activity

Aug

2020

Take Back Your Life and Have Fun Again

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A well-balanced life is important to keep us healthy and motivated to reach our goals. However, most of us have become too focused on work-related matters that life becomes just a daily grind. Why not make it a goal to take back your life and have fun again?

As adults, we have come to view stress and struggle as a normal part of life. Most of us have forgotten how it is to have fun like children do. It is important to have fun even at work. There’s a very big chance that we will just quit at whatever we’re doing if we’re not having fun. Many people have resigned from high-paying jobs just because it wasn’t fun for them anymore.

Launch Challenge

Challenge yourself daily. Ask yourself: how can I make my day more fun?

There are many ways to make your life more fun again. If you’re stuck at home, try out these 10 things to do to have fun. Fancy yourself as a sporty or athletic type? Then try out these non-contact sports you can enjoy even during quarantine. Want to find out what your special powers are? (No, we don’t mean the type that the X-Men have.) Try unleashing the genius within you.

In taking up this challenge, a very important aspect to keep in mind is to maintain a childlike attitude at all times. Not childish, but childlike. Here are some tips on how to maintain a childlike outlook or attitude as you try to take back your life and have fun again.

Slow Down

Having more fun shouldn’t feel like you’re trying to beat a deadline. Allow yourself adequate time to enjoy living life and appreciating what it has to offer. All that rushing sucks the energy and fun out of the day.

Children know how to take their sweet time. Learn to prolong your time for enjoying things instead of prolonging your agony by worrying.

Be Unpredictable

Step out of your ordinary routine and out of your comfort zone and see what happens. Life can take interesting turns if you let it unfold on its own. Learn to loosen up on the reigns once a while and see where it takes you. We sometimes have a very tight grip on everything that we end up stressed about the smallest reasons.

Be like a kid and try to go with the flow sometimes. This way, you don’t close yourself off from receiving and experiencing many of the wonderful things that life has to offer.

Break the Rules

If you want to have fun, you need to learn to break some rules. Kids often hurt themselves trying to do things they think they can do. As adults we are better equipped to judge our own limits and capacities. However, this also makes us scared to try new things, especially if they don’t follow the norm.

Be like a kid sometimes and try to break the rules. If it doesn’t hurt, go for it and enjoy the moment.

You may want to play with kids once in a while to learn how they have fun. Don’t be surprised if you learn even more valuable tips or profound lessons from interacting with them. Maybe you can ask them how you can take back your life and have fun again. I’m sure you’ll get interesting answers.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Alex Alvarez on Unsplash.

Jul

2020

Non-Contact Sports You Can Enjoy at Home

Reading Time: 4 minutes

One of the benefits of being required to stay at home is that you can enjoy being with your family members daily. However, if you have kids who are physically active, it can be a struggle to think of fun activities to do while staying indoors. Especially if you or your family members are the sporty type, not being able to go outside or go to the gym can be frustrating.

You must have already tried a lot of online activities with your family members. If you want something that doesn’t require an Internet connection or a computer, then try these non-contact sports activities that you can enjoy at home. These can help keep you healthy and active while staying indoors. Bonus: all these activities make it easier to observe social distancing so you can play these in your backyard too. Not all of these can be officially considered as “sports”; but they are all fun and competitive activities to keep boredom out of your day.

Balloon Volleyball

Use a balloon and fans to play a game of volleyball. Instead of using your hands, each team uses fans to keep the balloon floating for a set amount of time or for as long as they can. To maintain social distancing, assign a particular area to be guarded by each team member so they don’t overlap with other team members during the game.

Blow Bubbles

Get yourself a set of bubble makers and let the kids and adults enjoy! Divide yourselves into 2 teams. Each team assigns one or two members to blow bubbles while the rest of the team tries to pop as many as they can in a set amount of time. The other team counts how many bubbles are popped by the playing team. The team who pops the most number of bubbles in the least amount of time wins. You can do 3 rounds or more and total the score for each team at the end of all the rounds. You can also assign areas for each member to maintain social distancing.

Charades

Create your own game by drawing different animals, gestures, etc. on index cards. Draw each card from a hat or box and act them out to see who can guess the most correctly. You can even make it a travel-themed charade where you try to guess different events from family travel pictures. No need for physical contact in this game at all. All you need is your imagination. This is definitely one of the non-contact sports that you can enjoy at home any time!

Dance Parties

Create a playlist of your family’s favorite dance tunes and dance away. Pick a theme for each day so you can try out different songs. You may also assign a different family member to pick the songs for each day. The winner can be picked by most votes at the end of the week.

Hide and Seek

This is one fun activity where social distancing is easy to observe. Make sure there’s a timer as to how long each seeker has to find those who are hiding. The seeker who finds out the most number of hiding spots, where each family member is hiding, in the least amount of time, wins.

Hula Hoop

This can be a contest between individuals or between teams. The team or person who can keep the hula hoop turning for the longest time is the winner. If you have more than one hula hoop, then both teams can play at the same time.

Jump Rope

Similar to the hula hoop game, this can be done individually or as a team. The team who lasts the longest or who has the most number of jumps while skipping, wins.

Name That Tune

Form a team and create a playlist of songs that you want the other team to guess the title of. You can change it up a bit by having the other team sing the chorus instead. They just need to make sure it’s the correct lyrics to get a point. Another variation is to guess the artist name or band name or the year it was first played. You and your family members can make up your own rules!

Statue Game

Assign a person as the “Curator”. The Curator stands at one end of the room or backyard while the rest of the members or “Statues” stand on the opposite area. The Curator turns their back and counts from 1 to 7 (or 10, you decide). Each time the Curator turns their back, the Statues are allowed to move to get closer to the Curator. Whenever the Curator stops counting and looks back, the Statues need to freeze in their positions.

If the Curator catches a Statue moving, he/she will be sent back to the starting point. Any one of the Statues can tag the Curator but they should not get caught by the Curator themselves. If they get caught, then they replace the Curator and the game starts again. For social distancing purposes, a fan or handkerchief can be used for tagging instead.

Trash Basketball

The best time to do this is after cleaning or decluttering your house. Select all the dry, paper waste (or cans or plastic bottles, etc. – just make sure they’re dry and clean) and divide it into 2 piles. Ideally, the piles should have the same amount of trash. Get trash cans and put them at the same distance away from the pile of trash. The objective of the game is to be able to shoot the most amount of trash in the trash cans within a set amount of time.

You can play these non-contact sports and enjoy them at home even if you’re not in the same house with the other players. Just take videos of each other and share it on a video conferencing platform to see who wins!

We’re sure you have other ideas that are not on this list. We would love to hear them! Don’t forget to maintain social distancing during the game, disinfect any game items you use and practice proper hand washing after playing. Let us all transform boredom into more productive and fun activities.

Featured Image: Original Image by Daniela Dimitrova from Pixabay.

Jun

2020

5 Tips to Plan the Best Road Trip

Reading Time: 4 minutes

After being cooped up indoors, we all want to take a break and get away from it all. Traveling is a good way to get a break and recharge. Before you start planning for that quick getaway, here are some tips to keep in mind. These tips will ensure that you get the most fun, stay safe, and keep stress away during your road trip.

1. Plan Your Route and Stop Overs

The first part of a plan for any road trip is to pick a destination. Once you’ve made your choice, check the maps and research online for the quickest route to get there. Check what stop overs you will be making on your way there and on your way back home. Stop overs usually include any checkpoints, toll gates, food places and gas stations. You should be prepared with the necessary items you need to go through these locations more quickly.

Take into consideration who you will be bringing with you on your road trip. For example, if you will be traveling with older people or kids; plan a route along roads with several locations where you can take toilet breaks.

Make sure to allocate ample time for whatever you will be doing for each stop over. Check the weather and traffic situation on the days of your trip. This means that you will be able to enjoy each stop over as much as you want to.

2. Allow for Spontaneity

You need to plan your road trip carefully but still have fun during the journey. Make sure you have ample time for other interesting stop overs and activities that you might encounter along the way. You might find that the locals have a better suggestion for a stop over than the one you originally intended. It is better to have a plan before hand on how you will decide for these kinds of situations.

If your destination is not a popular travel spot, information about it might not be updated; so be prepared for surprises. For example, that tranquil beach you saw online might now be a resort where locals flock to. If this happens, try to look at the bright side of the situation instead of dwelling on your disappointment.

3. Allocate Your Budget

A solid budget plan is important for any road trip so think about your budget carefully. Calculate and write down the total budget for the entire trip and break down of where the budget will go. Budget for what food to bring with you and other extra items you need to buy during the trip. Do the same for your personal budget so you include items such as local delicacies and souvenirs, for example.

Be sure to include required personal safety items such as face masks and sanitizers. Have a budget for safety items too in case your car breaks down before you arrive at your destination.

Your budget should also include entrance fees, gas and other extra expenses that you might incur along the way. Don’t forget to prepare actual cash on hand. There might not be ATMs or debit and credit cards are not accepted as payments in your destination. This is especially true for most mom and pop food places and souvenir stores in the provinces.

4. Prepare Your Electronics and Entertainment

A plan is good but the actual road trip will take several hours. Ample entertainment is key to keeping the atmosphere fun and enjoyable all thru the trip. You might pass some areas with poor Internet connectivity. Be prepared by loading your mobile device or tablet with enough music and/or movies to entertain you along the way.

Charge your electronic gadgets to full and prepare extra batteries. Make sure your power banks and digital devices are fully charged so you won’t run low on entertainment and energy. Bring emergency power supplies too, like a fully charged flash light. Also prepare your IDs and travel documents if you need to go through check points.

5. Clean, Prep and Pack the Car Properly

Make sure that your car is in top shape when you plan for the road trip. Have your car thoroughly cleaned. Make sure that all the scheduled, preventive maintenance is completed so your car doesn’t break down during the trip. Ensure that safety precautions have also been installed properly. You don’t want to get flagged for failing to comply with personal safety and travel guidelines.

Don’t forget to bring a spare tire and some tools for any mishaps. You might need to troubleshoot along the way. If your engine is prone to over heating, bring water for the car as well.

Last but not the least, plan how to pack everything you need in the space that your car allows. Decide which items you need to bring with you and what you can just buy on the road. Try to pack only what you will need.

You will need to pack light if you have travel buddies and your car is smaller. Plan what you can put in the back of the car. Decide what each person can bring with them in their bags. This way you can all enjoy the trip comfortably and safely.

These are just some of the things you need to consider when planning your road trip. Be well prepared so you can stay comfortable and safe and have fun on the trip. Don’t forget to be open to new adventures along the way.

Got more tips for a road trip? We would love to hear them.

If you’re planning to go abroad, be sure to observe proper travel etiquette so you enjoy your trip. Of course, you should observe these during your local travels too. For first time travelers, here are some worthy travel goals to inspire you.

Updated. First published on Pinoy Smart Living 2019.07.19.
Feature Image: Original Photo by William Christen on Unsplash.

Apr

2020

5 Family Staycation Ideas For a Tight Budget

Reading Time: 2 minutes

When we think of going on a vacation, the first thing on our mind is traveling to a destination. But what if you don’t have enough in your budget to travel far from home? Then a staycation is the answer! A staycation is a budget-friendly way to spend quality time with your loved ones. Here are 5 ideas on how you can enjoy a cheap family staycation:

1. Make it A Game Day

Ask everyone to bring their favorite games and everyone select which ones to play and the playing order. Depending on the game, this is a good way to exercise physically and challenge everyone mentally while having lots of fun. Make sure the games can be enjoyed by family members of all ages.

2. Enjoy a Movie or TV Marathon

Got a favorite movie series or TV show you’ve all wanted to rewatch? Or if you have a list of dramas or TV shows you haven’t watched, this is the time to indulge. Make yourself some popcorn and a cold drink or get food delivered and enjoy the shows. Got kids? Watch their favorite cartoon or anime series or their most favorite movies together.

3. Do a Cooking Marathon

Instead of doing a weekly meal prep, why not let the whole family help in cooking all your favorite recipes? Everyone gets to eat afterwards and you can even cook a big batch to be enjoyed throughout the week. You can also choose to try out new recipes based on a theme. For example, you can search for recipes of Japanese food items; lay down a mat and a low table and add chopsticks and fancy bowls to complete the Japanese theme for your meal.

4. Refresh a Room or the Entire House

Cleaning can be a therapeutic activity and gives everyone a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day too. Assign tasks or rooms to everyone for a general house cleaning or select a room in the house to redecorate or to rearrange furniture. You can also use the day to do small, DIY repairs around the house. Be sure to take breaks and reward the whole family with a delicious dinner which you can order from your favorite food place.

5. Start a Garden

Let everyone help with some gardening. Whether it be indoor gardening with these herbs, or outdoor gardening, family members of all ages can be assigned some task to help with the activity. Kids can pick up weeds or sweep the yard or count seeds and place them in pots.

Spend some time to teach kids what to do to help the plants grow better. A book with pictures that they can refer to repeatedly would be a great help. You won’t only be growing plants, you’ll be cultivating yours and your kid’s patience and interest for learning and doing and maybe develop a green thumb in the process.

These are just some quick ways to bond with the whole family while you’re all staying at home. The trick is to prepare for it like you would prepare for traveling so everyone in the family gets involved and they will feel the specialness of the staycation even more. Try these out next time you’re strapped for cash, don’t want to wander around the mall or just too tired to brave the daily traffic that travel entails.

Edited version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living 04.04.2019.
Feature Image: Original Photo by cottonbro from Pexels.

Mar

2020

10 Movies to Watch At Home With the Kids

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Here are 10 movies you can watch at home with the kids to sta r ve off boredom and increase your quality time together. These are listed from oldest to newest. Just select one that you think the kids will like, or let the kids decide. Some of these movies are quite old but they should be easily accessible via online sources.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Rated G
If you want to go far, far away, let an imaginary tornado take you away. Dorothy dreams of a more exciting life somewhere over the rainbow. She gets her wish when a tornado takes her and her little dog Toto. They were taken from their farm in Kansas to a wonderland. There, she begins her magical adventures with new friends to find the Wizard of Oz.

The Sound of Music (1965)

Rated G
So many songs in this movie will stay with you long after the movie ends. This movie explores many themes such as family dynamics, different parenting methods, love in time of war and the love of music that binds the whole family together. The sceneries are also beautiful everyone sings quite well in this movie so feel free to sing along.

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Rated G
Kermit the Frog and company are beloved characters by folks aged 5 to 95. In this movie, they not only entertain with musical numbers while avoiding danger, they even have a moment where they check the movie script for what happens next. If you want to teach your kids how to sing “The Rainbow Connection”, this is a good movie to watch together.

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Rated PG
This simple movie of a boy befriending an alien who needs to go back home has its teary moments but it does drive home a poignant lesson about friendship and understanding. The story telling is also quite magical and the scene of E.T. and Elliott biking past the moon is something to inspire everyone’s sense of awe.

Home Alone (1990)

Rated PG
It may not be Christmas yet but everyone can use a feel-good adventure movie. Kevin McCallister shows you how to be a hero, even as he was left alone at home while his family is vacationing in Florida. He reunites with his family but not before he gives a couple of thieves a wacky lesson in mayhem.

Jumanji (1995)

Rated PG
Robin Williams always makes kid-friendly movies not only an enjoyable ride but also drives home important life lessons. This movie starts out with 2 siblings who discover an old game where the boy Alan (Williams) was sucked into 26 years ago. He guides the kids through the game as they overcome obstacles together in order to go back home.

You may also want to check out the more modern version with Dwayne Johnson which has a different set of characters but still promises the same humor, fun and adventure.

Up (2009)

Rated PG
This movie has its teary-eyed moments but still manages to take the viewer on a cute and fun journey. When salesman Carl Fredricksen’s wife dies, he decides to tie balloons to his house and lift off to South America – a destination that he and his adventure-loving wife had always wanted to go. On the way, he realizes that he has an enthusiastic Boy Scout traveling with him. They also meet interesting characters and exciting adventures along the way.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Rated PG
Dragons can be both magical and terrifying. In this movie, we get some doses of both but a lot of fun and cuteness as well. The friendship of Hiccup and Toothless is a fun watch but the family dynamics among members of the Viking clan also provides a rich source of important relationship lessons. That’s not the only thing that makes this movie fun however, and you and the kids will surely enjoy the whole ride.

You may want to watch all 3 movies of the franchise just to get more of the 2 main characters’ cute and funny interactions and to learn more about the world of dragons and world beyond Hiccup’s Viking clan.

Despicable Me (2010)

Rated PG
If you and your kids love the Minions, then it’s time to rewatch this movie and the next ones too. Supervillain Gru and his hordes of Minions change their villainous goals when they adopt 3 orphans who melt Gru’s cold heart and turns him to work for good instead.

Coco (2017)

Rated PG
Some family traditions need to be kept and some need to be let go if they are for the wrong reasons. Here, Miguel’s family doesn’t allow him to listen to music or play his guitar so he must learn in secret. He gets the opportunity to meet his ancestors and uncover the real reason why his family discourages him from appreciating music. Pursuing one’s dream, honoring traditions and forgiveness are real life lessons that are magically tackled in this movie.

There are many more popular movies that are not mentioned here such as the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Toy Story and Frozen movies because these would obviously be on your movie list. Try out the movies listed above to experience and reminisce the charm of these oldies but goodies and stave off boredom and anxiety while spending quality, family time. Be sure to have snacks around to complete the full movie experience.

Having a movie date with the whole family is a good way to spend time with kids while staying at home. You will learn more about your kid’s personalities and also help them expand their insights and learn important life lessons. You may be reminded of these life lessons yourself.

Original image from The Telegraph.

Feb

2020

Rule in Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Did you know that the ideal weight varies from one person to the other? It is not as simple as looking as the height and weight of an individual. It also incorporates certain factors such as gender, age and body frame. Don’t be confused with body image advertising. More often than not, advertising just creates unrealistic expectations on what a perfect body should be like to promote their products. But just the same way, you still need to maintain your ideal weight to keep yourself healthy and strong. It is important that you follow the rule in maintaining a healthy weight.

What is your ideal weight? What’s your weight right now? Are you overweight or underweight? Check your ideal weight using the Ideal Weight Calculator from Calculator.net.

Weight Management

Weight management is all about balancing the calories that you consume with those that you burn. If your food intake is greater than what you burn then you gain weight. In the same way that if what you eat is less than what you burn, you will not have enough energy to do your normal physical and even mental activities.

Your body needs energy to keep moving. It gets the energy that you need from calories from food. The calories that you eat are then converted to physical energy that fuels your every movement. This why it is never a good idea to do crash diets. Although crash diets can lead to weight loss, it can also result to loss of energy and fatigue.

On the other hand, those calories that were not used are stored in the body as fats. Excessive calorie intakes and physical inactivity can lead to weight gain.

As a general guideline, 3,500 calories is equal to 1 pound of fat. So, if you want to lose one pound, you need to burn at least 3,500 calories.

Eating junk food is not the same as eating healthy food. Although you will get the same amount of calories, you will not be getting the same potential amount of energy. Junk food also do not contain the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. Thus, choosing the right kind of food is necessary to maintain that healthy weight and body.

The chart above from the United Kingdom’s Royal Society for Public Health shows how long you need to exercise when you eat certain kinds of food.

The recommended daily calorie intake varies depending on a person’s age, gender, height and physical activity. The recommended calories per day is 1,600 to 2,400 for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 for adult men.

In a nutshell, the rule in maintaining a healthy weight is to eat only what you can burn. It is also important to eat the right kinds of food. If you are not used to eating healthily, it is fine. You can do it slowly. Just take baby steps t o optimal nutrition.

Updated Version. First published in Pinoy Smart Living on 09.16.2018

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