Last March 16, 2020, President Duterte placed the entire Luzon island under Enhanced Community Quarantine. This means, among others –

• Strict home quarantine with limited movement to purchase food and other basic commodities
• Closure of private establishments except those that provide basic necessities and services
• Suspension of public transport
• Restriction on land, air, and sea travel
• Imposition of curfew

In simplest terms, unless needed, stay at home.

We always say, “How I wish I can just stay at home” or “Gusto ko sa bahay lang.” Now that it’s finally happening, admit it, you don’t know what to do or where to start.

No worries. Here is a list of activities you can do to maximize home quarantine with the family:

1. Declutter those cabinets full of clothes and make Marie Kondo proud. Take this time to give away clothes that no longer fit but are still in good condition to those in need as well.

2. Clean your kitchen cabinet. This means get rid of goods and other ingredients that already expired. You might want to use those products before they expire, too.

3. Defrost then organize your refrigerator. Just like the kitchen cabinet, there might be expired products in there that you don’t need. Plus, you need space, too.

4. Purge the storage room. The home quarantine is a good time to check on things that are no longer of use. Remember, if it doesn’t spark joy, then you don’t need it.

5. Sort out your kids’ school stuff. Set aside books that can be donated, recycle supplies that can be used for next school year, and throw those that can no longer be used.

6. Make “Mom, I’m bored!” jar. The jar contains different activities your kids can do every time they are bored – or whine about how boring it is at home.

7. Work out. Yes, there’s no excuse not to burn those excess fats.

8. Play board games with the family. You’ll get to know your kids even better.

9. Start that journal or scrapbook you’ve been delaying for years.

10. Print those gazillion pics and make a photo album. You’ll never know when your hard drive will crash.

11. Decongest those drawers at home. For sure, there are tons of kalat in there.

12. Play online games like Roblox with your kids. You need to know what they’re up to, yes?

13. Cook something new every day. Or come up with a new recipe.

14. Try your hand in baking. Admit it. You need to satisfy your sweet tooth (or in most cases, teeth LOL).

15. Organize the files in your computer. There are documents you don’t need anyway.

16. Read those books you bought from Big Bad Wolf – two years ago.

17. Read with your kids. This is a good opportunity to instill the love for reading on them and encourage literacy.

18. Paint with your kids.

19. Re-decorate your room.

20. Re-decorate your kids’ room.

21. Re-arrange the living room.

22. While you’re at it, sanitize your home. Pay extra attention to places or surfaces often touched like door knobs, light switches, and railings of your staircase.

23. Start a Gratitude Diary. Write the things you are thankful for in that day or at least your favorite part.

24. Encourage your kids to start their own Gratitude Diary as well.

25. Sort your kids’ toys. Perhaps, some deserve a new home.

26. Turn your room into a movie theater and have movie nights with your family.

27. Catch up with K-drama. Hyun Bin is waiting.

28. Don’t forget those documentaries in Netflix, too. They’re actually interesting.

29. Arts and crafts won’t let you down. Thankfully, there are tons of ideas you can find online.

30. Join online courses that you find interesting. The best part is that there are a lot of online classes for free these days.

31. Review and evaluate your financials. You need to know how much money you have (left) in your bank account as well the status of your investments.

32. Make a list of your payables / due dates. Despite the 30-day window, those bills need to be paid. If you can, pay now.

33. Vacuum is life. Dyson, by far, is my most favorite.

34. If the space permits, teach your kids your favorite games back in the day. They still need to know piko, patintero, Langit-Lupa, and agawan base among others.

35. Change the sheets and pillow cases.

36. Change your curtains (if you still use one).

37. Organize your email.

38. Try a new hobby like calligraphy or painting.

39. Enroll your kids in an online course. They need to be busy as well since it’s summer.

40. Learn a new musical instrument.

41. Keep up with your laundry.

42. Check your friends and people you follow on social media, and choose who to unfollow. In times like this, you don’t need toxic people in your life.

43. Declutter your work station.

44. Start a new habit. Remember, it only takes 21 days to develop new habits.

45. Re-watch your favorite series, especially during down time.

46. Go through those piles of paper at home. File what needs to be filed and throw those you no longer need.

47. Force your kids to take afternoon naps. Get yours, too.

48. Have a date with your husband, inside your home, of course. Don’t let the virus stop you from filling the air with love.

49. Learn those popular dance crazes.

50. Write letters to any or every member of the family.

51. Teach and designate chores at home. Everybody’s at home, which means each member must be involved.

52. Say yes to Yoga. It helps you relax and gives your mood a boost.

53. Give gardening a try.

54. Complete a puzzle.

55. Teach yourself a foreign language. It’s a new skill with tons of tutorials available online.

56. Practice meditation. At times like this, you need it.

57. Keep yourself updated with the news. Just make sure you got your information from reliable sources.

58. Make your own alcoholic drinks. This may coincide with date night at home, yes?

59. Build a fort at home.

60. Have picnic with your kids.

61. Make a list of activities you want to do when coronavirus is finally over like where to eat and museums to visit.

62. Get some sleep. Your body needs it.

63. Write a story. Involve your kids so they, too, will have an input.

64. Organize your kids’ art works. Arrange it according to time line.

65. Fix your bookshelf.

66. Write letters to every member of the family including yourself.

67. Re-connect with friends. You need that support system to keep your sanity intact.

68. Bring out those coloring books and start to color. Believe it or not, it is relaxing.

69. Support local businesses. Now is the perfect time to give them a boost.

70. Do something creative using recycled materials. My kids tried making pencil holders using old bottles and decorated it with play-doh.

71. Since you have Play Doh, make your own sculptures.

72. Boost your kids’ Filipino. Check out #TagalogTimeWithTMC on Instagram for some ideas.

73. Clean the car/s.

74. Play cards like pusoy dos. Kids need to learn old school habits, yes?

75. Set your menu for the entire week. This will help maximize the food left on the fridge.

76. Get all of your bags and clean them. You’ll never know what you’ll find, say money?

77. Make a list of adjustments you and your family will do once quarantine is over. We all need to go back to “living” instead of “surviving.”

78. Start a blog or vlog.

79. Plan a vacation. You need something to look forward to when everything is over.

80. Have a movie marathon with your special someone.

81. Make your own natural face mask.

82. Play in the garage. You need fresh air and vitamin D, too.

83. Stalk your favorite singers and watch their live videos. Music is soothing, yes?

84. Host a game show. Let’s see if the kids will be able to remember their lessons from last school year.

85. Teach the kids a new skill.

86. Clean and disinfect the bathrooms.

87. Establish life and family goals. Break it down to five, 10, and 15 years to keep you focused.

88. Boost your financial knowledge. This way, you will have a better understanding on how the stock market works, the difference between UITF and mutual fund, and why bonds can be a good investment, too.

89. Purge your social media accounts. No one needs to see those drunk photos or hate status from five years ago, right?

90. Set up your “Donate” box. There are people who will see treasure on things you no longer need.

91. Check out virtual tours of museums around the world. Fine, you canceled the trip for this summer, but this doesn’t mean you can’t feast your eyes on what other countries can offer. You can check out museums that offer virtual tours here.

92. Update your professional portfolio in LinkedIn.

93. Supplement your child’s learning with educational videos and printables online. Learning never stops.

94. Make a dessert. Don’t forget to involve kids.

95. Watch virtual tours from various zoos and aquariums around the world with your kids. You can check this site for list of virtual tours and shows.

96. Try your hand on Dalgona Coffee. If you’re not a coffee drinker, then you can use other ingredients like matcha powder.

97. Write down your well-loved recipes. You need something you can pass on to your kids someday.

98. Clean shoes. You need to bring the shine back.

99. Do a Science experiment. Maximize what you have at home so you don’t need to go out.

100. Take care of yourself and your family. Now is not the time to get sick and you need to be healthier more than ever.

Soon, this will be over. In the meantime, stay indoors, be safe, and brace for impact. We will get through this.