This week weirdly, has been my most productive during lockdown and I have no idea why. I’ve been writing a daily to do list throughout this time and generally getting a lot done, but this week I’ve had most stuff done by lunchtime. It’s been nice ticking things off although it’s meant I’m often still looking for more things to do in a day!

Saying that, I’ve had quite a nice week all things aside – got back into crafts a bit more, found some good news stories and even got some exercise done!

What’s brought you joy this week?

 

Here’s 7 positive things that have stuck in my mind from this past week:

 

Macrame

I’ve had a macrame kit for a few months now and only ever attempted one pattern. It looked ok and I enjoyed doing it but for some reason, I didn’t decide to pick it up again… Until a couple of days ago.

I came across a new YouTube channel (this one) that has a bunch of macrame tutorials and followed one of the videos (I won’t lie, I watched it at a quarter speed to get my head around the knots, as sometimes it can be hard to see what they’re doing).

I’m aware that what I’ve made isn’t perfect but I’m really proud of it and actually quite like that it’s a bit shabby! All I used was a stick and normal string but I think it came out ok. I’ve ordered a couple of larger sticks and thicker, coloured rope so I’m hoping to start making some larger pieces.

I love the idea of hanging these in between prints on a wall, to give a bit of a different texture to it. We’ll see how I get on though!

 

This 11 year old skateboarder who landed the first ever vert ramp 1080 in history 

Brazillian 11 year old Gui Khury has been spending lockdown practicing his skateboarding on the ramps built in his Grandmother’s backgarden and it was there that he managed the VERY FIRST 1080.

Tony Hawk managed the first 900 degree turn and now Gui will go down in history as the first to do this. Apparently he celebrated with mac and cheese at home with his family, which is maybe the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.

I just thought this was such a nice story to read during these weird times – I can only just roller skate, never mind even attempt to skateboard!

 

My Exercise Mat 

A real saviour of mine during all this time at home, has been my trusty exercise mat that I got for about £10 from TK Maxx earlier this year. I’ve used it for a whole range of online yoga/barre/aerobics classes and it’s really come in handy.

Aside from some bands and a skipping rope, I don’t really have access to any other workout equipment but this is all I’ve needed. It’s amazing how much you can do just with a mat (it’s especially helpful seeing as all our flooring is wood too!)

I don’t think I’m going to come out of all this much fitter but I am so happy that I’ve been able to keep exercising in general – not just for my physical health but also mental; for me even just 15 minutes of yoga makes the world of difference to my mood.

 

‘Missing Link’ 

I’m not sure how we ended up watching this but I LOVED it. It’s such a beautifully animated film, with really lovely characters and a good heart to it. Ok yes it’s meant for kids but it’s legitimately fun for the whole family.

It’s about an explorer who sets about taking a lonely sasquatch to meet his bigfoot cousins in ‘Shangri-La’. Well, sort of…

If you want to watch something to put you into a good mood/fancy a laugh, then I would really recommend this. It’s on Netflix in the UK but it may well be on other streaming services worldwide.

 

Google AR Animals 

I came across this after a friend sent me a video of a giant duck in his living room – through google, if you search for certain animals (ie sharks, ducks, hedgehogs, lions and of course, labradors!) you will get the option to view a 3D version of them using your phone camera.

My dog isn’t with me in lockdown so it’s actually very sweet to be able to view a labrador in front of you, like it’s sat on the bed by you. Ok, it’s definitely not the same as having an actual dog there but it’s still fun to play with!

 

Lennon Stella’s New Album ‘Three. Two. One.’ 

If you’ve ever seen Nashville then you will recognise Lennon as one of the Conrad sisters (where she acted alongside her real life sister, Maisie). Now she’s a real life pop star and I won’t lie, I’m a bit obsessed.

She was actually the last gig I went to before lockdown began (much earlier this year) and it was incredible. I find her songs are the exact kind of music I’ve been wanting to listen to – a bit poppy, a bit electronic and full of soul.

My favourite songs of hers are ‘Much Too Much’, ‘La Di Da’ and ‘Bad’.

 

And finally, this TikTok (especially if you’re an ELVIS fan): 

 

Abi

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@travelteatv