What To Do For July 4th Weekend (COVID-19 Edition)

Life is different now, and that's just a fact. We have learned to accept some elements of our day-to-day 'new normal', but when special events like birthdays or holidays come up, we're faced with the simply question of well, what do we do now?

July 4th weekend is a biggie for many people. It's the ultimate summer celebration with friends, food, beaches, and barbecues. This year, however, that may not be the case. And for those of us living the city life without a backyard, a grill or a getaway vehicle, it can be a bit lonely or sad to think about what could have been. So, I've put together a list of some fun things you can do this holiday weekend if you are staying home - whether by choice or necessity. Take a look and let me know what you think in the comments!

1) Make your favorite holiday foods from home!
Whether you have an indoor grill (I love my Ninja Foodi) or an oven, you can enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie kabobs, even without a BBQ. My best tips for making a faux-becue? 1) Broil it!! Then lean your meat on the grill pan at an angle until char marks are visible. Rotate and do it again. It will look like it is fresh off the Weber. 2) Always toast the bun!

2) Enjoy a special treat (and activity)
Prepare something you don't eat all the time, and make an activity out of it! Bake and decorate cookies with colorful sprinkles or make a Martha-would-be-proud colorful fruit salad to last the weekend. Making it is almost as fun as eating it!

3) Start that new hobby
You may have had great aspirations of becoming a trilingual guitar-playing painter at the beginning of quarantine, but have you really followed through? This is the perfect time to pick up that new hobby! And with Amazon Prime and many stores opening up for curbside pick up (or in-store shopping), getting the supplies you need will no longer get in your way of creative greatness! Looking for a class to follow along with? Try CourseHorse, SkillShare and Yaymaker.

My latest creation from an online painting class!

4) Rock the red, white and blue
Who says you can't be festive from home? Put on your patriotism and wear your best red, white and blue (even if it's PJs!). Another thought? Nail art could be fun! Alternate red, white and blue nails or try something more creative like a flat or fireworks.

Image: 4urbreak.com

5) Get some air
Whether you live in the city, the burbs or the country, a nice walk is always a good idea. It is also a great way to have a socially-distanced catch up with friends or family who you aren't celebrating with this year. If you have access to trails for hiking, biking or jogging, that is a great way to take it up a level for both fitness and fun (and I'm totally jealous!).

6) Sweat it out
Work up a holiday-sized appetite with your favorite workouts. One of the better things about quarantine is the sudden access to tons of fitness content from home! Is your favorite studio virtually closed for the holiday? No problem! There are plenty of pre-recorded / on demand workout videos available from ClassPass, YouTube, Aaptiv, and more. 

7) Movie night
I know, you have probably finished Netflix at this point, but what if you actually plan a special movie night instead of aimlessly scrolling? Try a patriotic film to get in the July 4th spirit, or perhaps a travel-themed flick to get you excited about getting on the road again. 

8) Plan a trip!
Borders around the world are slowly but surely opening to visitors, and soon (hopefully), traveling will be a lot easier. Now is a great time to build the bucket list and plan a dream trip, a doable weekend getaway or even your next fitness retreat!

9) DIY your home!
I've painted, decorated and updated a lot of things in my tiny apartment since quarantine began, but there are a few projects I still need to tackle. Whether it's organizing your closet, rearranging your spices in cute little jars or painting a wall, now is as good a time as ever to get it done! For inspiration, scroll through TikTok - seriously there are some amazing DIYers on there!

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If you are going to the beach, having a barbecue or doing other 'normal' holiday traditions, enjoy and be safe! If you're staying in, I hope some of these ideas inspire you to make the most of your weekend. Comment below with any tips you have or activities you plan on doing!