A few words you may have heard over and over recently are social distancing and self isolation. While this may be the common practice with the world’s current situation, it can still be hard to get settled into. But no need to worry! Our fam here at Gem Studio has come up with some of our favorite at-home activities that keep us busy, motivated, and creative. We love them, and we hope you will too!
1. Read A New Book
We get it, life can get so busy when you are on the move all of the time. We are loving using this new-found free time to read the books that we bought months ago but haven’t had the time to start. Here are some suggestions:
For a classic - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
For inspiration - The Book of Joy by Douglas Adams, the Dalai Lama, and Desmond Tutu
For motivation - You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
For the outdoorsy type- Our National Parks by John Muir
Feel free to read our suggestions or discover one of your own! Books are easily accessible from your home via Apple Books, Kindle, or Audible! Audible gives you 3 free audio books in a 30 day free trial! Or order some paperbacks via Amazon if those are more your vibe.
2. Skill Share with your Pals!
You know that one recipe your loved one makes that knocks you off your feet? And you have always wanted to learn to make it yourself...but have been too lazy to try? What about your roommate that skateboards and you’ve always thought it’d be cool to learn but have felt like you’re too old to learn something new? Now is the time to put the procrastination aside and allow yourself to learn something new! Every person around you has something they can teach you. There is something so powerful about teaching others a new skill and allowing them to trade with you by teaching you one of their talents/skills.
If you are in quarantine alone, check out skillshare.com! Skill Share is an online platform where artists and entrepreneurs sell classes on how to master different skills. The best part is they offer the first two months of your subscription for free! Just tap the link we provided for you, you’re one click away from learning something new:)
3. Set Up Your Own Movie Theater
One of our favorite things to do is head to the movies, and social distancing won’t stop us from making our own theater at home! You could do this however you want, build a fort with string lights, move your mattress into the living room, pop some popcorn in the microwave. Not to mention the best part- today's box office movies are available to rent on amazon prime for only $20 while the theaters are closed! So gather your supplies, set up your at-home theater, and enjoy the movies right from your living room.
Check out this beautiful at home movie theatre inspo from @joshjjo and @natsterwhite !
4. Get Creative With Tye Dye
Of course, we love to get creative when making pieces at the studio, but this doesn’t mean we can’t be creative at home too! Our current favorite at-home DIY is bleach tye dye. If you're lucky, you already have all of the supplies you need at home to do this! All you’re going to need is an old pair of sweatpants or an old sweatshirt, bleach of any kind, and rubber bands.
Once you have collected your supplies, feel free to change into some clothes that you wouldn't mind getting bleach on! The idea is pretty simple- just roll your clothing that you will be dying in the preferred method of your choice, and secure it with the rubber bands. Then, carefully add the bleach to your clothing. You can do this with a spray bottle or by just pouring it onto the clothing. If you are using straight bleach, make sure to dilute it before adding to your sweats. After pouring, let sit for up to thirty minutes, wash, and wear!
*Note: Remember to be safe! Wear gloves and do your bleaching in a well ventilated area!
For a more detailed explanation of this process, find one of our favorite articles on bleach dying HERE.
5. Have A Virtual Dinner Party With Your Friends
It can be hard to be away from your go-to’s while social distancing, but there are other ways to get together with your besties while at your own homes! All you have to do is pick a night, pick a food, and pick a time to facetime! Enjoy cooking homemade food from your own homes and eating it together like you are all at the same table. This is a great way to check in on your friends during such a crazy time, and eat good food while you are doing it! Need some ideas for dinner? We love using Supercook and other websites like it to get ideas using ingredients we already have in our pantries!
6. Build your own custom Gem Studio Ring Online!
Last but absolutely not least, support your local small business by shopping our custom rings online! First you buy the stone, then you fill out a form to customize the design however you’d like! We are currently running a 25% off sitewide sale, so some custom gems are marked down as low as $30!!
We hope you're staying safe and sane out there everyone! Try out one or more of these activities and let us know how it goes! :)