On The + Side: Live Music, Face Masks and Healthy Recipes

As the weather heats up, one thing is for certain: we are in the thick of summer! Normally this time of year means getting together with friends and family, planning vacations and heading off to summer camp. Of course, 2020 looks a little different than what we’re used to, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t make the most of this time. This week, we share more tips and stories to help you stay positive while social distancing.

Positive Focus

You can never have too much good news! Check out the latest stories that have inspired us this week.

• The Creative City Project and Timucua Arts Foundation have teamed up to provide a socially distanced live music event on Saturday, July 18. Re:Charge will feature eight musicians playing ambient music, and each audience member will get 64 square feet of space. You can learn more here.
• Rock ‘Em, a local apparel company, is selling UCF Knights face masks so that you can proudly rock your black and gold. For every mask sold, they will donate $5 to the UCF Student Emergency Fund. Charge on!
• From August through October, Wal-Mart will be transforming 160 of its parking lots throughout the country into drive-in movie theaters. Movie titles and locations haven’t been announced yet, but if you’re looking for a safe way to get out of the house, be sure to keep an eye out!
• Attention Valencia College students and alumni! In case you missed it, you can now show off your school pride with our co-branded Valencia College debit cards.

Wellness Boosts

We love to share our favorite workout videos here, but we recognize that wellness is multi-faceted. For this week’s wellness boosts, we’ll share some of the other ways you can mentally and physically improve your health in this unprecedented time.

• Have you heard about the benefits of sound healing? Check out this article on the restorative effects of sound baths, and if you’re intrigued, there are countless free sound bath options online worth checking out.
• Attention, pet owners! Check out this helpful article and infographic to help you navigate caring for your pets during COVID-19.
• Whether you’re looking to lose the quarantine 15 or simply come up with some quick and healthy meals, we’ve got you covered with these delicious 30 minute recipes.

For the most up-to-date guidelines on taking care of yourself during this global pandemic, visit the CDC’s website.

Additional Resources

Rain or shine, we’ve pulled together some fun virtual resources to get you through this week. Let us know what you end up trying at home!

• The National Marine Sanctuaries are offering free virtual dives, where you can enjoy a 360-degree immersive view of the Florida Keys, Monterey Bay, American Samoa and more. Check out this video of their sea lion encounter!
• As the weather in Central Florida heats up, you can enjoy the beauty of the New York Botanical Garden with their NYBG at Home activities. Take a virtual stroll through the gardens, explore their online classes, check out their Plant Talk blog or take advantage of their educational resources for kids. What a fun floral getaway!
• Looking to get ahead this summer? Hippocampus is free online educational platform, with more than 7,000 videos on topics in science, humanities, social studies and math. Content is available for students in middle school, high school and college.
• Here are the movies coming to Netflix in July. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be busy watching Sleepless in Seattle.
• On our latest episode of the Making It Count podcast, we talk with experts about what it takes to be a first-time home buyer, from finding your dream home to closing on your mortgage. Click here for links to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

We’ll be back next week with more positive stories and resources to make this time a little easier for everyone. To get notifications when we post a new issue, subscribe to On The + Side.

For the latest COVID-19 updates from Addition Financial, please visit our response page.