Supporting You and Changing Things Up

Posted on | by laura

COVID-19 has snuck up on us and in only a few weeks it has caused an upheaval of our normal lives, changed the way we work, and how we interact with each other. As we experience life very differently at the minute, entertaining the kids through long days or giving more headspace to self-care and health, we are here with you. 

 

Those daily walks, jogs or simply taking the long route to the shop have become an opportunity for a moment outside our four walls to catch some of those rays. Understanding that this seemingly small stuff is now the big stuff, we aim to bring you upbeat, helpful content that enables you to stay healthy, upskill, connect, relax and ultimately seek out those opportunities for joy wherever possible.

 

For the next few weeks, we will be bringing some content, containing all you may need in one resource. Rather than focus on the negative, we at JJ Kavanagh & Sons choose to focus on the positive. There are still bright spots amid the gloom… we promise!

 

1. Health and Fitness 

 

If you were secretly delighted at the prospect of gyms closing during the era of social distancing, then we have some bad news; working out from home is the new going out. We have found some fun (& free) ways to help you keep a healthy body and mind, as we all explore this new terrain together.

Fitness 

Free 30/40 minute fitness classes daily at 10 am and 7 pm with personal trainer and nutritionist Mark Lacey. His daily classes can be found on his Facebook page. 

 

Click here to start a class: https://www.facebook.com/trxinsanityltd  

 

Mindfulness

Enjoy these Free Online Meditations to help you develop the skill of Mindfulness. Mindfulness helps you learn to be more centred, to quieten your mind, and stay focussed in the present moment.

 

Start your free classes here: https://www.thelotusloft.ie/free-meditation-recordings/   

 

Yoga

Adriene Mishler is an international yoga teacher and entrepreneur from Austin, Texas. On a mission to get the tools of yoga into schools and homes, Adriene hosts the popular YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene, an online community of over 6 million viewers. Yoga with Adriene provides high-quality practices on yoga and mindfulness at no cost to inspire people of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

 

View classes here: https://yogawithadriene.com/ 

 

Healthy Eating 

Now more than ever we need to give our immune systems an extra helping hand. At BBC Good Food you can find 41 immunity-boosting recipes that are packed with vitamins and minerals to help you stay healthy. 

 

View recipes here: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes  

 

2. Entertainment 

 

Staying in can be just as fun and productive as going out, so we have scoured the internet for the best tips to keep boredom at bay during lockdown. From learning new skills to embracing your inner culture vulture, we’ve got you covered…

Bingo Loco has taken the world by storm. They have flipped Bingo on its head with rave rounds, conga lines, dance-offs, lip sync battles, glow sticks, and prizes ranging from vacations to cars to lawnmowers. Their next online quiz is on Friday 24th April.
 
Sign up to the Bingo Quiz here:  HTTPS://WWW.BINGO-LOCO.COM/QUIZ  
 
12 famous museums are offering virtual tours you can take from the comfort of your couch. Get some culture and explore everything from The British Museum – London to The National Museum of Anthropology – Mexico City. Our top tip is to take a wander around New York’s stunning Guggenheim Museum and discover artwork from Manet, Picasso, Van Gogh and more here: https://hellogiggles.com/news/museums-with-virtual-tours/ 
 
London’s leading contemporary art space, The Saatchi Gallery have started a creative thread on their Instagram page. Follow each week’s theme and create your own art pieces in line with the theme. 
 
To get involved click here: https://www.instagram.com/saatchi_gallery/
Together At Home is Global Citizen’s virtual concert series in partnership with WHO to help us all practice social distancing and promote global health. From homegrown local heroes such as Hozier and Niall Horan to international superstars such as John Legend and Chris Martin, more and more stars are streaming gigs for us lucky isolated fans. All you need to do is stay home, tune into Global Citizens IG page daily, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! 
 
Click here to view the concerts: https://www.instagram.com/glblctzn/  

 

3. Stay Connected 

 

The Art of Quarantine Socialising: As humans, we crave social interaction, and self-isolation isn’t exactly the best way to cater to that—or is it? Don’t let your relationships fizzle; from group chats on Zoom to virtual dance classes, check out our favourite apps getting us through quarantine.

 

Zoom

What is it best for? Over the last few weeks, Zoom has become a popular video communications app for users to stay connected. Talking to coworkers, celebrating birthdays, teacher tutorials, fitness or yoga instructors running classes… the options are endless for keeping the world connected.

 

Sign up here for free: https://zoom.us/  

 

HouseParty App 

Whether its for drinks, quiz nights with your best friends, or family gatherings, this new viral video chat app is offering light relief to millions right now. Eight is the magic number, which is about how many people you’d want to invite to an intimate dinner party. In that spirit, why not all cook the same thing remotely, sit down together, and discuss anything BUT COVID-19?Let’s get the party started!

 

Download the app here:  https://houseparty.com/ 

 

4. Fun for Kids

 

We have compiled some fun resources to help keep your kids entertained & to make life a little easier in these unique times.

Amazon has cancelled the subscription on books and audio stories for children and students of all ages. Kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. 
 
Click here to view all stories:  https://stories.audible.com/start-listen  
 
Mommypoppins is a great resource for easy and fun science experiments, many of which can be created using items you can find around the house.
 
 
 
Local print company, SNAP are providing FREE activity sheets to download and print or have sent by post.
 
Click here to download free activity sheets: https://www.snap.ie/activity-sheets/  
 
Thankfully, just because we can’t physically go to the zoo, it doesn’t mean that we can’t still get our fair share of cute, adorable animals. From the comfort of your own home, you can now sit and watch some of your favourite zoo animals in real-time, with live streams in different zoos and aquariums around the world.   
 

 

 

5. Stay Positive 

 

Focus on the Positive: When the news is all doom and gloom, it’s hard for even the most optimistic among us to stay upbeat. Here at JJ Kavanagh & Sons, we take a look at some of the most uplifting Instagram accounts worth following to give you some much needed ‘feel-good factor’ news right now.