Hello all and happy April!

I decided to take a different approach to this month’s “Obsessions” blog post by sharing what I’m currently loving to pass the time indoors. Featured are some of my favorite books and TV shows in a range of genres, some treats I’ve been loving to add interest to my day, and a slew of indoor activities you can do by yourself or with a roommate. I’ve also included articles focused on social distancing – from date night ideas to mental health resources to fun activities to confronting the obligation to be “productive” – and I hope you find them useful!

Helpful Articles to Read During Social Distancing:

• Stop Trying to Be Productive – NYT
• Finding Peace During the Pandemic – UCF Today
• Free Online Meditation Resources for Times of Social Distancing – The Awake Network
• Things to do to stay connected and distracted in quarantine – Business Insider
• Why ‘physical distancing’ is better than ‘social distancing’ – Al Jazeera
• How to Stand Still – Cup of Jo
• 15 Date Ideas In The Age Of Social Distancing – Huff Post
• How Multigenerational Families Manage ‘Social Distancing’ Under One Roof – NPR
• 20 things to do for fun at home or while social distancing – The News & Observer
• The best video call apps to use while you’re social distancing – CNBC
• 9 Things to do at Home Alone – The Stripe
• The Social-Distancing Culture War – The Atlantic
• The Best Internet Rabbit Holes To Go Down – Buzzfeed

Indoor Activities:

• Puzzles – some personal favorites are Cat Zodiac, Champagne Problems, Nevertheless She Persisted, Gustav Klimt Portrait of Adele, Vintage Cote D’Azur Travel Illustration, and Unicorn Reading themes!
• Adult Coloring Books – I love The Big Ass Swear Word Coloring Book (what I’m currently coloring daily), Color the Classics: Alice in Wonderland, Stay the Fuck Home and Color, Color the Zodiac, and Color Me Fucking Calm.
• Lego Sets – some challenging creations at a variety of price points include Trafalgar Square, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire Hogwarts Clock Tower Castle, Bookshop, and Hogwarts Castle.
• Get inspired by a themed day! Sydne Style has a great breakdown of all the fun and quirky holidays throughout the month of April! I’m aiming to pick at least one holiday a week to have a fun themed day or photo!
• Netflix Party – I really enjoyed watching Hitch with my friends last weekend and engaging in real time commentary together via chat, and we’ve already made plans to start a TV miniseries soon!

Books:

Fun, Lighthearted, and Uplifting reads:

• Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe
• The Crazy Rich Asians series
• American Royals
• Girl, Stop Apologizing
• Milk and Honey

Mysteries:

• The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
• Magic for Liars
• Hercule Poirot and The Mystery of the Three Quarters

Informative and Interesting reads:

• Such a Fun Age
• Talking to Stangers
• Circe
• Daisy Jones and the Six

TV/Streaming Shows:

• Tiger King
• Dollface
• The Bold Type
• Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
• Self Made
• Tuca and Bertie
• The Crown
• Fruits Basket (for my fellow anime nerds out there – season 2 drops this month!)
• Classics: Gossip Girl, Friends, and Sex and the City

Snacks and Treats

• Daily Beauty Blueberry Lavender Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
• Trader Joe’s green tea mochi and peanut butter chocolate mochi
• Trader Joe’s Popcorn with Herbs & Spices
• Harper Macaw specialty chocolates
• Homemade chia pudding with vanilla almond milk

I hope this gives you all some fun things to do inside while social distancing – stay safe and healthy! And do let me know if there are any fun activities you enjoy that I didn’t include!

XOXO

Parisa