I’ve really tried, along with the help of Jade and Lauren, to help provide value to you during these unprecedented times we find ourselves in. Lock Down is in full effect for everyone in South Africa and for others around the world. COVID19/Corona continues to spread and impact our daily lives. Since the outbreak and the lock down we’ve tried to create content that can aid small businesses and also you, with various posts chatting around how you can help and also how to stay busy. There’s a useful list of these posts here. One of my favourite posts, and definitely a firm favourite with readers on the site, was Jade’s fantastic listical of various free resources you could take advantage of, online, during lockdown:
Here’s a list of free online resources you can get while in lock down
I wanted to build on this a bit today. Before I go into detail though I want to make it very clear – there is absolutely no reason that you have to add anything to your schedule: you do not need to study something new, bake bread or bang out home workouts. Just because you’re at home does not mean you absolutely have to fill your days up with even more things. However, if you are looking for a few extra resources or courses to take advantage of, these are 3 that I have used, am using and have, at times, paid for. I’d like to share them with you now because they’ve all added considerably value to my life and I believe you might find them beneficial too:
Online photography workshops with Tegan Smith
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Tegan Smith over the years. I actually think she was the first ever photographer I worked with for a “professional” shoot. Many of her photos are still featured all over this blog. Tegan is an extremely talented photographer and obviously with lock down a lot of her work had to stop. She decided to host online workshops. The first was an hour long Flat lay Workshop. In it Tegan walked through some of the basics of doing a good flat lay and product shoot. It cost R250 and consisted of a small online class where we could comment and ask questions via Facebook. We were also encouraged to take photos during the workshop and received immediate feedback. When the course was done Tegan sent through a helpful PDF document with various notes for the workshop. I also then paid R350 for one of Tegan’s one on one consultations. These are really helpful if you’re looking for photography advice specifically suited to your needs. For me she walked through using my smartphone for taking photos when I’m out and about. She also gave me some feedback on posing and how best to optimise the look of photos I’m in. I could feedback and ask questions. At the end of the session she again supplied me with a useful PDF of the information she shared.
If you’d like to join one of Tegan’s courses, visit her website and get in touch with her (she advertises most of them on social media as well so be sure to follow her channels).
The Counter cookbook
I’ve been such an avid supporter of The Counter and their sweet treats for as long as I can remember. I’ve watched them grow for a little stall at Market on Main to stocking a range of confectionary at some of the biggest retailers in the country as well as catering super fancy events. Obviously during lockdown their kitchens needed to close – which is problematic. When lockdown was extended, The Counter faced some financial challenges. To try make income during the shut down the team decided to release an online cookbook. I’m not sure how they did it but they put it together in under a week. Photos and everything! I purchased the Sort of Cook Book to support them. I’m not a fan of being in the kitchen and didn’t see it going much further than that. How wrong I was. The cook book is filled with all sorts of delicious recipes and everything is so damn easy to make. I’m planning on grabbing some ingredients during my next shopping run and will definitely be trying some of the recipes. The Sort of Cook Book costs R200 but you can also pay R500, with an additional donation to The Counter.
If you want to buy your own Sort of Cook Book you can do so on The Counter’s online store here.
Zumba classes (these ones are free!)
My friend Zai is a Zumba Instructor. She has been teaching physical classes but obviously with lock down those classes came to an end. Zai then decided to host weekly classes on Zoom. She runs them on a Tuesday evening at 5pm and a Saturday morning at 11. I originally jumped on one to support, not thinking it would stick but now, I’m kind of obsessed. It’s 2 hours a week where I shut my curtains and office door and just shake my booty…. and it is THE ABSOLUTE BEST. I choose not to put my camera on for the Zoom class, which you can do. However, if you want to share your dance moves with everyone else you can as well. These Zumba classes have honestly kept me sane during lock down. They make me laugh, they help me exercise a bit and I’m really enjoying just dancing around the room. Zai doesn’t charge for these classes, which is mind blowing to me, because she should. Anyone can join and I promise you, you’ll have the most fun.
Zai shares class details and Zoom links the day before on her Instagram page. I’ve saved the times and have alarms to go off 15 minutes before!
