The Ultimate Staying Inside Masterlist
-Originally published on March 21, 2020-
Hello lovely people! I hope you’re all doing well, staying inside, being nice to each other and giving what you can to people in need. Since we’re all going to be confined to our houses for an indefinite amount of time, I thought I’d make my ultimate favourites masterlist and recommend some things to keep you occupied. I’ve compiled my favourite books, music, movies, tv shows, podcasts, youtubers and all things cozy. If you have any to share, don’t hesitate to leave it down below! I’m going to keep the descriptions of each thing short so that this doesn’t take hours but I’ll give just enough information for you to decide what you want to take from the list.
Letssssss gooo!!
Kicking it off with books, here are some great reads you can order from Amazon, dig out of your bookshelf, listen on Audible or grab on your e-reader of choice!
Fiction:
Harry Potter Series– always worth another read
Scythe series (Neal Shusterman)– YA Dystopian novel worth a read by everyone
The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) – 1920s Classic and my favourite book of all time
Catcher (Kalyn Nicholson)– A nice daydream romance
This is Where I Leave You (Jonathan Tropper)– a great fiction read about family and growing up (plus the movie is really good!)
Non-Fiction:
Modern Romance (Aziz Ansari)– read my full review here!
Gmorning, Gnight (Lin Manuel Miranda & Johnny Sun)– a book full of cute tweets like these to make your day.
A Higher Loyalty (James Comey)– The former FBI director’s account of the Trump administration.
Talking to Strangers (Malcom Gladwell)– I’m reading this right now, but Gladwell breaks down many instances in history where people were lied to by strangers and fell for it and why we do that
TV Shows:
Netflix:
The Good Place– Elenor dies and wakes up in the Good Place! 3 seasons on Netflix.
Kim’s Convenience– The story of a Korean-Canadian family that runs a convenience store (it’s Canadian!). 3 Seasons on Netflix.
Schitt’s Creek– A wealthy family loses everything and must return to the one property they still own- the town of Schitt’s Creek (btw, the pilot sucks but keep going!). 5 seasons on Netflix.
The Office– a mock documentary about Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. 9 seasons.
Friends– A group of 6 friends navigate life and love in NYC. 10 seasons.
RuPaul’s Drag Race– A drag reality show. 10 seasons on Netflix (2-11).
The Circle– A reality show that keeps participants in individual rooms where they can only communicate by The Circle. Is everyone a catfish? 1 season on Netflix.
Suits– a Harvard Law drop out ends up working at the top Law firm in NYC. 9 seasons on Netflix.
Arrested Development– I honestly don’t know how to describe this show but, it’s good. 5 seasons.
Disney +: I just got this so I will update as I find better things to watch
JONAS– The Jonas Brothers TV show of my childhood. 2 seasons.
Phineas and Ferb– THERE’S 104 DAYS OF SUMMER VACATION… these weirdly animated characters build crazy things in their backyard. 4 seasons.
Crave/Apple+/etc.:
Letterkenny– The ultimate Canadian small-town comedy. 8 seasons. Crave
The Morning Show– The staff of the Morning Show must figure out how to keep going when an anchor is accused of sexual assault. 1 season. Apple+
Veep– A comedy about the VP of the USA, her team and her private life (seriously so funny and it’s won so many Emmys!). 7 seasons. HBO
Movies:
Movies are a great way to pass the time. Here are some of my favourites and if I can find a streaming service that carries it, I’ll add that too!
The Princess Bride– A young girl is to be married to a prince but her former lover must return to save her from the prince’s clutches (not yet streaming but I’ve heard that it will be coming).
Every Marvel Movie– Seriously, MARVEL. Superhero stuff. Disney+
Some Pixar films like Toy Story, Moana, Monster’s University and Finding Dory– who doesn’t love a feel-good Disney movie? Disney+
21 and 22 Jump Street- Two cops go undercover at a high school (21 jump street) and a college (22 jump street) and get into lots of trouble. Netflix.
Stuber– an uber driver gets sucked into a major crime adventure (not streaming currently but available for purchase on YT and Google Play)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle– 4 high schoolers get sucked into a video game and must play it to escape. Netflix
Little Women– the story of sisters living in the 1800s (purchase on YT or Google Play).
To All the Boys I Loved Before– a girl writes letters to the boys she’s loved and never intends for them to get out… but they do. Netflix original.
Knives Out– a man is murdered when his family is home for the holidays. One detective must figure out which one killed him (purchase on YT or Google Play).
The Hunger Games Trilogy– a dystopian world where children must fight to the death to appease the government. Netflix.
Youtube:
Games/Sports/Entertainment
Barstool Sports via TSN- The barstool team makes hockey-themed videos including quizzes, video game playthroughs and settling debates
FBE & React– This channel makes videos of people reacting to, trying things, and talking about popular things with people of their own generation and other generations.
Steve Dangle– Steve normally just yells about the Leafs, but with hockey being suspended, he has been streaming his NHL video game play-throughs.
David Dobrik– Short vlogs about what David and his friends get up to in LA.
Makeup:
Julia Adams MUA– This Edmonton makeup artist tries new products and “shops” her already extensive makeup collection. Julia is super relaxing and makes super wearable looks.
Rachhloves– Rachel makes makeup videos and lifestyle videos and talks about her life as a mom. She’s also Canadian!
Andrea Matilliano– Andrea makes tons of super helpful videos and is always releasing new content. I personally love her purchase and pass videos about what makeup she is going to buy.
Lifestyle/Fashion/Productivity:
Bestdressed– Ashley’s content is always super well produced and made. Her videos range from fashion, design, vlogs and productivity.
KOZE– I rave about Kalyn Nicholson constantly. Here is her other channel where she posts lifestyle and productivity videos and coffee talks!
Mia Maples– Mia is a Canadian Youtuber who makes lots of cool videos including testing clothing and products, makeovers and transformation videos!
Caitlin’s Corner– Caitlin is another Canadian Youtuber who mainly posts productivity videos including vlogs and bullet journal setups!
Vloggers/DIYers:
Danielle Carolan– Danielle is a junior at UGA who posts about college, fashion, spin and staying healthy!
Brooke Miccio– Brooke is a recent UGA grad who now works completely for herself and lives in Boston. She makes great long vlogs about living in the city, working for herself and fashion.
Morgan Yates– Morgan is an LA vlogger who makes amazing travel vlogs and LA Vlogs. Check out her main channel for travel videos.
Jill Cimorelli– Jill is an LA vlogger who works for herself and also does freelance social media work (like me, which is part of why I love her). She’s super sweet and always replies to my DMs <3. Check out her main channel for non-vlog content.
LaurDIY: Lauren is the OG DIY Youtuber. She always has a SunDIY video up with great instructions and fun things to do (especially while we’re all stuck inside). I’ve also been loving her vlogs lately!
Podcasts:
Self-Care Sunday with Kayley Reed– This Calgary-based podcast talks about all things self-care. I loved her most recent episode about how to combat anxiety with creativity.
Office Ladies– If you love the Office, you need to listen to this podcast! Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey break down each and every episode of The Office and include tons of fun facts you’ve never heard!
The Betchelor Podcast– If you’re a fan of bachelor nation, you need to listen to this podcast. Kay Brown and Derek Peth (yes, former Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise contestant) walk through every episode of whatever bachelor show is on. When I gave up on this bachelor season, I listened every week and found out everything I needed to know.
The Goop Podcast– While I think most of the things that come from Goop are a little… strange, the podcast is fantastic. They tackle tons of topics with experts from the world and it can be super eye-opening.
Thick and Thin with Katy Bellote– Katy’s podcast tackles tons of issues that we are all facing including online dating, post-grad life, and happiness. She lives in New York so you also get some awesome NYC traffic sounds.
There has been some great new music released this year so far, plus, it’s never a bad time to re-visit some old tunes! I’ve linked some great Spotify playlists that I’ve been listening to as well as some albums I’ve been re-listening to.
Playlists:
My playlist for when I need a boost of confidence
Albums:
After Hours- The Weeknd (released March 20)
Tell Me you Love Me- Demi Lovato
Norman Fucking Rockwell- Lana Del Ray
Okay, this section is basically an “everything else” category but that’s just how I roll. Here is everything else I’ve been loving, including the lounge clothes I’ve been wearing, how I’ve been passing the time and more!
Lounge Clothes:
Sweats- I’ve been wearing sweatpants and leggings basically exclusively since being at home. My favourite place to buy my sweats is American Eagle/Aerie. I get most of my leggings from Garage, which currently has free shipping and free returns!
Hoodies/Pjs- I’ve been living in the Alo sweaters that I talk about constantly but those are super expensive so I thought I’d reference some other ones I like this one from Daisy Street, these ones from Fanjoy and these ones from Redbubble (which also supports artists!). In terms of Pjs, I get most of mine from Simons.
Snacks/Drinks:
La Croix– Yes, I am an LA influencer now. But for real, La Croix is a great way to get your pop fix without any sugar and without any fake sugar! I love the peach flavour.
London Fog– I just uploaded my recipe for my ultimate London Fog on my Instagram!
Candy– I am a candy addict and I’m taking this time to eat all the candy I want. Sue me.
Other hobbies:
Learning something new– I definitely want to keep learning new things over this time so I’ll be taking a few online courses. Right now, lots of places have free or cheaper courses, including Brit + Co!
Colouring– I 100% buy into the adult colouring craze. Many artists are selling their prints as colouring options to make a few bucks during these times. You can also download some sheets for free!
Playing music– I love playing music when I’m stressed. If you have a piano, you can buy sheet music or play through some old music you forgot you had! If you don’t own an instrument, get your singing on! Break out a karaoke app or just sing in your room.
Tik Tok– Say what you will… tik tok is a great way to pass time and learn some new things! I’m definitely learning some new dances and I’ll be making a few tik toks over the coming weeks. Follow me at Slamdunkaroos!
Talking to friends– Talking to my friends has been so key during this time. Use Zoom or Goole Hangouts and have a group chat with your friends! You can also play games online, work on group work or host a webinar. It’s important to stay connected, even when we’re isolating.
How are you staying sane during these times? Let us know!
