and book conditions to choose from. Through these small book stores, I’ve been able to find out of print books to add to my personal collection as well as save money on more current books as well.
I do suggest looking at the reviews of the sellers. When it comes to used books and conditions, you want to make sure you’re getting a good copy. While there are more reputable sellers than not, you want to check and make sure the one you are about to buy from is honest in their descriptions and business practices. If you have Prime, there are many sellers that go through them as well and offer free shipping. Honestly, it’s a great way to buy and support small businesses at the same time!
Another way to go is through a site/app called ThriftBooks.com This wonderful company is socially responsible, gives you amazing book prices and super low shipping costs: orders $10 and under just 99 cents per item and orders $10 and up? Free! They also have a rewards program that you can sign up for free and earn free books. (that’s a whole lot of free in this paragraph!!)
2. Audio & Ebooks: If you are looking for deals on ebooks or audio books, we have deals for you there as well! For audio books, Audible is has a free 30-day trial complete with 2 free audiobooks. After that it’s $14.95 a month and you can cancel anytime. You can click our banner below to sign up and try it out and give that new book a listen!
As for ebooks, nothing beats Prime Reading! Free ebooks and magazines come with your Prime membership every month. Lots to choose from and you can borrow up to 10 at a time. Don’t worry if you can’t read it quickly, they stay in your library whether on your free Kindle app or Kindle device.
To save some money on Amazon, here is a tip: when ordering from Amazon and you don’t need something right away, they now offer a no rush shipping option that when chosen, you get $1 towards the future purchase off of regular priced digital media, (ebooks, music, etc). What’s even better about this is that you have a few months to use these dollars and can stock them up. I once had $5 in these bonus dollars and used them towards a $5 ebook. Free book! You can also find great ebook deals on Amazon. I was able to get a three volume book set on Colonial history for (no joke) $3. Add in the $2 in ebook credits and only paid $1!
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We hope these suggestions will get you started on ideas of how to keep busy. Be sure to follow us on Facebook as we have now dedicated the 11:35-45am time slot every day for more tips as well! Our page is devoted to being a no news, no politics escape from life and we offer you funny, furry, foodie, crafty, techie and positive posts that will be sure to make your day.
And of course our site here will be updated more to bring you all sorts of Stuff!!
Thanks for hanging out with us and please, be safe all!!