An Easter like no other

It’s the norm isn’t it in the UK that as soon as the bank holiday starts to arrive, we are gifted with the weather forecast of grey clouds and showers. Our dream of paddling our toes in the sea or having a picnic on the decking of our holiday home are banished in one foul swoop and we revert to plan B.

So when the nation goes into total lock down, self-isolation and social distancing our Plan B goes way out of the window. Because now all those simplicities of our day to day lives have been taken away and we have each soon realised how much we have truly taken for granted and what should be of utmost importance.

We can no longer travel to our favourite holiday destination, no longer sit with a group of friends at the local pub or go paddling our toes in the sea. No longer see our extended family members who live a drive away and only speak with our neighbours at a safe 2 metre distance apart. We are in a world that no one ever really anticipated nor were prepared for. 

All sounds so doom and gloom doesn’t it? And of course in many ways it is.

Yet we must pull the positives from this challenging time we should actually use it to reflect, reassess and reset. 

So as we are randomly faced with a bank holiday which plans to be beautifully sunny confined to our homes, it allows us to be creative. Although this Easter will go down in history as the ‘Easter we stayed at home’ let’s not be too saddened by it all, and seek to make it different with smiles throughout. Here are some ideas we’ve had to start you off on the right track…

Keep connected

If you’re unable to be with extended family members during this time, there are many apps enabling you to keep connected. Facebook messenger and WhatsApp are the more traditional and allow you to speak/see many people at one time, though also check out Zoom and House Party, both also very popular.

SET UP YOUR ‘HOLIDAY AT HOME’

Even though you’re not able to travel down to the holiday home, why not get creative and bring the holiday to your home instead.

Plan your days as if you were indeed on holiday. Take your daily exercise on a walk locally that you’ve never explored before. Plan a BBQ, prepare and set up a picnic in the garden. Name each of the rooms in your house a different venue. The kitchen could be the local pub, the dining room the craft hall which turns into the restaurant of an evening!  If you have little ones with you, they’ll love it all and really relish in the imagination.

Play a concert of your favourite band/singer on the TV, and it will be like having your very own private showing! Or maybe connect with the numerous virtual pub quizzes on Facebook – a great deal of celebrities are setting some up.  You can book them into your weekend diary!

It will be like you’re on holiday after all!

Watch the sunset and chill

We never really watch the sunset when we’re at home do we? Yet tend to share so many pictures of it when we are on holiday, as if it’s a different sun. 

So how about taking your chair to the garden, pour yourself a glass or cuppa, sit back with your favourite chilled tune in the background and really appreciate the beauty that nature has given us.

Maybe tune into Netflix later and start one of the numerous great films or series, or simply listen to an audio book downloaded on Amazon. 

This time is for relaxing and really appreciating your time alone and with one another. Use it wisely.

Pull out the old games

Dust off the games that have sat at the back of the cupboard or in the loft for so long. There is no need for computer games, this is for family and loved ones engaging, chatting and enjoying quality time together.

Even if you don’t have the games, there are plenty you can make yourself. Pictionary is a great one and all you need is a little imagination, a pen and some paper! Certainly produces some laughs (especially if you’re not a natural artist!) Go online and search ‘Games to play at home’ there’s plenty to find.

This Easter holiday may be very different to any of the past or indeed any we may have in the future. Though that ‘different’ can be a fun and fulfilled one. We will look back appreciating the lessons we have learned, our hearts full, smiles on our faces and many happy memories made of our historical ‘Holiday at Home 2020’.

Keep in touch with us on our social media pages where we will be sharing top tips, ideas and links to help you through.