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Staying Close to Home in the Time Of COVID-19

A Summer Bucket List for Seniors filled with fun, a sense of accomplishment and inspiration

With a state-by-state approach to Covid-19 prevention and re-opening, seniors can find themselves in a variety of stages when it comes to staying home or venturing out for certain activities.

Still, for those of us over 60 and based on the latest information, the World Health Organization advises that we wear a mask in public areas, especially when social distancing is not possible.

With different restrictions, health concerns and personal preferences in mind, this Summer Bucket List for Seniors can help you stay safe and live life to the fullest:

  1. Free cooking classes, anyone? Right about now, your rotation of meals might be getting a little tired. You can always hop online for recipes from places like allrecipes.com, foodnetwork.com and bettycrocker.com, complete with user reviews and videos walking you through the recipes.Plus, many classes teach you the art and science of baking, broiling, basting and so much more. Check out this great compilation from PopSugar of 12 Free Online Cooking Classes You Can Take Right Now.
  2. Try some online workouts for seniors. Good for balance, strength, mobility and mood, exercise is so important. Equally important is finding exercises or routines that fit your activity level and keep you interested.The National Institute of Aging has a full range of free exercise videos online and you can search YouTube for yoga, Pilates, weights and chair workouts for all levels.
  3. Give your car a good clean. A clean car is one of life’s simple pleasures, isn’t it? Grab the shop-vac, a damp rag, leather protector spray, window cleaner and a roll of paper towels and go for it. Better yet, if a neighbor kid is looking for a little extra cash, you can recruit them for the job.
  4. Watch the fireworks from your car. With July 4th approaching, there will likely be plenty of fireworks displays happening around town. Pack some snacks, drinks and lawn chairs and meet a small group for a socially distanced night of fun in or out of your car.
  5. Take a drive. Speaking of cars, remember when people took Sunday drives just for the fun of it? It doesn’t need to be Sunday to bring this tradition back. Admire beautiful houses or yards, go through a drive-thru for a good cup of coffee and take in the sights.
  6. Write a memoir. It sounds overwhelming to think about writing a memoir, but not when you start small. Check out this article from none other than Oprah herself on 3 Things You Must Write Down This Month, and how that can add up to a book.You can also find writing prompts here and here to get you started.
  7. Work from home. A job we love can help us feel connected to causes and people we care about. Check out this list from the AARP with 19 Jobs You Can Do Without Leaving the House.
  8. Mind the view. What’s your view out the window? What you see every day will affect your mindset and mood. Add flowers to a windowbox or plant a fragrant perennial shrub right outside your window. Consider adding a bird feeder right outside the window or even attached to your window to remind you that beautiful things are all around us.Check out this list of the 8 Best Hummingbird Feeders from Good Housekeeping.
  9. Plan a trip. You may have had to cancel one or put planning on hold. But there’s no reason you can’t take this time to research your next destination. Check out airfare options, local accommodations and attractions, even map out your itinerary for each day.We thought this list was kind of fun: 17 Trips Travel + Leisure Editors Can’t Wait to Take As Soon As We Can Travel Again.
  10. Sort through old photos and videos. If you’re anything like us, you probably have a lot of photos on your phone and lying around in boxes and albums. Now is a great time to print the ones you’d like to frame or share with others at places like walgreens.com and Shutterfly.com.LegacyBox.com actually consolidates and digitizes your memories. Gather all the loose photos you have in boxes, plus old film, home movies and tapes and have them saved onto a DVD or the cloud, where they’re preserved and you can share them with others.
  11. Take a virtual tour. Visit the world’s most famous museums, national parks, zoos and landmarks with free virtual tours. Find everything here.
  12. Research your candidates. And make sure you’re registered to vote. We elect the 46th President of the United States this November the 3rd. Now is the time to make sure you’re registered to vote. It’s also a good time to research the candidates and see where they stand on issues that matter most to you and to generations to come. You can start by taking a look at AARP’s Six Ways to Check Out a Political Candidate.
  13. Look up for inspiration. If the world has gotten a little claustrophobic over the past few months, we’d understand if you needed to look elsewhere for inspiration, like out into space. Even amateur astronomers can have fun exploring the sky, with or without a telescope.Print out a star chart at Stellarium.org , learn the location of the planets at Sky & Telescope and check out The 10 Must-see Skywatching Events to Look for in 2020.
  14. Have a social distancing driveway or backyard get-together. Keep it simple and safe by arranging chairs 6ft or more apart or have everyone bring their own. This works especially well for neighbors who can walk over. Tell everyone to bring their own snacks and refreshments and enjoy each other’s company for a couple hours.
  15. Garden and grow. We know that gardening and growing lowers stress, makes our yards more beautiful and cooking more flavorful. But did you know there’s a natural anti-depressant in soil? You read that right. Mycobacterium vaccae has been found to mirror the effect that drugs like Prozac have on neurons. Scientists think this soil bacteria may stimulate serotonin production, which makes you relaxed and happier. So get a little dirt under your nails and plant up a container of tomatoes, a windowbox of herbs or a landscape bed of summer annuals and call us in the morning.

We hope you find ways to stay inspired, feel accomplished and have some fun this summer, while staying safe. And remember, we’re here for you if you need us.


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Related Article: 8 Ways to Cope When You’re Worried About Coronavirus

Related Article: Core Values in the Time of Covid: An Interview with Our COO and Principal, Andy Wade