Projects To Tackle In Quarantine

Minnesota is in the first few days of our state mandated stay at home order and my friends who are more social than I am on a normal basis are starting to go a little stir crazy. Full disclosure here – I am an introvert who owns a small business, writes books, and builds stuff. The chances of me getting bored are slim. I have way more than plenty to do but I get it.

If your days are mostly taken up by going to a full-time job and coming home after a long commute your normal routine was to do the bare minimum as far as chores go. Your house is clean, your kids are clean, your cloths are clean. Good enough.

But now you have a little extra time and you need something – ANYTHING – other than sitting on the couch binge watching the last two shows in existence that you haven’t seen yet! Yep. Me TOO!

So here are a few forgotten tasks that you can check on your list while you’re stuck at home.

Clean you blinds – I don’t mean run a dusting wand over them and call it a day. I mean clean them. Take them off the window, lay them out in the bathtub and hose them down. You will be shocked at how much dirt gets left behind even if you dust regularly. Especially, if you’re like me and have blinds in the kitchen. I just cleaned mine and the grease that had build up was horrifying.

Move your refrigerator and clean behind and under it. – I know I never think about that until the grocery list I keep pinned to the fridge falls off and slide under the fridge and then . . . Ewwwww!

There’s floor under the stove too, and you’re going to be surprised at the amount of gunk between the cabinet and you stove. I just had to move mine when we got a new stove and I feel better knowing all that crud is gone.

This one might make you unhappy. It usually makes me unhappy when I do it too, but grab a bucket and a rag and

bucket and scrub brush — Photo by Jennifer Burk Unsplash

clean you floors. And I mean on your knees scrubbing like Cinderella. I’ve gotten so comfortable with my Swiffer (R) wet that when I do scrub my floors the old fashioned way and I realize how dirty they still are even after my Swiffer (R) assaults I get grossed out and grouchy. Oh! make sure you have plenty of ibuprofen on hand because your back and you knees are going to need them. 🙁

Okay so let’s get off the cleaning jag before I mention the inside of the refrigerator (that can be done too).

If you are at all crafty, and if you’re on my blog you just might be, get a jump on making some holiday gifts. If you have kids, this is a great project to work on during rainy days. Pinterest is loaded with free craft patterns so get crafting! You will be ahead of the Christmas curve while you flatten the Covid curve.

If the day is gorgeous then of course you need to get outside. Clean the flower beds, and build that raised bed you’ve been dreaming of. You might have to be resourceful to make off it happen with what you already have on hand but take an inventory. I bet you have more scrap lumber than you think you do.

Finally, here’s a project I think is most important and one of the good things that might come out of us slowing the hell down! Reconnect with your family. Again, full disclosure time. My life had become way over committed. This order from the Governor felt like a guilt free reprieve on all the things I HAD to go to, get done, run do today. You know what I’m talking about.

Last night I made a Sunday dinner like my family used to have when I was a kid. No TV, no devices. We ate and talked which I’m going to admit we were awkward at when we first sat down. By the end of the mean we were chatting and laughing and if felt so nice. Later I played Uno with my #1 Junking Buddy and I’d like to say I kicked her A** but the truth is she handed me mine. It was still fun. It’s been hard to down shift into a slower time but completely worth it.