Happy Monday and Happy belated Easter for those that celebrate! This is your weekly dose of good things. Most of us pick up our phone first thing in the morning and are inundated with updates, usually of the generally negative sort. And we need to know what’s going on! But it doesn’t hurt to get a dose of positivity to start off your day before you’re hit with the latest news on Covid-19.
For a little boost, keep scrolling!
Good Things
Even before a pandemic rocked society to the core, we had trouble sleeping. We carry a lot of stress, and sleep is our body’s way of processing. But if we’re not getting to sleep, our minds can’t heal. So if you need a little escapism to take your mind off of things before you turn in, head over here and imagine that you’re on a hike through Redwood National Park. It might be tempting to watch a movie or tv show, but it will also be disruptive to your rest. Of course, ideally we would go to sleep with no screens. But if we need a little distraction (which I usually do) and we can’t actually travel to national parks right now, this feels like the next best thing. This was a handy find from my Dad, who likes to pass helpful links along to our family group text throughout the day.
*Make sure to adjust the settings to HD to get the best effect
In case you missed it, John Krasinski (who also had the idea to output good news during this chaotic time!) set up a Zoom chat with a Hamilton super-fan. Then not only did Lin-Manuel Miranda show up to surprise the little girl, but the original Broadway cast popped on to sing the first song of the musical. The little girl was delighted and I was sobbing.
In the category of “what to mindlessly scroll through online that won’t cripple me with anxiety,” did you know that you can see what was going on in space on one of your birthdays? The Hubble Telescope is constantly taking photos, 24/7. So now all you have to do is head on over to NASA and find out what photo was taken on your birthday. This is how I saw a beautiful picture of a star forming under pressure from neighboring stars and turning into a sort of caterpillar shape (called IRAS 20324+4057 in case anyone out there sees the same image.)
*Image credit: NASA
And in adorable news, a baby zonkey was born in Kenya. Enough said.
*Image Credit: CNN
Funny Things
Sometimes the best thing to do is lose yourself in a funny tv show. We’ve all seen The Office, Friends, and Parks and Rec non-stop, so maybe it’s time for a little refresh in our comedy routine. If that’s what you’re looking for, have you checked out Sex Education or Derry Girls on Netflix?
*Image Credit: IMDb
I usually dislike shows about teens now that I’m pretty far removed from that decade of my life, but these shows are truly great. Sex Education tackles really interesting and important topics with humor and charisma, and you’ll get really attached to the characters and their individual storylines. Derry Girls had me laughing out loud in a room by myself which feels like the ultimate rarity in comedy. It also taught me a lot about The Troubles, in a way that makes me want to dig deeper to find out more. (But still somehow in a non-serious show.)
*Image Credit: IMDb
Kids Things
Because your kids want to see what you’re looking at anyway, so you might as well have something to show them.
We’ve started to find some sense of normalcy in this weird time, but kids are always looking for different ways to be entertained. That’s never more true than now, when they can mostly only see their immediate family. Our local science museum, Discovery Place, is here to give us Stay-At-Home Science ideas that will both entertain and educate. AKA they will check all the boxes I’m looking for in materials for my children these days.
*Image Credit: Discovery Place, always there to prop up my obsession with bees
Good Idea Girls
If you’re looking for a way to take your mind off of current events and feel like you’re having a chat with your friends, check out our podcast! It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time is available wherever you get your podcasts, and we talk about all things related to women. In the latest episode, we (virtually) sit down with Mariah Oller from Harvest and Moon and get into the science behind magic.
This week on the site we’ll be talking about how we’re surviving (and trying to thrive) during social distancing, so look out for that! And if you’re reading a lot these days, check out our April reads and weigh in with your recommendations.
Thanks for starting your week with Good Things! If you’ve enjoyed reading this, I’d love if you forwarded it on to a friend. If you’re not signed up yet, you can do so below. And if you have feedback or a tip about a good thing, I’d love to hear! Shoot me an email at hannah@goodideagirls.com, or find me on Instagram @hannahpremaratne.