At this rate, staying inside has become the new norm. With living in Illinois, our COVID-19 cases have slowly been going down, but that doesn’t make me comfortable with dining indoors or going inside of anywhere without a mask.

For most young people in their 20s and early-mid (maybe even late) 30s, Halloween is celebrated for an entire weekend. Some call it “Halloweekend” and even have a costume for every day of the weekend depending on what party, bar crawl, or event they’re going to. 

In the age of a seven-month pandemic that’s still going on, it looks like Halloween is considered canceled this year for those who aren’t comfortable with going out during these times. That doesn’t mean you can’t do anything fun at all.

Here are some ways you could celebrate Halloween from inside:

1. Movies: Scary movies, funny movies, or any movie that gets you into the Halloween spirit is a fun way to celebrate. There are so many options on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

2. Cooking and baking: You don’t have to make worms in the cup pudding (unless you’re feeling nostalgic, by all means, go ahead) but cooking and/or baking your favorite fall foods is never a bad idea. A pot of chili and a loaf of pumpkin bread is the best types of comfort foods for fall.

3. Carving pumpkins: Usually, this is more stress and mess for me than it is fun, but there are some who genuinely enjoy this.

As we say goodbye to summer and fully get into fall (really though, the weather dipped about 20 degrees after Labor Day), the brisk autumn air that we all think of as a sign of relief from summer’s humidity could be a bit harsh on our bones, skin, and hair.

Personally, I feel like my skin especially suffers in the cooler months of the year. My naturally oily skin fights with the dryness of the air, making my skin more likely to break out. Even using three moisturizers and a prescribed Curology cream, my skin still isn’t looking its best during these months.

Collagen is a protein that makes up your hair, skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones (source). All aesthetic purposes to the side, our bones are more likely to ache up in the winter (I’m talking to you, past injuries) so collagen would be helpful in this case.

Some of the most popular sources of collagen are bovine, eggshell, poultry, and fish.

Now, some of those aren’t real ways to get it (unless you prefer your eggs with shells in them), but there are many forms of collagen supplements available on NHC.

As someone who avidly watches the news (especially now more than ever), it looks as if there’s not an end in the near future for Coronavirus. At almost seven months into the pandemic, people are starting to adjust and so are businesses. Outdoor eating, some taking higher risks with indoor eating, shopping, salons, gyms, you name it.

While a vaccine is still in the works, getting a flu shot this year is especially important, according to BBC. Getting the flu and coronavirus at once would be a disaster. 

In the meantime, this is a great time to reflect on the positive impacts vitamins and supplements have. It’s hard to get all your vitamins in from the day through foods unless you’re eating a perfectly balanced diet. Lack of certain vitamins could result in not feel 100% healthy, and could lead people into thinking they are sick when they are not.

Garden of Life makes wellness products for those with diabetes. Their supplements are packed with whole food nutrients. Some of their products include Algae Omega-3s, formulated CBD, and more.