.... With Plenty to Occupy Our Time With
March 30, 2020
April will be upon us in a couple of days and with that month comes all kinds of annual routines that we for the most part can still occupy ourselves with, from the annual spring cleaning, winnowing out things, to give away, window washing, washing curtains, in some cases, wall & ceiling washing too, or painting (if you already have the paint).
Or if you're a home owner, considering planting a garden this year, on account of the news about how food prices might sky rocket because of lack of workers and ability to get them to their final destinations on time, April is the time to start planting the cold weather crops. Those are the ones that have the indication on the backs of the seed packets saying to plant in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. That's generally 10 straight days where it doesn't drop below 0C, after the snow has melted. Considering the Weather Network's forecast for the next 2 weeks in our region it looks like we'll be able to start planting those crops around the 13th of April. But, we'll have to follow the forecast closely to see if any more days with sub-zero temperatures suddenly finds their way into the forecast. But really all you need is for the planting depth of the seeds (generally no more than 1 inch into the soil) to be workable - and you can find that out easily enough simply by using a finger or stick to see if you can move soil to that depth around easily or not. For those new to growing their own food, here's a book that might help get you started, it's in epub format for epub readers, use the "longfiles" link to download it: The Grow Your Own Food Handbook
Or if you've been meaning to fix something around the house but never had the time to do it, or if you suddenly find yourself needing to fix something, but because of the quarantine can't get anyone to come do it for you, you can always do it yourself. There are a lot of tutorials about all sorts of things on YouTube.
Or maybe you'd rather have a book that explains how to do these things using the: The Everything Fix It Book in PDF format. If you've been having problems with major appliances since the quarantine began perhaps this book will be of help to you: DIY Guide to Installing & Maintaining Your Major Appliances also in PDF - for both books use the "longfiles" link to download. Doing all these things ourselves isn't only a good idea when we're under quarantine, but all the time. It helps save money in the long run and means we can fix as soon as the problem occurs without having to make appointments for hours or days later for the repairman to show up. By then the entire floor could be flooded or all the food thawed up, depending on what broke and needs to be fixed. If you have the tools and ability to fix it, all you need is the know how and that's what these books provide.
Perhaps we could all use the information for making our own hand sanitizer, masks & soaps ourselves, found in this book which is in epub format and can be downloaded using the "longfiles" link: How to Make Hand Sanitizer, Face Masks & Soap At Home
If none of those situations applies to you, because you don't have to do any of that or you aren't able to, then perhaps you'd like to learn a new hobby - just to get your eyes and focus off the screens and the news for awhile and maybe wind up with some nice things you could use yourself, or give as gifts to others. Perhaps you already have a hobby that you've taken up years ago, or a new one you've picked up recently, that you'd like to improve on, or learn new and different techniques for, then I suggest you visit the book sites I listed elsewhere on this blog - you can find out which page that is by viewing the labels on the right hand side and clicking on the appropriate blog post. Again there's also YouTube's site (link is above) where you can perhaps see demonstrations of the new techniques you'd like to learn in your craft or see new ideas to inspire you.
Maybe you'd prefer to learn a new craft instead but being secluded you don't have anyone to teach you enough to get you started in it. Perhaps these books - all downloadable using the "longfiles" link will help get you started in these crafts, or if you're a visual learner then maybe you can try YouTube (link above) to see if they have video tutorials on the subject of your interest:
How to Use a Sewing Machine - Beginner's Manual - epub
Loom Knitting For Children Made Easy - PDF
Knitting For Beginners A-Z Guide to Have You Knitting in 3 Days - epub
Watercolour Realistic Painting Learn to Paint Step by Step - epub
Classic Origami For Beginners -epub
Art Makers: Polymer Clay For Beginners - epub
Acyrlic Artist's Bible - epub
Botanical Illustration For Beginner's a Step by Step Guide - epub
Beginner's Guide to Crochet - epub
Module Magic Creative Projects to Knit 1 Block at a Time For Beginners - PDF
Now for those environmentally friendly crafters who'd rather reuse whatever they have, and repurpose it into something else, rather than throwing it out, here's a few books on Upcycle Crafting, that might interest you. Again they're all downloadable using the "longfiles" link:
DIY Wood Pallet Projects 35 Rustic Modern Ideas - epub
DIY Rustic Modern Metal Crafts With 35 Upcycling Projects - epub
Modern Upcycling A User Friendly Guide to Inspiring & Repurposed Handicrafts For a Trendy Home - epub
Woman's Day has a whole page with all sorts of projects and activities for kids from art projects, to activities to prevent cabin fever, and even lots of different holiday crafts - as Easter is fast approaching perhaps you can get the little ones to make some Easter decorations for the house. All of those crafts and activities can be accessed from:
Art Activies For Kids
And this site has a list of 70 things to do with bored kids stuck at home: 70 Things To Do With Kids Now That We're Stuck At Home
