{"id":5163,"date":"2020-05-22T05:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T09:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/?p=5163"},"modified":"2020-06-04T08:15:47","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T12:15:47","slug":"making-the-most-of-the-extra-daylight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/22\/making-the-most-of-the-extra-daylight\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the Most of the Extra Daylight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You might have mixed feelings every time you move the clocks either ahead in the spring or back in the fall. From gaining an hour of sleep or having more darkness in the morning hours, the adjustments when the time changes affect all of us in different ways. The one thing most agree on, however, is that we all enjoy the longer days and warmer weather that accompany the change in the spring. Sticking to normal sleep and wake schedules help you adjust to the changes more positively. Even though it\u2019s only an hour, it can make a big difference in your evening schedule and what you can accomplish.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some great ideas to use the time in positive ways that help you feel more productive, more relaxed, and like you&#8217;ve used it wisely.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5166\" src=\"http:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/excercse.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/excercse.jpg 600w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/excercse-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>Get More Exercise<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Take the extra hour to work on your health and wellness. Go to the park and walk, run, bicycle, rollerblade, or whatever you enjoy. Find and attend an outdoor yoga class or participate in some tai chi. Like water? Then head to the nearest lake with a kayak.\u00a0If you like sports, ask a friend to play you in a game of basketball, or sign up for an outdoor volleyball or softball league.\u00a0Who\u00a0knows, you might even make some new friends during the process. At the least you will be a bit more fit than you were during the winter.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Work on Your Yard<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>You might decide the evening daylight is best used to increase your home&#8217;s curb appeal. Save some money and mow your own yard, weed your flower beds, build a new walkway with pavers\u00a0or paint your shutters. Regularly water and feed your plants\u00a0to make sure they look their best, especially during the steamy months of summer. Don&#8217;t forget to wear sunscreen, because your skin can be damaged even during the evening hours.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related Read:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/02\/home-improvement-exterior-tips\/\">Home Improvement Exterior Tips<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Volunteer for A Worthy Cause<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Summer is a great time to contribute to the health\u00a0of your community by giving back.\u00a0Call the local animal shelter and ask to walk some of their dogs. It would be fun for you, get you outside, and the pooches would appreciate it greatly.\u00a0Or, ask that single-mother neighbor if you could watch her\u00a0kids for an evening to give her some free time. There are also sports going on that could always use an extra pair of hands. Help out at a swim meet or\u00a0work at the concession stand of a softball game.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5165\" src=\"http:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/dining.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/dining.jpg 600w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/dining-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>Dine Outdoors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Al fresco dining lightens the mood and decreases the stress levels. Grill some burgers or some garden-fresh veggies and set your patio table for the entire family. Don&#8217;t have a patio or deck? Pack it up and take it to\u00a0your closest park, or simply throw a blanket down in your own backyard and have an at-home picnic.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Entertain Friends and Family<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Host a backyard barbecue or dinner party.\u00a0Invite your fun friends, neighbors, or family members over and put on some music, lay out some food, and spend some quality time\u00a0with each other. The extra hour of daylight gives you plenty of time to do this even on a weeknight. Try out a new recipe or mix up a pitcher of your favorite cool beverage and enjoy talking and laughing with the people you care about.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related Read:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/23\/neighborhood-etiquette-how-to-be-the-best-neighbor-you-can-be\/\">Neighborhood Etiquette: How to Be the Best Neighbor You Can Be<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Play Games<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Get the family together and compete with each other. Play tag, hide-and-go-seek, or set up a scavenger hunt. If it&#8217;s really hot, blow up an inflatable pool and take a refreshing dip. For a more relaxed evening that&#8217;s even fun for adults,\u00a0have an outdoor poker night or other card game, set up a Jenga game, or do outdoor charades.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Knock Out Your\u00a0Chores<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It may sound\u00a0like a drag, but why not commit one evening a week to getting your outdoor chores out of the way?\u00a0After all, they aren&#8217;t going to do themselves! Rake your leaves, clean the windows, wash the car, sweep your porch, and water your plants. By taking the time to do it during\u00a0the extra hour of daylight, you free time up on your weekend for leisure activities.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5164\" src=\"http:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/chores.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/chores.jpg 600w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/chores-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>Have Some\u00a0Fun!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Finally, keep in mind that you don&#8217;t have to be going full force all summer. Take\u00a0the extra daylight to enjoy your hobbies and passions. Improve your golf game, take up a new outdoor hobby, upcycle a piece of furniture,\u00a0or chill on the porch with a great summer read and cold drink.<\/p>\n<p>The time change might not completely alter the course of your life, but it adds some extra sunshine to your free time. Use it wisely and productively. Mix\u00a0tasks and chores in with leisure activities. Think\u00a0about what needs to be done around your house, and what you enjoy doing, and incorporate both of those into the extra hours of daylight in the summer months.<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You might have mixed feelings every time you move the clocks either ahead in the spring or back in the fall. From gaining an hour of sleep or having more darkness in the morning hours, the adjustments when the time changes affect all of us in different ways. The one thing most agree on, however, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/22\/making-the-most-of-the-extra-daylight\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Making the Most of the Extra Daylight<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-checklist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5163"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5168,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5163\/revisions\/5168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}