The Best Quarantine Buys

The pandemic has touched all of us in many ways. Besides the very real, very serious health consequences, it's had an impact on how we live, work, learn, eat, recreate, entertain, and travel. 

Those of us who have the privilege of working from home are reassessing our living spaces. We're also reassessing our priorities, reimagining, coping, improvising, and finding joy any way we can.

This doesn't necessarily mean you have to build a new deck or put in a pool. Sometimes, all it takes is a few new things in the mix. It's about looking around and taking notice of what's not working optimally, and thinking about what would bring joy or just make you a little more comfortable.

Today, I'm going to talk about some of the best quarantine purchases I've made and how they've enhanced my life. I'll also share some ideas from friends and some I've found online.

Home Office Equipment

At first, I just worked from my sofa. But now that I'm officially working from home for the foreseeable future, that means I needed to set up a real home office.  I repurposed my breakfast nook, since it already had natural light. 

I was originally going to use the chair that was already there, but then I got one that a neighbor was giving away to upgrade their own home office. I added a big memory foam pillow [Amazon] so that my arms were at the ergonomically recommended 90-degree angle. It comes in different levels of firmness and widths ranging from 16 to 20 inches. The 16x16 size fits standard kitchen or dining room chairs, and it comes in a 3-inch or 5-inch height -- the latter of which is great with a lower chair if that's all you have.  

If you have a laptop, then the best setup to save your neck and back is to put it on a stand so the monitor is at eye level. I bought this laptop stand [Amazon], and my employer sent me the peripherals. The stand is 5.9 inches tall. Because of my set up, I needed to add a medium sized dictionary under it (a ream of paper would work also) to get it the right height. YMMV depending on your desk or table's height.

Note: You'll need an external keyboard and mouse if you use a stand.

I also bought an iLap laptop desk [Amazon] – which I should’ve bought long ago -- for my personal laptop. This is a great for keeping your lap cool while in use. I don't know the long-term effects of having laptops directly on or lap, but I do know that it's keeping me comfortable and providing ergonomic benefits. It adds a little elevation so I'm not tilting my head so far down to see the screen, and also positions the screen farther away, and the keyboard at a better angle and distance for typing. The iLap is also a heat sink that dissipates heat, so it's good for the laptop, too.

The product measurements are based on MacBooks, so if you have a different brand, measure your computer and your lap, before ordering. Case in point: The 17-inch actually fits my 15-inch Acer Aspire the best. (The screen is 15-inches diagonally, but the housing is bigger than that.) However, the extra quarantine pounds in my belly pushed the the 17-inch version past my lap, so I exchanged it for the 15-inch version, which leaves about 1/2 inch overhang on both sides, but fully supports in front-to-back and fits comfortably in my lap.

Kitchen Buys

Like all of you, I'm cooking at home a lot more. So it's more important than ever that everything be as easy and convenient as possible. If you can afford it, I would urge you to splurge for whatever will make cooking easier for you, whether that's an air fryer, an Instant Pot, a slow cooker (I have this one and I love it), a specific knife for the task, or a vacuum sealer so you can cook in batches and prep freezer meals.

My friend who's a mother of 3 got a waffle maker [Amazon] so the kids could make breakfast on their own. (They're on their own for lunch, too, actually. To preserve her sanity and protect her time, her house rule is that she only makes dinner.) She's thinking of getting a pasta maker that the kids can use as well.

I do most of my cooking from online recipes on my tablet, so this tablet stand [Amazon] is handy for following along with recipes that I've bookmarked. It's another little convenience that I regret not buying sooner.

I'm also loving these eco friendly reusable storage bags [Amazon] for storing frozen vegetables and snacks. An easy trick for drying them after washing is to put them over a glass.

The supermarket shortages in the spring sent me down a bit of a prepper rabbit hole. I didn't buy any MREs, but I did see the light about keeping a larger supply of nonperishables on hand, which means I needed room for more food. I started using the space above my cabinets to store food (and kitchen gadgets), and I ordered this step ladder [Amazon] to help me reach them. 

The preppers also got me thinking about ingredients to keep on hand, like beans, dried celery, granulated garlic, and lots of spices. Luckily, I already had the storage bins for all the extra snacks and the spices.

The preppers also got me to finally pull the trigger on getting a new manual can opener [Amazon]. I had trouble using my old metal one, which is completely pointless in the event of an emergency.

This one by Zyliss is genius. It's comfortable, works with different can sizes, is easy to clean, and doesn't require a lot of elbow grease to operate. I would imagine people with arthritis or other issues could manage it.

Fitness Gear

I've packed on unwelcome pounds during the pandemic, and I know I'm not alone. Here are some of my fitness purchases.

Workout Gear

I made the decision to work out at home using a combination of YouTube videos and streaming classes that can be done any time. Since they're so convenient. Thanks to not having to commute, I’m fitting in more workouts now, which means I needed more workout tops, shorts, and socks. Having enough gear is something to think about.

I never wore my outside shoes inside, even pre-COVID, so not having indoor sneakers dissuaded me from working out. I splurged on a pair of sneakers that were just for indoors.

I the rest of the equipment I needed already, but you might want to additionally invest in hand weights, a yoga mat, or a kettle bell, depending on what type of workouts you like to do.

Bike Gear

The lockdown had many of us reaching for new hobbies (sourdough, anyone?) and rediscovering old ones. For me, I blew the dust off a bike that hadn't been ridden in years. It needed a tune-up at the local shop and a few new accessories: new gloves [Amazon] a new MIPS helmet [Amazon] -- based on safety technology that didn't exist back when I bought my bike, a padded seat [Amazon] to make rides more comfortable on my booty, and a bungee cord [Amazon] for transporting leftovers if I stop for lunch on the trail. Next spring, I'll pick up a Bluetooth radio.

A friend suggested getting one of those about bike trainer stands that would convert my bike into an indoor stationary one, so I can mimic the Peloton crowd once it gets too cold to ride outdoors. The videos make it look pretty complicated, so I'm still on the fence. I do, however, recommend one of these space-saving bike stands [Amazon], especially for apartment/condo dwellers. It stores my bike upright in an empty corner. 

Creature Comforts

What brings you joy and comfort is personal, of course.

Coffee and tea drinkers will appreciated an insulated tumbler to keep their drinks warm, whether it's  an Ember, Yeti, or my favorite, a Contigo.

Urban dwellers have been flocking to indoor gardening. (If you want the America's Test Kitchen winner, it's this one [Amazon].

Perhaps you'd like a weighted blanket to keep you calm, or a microwave popcorn maker so you can enjoy your favorite snack. Maybe scented candles and a new comforter will help convert your bedroom into a sanctuary

Maybe you have outdoor space you'd like to optimize, like a balcony or a backyard. A friend of mine is getting a projector to set up in her garage so the kids can be "outdoors." 

This is the time to assess your lifestyle and surroundings, take note of what you really need to be happy/sane, and give yourself the grace and permission to get it. And as this list shows, sometimes those things don't have to be big or expensive.