Hey TEDxErs!We’re back again with monthly favorites!

It truly feels like the month of April zoomed (pun intended) by faster than we thought it would. But just in case you still feel like the days of quarantine need to go by faster, here are a couple of recommendations we found that we loved this month to help alleviate boredom.

Quote of the Month

When joy is a habit, love is a reflex.

-Bob Goff

Book of the Month: Atomic Habits

Our TEDx book club read this book last week! This book was all about building good habits to get the most out of life, while also implementing successful tools to break the currently existing bad habits. TEDx really enjoyed discussing this book, as it provided many tangible tips that we immediately started acting upon to improve our lives. This read from James Clear is a must! Clear was able to freshly discuss a topic we often hear about by incorporating his own spin and take on it, while simultaneously educating the readers. His unique perspective is definitely one to impress. 

Talk of the Month

Suzanne Talhouk is a poet and language advocate. She launched Feil Amer, an organization that aims to preserve the Arabic language, and to reinstate the pride in young Arabs towards their language. Watch her TED Talk: Don’t kill your language:

Animal crossing

This popular Nintendo Switch game has been receiving raving reviews ever since it launched this spring! This life simulation game allows you to cultivate and build your very own island, complete with its own villagers and flora and fauna. Whether you decide to spend the time on your island fishing alone, or playing alongside friends and visiting each other’s villages, this game is bound to keep you entertained. While this game is a bit pricey, the relaxing gameplay is worth it. You can go through the plot at your own pace, and the responsibilities and consequences of everyday life seem to melt away with the cute animations and tranquil background music. Be sure to take a break every once in a while from those Zoom classes and connect with friends through this game for a guaranteed fun time.

Milk cookies

If you have ever heard of Milk Bar or Christina Tossi, you probably know about her amazing pastry skills and the delicious food she prepares. If you have not, you are in for a treat. She is the queen of sweets and rocks them all from A to B. We know NYC is pretty far from Austin, so it’s not easy to get her products in person. However, here is some good news: she just released three of her cookies at Whole Foods for you to take home! They come in three unique flavors: Compost cookies, Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow and Confetti Cookies. Trust us, they are good! Check her out online or on the Pastry Season of Chef’s Table on Netflix to learn more about where we are coming from. 

At Home exercise

With gyms, pools and studios closed, we were left with no other option but to bring exercising home. Whether that may be walking around the neighborhood with a face mask or some jumping jacks in the living room, we have all truly had to improvise. However, we’ve got some good news! There are so many free resources online, you are bound to get hooked on one to break that healthy sweat. UT RecSports has its group fitness instructors and private trainers recording sessions for free! They are fun, energetic, and easy to follow! We’ve loved them, sure you will too! Check them out at here:

We hope you check some of these out and let us know what you thought! Even during social distancing times, there are still ways to be able to branch out and try new ideas, new foods, and new hobbies. We hope that, despite our physical quarantine restrictions, we were able to provide some ways to be able to explore even more into the unknown.

Until next time we connect,

-TEDxUTAustin