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boredom

How I’ve Stayed Happily Busy During the Pandemic

November 15, 2020 by Vanessa Whiteside Leave a Comment

This stay at home thing isn’t ending anytime soon. During my time at home, I’ve found myself reviving old hobbies, experimenting with new things, and well, cleaning and eating a lot.

How have you kept yourself from going stir crazy while stuck at home?

Maybe an activity or recipe below will inspire you to cross something off your fun to-do list OR perhaps it will simply leave you with the feeling that only being productive can bring. If you’re like me, you want to keep yourself busy!

COMFORT FOODS
  1. Chocolate Chip Cookies
  2. Scalloped Potatoes
  3. Egg Salad
  4. Banana Bread
  5. Fruit Cocktail Cake
  6. Peach Dump Cake
  7. Smoked Pork Ribs
  8. Apple Salad
  9. Rasta Pasta
  10. Vodka Sauce
  11. German Potato Salad
  12. Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
  13. Biscuits and Gravy
  14. Garlic Rosemary Chicken Thighs
  15. Sautéed Red Cabbage
  16. Italian Stuffed Peppers
  17. Green Tomato Relish
  18. Stuffed Summer Squash
  19. Sesame Kale
  20. Hamburger Soup

MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS

  1. The Kansas African American Museum
  2. Botanica Wichita
  3. Keepers on Parade
  4. Virtual Museums + Webcams
  5. Downtown Newton, Kansas
  6. Old Town Farmer and Art Market
  7. Wichita State University Sculpture Tour
  8. Douglas Avenue Street Art Tour

 

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

  1. Leaf Peeping
  2. Bird Watching
  3. Chiminea
  4. Dog Walks
  5. Sidewalk Chalk
  6. Raised Bed Gardening
  7. Stargazing
  8. Landscaping
  9. Biking
  10. Neighborhood Litter Pick Up

HOME ACTIVITIES

  1. DIY Dog Bandanas
  2. Clean Garage
  3. Clean Grill, Traeger Smoker
  4. Deep Clean House
  5. Clean Car
  6. Declutter Drawers and Closets
  7. Game Night
  8. Classic Movie Night
  9. Spa Treatments
  10. Living Room Dance Party
  11. Mail Cards to Loved Ones
  12. Puzzles
  13. Paint a Room
  14. Coloring Book
  15. Reading
  16. DIY Wooden Bead Garland
  17. Blogging
  18. Indoor Gardening
  19. Online Shopping
  20. Dehydrate Herbs

TV SHOWS (I’ve watched every episode of these series.)

  1. Masterclass
  2. Growing a Greener World
  3. Somebody Feed Phil
  4. Hart of Dixie
  5. Hollywood Reporter Actor’s Round Table
  6. Get Organized
  7. The Chef Show
  8. The Ranch
  9. Grace and Frankie

What has inspired you to stay active during the pandemic? Share an idea with me in the comments below! Together, we’re going to get through this time.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: activities, art, boredom, busy, cooking, happy, home, lfie, monotony, museums, pandemic, quarantine, recipes, sculpture, tasks, to-do

7 Simple Reminders To Help You Live a More Delightful Life

February 2, 2019 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

Not all of our days feel delightful because of life’s demands, and sometimes events take place that try our emotions. But on average, it’s fair to say that most days are what we make them. My mission is to encourage you to make them as delightful as possible!

Getting the most out of my time on earth and living in the moment has been a goal of mine for the last several years. I hope that through this blog, my zest for life is contagious. You deserve to live your best life through delightful experiences with people, traveling to new places, or simply adding actions to your day that thoughtfully and purposely add value.

How many of these experiences could positively affect you? Declare your life more delightful today. Think of the below checklist as a bucket list of sorts.

1. CAST AWAY YOUR CARES

Remember the last time someone asked you to join them on an adventure, and you declined the invitation even though you could have joined them? Why did you choose that path? Instead of limiting your experiences because of your inhabitations or worries, take advantage of the opportunity to let someone else plan your experience. When your friends or loved ones invite you to travel, attend a local event, or to a dinner party…SAY YES.

Casting away your cares means not overthinking the invitation but acknowledging that you’re trusting someone else to help make your life more delightful.

2. PUSH YOURSELF AND GO IT ALONE

Conversely, sometimes you must invite yourself to try a new experience when no one else suggests one. Sometimes, it seems like everyone is busy with life’s demands, and they’re unavailable to you. That’s okay! Plan your own fun.

When did you last give in to your desire to spoil yourself? It’s not selfish. It’s self-preservation. If you want to see a blockbuster movie but no one is available to go with you, go alone. Feel like trying the new ramen restaurant in your city, but others don’t share your adventurous palette? Who cares! Get in your car and head to the restaurant. Push on.

3. CHANGE YOUR LOCATION

Life’s routines of caring for a household and going to work can sometimes bring monotony, a feeling my spirit tries to fight at every chance. That may be why I’ve lived in more than one state and worked in many professions. Can you relate to wanting to change your location? What’s stopping you?

Your well-being is often dependent on thrusting your endorphins into overdrive. If you’ve got a severe case of wanderlust and need to travel to a new locale, seize the opportunity. Feeling less than yourself at work? If those feelings result from not fulfilling your career goals, then changing where you work is just as important as the work you do. Change your location, and you open up a world of possibilities.

4. HONOR YOUR CURIOSITY

There is real value in allowing yourself to find the answers to many of life’s questions. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to introduce yourself to someone who is different than yourself? Have you always wanted to learn a new hobby or develop your career skill set? Sign up to take a class!

Honoring your curiosity keeps your brain active and helps you from just experiencing life as it comes along. What could you discover about yourself today?

5. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH YOUR FAVES

You know I’m a big fan of self-care, which often includes surrounding yourself with things you love and people you love to be around. You fuel your spirit when you cater to your desire to enjoy things (or people) that make you happy. Think of three of our favorites right now. Make strides to include them in your day.

6. IMMERSE YOURSELF

You must be aware of your senses to take advantage of life. For example, I wandered alone in their outdoor gardens when I traveled to an award-winning art gallery last year. I smelled the fresh herbs, reached out for a fluttering butterfly, brushed up against towering botanicals, listened to the drip of a waterfall, and captured it all on my camera to enjoy again later.

Remember to be present in the moment and immerse yourself in the experience.

7. LIVE IN THE MOMENT

Sometimes it’s hard to turn off our busy thoughts. Like most people, I sometimes have to remind myself to live in the moment and not plan for the next one or think of something I want to say. It takes practice and awareness, but you can also train yourself to focus on time.

While this post is more of a reminder than a to-do list, I know it will help you make the most of your experience and live more delightfully. Let me know how you plan to seize the day by commenting below!

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: awareness, boredom, boring, bucket list, choices, curiosity, delightful, experiences, friendship, learning, life, lifestyle, live, living, motivation, mundane, perspective, self-care, thoughts

How to Enjoy Your Layover When You’re Stuck at the Airport

December 8, 2018 by Vanessa 4 Comments

It’s happened to all of us. We’ve had a  long layover at an airport, and there was nothing we could do about it but sit it out. Your layover doesn’t have to be boring!

I’ve spent hours stuck in Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and other airports long enough to know that if you follow the below recommendations, your time will fly by. In the meantime, enjoy yourself!

VISIT THE DUTY-FREE STORE

Let’s be clear. I’m not suggesting you spend a ton of money at the duty-free store. Instead, try on a new fragrance, volunteer for a make-up demonstration or men’s facial or try a sample of the gourmet chocolates they’re peddling. When you exit the store, you’ll feel refreshed (and smell divine!).

SHOP THE BOOKSTORE

Some bookstores are larger than others depending on the airport you’re visiting, but even the tiniest convenience store has entire shelves filled with reading material. I’ve spent up to 30 minutes or more just flipping through magazines and reading the latest headlines. Even better, purchase reading material to take back to your gate!

EAT LOCAL FOOD YOU’VE NEVER TRIED

You know the old saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Stuck in New Orleans? Try crawfish. Spending hours in Chicago? Dine on a hotdog with a cold local beer to wash it down. Waiting in Atlanta? Eat the fried chicken.

TAKE IN THE ARTWORK

Even the crummiest airports make an effort to put up wall displays of local artists’ work or historical timelines. I appreciate learning about Detroit’s water fountains or Wichita’s aviation history.

PEOPLE WATCHING

Instead of just sitting at your gate seat mindlessly watching people as they pass, consider imagining their lives. Who are these people? Where might they be going? Why might they be acting that way? Imagine their stories. Take it to another level and play this “game” with someone you’re stuck at an airport with and you’ll find they’ve concocted a different story for each person.

CHEER UP CHALLENGE

Tired of sitting? Take a stroll through the major traffic areas of the airport with one goal – to smile at strangers. I coined the name of this activity after a layover in Chicago at Christmas time. I began to notice that people were stuck in their thoughts and their faces showed their emotions. They were stressed, bored, or rushed. The goal of this activity is to smile at a stranger when you make eye contact with them. If they smile back, that’s one point for you (and a warm fuzzy for them!). If they don’t smile back, at least someone smiled at them. A total win-win.

airport interior

USE YOUR AIRLINE CLUB PASS

If you have an airline club pass burning a hole in your pocket, use it! Even if you only have an hour or two to spend in the VIP Lounge, it’s worth it. Enjoy the complimentary food, and drinks (grab a wine glass or beer!) and relax in plush chairs while you recharge your batteries….literally.

GET YOUR EXERCISE

After hours of sitting on a plane and at your gate, get your blood flowing by taking a long walk through the airport. Of course, you may have to wheel your carry-on bag behind you. Commit to walking the full length of the concourse and back without using the moving sidewalk because we all know that’s totally cheating.

MAKE A FRIEND

Not everyone is cranky at airports. Not all people are weirdos. I’ve met perfectly nice people from my hometown while sitting in airports in other states. Now, that’s a trip! Pun intended. See someone who needs to charge their phone and is looking for a station? Move over a seat and offer the charging portal next to you. Be nice. You’ll make an instant friend. It’s that simple.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: air travel, airplane, airport, artwork, aviation, bored, boredom, delayed flight, dining, free time, happiness, holiday travel, layover, luggage, mundane, travel, travel tips, traveling

50 Ways to Break Up the Monotony of Your Life: A List of New Experiences to Try

August 13, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

Recently I lost a close family member to cancer and during that time of grieving, I was reminded how fleeting life can be and that I wanted to seize every moment moving forward. I vowed to try something new, to push myself to show up to life every day.

My life had become a routine of commuting to work, sitting in a cubicle, and then coming home and repeating the same evening activities almost daily. Do your work days all seem to be a blur, and before you know it, you’re waking up on Saturday uninspired? I can relate.

So, I promised myself that I would incorporate new experiences into my day to break up the monotony and force my brain to fire off new circuits to positively impact my life and health. Some days I wake up and already know what new experience I will have on that particular day, and other days I refer to a bucket list of sorts saved in my phone notes.

Either way, I’m having a blast learning about myself, firing up my brain, and sharing these experiences with others. I’m feeling rejuvenated and showing up for life, a more delightful one.

Image: Pixabay

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” – Henry David Thoreau

We only get one life, and I plan to live mine to the fullest. This list consists of activities I recently experienced or that I hope to try soon. Not all of these experiences require spending too much money or require a lot of time. Perhaps you would like to stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone and try one or all of them too?

  1. Go to brunch with your parent at a restaurant you’ve never tried.
  2. Drive a different route to work.
  3. Call up a family member you haven’t spoken to in years (or that you only text occasionally) and ask about their day.
  4. Reach out to a co-worker or friend who works nearby and ask them to meet you for lunch.
  5. Volunteer on a committee, for your church or kid’s school or a neighborhood association.
  6. Say yes when a friend invites you to travel to the lake, go camping, or site-seeing outside of town. Better yet, ask them to go with you.
  7. Eat local. Sip coffee at a local cafe or try the seasonal beer at a brewery.
  8. Style your hair differently than you did yesterday.
  9. Change up your fragrance. Wear new perfume or cologne.
  10. Pull your bicycle out of the garage and take it for a spin around the neighborhood after dinner one evening.
  11. Visit the library, walk over to a book category that interests you, and close your eyes. Run your hand across the shelf of books until you decide to stop. Remove whatever book your hand landed on and check it out to read it.
  12. Introduce yourself to a stranger and make small talk.
  13. Tour a neighborhood in your city that you never explore.
  14. Smile and say hello to a stranger on the street. You might find you have something in common with them.
  15. Don’t just sunbathe while at the lake or pool. Run and jump in the deep end with careless abandon. “Cannonball!”
  16. Desk yoga.
  17. Paint and sip wine at an art studio.
  18. Visit a festival and eat at a food truck. Ever tried bbq nachos? Curry chicken?
  19. Eat your lunch away from your workplace at a park.
  20. Try an adult coloring book.
  21. Learn new skills by taking a webinar.
  22. Grab some friends and sign everyone up to try an escape room challenge.
  23. Experience a local seasonal activity like riding in a horse-drawn sled at Christmas, making s’mores with the Girl Scouts on National S’mores Day or grab a map and navigate a corn maze at a pumpkin patch.
  24. Wear colored socks to work.
  25. Pick up a new hobby that doesn’t involve using technology.
  26. Create a date jar with ideas for date night fun. Draw a new idea from the jar this weekend.
  27. Buy yourself flowers.
  28. Travel anywhere you’ve never been before.
  29. Throw a party that coincides with a random food holiday.
  30. Follow a recipe for food you normally buy. No churn vanilla ice cream anyone?
  31. Visit a tourist attraction or museum in your own city.
  32. Pick fruit in an orchard.
  33. Point the car west and just drive.
  34. Stop and talk to your neighbors when you see them outside.
  35. Always go to the movie theater? Try a dramatic play production instead at a local theater.
  36. Lasertag. Paintball. Water balloon fights.
  37. Grow vegetables or purchase them from a local farmer instead of buying them from a store.
  38. Walk into a toy store and buy a toy to assemble yourself like a puzzle or box of Legos.
  39. Try a different way of exercising or use a different exercise machine at the gym.
  40. Watch wildlife anywhere but in your own neighborhood.
  41. Take a new car for a test drive.
  42. Walk your friend’s or neighbor’s dog.
  43. Host a potluck or food contest amongst friends at your home. Who can make the tastiest beef jerky, mac-n-cheese, or pizza?
  44. Let a local artist or friend sketch your portrait.
  45. Get a henna tattoo.
  46. Celebrate your city or town’s birthday. Take in the sites and buy cupcakes to celebrate.
  47. Try a Pinterest DIY project.
  48. Listen to a different radio station all day long.
  49. Take a tour of the city from the air.
  50. Do anything counter to your normal routine, and when a friend or family member suggests doing something you’re about to reject, say “yes!”

Have an idea of something I should try? Challenge me by leaving your idea in the comments section below!

lifestyle choices

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: active, activities, adult, bored, boredom, boring, bucket list, carpe diem, celebrate, create, DIY, do it yourself, family, fun, games, hacks, health, hobby, ideas, life, lifestyle, list, living, monotony, mood, road, routine, skills, things to do

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Hello! I'm Vanessa. Welcome to One Delightful Life, a blog created to add more delight to your life with delicious recipes, travel destinations, and lifestyle improvement ideas. Thanks for exploring my blog!

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