April 2020

Before this pandemic, it is likely you had never heard of social distancing. However, social distancing has become mandatory in many countries around the world, as a result of the Coronavirus. The CDC website defines social distancing as “keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home.”

Covid-19 social distancing requirements have caused most “non-essential” businesses to shut their doors. Also, in most places restrictions require citizens to stay home except for essential tasks. 

The Coronavirus is taking a toll on both the physical and mental health of the world. Being locked indoors has society slowly losing their minds. With no real end to these quarantines in sight, it is imperative that we do something more than sit on the couch and watch Netflix. Harvard Health published a letter describing a few of the many benefits of getting some fresh air. Here are some ideas that will help you to follow Harvard’s recommendation to get outside, and to help you stay sane while living through this pandemic.

Go for a run or walk

It is possible to practice social distancing while still getting out of the house. One of the best ways to soak up some Vitamin D is to go for a short run or walk in your neighborhood. Of course, you need to remember to keep your distance if you see someone while you’re out. This will give you a chance to leave your stuffy house, without putting others at risk. 

Order delivery

If you can’t get out, may as well embrace staying in. Plan a picnic with those you live with in your own yard. It is as easy as ordering some delivery from a service such as Apple Spice, and finding an old quilt to spread on the lawn.

Not one that enjoys the outdoors? Plan a romantic date night. Order some delivery, light a candle, and enjoy a romantic evening with your roommate.

Wash your car

Pull your car into the driveway and give it a wash! Ordinarily, it is hard to find time to take care of our cars. But since you are stuck at home there is no better opportunity than now to give your car a thorough detailing. 

Although it is important to keep social distancing until the restrictions are revoked, that doesn’t mean you have to sit inside watching movies all day. Use some of these ideas to get started, but don’t stop there. Get creative and find other ways to keep mixing it up through this Pandemic!

Working Americans can often find it difficult to stay within their food budget because they end up eating out so frequently. Americans are eating out more and more frequently every year. This is especially true of America’s busy working class. Here are some simple ideas that will help you save money when it comes to eating lunch.

Bring leftovers to work!

No matter how hard we try to cook the perfect portion sizes, we almost always end up cooking too much. Most of the time we end up throwing the extra food into a Tupperware and forgetting about it until it has gone bad in the fridge. However, bringing this food to work as a premade lunch allows you to save money, eating something you would probably end up throwing out. 

Preplan your meals at the beginning of the week.

You know what they say, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” A simple meal plan at the beginning of the week could save you thousands of dollars you would have spent going out. If you use a meal planner you will be more reasonable with your food choices and easily stay within your budget. 

If you are going to eat out, take advantage of delivery options. 

Time is money! Lunch can often become a time and money waster. It is very easy to let time get away from you, especially when you decide to go out for lunch. If you use a delivery service such as Apple Spice, you can have your food delivered right to your workspace, so you don’t have to spend any unnecessary time deciding where to eat, waiting for your food to be made and traveling back to the office.

COVID-19 has caused so much uncertainty for many of us, that we have begun to question everything. The virus has caused many businesses across the nation to close. The majority of restaurants are attempting to still offer take out and delivery options so they can stay afloat through the chaos.  Many of us are asking ourselves, “is it safe to order food in a time like this?”

The CDC and FDA are both claiming that there is still no significant danger posed by food delivery and take out options. According to these agencies, it should be safe for us to continue to support local restaurants, by ordering food from them in this difficult time. Although the CDC says we should still be safe ordering take out and using delivery services, there are some steps you can take to ensure you are completely protecting yourself from this pandemic when eating take out and delivery. 

Research the restaurants you order from.

If you feel uncomfortable ordering food in these uncertain times, one of the best ways to ease your worries is to do some research. The CDC website recommends checking inspection scores on your health department’s website, ordering food that is properly cooked, and when in doubt calling restaurants to see what they are doing to prevent the spread of disease.

It is always important for us to stay vigilant when eating out. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highly recommends being extra careful when ordering food that will be consumed by adults age 65 and older, children younger than age 5, people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness (weakened immune system), and pregnant women.

When possible use delivery rather than take out. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and government officials are highly recommending staying home when at all possible during this pandemic. It is important we minimize any contact we have with the outside world right now to slow the spread of the virus. Most restaurants are moving to make delivery options available. Whenever these services are available it is always in your best interest to take advantage. If a restaurant does not have delivery as a possibility you might want to consider ordering from somewhere that does. Apple Spice is open for takeout or delivery. Location-specific restrictions may apply. Call an Apple Spice near you for more details. 

Take advantage of contactless delivery.

Practicing social distancing is crucial as we attempt to beat this virus. The less interaction we have with outside sources the better. Most restaurants and delivery services have made contactless delivery their new norm with the Coronavirus pandemic. But, if you want to be extra careful you can request it from the restaurant or delivery service you are using to ensure you don’t have any unnecessary contact with anyone you don’t live with.

To stay safe, you should try to reduce the number of people who come in contact with your food before you eat it. Apple Spice skips the middle-man by providing company-specific delivery services. Check out the Apple Spice website to get individually packaged food directly from our kitchen to your door. 

Remove food from its packaging promptly.

If COVID-19 is going to be passed through food delivery and take out, it is most likely going to be through contact with the packaging for the food. Although the packaging provided by take out companies provides us with convenient fast clean-up after our meal, it is in your best interest to take food out of the packaging provided by the restaurant promptly for added protection. Upon receiving your food you should transfer it over to a plate or bowl you have at home and immediately throw out the restaurant packaging. 

Wash your hands! 

It goes without saying that washing your hands is a necessity right now. According to the CDC website washing your hands and not touching your face is the best way to avoid catching the virus. They recommend “washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.”

If you are going to pick up food or eat delivery, it is essential that you wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently. As always, before eating or handling your food you should wash your hands, to protect yourself from being exposed to whatever bacteria and or viruses are on your hands at the time.