Here we are again, checking daily COVID numbers like we once checked the weather, sighing through another COVID winters day. The eternal Winter they all said was coming..

If Lockdown 1.0 was all clapping for carers, bread making and “everyone in it together”, this time is brain-fog and misére, with none of the novelty. We know the drill and we no likey.

That being said, just because you’re stuck between four walls doesn’t mean you can’t have a lovely time. From virtual events to craft kits, here are my top suggestions for staying entertained and creative while you wait out the dreaded C..

Rules to Live By:

1. All of the self care is a given. Floating in bubbles with a good (nay great!) magazine, burning Hibi Incense and enough candles to illuminate a small village are all a good way to go.

2. I advocate as much or as little Zoom as you can bear (see the Elle Mag “Rules For Surviving Lockdown 2.0” - particularly the section that pertains to socialising). In my case, it’s pas beaucoup de Zoom at all. All of that uninterrupted eye contact and lack of comfortable silence leaves me weary, friends.

3. Move yo’ body for endorphinz galore (do as I say, not as I do..). Vogue Uk put together a helpful list of the best at-home workouts and Class Pass have a good range of online sessions. For various reasons I’ve fallen out of love with my yoga practise this year (but better find my way back onto the mat soon before I turn into a crisp). My Yogi Bare Paws Mat was the best investment I made in Lockdown 1.0 (and my spikey bed-o-nails is sweet relief for my hunchy, crunchy shoulders).
   

vive la culture

Fever’s Candlelight Live concert series is back this year. Beamed directly to your home from some of Glasgow’s most incredible buildings, the flickering candlelight makes for a really magical atmosphere. Concerts include Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Best Movie Soundtracks featuring John Williams, Tributes to Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin and more.. Surround yourself with candles at home for an immersive, transporting experience.

Earlier in the year The Royal Albert Hall streamed the Royal Albert Home series - bringing you some of the world’s most iconic musicians from their own living rooms.

Barcelona Design Week has kicked off, with a divine programme of workshops and talks streaming from across the city. The V&A and Somerset House each have a packed online events list this month. Tate Museum Lates are also going ahead (For Free), and the museums have launched a great online programme of talks / workshops to tide us over till we can get back to IRL exhibitions again.

At Home with Penguin is a series from earlier this year with some of their best loved authors. My biggest regret from the OG Lockdown was not getting fangs deep into more beautiful fiction. In fairness I felt too bewildered to digest anything longer than a cereal packet, but with things a little calmer (or are they?), I’m catching up with my reading pile.📚If you’re stuck for inspiration, Edinburgh-based Rare Birds Book Club is a wonderful wee subscription book club, with a lot of heart.

It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere

Hayley of The Lucky Pineapple has put soo much love, time and thought into creating these unique cocktail kits which are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. She has thought of absolutely everything. Available for 2 or 4 people, they feature 3 different cocktails per person (that’s a lot of cocktails!). Keep an eye out for her soon-to-launch Christmas themed kits.

I love Pip Jolley’s Bar-barella cocktail tutorials from her dreamy mid-century home. If you want to send a pre-mixed cocktail to a friend, Mothership (the folks behind iconic Edinburgh cocktail bar Bramble and Lucky Liquor) have a great selection, and keep an eye on Sweetdram - a brilliant forward thinking distillery in Edinburgh with so many exciting things in the works. NIO Cocktails also have lightweight, really affordable options. Get 10% off your first purchase here (which also gets me one free cocktail - Merci mes amis). *HIC*

Some of the best virtual wine tasting events are happening with Emerging Vines and Pull The Cork.

Indulge your Inner Artist

All The Young Nudes were the absolute stars of Lockdown Uno in my book, pivoting their cool laid back life drawing sessions for a global weekly audience online. Lovely Topaz of Reconfigure Life Drawing is also hosting online sessions. If Nudies aren’t your thing, Wild Life Drawing offers sessions with real animals for a creative + nature fix rolled into one. My friend Victoria has also launched Phallic Fruits - for some tongue in cheek art sessions that also raise money for the Trussel Trust. 🍌🍆👀

The Master Peace paint-along kits are lovely - everything you need to create your own masterpiece. I’ve loved following Glasgow-based artist Rowan Rosie through lockdown, sharing so much beautiful painting content including lots of Q&As. If in doubt, the man, the myth, the fluffy permed king.. Bob Ross is back on Prime! Nothing beats sinking into a silent stupor in front of the tv while Bob fashions a Siberian Tundra before your eyes.

THE Best Craft Kits In The Land

Rosie of The Make Studio has been running the Lockdown Crafty Club on Insta with a different weekly project to upcycle your clothes with various cool techniques.

Knack is an eco-friendly craft kit with a live stream workshop that changes each month. Past themes have included creating your own terrarium, modern macrame, polymer clay earrings and more.

More of my favourite creative kits out there include:

• Wool & The Gang Sunny Stitches Kit (to embroider t-shirts and hoodies)

• Calm & Cosy Candle Making Kit by Hazel & Blue

• The Workbench Jewellery Making Kit

• Fat Pom Poms DIY Pom Pom Garland Kits

• Alice Gabb Calligraphy Starter Kit

• London Wildflower Clay Kits

• Clay Club by Jack Laverick Ceramics

• Cotton Clara Simple Embroidery Kits

• Kintsugi Kit by Indytute

Check out my IG Guide for more ideas too. 

If you’re celebrating a birthday or anniversary during your quarantine period, here are some ideas I put together a few months ago (months which feel like years).

For more ways to navigate these strange times, read my Life-in-Lockdown series, including my Social-Distancing Gift Guide and my list of Stylish Fabric Face Masks for AW 2020.

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