The best thing about 2020 may be that it’s over. The second-best (and maybe third-, fourth-, and fifth-best) is up for debate. The pandemic forced us to rethink our daily routines and find some level of sanity amid the chaos, so Bloomberg Pursuits polled the newsroom to root out the best pandemic discoveries: new services and products and activities that brought us joy, that improved the day-to-day-to-what-day-is-it-again of our lives.
There were baking suggestions, of course (“rosemary bread that functions as dessert, breakfast, and afternoon snack”). And, yes, puzzles galore (“you can dive in and out, so it’s great for a break from screens”). But there are also YouTube playlists if you miss the background chatter of an office, robot bartenders, and potties for your pet. There even is a pet. There are games that still make Zoom a delight, and a tea that drinks like a beer. How about an app to help you with your trees—and your tree pose? Scroll on through.
Have a suggestion of your own? Email us your recommendations at [email protected] with the subject line “sanity list.”
Foliage Field Guide
With the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Edition, I have learned the difference between a sycamore and a London planetree, between a black oak and a white oak. I can spot a sassafras leaf. I stop on walks and stare upward. (I always did that, but now I have an excuse.) —Peter Coy, economics editor, Bloomberg Businessweek
Sonic Escape
I loved working in coffee shops before the pandemic. It wasn’t just the cozy setting and caffeine fix but the sounds I thrived on: the soft chatter, the whirring of espresso brewing, the crackling of unfolding newspapers. Thankfully, YouTube is filled with endless hours of this auditory ambiance. Stuck in WFH purgatory, I slip on noise-canceling headphones and sonically transport to my neighborhood café or any number of soundscapes that brought me focus pre-Covid-19: a busy office, a shushed library, a clacking train. No YouTube clips will ever replace the comfort those surroundings provided in person, but they sure beat the lonely silence of my apartment. —Austin Carr, technology reporter, Bloomberg News
CBD Mask Sprays
This new product from a CBD essential oil company sounds gimmicky, and you will have strong opinions about the ones you don't care for. But they’re a super smart idea: Incentivize wearing a mask by spraying it with a pleasant scent. I love the sugar cookie one, which is made for kids and has a warm, comforting spicy scent. It makes me actually want to put on my mask. —Kate Krader, Food Editor, Bloomberg Pursuits
Swedish Lawn Game
I’m not big on lawn games, I live in a fifth-floor apartment. But when my pod-mate introduced us to Kubb in April, it quickly became our favorite way to spend quarantine weekends in the park. Suddenly, I’m noticing lush grass, worn paths, shady trees—and how they impact my toss. The next challenge? Snow. —Lindsey Rupp, digital editor, Bloomberg News
Snail Mail
All the screen time at the height of the pandemic was exhausting. While I missed my friends and family, the last thing I wanted to do after work was another Zoom call. I started mailing handwritten letters over the summer and got personalized stationary from a local shop. Writing an old-fashioned note was not only therapeutic, it was a fun way to surprise loved ones. —Jacqueline Davalos, reporter, Bloomberg News
Keurig for Cocktails
Each time my mom and I press the button on this gizmo, the Bartesian, we’re at the bar with Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Our hack: We use the cocktail pods with soda water on dry days, and we still feel we’re at the beach sipping Long Island Ice Teas. Now, that’s a pandemic vacation. —Amanda L. Gordon, reporter, Bloomberg News
Streaming Street Food
I often organize my travels around food and, especially since moving to Asia, street food. So when I first started watching Netflix’s “Street Food: Asia”, I was worried it might be cruel, all things considered. But it was soothing. After each episode, I chose one featured dish as inspiration to cook myself. —Megan Hess, mobile editor, Bloomberg Media