Date posted 19 Aug 2020
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Let’s make the most of our ‘New Normal’.  Things are gradually changing, but there are plenty of things that we can do whilst we wait for more to open up to us.  Keep your mind and body active.  Here are some ideas to start you off.

Pack Up a Picnic

Why not pack up your lunch and take it to the park, or the garden – picnic style. Maybe take a book or magazine and enjoy.

Perhaps you could meet a friend and have a socially distanced picnic in the park, or even take flasks of tea.  Choose a nice day, find a shady tree to sit under and savour the outdoors.  It’s the simple things that give us pleasure – we just sometimes forge

Knitting for Battersea Dogs Home

Before lockdown some of our 60+ members started knitting and crocheting blankets for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.  Quite a few members have carried on doing this.  So, why not dust off those knitting needles and start knitting yourself.  It’s very therapeutic and nice to have something to aim for.  The blankets can be any size, or knit / crochet  squares and sew them together.  If the weather is fine, why not find a shady spot and take your knitting outdoors.

Crosswords and Puzzles

Not shouting at the neighbour, but Crossword puzzles.  These are brilliant for keeping our minds active.  They are easy to find – most newspapers or free papers have them.  Why not put it on the dining room table and go back to it periodically.

You can do the same with a jigsaw puzzle – go back to it when you feel a little bored.  Be warned though that they are addictive.

Poetry for the Soul

Writing poetry is a fun pastime.  Everyone can do it.  You don’t even need to share it, just take pleasure in creating it.  It doesn’t have to rhyme.  It can be short, heartfelt, funny or long!  There are no rules – just the limits of your imagination.

Don’t know how to start?  Why not turn on the radio or television, write down the first sentence that you hear, and start with that!  Or look around you and what do you see?

EXERCISE is important. 

It doesn’t have to be a structured class, although there are some brilliant classes for you to do on our Better APP, but generally to ensure that you have a targeted amount of quality movement each day.

Write down everything that you do on a daily basis – you will be surprised how keeping a log helps keep you moving!

  1. Sit down and stand up from a dining table chair 20 times, unaided by your hands if possible.  This can be split into more than one session if you prefer.
  2. Go for a brisk walk (outside if possible) each day.  Doesn’t have to be long, but schedule this as an activity time.
  3. Wall press ups – 10+.  Stand facing a wall with your hands on the wall at shoulder height but wider than your shoulders.  Step back so that your feet are underneath your body when your arms are extended.  Bend and straighten arms, keeping body straight.  Small bends to start with and build them up in time.
  4. Mobility is important.  Think about hugging a big barrel and then releasing and opening up the arms and chest. 
  5. Stretch to keep flexible.  Stretching can be done after your walk when your muscles are warm.  Just gentle stretches of your calves, hamstrings and anything else that may feel a little tight.  Don’t overdo it, it should feel good not uncomfortable.

If you were planning a road trip, where would you visit?

Would you prefer a campervan or luxurious motor home?

Would you like to visit coastal areas with sites with lovely facilities, or wilder parts of the countryside, having outdoor fires and bathing in streams?

Let your imagination run wild.  What utilities would you like in your mobile home? 

What couldn’t you live without?

So kit out your mobile home, plan your route, plan your stop offs – let’s do it!

SIMPLE STORE CUPBOARD RECIPE – DELICIOUS GOOEY FLAPJACKS

Simple ingredients, simple to cook, ready in a flash!

Ingredients: 

5 oz Flora or butter

5 oz brown sugar

8 oz porridge oats

4 tablespoons golden syrup

Method:

Mix butter and sugar together, and then add syrup and oats. You can add dried fruits too if you prefer.

Cook for 20 mins on 100 degrees, then turn up to 150 degrees for an extra 5 minutes

We look forward to welcoming you back soon.