Movie Marathon During Quarantine

With all this free time we are having at home, we are bound to be watching more movies and TV series than usual. If you’re like me, you’ve had Netflix and Hulu for years and have watched all the good stuff … or so we think! I am going to give you a list of the top rated movies and TV series from Netflix and Hulu to save you some time searching for something to watch!

Netflix Movies

• Marriage Story (2019) – Drama
• Step Brothers (2008) – Comedy
• Blue Valentine (2010) – Drama (Ryan Gosling … must I say more?)
• The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) – Drama/Comedy
• Gerald’s Game (2017) – Horror
• The Social Network (2010) – Drama
• The Interview (2014) – Action/Comedy
• Bad Boys (1995) – Action/Comedy
• About Time (2013) – Romance
• High Flying Bird – (2019) Sports Drama
• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) – Romance (Noah Centineo … again, must I say more?!)
• Set It Up (year) – Romantic Comedy
• Long Shot (2019) – Romantic Comedy

Hulu Movies

• Instant Family (2018) – Comedy/Drama
• A Simple Favor (2018) – Comedy/Thriller
• Zombieland (2009) – Comedy/Horror
• A Quiet Place (2018) – Horror
• Fighting with My Family (2018) – Comedy/Drama
• Vice (2018) – Comedy/Drama
• Mom and Dad (2018) – Comedy/Horror
• Good Will Hunting (1997) – Drama
• Honeymoon (2014) – Horror/Thriller
• Free Willy (1993) – Family
• The Sisters Brothers (2018) – Drama/Western

Now, onto the TV series … my expertise! I will give you my honest opinion about the ones I have watched or am currently watching!

Netflix Series

• Tiger King – I have not watched, but it is next on my list. I have heard a lot of positive reviews and that it is a must watch!
• Ozark – Again, I have not watched it, but I have only heard good things about this series.
• You – If you have not already watched the first two seasons of this series, you need to start! Creepy, but good! Binge worthy!
• Sex Education – Turn this on right now, you will laugh for days!
• Love is Blind – As horrible as it was, I must say that this is a must watch … mainly so you can understand all of the memes going around about Jessica!
• Dead to Me – There is only one season so far, but it was a good one!
• The Office – I personally am not the biggest supporter, but I do know many people who love it.
• Mindhunter – I have not watched it yet, but I have heard great things and it is on my list!
• Stranger Things – If you have not already watched this, you should start … like yesterday!
• Black Mirror – The great thing about this series is the episodes do not tie together … some episodes are good, others not so much.
• Riverdale – Another must watch!
• Orange is the New Black – Seven seasons full of laughter!
• Breaking Bad – I have not personally seen, but I know many people who really like it.
• Explained – Another one where the episodes do not tie together … there are some very interesting episodes!
• Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes – I personally am a serial killer documentary type of girl … so, I definitely think everyone needs to watch this!
• Unbelievable – A true story about rape … Very good show, but not for everyone because of the topic.
• Sons of Anarchy – Love, love, love! Ladies … need I say more than Charlie Hunnam?!
• Grey’s Anatomy – This is an obvious one … if you haven’t watched this already, you are way behind!
• Making a Murderer – Watch this now! Again, murder mysteries are my favorite!
• How To Get Away With Murder – This is a great thriller!

Hulu Series

• Little Fires Everywhere – I have not started this yet, but everyone is saying it is a must watch!
• Private Practice – Just like Grey’s Anatomy, but not as many seasons!
• A Million Little Things – Absolutely love this very touching show!
• The Handmaid’s Tale – I have not seen this, but have only heard great things about it!
• The Act – Another favorite … based on a true story and keeps you on your toes!
• It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia – I have not seen this, but I have heard it’s a must see!
• Mayans – Another motorcycle show; a spin off of Sons of Anarchy … I’ve heard it’s great!
• Justified – This has gotten a lot of great reviews!
• Better Things – I have not seen this, but I have heard wonderful things about it!
• For Life – This is first on my Hulu list! I cannot wait to watch this!
• Desperate Housewives – Lots of drama and lots of laughs … what more could you want?!

As you can tell, I prefer watching series over movies … mainly because I hate when a movie or show ends! With series, it takes a while to end and I have a lot more time to enjoy them. I am going to share websites for you to be able to find more movie and series options on Netflix and Hulu!

Here is a list of the the top 50 Netflix movies to watch.

Here are the top 28 Netflix shows to watch.

Here are the top 40 Hulu movies to watch.

Here are the top 50 Hulu shows to watch.

If you want to ensure that you are comfortable and to mix up your quarantine situation a little bit, you can build a movie fort in your living room or bedroom!

Photo Credit: Pillow Netterest

If I left any of the prime movies or tv shows off of my list, please leave a comment or email me your suggestions at samanthalynnsamuelson@gmail.com

Talk to you later!

Samantha

How To Celebrate a Birthday in Quarantine

I cannot imagine having a birthday while being self-isolated from all of my friends and family! Your birthday is supposed to be one of the best days of the year, but how is that possible when you are restricted to staying at your house?! What’s so special about staying home for your birthday when you have to stay home every day? I am sure this is what a lot of people with birthdays coming up are thinking. There are definitely ways we can make a birthday special while in quarantine.

With technology as advanced as it is today, it is easy to have all the people you care about in one room … on a computer screen. Zoom is a popular tool around the world right now. Zoom is a web-based video conferencing call that can connect many people at once. After you sign up for a Zoom account here, you can connect with people on your computer that has video capabilities. All the people on your conference call will show up on one screen, and you will be able to see everyone that has connected. For more information on how to schedule and join Zoom meetings, go here!

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Photo Credit: Sonken

Now that you have the guest list figured out, we should figure out decorations, food, cake, and games! Have each of your “guests” decorate their “conference area” with a different theme or color – you can either designate colors and themes to your guests or you can let them come up with something on their own. Streamers, balloons, and posters are some of the decorations that you can use to decorate your conference space. If you want it to seem like everyone is in the same room, ask everyone to decorate their space similar!

Food! It will make the celebration feel even more special if all the guests are eating the same thing. Come up with an easy meal that everyone will be able to make. Some ideas are: tacos, nachos, pizza, wings, and pasta. It won’t be a birthday without a birthday cake! Ask if all of the guests can make their own cake and add candles. Then, when it’s time to sing Happy Birthday, each guest will have candles to blow out, and everyone will have cake to eat with the person celebrating their birthday!

Games – one of the best part of a birthday party! This is not going to be as easy as if you were in the same room, but it is definitely possible. One game you can play over video call is Bingo. Have everyone make a card and fill out whatever numbers they want. Have paper numbers cut out and ready to be called randomly to all the guests. You can have prizes for the winners and mail them to them! You can also play a modified version of Wheel of Fortune. You spin the wheel for the next contestant and have pre-made phrases made up! A few other games you can play over video call include: Charades, Cards Against Humanity, trivia games, Pictionary, Yahtzee, Scattergories, and Jeopardy.

You now have all the necessities to throw a virtual birthday party! You can keep it a secret and surprise the birthday girl/boy or you can tell them what plans you have for them. Now that you have all you need to give someone a special birthday they will never forget, start inviting guests and planning your party! Leave a comment if you have any other ideas for planning a virtual birthday party!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Date Night In Quarantine

Just because we are all quarantined to our houses either all day or immediately after work does not mean that we cannot have a date night with our significant other, as long as we are quarantined with them of course! It’s important to show the people we care about how much we love them during this stressful time. Everyone is reacting to this situation in their own way, but that does not mean that we can’t do it together … while staying 6 feet away from each other. After almost three weeks of self-isolation, I am sure couples are itching to have date night back!

A traditional home date night before quarantine would have involved board games and movies, but that is what typical day in quarantine looks like these days. So, let’s think outside of the box and come up with some ideas for some special quality time with your significant other. Some of these ideas might even be watching a movie or playing a board game, but we can always spice them up a little bit! The best part of home date night is the option to dress up as if it’s an actual date, or you can stay in your jammies!

Cooking Class Date Night

Did you know that Food Network has an app that you can download and experience cooking classes for free for 30 days? If you download the app on your phone, iPad, or other smart device you can have a cooking class date night right in your own kitchen! To download the app from Food Network click here!

Spa Date Night

You can Google or search Youtube for some basic massage instruction videos. So, grab the lotions and essential oils and find the perfect video for you and your significant other! You can even turn your bathroom into a spa locker room with a steaming hot shower or a warm bath before your massages. Oh, and don’t forget your fuzzy bath robes!

Karaoke Date Night

This is even better than going to the bar and singing karaoke because there is no line! Start with your favorite wine, beer, or cocktails and get to singing! Solos, duets, and sing-off battles are all options. You can make it even more fun by choosing each other’s next song and seeing how well that turns out! You might even come to enjoy home karaoke date nights more than bar karaoke nights! If you’re missing the audience, you can always have a Zoom session with all of your friends and take turns singing karaoke!

Painting Date Night

If you have ever been to a clay canvas painting business, you know how much fun it can be to paint your own project! A lot of the clay canvas businesses are selling curbside to-go kits with canvases of your choosing (mugs, plates, frames, and other miscellaneous items), paint, and brushes. After you take them home and paint them, you drop them back off to get fired! Once they are finished getting fired and glossed, you pick them back up!

Fight Date Night

This is one of my personal favorites! Surprise your significant other by filling multiple Nerf guns and placing them all around the house. Leave a note for them to find letting them know that you two are now at battle! Keep track of how many times each of you get hit and think of a reward for the winner!

Home Camping Date Night

Set up a tent in the living room with all of your camping essentials! Turn off the TV and act as if you were out camping. Have a camp out dinner, play games, and use the stove top to make s’mores! It will feel just like you’re camping and will get rid of that camping itch I’m sure everyone is starting to get as summer gets closer.

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Photo Credit: Sheecho

Newlywed Game Night

See how many questions you can get right about each other! Get small prizes for whoever can answer the most right. Be careful, if the competition starts to get too heated, you are still stuck in the same house as your component! Here are some directions and questions to start off the game!

Movie Night at Home

As I mentioned earlier, this might not sound like the most fun idea because you and your significant other might be watching more movies together than normal, but there are ways to spice it up! You and your significant other can each pick a movie you guys have not watched together, but don’t tell one another what the movie is. Have a concession stand dinner ready in the kitchen: hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, licorice, candy, beverages, etc. Set up a fort in the living room to make it feel like a room you haven’t been spending all of your time in lately. Watch each other’s movies together while eating your concession dinner and candy!

Sushi Date Night

I know I said that Fight Date Night was my favorite, but Sushi Date Night definitely beats it! If you and your significant other love sushi, this is a fun thing to do together! With sushi restaurants closed right now, it’s a good time to try to make your own sushi! There are kits you can buy to help assist you. There are so many websites and videos on Youtube you can find to help you make your sushi at home. To be on the safe side, I would start this date early enough to order curb side sushi if your homemade sushi doesn’t turn out the way you want it to!

I hope these are some ideas that you and your significant other can use for a special date night during self-isolation! If you have any other home date night ideas that you’d like to share, please comment below!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

A World of Hearts

As I am sure everyone is well aware at this point, we are going through a very trying time after the outbreak of COVID-19. The country has officially been “social distancing” for about two weeks now. A majority of the country has been issued stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Many people and events have been impacted by this entire situation – non-essential businesses, schools, high school proms, graduations, hospitals, and many others. All of this going on in our world is not stopping neighbors all around the world from spreading hope in the windows of their homes and businesses. People are calling this act of kindness ‘A World of Hearts’.

To participate, all you have to do is place hearts in your window. Many people are cutting hearts out of construction paper and placing them in their windows for everyone to see. Along with construction paper, families are painting their windows to participate. The goal of A World of Hearts is to bring smiles and joy to people that are leaving their homes to go to work at their essential businesses or families that are taking a drive or walk for fresh air. Not many people are smiling during this difficult time, but these hearts are cheering people up all around the world. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this event.

Along with the hearts, people are encouraged to write words that resemble hope and love. A World of Hearts has gone viral on many social media platforms. If you search the hashtag “#aworldofhearts” on Facebook, you will see a group of over 439,000 members that are sharing pictures of hearts that they have either placed in their windows or have found in someone else’s window. The world is practicing spreading love and not germs. This event is brining people together and gives families an activity to do while obeying the stay home order. A World of Hearts gives children, patients, workers, and families something to look forward to in these dark times.

So, if you and your children, family, or roommates are looking for something to do while staying home and staying safe, think about sharing your heart activities with your community. If you are looking for heart activities to share, here are some ideas. A World of Heart is not limited to our windows. People around the world are coming up with ideas to share hearts on their sidewalks, fences, porches, garage doors, nature, and even cars.

A Fargo, ND resident, Elizabeth Burns Thomsen, shared this photo of hearts on the Facebook page ‘A World of Hearts’ – her daughter decorated her dad’s cop car with hearts

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Taylor Wilke shared this photo to the Facebook page ‘A World of Hearts’ of the flower she designed out of hearts in her window in Blaine, Minnesota.

If you or your kids are like my little brother, who is 15 years old, and don’t know how to cut out a heart from construction paper, you can find directions here. I know what you’re thinking, how does a 15 year old not know how to cut out a heart?! I thought that was something you learned in first grade, but I guess not everyone does. So, hopefully that is a helpful link if you have young kids in your house that have not learned how to cut a heart out of paper the easy way.

Now, please don’t forget to stay home and stay healthy! How about we all go share our own hearts for A World of Hearts?! Please share your creations with me, either in the comments below or to my email samanthalynnsamuelson@gmail.com

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Let’s Fill Those Easter Baskets!

It’s that time of year again! Just because the world has gone crazy does not mean we cannot make this time of year just as fun for the family! It might be even more of a reason to make it extra special this year. Waking up on Easter morning to see what basket the Easter Bunny had left me used to be just as exciting as waking up Christmas morning! When I was a kid, Easter baskets were traditional wicker baskets with treats, toys, and candy. Nowadays, Easter baskets can be shoes and umbrellas … literally anything can be a basket!

Let’s put together the perfect Easter basket! Just so you know, you’re child can never be too old for an Easter basket – I have been reminding my mom this every year since I graduated high school. With all that is going on with non-essential businesses closing due to the COVID-19 situation, it would really help your community if you were able to purchase any of your Easter supplies locally to help out your small business owners.

The first step is to find your “basket”. As mentioned earlier, your basket can literally be anything! Here’s a list of ideas for your baskets:

• A normal basket
• A string basket – you can find directions to make these here!
• Rain boots
• Umbrellas – you can find an idea here!
• Camping chairs
• Hats
• Toolbox
• Baking pan/mixing bowl
• Fishing tackle box
• Backpack
• A small kiddie pool
• A beer cooler (for the recipients older than 21 of course)
• A new lunch box

Next, let’s fill those baskets! Who says that Easter baskets need to be filled with candy?! When choosing a basket, you can use the basket as the theme. Let’s take the mixing bowl for example. If i were giving an Easter basket to someone who loved to bake, I would make the mixing bowl the basket and fill it with related baking items: cake mixes, frosting, measuring cups, sprinkles, muffin tins, food coloring, etc. Let’s take our list of baskets and fill in a few ideas for each of them!

• Rain boots – outside games like jump rope, chalk, rain coat
• Umbrellas – rain coat, rain hat, sidewalk chalk
• Camping chairs – items for s’mores, new camping gear
• Hats – some of your child’s favorite snacks and movies
• Toolbox – a couple new tools, candy
• Baking pan/mixing bowl – baking supplies and candy
• Fishing tackle box – fishing line, lures, bobbers, hooks
• Backpack – art supplies, a lunchbox, jacket
• Small kiddie pool – a new swim suit, swim toys, beach ball, towel
• Beer cooler (for the recipients older than 21) – beer, snacks, movies
• New lunch box – snacks and candy, small table games

Of course, if the basket is the main gift, you can always fill it with candy instead of other items that fit the theme. Mom, if you’re reading this, Reese’s Eggs are my favorite – no need for a basket! There are also creative ways to make baskets with candy!

Photo Credit: Jill

If you’re looking for ideas on how to support your community by shopping locally for your Easter basket gifts, you can always purchase gift cards from them and stuff them in your Easter eggs. Here are a few other ways you can support your local businesses during this tough time:

• Eat locally for Easter dinner – most places are doing a curbside or delivery service
• Gift someone flowers on Easter from a local florist
• Buy your groceries for Easter dinner at the local grocery store
• Buy the kids hot chocolate Easter morning from the local coffee shop as a treat
• Purchase a gift card from your hairdresser to use once this storm calms down – your children will love the idea that they are “paying” for something with their gift card
• Buy your chocolate treats for the baskets from a local chocolate shop

If you’re looking for a few creative ways to dye your eggs for Easter, check out this website! Hopefully you are able to make this an Easter your kids will not forget during this crazy time! If you have any other Easter basket ideas, leave a comment below!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

April Fools!

Now that we are supposed to be “social distancing”, let’s talk about an event that does not go against our 10 person maximum activities or any lockdown requirements. Whether you are in favor or against social distancing, it is happening around us. While a lot of people in our world have had to modify birthday parties, postpone weddings, and cancel other events and trips, there are still a few events that can take place right now! These events can also occupy your time during self isolation!

What fun events can you plan that involve 10 people or less and allow 6-feet between people you might ask? That’s simple, a play date with your dog! Please do this, but let’s talk about an actual event … we will get into play dates with our dogs later on. Let’s start with the next event in line … April Fools’ Day! Although it may feel like the world is currently playing one big joke on us, we can still play pranks on our friends and family that we are surrounded by … these pranks might even lighten the mood! Do you know the history behind April Fools’ Day? If not, you can read more about it here.

How about we start by pointing out a few basic rules for April Fool’s Day:

• Choose the appropriate audience for your prank
• Safety is always a priority
• Have fun!
• Keep the audience’s feelings in mind the entire time

First off, choose your audience. This could be family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers (if your business is still running day-to-day operations in person). There are pranks that I would choose for my family that I would definitely not choose for the workplace, and there are pranks I would choose for my friends that I would not choose for my family. This is why this is my first rule for April Fools’ Day pranks.

My second rule is safety. I never plan a prank for anyone that would put my audience or my own safety at risk. Pranks are supposed to be harmless and fun. If they are not safe, they are not fun for anyone! Which brings us to my next rule, have fun! Especially during this time in the world, it is so important to have fun, and it is even better if the person you are playing a prank on is having fun as well. That leads us into my last rule of keeping your audience’s feelings in mind. Pranks can really hurt people’s feelings if they are mean or hurtful. It is always important to ensure that the prank you are planning is going to give your audience a good chuckle or at least a smile! Now that we have the basic rules down, let’s plan some pranks!

I am going to give you a list of pranks, but I am not going to suggest an audience for you … hopefully you will be able to do that!

• Put lotion on the doorknob on the inside of the bathroom or room – it will be impossible to get the door open until someone realizes what has happened.
• Draw and cut out eyes for all of the items in the fridge – this will be a funny one for kids!
• Spill your nail polish onto wax paper and wait for it to dry, then peel it off and place it on someone’s bed sheets or the carpet – it will definitely freak someone out!
• Split a deck of cards into a couple piles and place them on top of someones bedroom fan – they will go everywhere when they turn their fan on!
• Cake pops … but instead of frosting cake, frost brussel sprouts and get ready to laugh!
• Replace hand sanitizer with clear Elemers Glue (the 2 oz bottle is probably the best size for this prank) … this prank might be a little cruel at this time!
• Draw a spider on your toilet paper or place a plastic spider on your toilet paper … another possibly cruel prank for the world right now! This would also be funny to do under a lamp shade – when they turn the lamp on, they might freak out!
• Make a piece of gum out of play-doh and wrap it up in a gum wrapper. When your friend asks you for a piece of gum, hand them the fake piece!
• Make “brownies” for the office … cut out the letter “e” from brown construction paper and place them in the brownie tin and watch the disappointment on everyone’s face!
• Replace the cream filling in oreos with toothpaste … gross, but funny!
• Put vegetables in a doughnut box and watch your family or coworkers get excited for doughnuts only to be disappointed when they see it is actually vegetables!
• Give someone a “thinking of you card” and fill the inside with glitter … they will have a glitter mess when they open the card!
• Mix M&Ms, Skittles, and Reece’s Pieces all in one bowl … watch as people grab a handful of three completely different candies!
• Scrape out someone’s deodorant, replace with cream cheese, mold it with your finger to look like deodorant, and get ready to laugh! (I recommend buying whoever you play this trick on another stick of deodorant so they aren’t too upset!)
• My favorite prank is pictured below! I think this prank will be approved any time of the year, not just April Fools’ Day! If you have car chalk, write the following phrase on the back of your friend’s car “Please honk and wave – she doesn’t know this is here!”. Another funny phrase you could put on the car is “Please honk and say ‘Hey *friend’s name*!’ – she doesn’t know this is here”. It will be a great prank, even after they see the writing!

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Photo credit: Macy Cate Williams

There are so many pranks that you can pull off, especially if you are participating in self-isolation! If you would like more prank ideas that are designated for younger kids, check out this website! Your kids are going to remember this time in self-isolation, so why not make it extra fun for them?! It would even be fun for you to encourage them to prank you back! Just make sure that you share the prank rules with them as well!

With all this being said, I just want you all to know that I have enjoyed writing blogs for everyone! Unfortunately, I will no longer be able to post blogs … April Fools! I will keep sharing all of my event and planning ideas with you!

If you have any successful April Fools’ Day pranks to share, please leave them in a comment below or email them to me at samanthalynnsamuelson@gmail.com. I would love to see how everyone’s pranks turn out!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Staying Sane During Self-Isolation

As most of you know, we are going through a global pandemic right now — the spread of the Coronavirus. For some people, this means they are quarantined to their house from anywhere between 14 to 30 days without much social interaction. Those of us that are not quarantined to our houses are still urged to practice social distancing of 10 people or less. This can be a very stressful time for people, and it does not make it easier when people are stuck at home all day … trust me, I am on day 7 and I myself am going crazy!

How do you get through these next few weeks and stay sane while doing so? Some of us are at work, school, and other activities more that we are at our own house most of the time, but now we are supposed to strictly stay at home. A lot of people are panicking because of the global pandemic, but a lot others are panicking because staying home with our roommates or families for a few weeks seems stressful … some people are panicking for both reasons. I am going to help you come up with a few ways for you and your friends or family to get through this crazy time!

I think the most important thing to do, is to remind yourself of a few key realities. When you start to think “I am stuck at home”, replace that thought with “I get to be SAFE in my home and spend time with my family/friends”. When you start to get paranoid and think “I am going to get sick”, replace it with the mindset of “I will self-isolate and wash my hands, this will significantly decrease my chances of getting sick”. If you find yourself thinking “I will run out of items at home during self-isolation”, reassure yourself with “I have prepared for this and I will use my items wisely – I have everything I need for now”. Replace “everything is shutting down, I am panicking” with “The most important places, such as medical centers, pharmacies, and grocery stores remain open”. Lastly, if you find yourself worrying about all of the uncertainty, remind yourself “I cannot control the situation around me, but I can control my actions: breath work, calling loved ones, getting enough sleep and proper nutrition, prayer, and doing activities I love at home – these action will all help during this time”.

If you are worried about running out of activities to keep you and your family busy during self-isolation, well that’s where I come in! I am going to give you ideas for activities to stay sane while you are safe in your home either by yourself, with family, or with friends. During this time, it is important that you do not set yourself up for failure – such as giving yourself strict daily schedules that you may not be able to stand by. Do not beat yourself up if you sleep in an extra hour, take a midday nap, or don’t get through all your daily chores. Be nice to yourself and others during this insane time, everyone will be thankful for kindness!

Activities for one

• Movie day
• Start a new show on Netflix
• Reread your favorite novel
• Go through old scrapbooks, photo albums, and yearbooks
• Daily journal entry – you can find a list of random topics here
• Go through and get rid of clothes that you don’t wear anymore
• Try new recipes from a cookbook you’ve been wanting to make
• Daily play dates with your dog … treasure this time!
• Write letters to loved ones that live far away
• Enjoy a home spa day
• At home workouts
• Yoga
• Spring cleaning – here is one of my previous blogs to help you get started!

Activities for two or more

• Movie marathon
• Start a new series together on Netflix
• Board game day
• Plant flowers in the yard
• Have a baking competition
• Card night
• Go through old pictures together and point out your favorite ones that tell stories
• Come up with a play and post a video on social media for your friends to enjoy
• Have a painting contest and post pictures for your friends to vote for the best painting
• Group Spring cleaning – get the job done faster together!

Activities for the kiddos

• Craft day – find some creative kids crafts here
• Teach them the basics of cooking their favorite meals
• Have a karaoke contest
• Have them write a play and then act it out with them
• Play Bingo
• Teach them a new board game
• Read their favorite book with them
• Show them your favorite childhood cartoons
• Go through their rooms with them and have them make a charity pile
• Reorganize rooms
• Create cards for senior citizens for when self-isolation is over
• Play “store” where kids earn Monopoly money to buy extra snacks and treats for the day (see picture below)

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Photo Credit: Old Salt Farm

As you can see, there are a lot of activities that you can participate in while being in self-isolation in your home. Do not think of this as a negative time, think of this as a time to either spend with your loved ones or to get that self-care time you are always longing for. I know that being alone is quite dreadful for a lot of extroverts – if this is you, try to think of only positive things. Don’t forget, phones still work … so do not forget to use it to call friends and loved ones that you are not isolated with.

If you have any other ideas to stay busy while in self-isolation, please comment below – I would love to hear some other activities that I did not think to mention!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Pack Like A Pro

Let’s be honest … packing is one of the most painful parts of taking a trip for most people. Packing takes up so much time and energy! So, I am going to take one of the most dreadful events and turn it into one of the easiest pre-travel events! You can use these packing tips for road trips, plane trips, for a three-day trip, or even a two-week trip!

Start with a packing list. The first and one of the most important steps is to make a list. I do not pack a single thing until I have made a complete list of every single item I am going to need for a trip. I am not kidding … even something as small as “Chapstick” goes on my pre-packing list. This is the only way to ensure that you pack everything you are going to think you need. Also, I start my packing list two weeks ahead of time. I do this because then I can keep adding to it to throughout a few weeks to make sure I have thought of everything. I put a symbol (*) next to the items I will be wearing on the plane or in the car on a road trip to make sure that I have them ready, but don’t accidently pack them in my bag

Lay out the items to pack before hand. When I have made sure that all of the necessary items are on my list, I start preparing to pack. I make sure that the night or day I want to pack, I start my laundry that morning. I do this because then I do not have to hang all of my clothes up just to take them off of the hangers when I need to pack them … it’s killing two birds with one stone. I dump all of the clean clothes from the dryer to my bed and separate the ones I need from the ones that will need to be put away. I then lay out every single thing that is on my list either on my floor or my bed. I do not check the items off my list when I lay them out … I check items off of my list when they go into my suitcase or backpack. (Another tip is to take that list with you to use it to ensure you bring each item home with you as well.)

I laid out two weeks of clothes for my upcoming Australia trip.

I also laid out all of the small things that fit into my personal item.

Use luggage cubes! These will save your life! Okay … maybe they won’t save your life, but they will make it possible to stay organized and add more items to your suitcase. You can buy inexpensive storage cubes on Amazon. The ones I bought came with 6 different cubes and bags, but sometimes you can find deals on larger quantities of cubes and bags.

Roll your clothes. I cannot stress this tip enough. Not only does rolling your clothes allow you to pack a lot more clothing items, but it also ensures that you clothes will not be wrinkly when you take them out of your suitcase. If you have a few items that are prone to wrinkle no matter what, I suggest taking travel size Downy Wrinkle Releaser in your carry on. You don’t want to have to spend your vacation ironing wrinkly clothes!

By using luggage cubes and rolling my clothes, all two week’s worth of clothes fit into one carry on bag … it’s like magic!

Try to do laundry at your destination. If you plan to stay in an Airbnb, a lot of the times you have access to a washer and dryer. I know, you’re probably thinking “Samantha … no one wants to do laundry while on vacation”. Trust me, I know and I don’t want to either, but it can save you from having to bring another suitcase. If you’re flying, taking another suitcase full of clothes can be quite pricy! I would rather save the money and take only one suitcase, and spend that money on something to do while on vacation!

Secure your liquid items. This is a very important step in the pre-packing process. Nothing is worse that getting to your destination and opening your luggage to find that your liquids leaked over all of your clothes and items. Here is how you prevent this from happening: unscrew the lids to your liquid bottles, take either plastic wrap from the kitchen or a sandwich bag and place it over the open part of the bottle, and screw the lid back on. This will prevent your liquids from leaking out of their bottles!

Leave your medications in the proper bottles. Do not take all of your pills out of the bottles they came in if you are traveling by plane. It is best to leave them in their bottles incase TSA has any questions. I know it is a pain while on vacation to keep track of all of your medications. What I do is take a pill case with me. When I arrive at my destination, I separate my pills into the SMTWTFS case and put the bottles away. This way I can still keep track of all of my daily vitamins and medications without having to keep track of the bottles everyday.

Use up empty space. You can fill empty space in your suitcase with little things to maximize your space. For example, stuff your socks into your shoes. Shoes take up a lot of space in your luggage, so if you can fill them with little things (pill bottles, socks, toiletry items, etc.) , you will have more room in the end!

Wear your bulky and heavy items on the plane. If you are running out of room in your suitcase, try taking the items that are taking up the most room to see if it is something you can wear on the plane. If I am going somewhere that I will need a rain jacket or winter coat, I always plan to wear it on the plane to free up space in my suitcase because you can always take these items off once you are on the plane to store under the seat in front of you.

Hopefully these tips help you and make your next packing experience easier! If you have any other packing tips or tricks, please leave them in the comment section!

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Bring on the Madness … March Madness!

March is my favorite month! Not because we are phasing out of Winter and not because of Spring Break. I love March because of two words … March Madness. There are 67 mens college basketball games that go on once the tournament starts. Every basketball fan counts down the days until March Madness starts. Some will even tell you that they prefer March Madness over the NBA finals!

You’re probably wondering why I am writing a blog about March Madness in my Events and Holiday Blog … well, March Madness is one crazy event! Another reason I am blogging about the March Madness Tournament is because I love basketball! If you’ve read my “About Me” page, you know this already. Just a side note, my favorite basketball teams are Nevada Wolfpack (college) and the Boston Celtics (NBA)!

Unfortunately, Nevada will not be in the March Madness Tournament this year, but they have been the previous three years. Even though my team will not be in the tournament, I could not be more excited for this time of year. It is very common for people to throw watch parties and even have a bracket competition. I am going to help you throw the perfect March Madness watch party that all of your friends are going to want an invitation to!

Selection Sunday is March 15th this year. As soon as the teams are chosen for the tournament, send out brackets to all of your friends to fill out! You can charge money for the brackets that the winner will receive at the very end or you can just do it for free. I do both! I have friends that want to play for money (usually $3 a bracket) and I have friends that would rather do it just for the fun! I really enjoy both ways. You can put a limit on how many brackets a person can fill out, but you can also let them fill out as many as they would like to. You can find blank brackets here.

If you’ve been reading my prior blogs, you know the drill … let’s start with food! I would go with an orange food theme, for obvious reasons. You can also add in food that is the color of the two teams playing. I feel like most times, there is a team in the championship games that is either blue or red. These are two really easy colors for foods. I will give you a few ideas for color coordinated foods:

Orange:

• Cheetos
• Carrots
• Oranges
• Cheddar Cheese
• Gatorade
• Sunny-D
• Jell-o
• Orange dyed cupcakes/frosting

Blue:

• Doritos
• Blue berries
• Cotton Candy
• Jell-o
• Gummy Bears
• Gatorade
• Blue dyed cupcakes/frosting

Red:

• Doritos
• Licorice
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Tomatoes
• Swedish Fish
• Cinnamon Bears
• Watermelon
• Gatorade
• Red dyed cupcakes/frosting

Yellow:

• Macaroni & Cheese
• Lemon Loaf
• Cheese
• Bannans
• Corn
• Pineapplef
• Peppers
• Popcorn
• Gatorade
• Lemonade
• Yellow dyed cupcakes/frosting

Look at these delicious and cute basketball themed appetizers! Photo credit: Beth

You can also serve basketball themed food! You can go to this website for many basketball themed foods to serve at your party that all of your friends are going to love! You can draw the basketball lines on almost anything, and it will go with your basketball theme! You can get edible markers in the baking section of most grocery stores!

Now, how about we decorate this party! If you are hosting a party and your favorite team is not in the championship, I suggest an orange and basketball theme. If your favorite team is playing, obviously you should go all out and decorate in their team color and mascot. If you are neutral of who is playing, you can always decorate with both team colors. You need basketballs everywhere (real or paper), hoops, a chalkboard for game plays, whistles, jerseys (real or paper), a March Madness banner, team names, miscellaneous basketball puns, etc.

Don’t forget that the March Madness championship game is April 6, 2020 … you still have time to prepare! You now have all the necessary tools to throw the best March Madness Championship game party! Just remember to send out the bracket to your friends (either a paper copy or you can download the March Madness app and have your friends complete a bracket through that), pick a theme – orange/basketball or team colors, base your food off of the theme you chose, and then decorate according to your theme!

Share your party pictures with me via the comment section or directly to my email samanthalynnsamuelson@gmail.com.

Talk to you later!

Samantha

Spring Cleaning Guide

It’s almost that time of year! Such a bitter sweet time … sweet because it is starting to look and feel like Spring outside, but a little bitter because we need to get that Spring cleaning done! Hopefully I can help you get through this dreaded event a little easier than normal! Did you know that there is a history behind spring cleaning? You can read all about it here.

Let’s get started! What I like to do is separate my cleaning list by rooms … I live by checkoff lists! My goal is to get my cleaning done in one weekend because if I start deep cleaning and then stop, I will not start again for quite a while. I separate my cleaning into the following: kitchen/dining room, bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, and miscellaneous. Personally, I do one category at a time and do not start another category until I am completely finished with the previous category.

What order of the categories should you go in? That is a tricky question. I usually start with the most cluttered or dirtiest room. I then choose the easiest category and go back and forth using that system. I usually leave the “miscellaneous” category for last because I sometimes add items to that list that involve each of the rooms. Before you can start cleaning, it’s a good idea to gather all of your cleaning supplies in one place for easy access.

Annie provides a list of all the products you should have before starting your spring cleaning!

Kitchen/Dining Room

• Clean out and sort items in drawers
• Clean out and wipe the inside and outside of refrigerator
• Run cleaning cycle on dishwasher
• Dust above cabinets
• Wipe down cabinets
• Sort and organize cabinets and pantry (throw out expired food)
• Sweep and mop kitchen
• Wipe down kitchen table, chairs, and barstools
• Sweep and mop dining room
• Wipe down inside and outside of trash can

Bathrooms

• Replace toothbrushes
• Replace loofas
• Replace air fresheners
• Sort and organize drawers/cabinets
• Scrub inside and outside of toilet
• Wipe down mirrors and counters
• Wipe down tub and shower
• Wash shower curtains
• Sweep and mop floors

Living Rooms

• Clean out TV stand drawers and cabinets
• Dust all furniture and decor
• Clean couch and chair cushions
• Wash any throw pillows

Bedrooms

• Wash bedding, pillows, and blankets
• Sort and organize clothes (a good time to start a donation box)
• Dust all furniture and decor
• Vacuum floor (including under the bed)
• Rotate mattress
• Sort and organize children’s toys

Miscellaneous

• Wipe down all baseboards
• Wash all curtains/ wipe down blinds
• Wipe down doors
• Wash windows and sills
• Check smoke alarm batteries
• Change air filters
• Dust any light fixtures
• Wash any rugs or mats
• Go through coat closet
• Wash all blankets
• Shampoo carpets
• Dust ceiling corners

Now that we have a few lists, write them down. I always put my lists on paper to keep me accountable! I like getting all of my spring cleaning done within one weekend, two at most, but I know that people have busy schedules and that is not always possible. If you need to split up your spring cleaning into multiple weekends, I suggest that you complete your cleaning in categories rather than complete a couple items from each list every time. For more Spring cleaning tips, click here!

If there are any items that were not on my list that you would like to add, leave a comment below! Happy Spring Cleaning!

Talk to you later!

Samantha