English for Everyday Activities (B2+:) Compare My Routine to Yours!

If you've studied English for a while, then you know how to talk about waking up, eating breakfast, and brushing your teeth. You're ready to describe daily activities that go beyond basic vocabulary. Hi. I'm Jennifer, and in this video, I'll share some everyday activities that are part of my routine. I wonder if they're part of yours. Tell me at the end, okay? I hesitate to call this a home gym because it's really small, but we turned an old workshop into this exercise space, so you might call it an exercise room or a workout room. We have an exercise bike and a treadmill. My son uses free weights when he's home. I do my morning stretches and tai chi upstairs. Then I come down here and I ride the bike. I also use an exercise mat or yoga mat for more stretches on the floor. Let me show you. See the blue mat? This is also where I try to hold a plank every day for about 30 seconds. It depends. How long can you hold a plank? I drink tea every day. It's almost un-American not to drink coffee, but I like herbal tea. Teacups and saucers are pretty, but mugs are bigger and more practical. I use an electric kettle. Do you know what it's called when you put a teabag in hot water? Steeping. We usually steep tea for a few minutes. Oral hygiene is everything we do to keep our mouth healthy. I brush my teeth three times a day and I use an electric toothbrush. Sonic toothbrushes are pricey, but I think they're worth it. They help remove plaque, the stuff that builds up on your teeth. I also use dental floss. I floss my teeth after I brush. Then I use mouthwash with fluoride. I walk my dog at least twice a day. She's getting older now, so usually these days we don't walk too far or too fast. Sometimes I walk her, then bring her back home, and then take a second walk by myself so I can walk faster for more exercise. When I walk my dog, I need her collar, leash, and a waist bag. A lot of dog owners in the U.S. call it a poop bag. You can get fined in a lot of places if you do not pick up after your pet. You have to pick up or clean up after your dog. This is our washer and dryer. These machines are not too old, but I recently paid $645 to have both repaired. That's a lot, but it's cheaper than having to buy new appliances and then have them delivered and installed. I usually do laundry a couple of times a week. How about you? And for the record, I know what it's like to do laundry by hand, so I truly appreciate having a washer and dryer. The washer requires detergent. My family prefers fragrance-free and dye-free detergent. The dryer uses fabric softener to help make the clothes soft. I'm also grateful to have a dishwasher. If I lived by myself, I wouldn't need one. I remember washing dishes by hand when I lived in Russia. With a family, it's very convenient to have a dishwasher. We usually run the dishwasher once a day or sometimes every other day. These days, most Americans don't use powder or liquid detergent. We use pods. Once the dishes are clean, someone has to unload the dishwasher and put the dishes and utensils away. I know people typically eat three times a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but sometimes we get hungry between meals, so we snack. Most American households have snack foods, and we keep them in the pantry. The pantry reveals if a family eats healthy or not. We're not total health nuts in this household, meaning we're not crazy about healthy habits, but we have a pretty balanced diet. We don't load up on junk food, so let's look at our non-perishable foods. There are crackers, pretzels, cereal, dried fruit. What do you have in your pantry? Every household has to decide what kind of water they'll drink. Some people buy bottled water. Others drink tap water. In our old house, we had a whole house filter. In our current home, we use this filter. We all love to hydrate, so I fill up this tank a few times a day. Do you drink filtered water? In the U.S., mail is delivered six days a week. We have mailboxes by the road or next to our front door. I check the mail every day. We also get deliveries. A typical American neighborhood has delivery trucks and delivery vans visiting seven days a week. People order all kinds of things online, and then they're delivered by Amazon, FedEx, and UPS. Checking for deliveries is part of my daily routine. I usually get a notification from my ring camera when someone's at the door. Many homeowners have security cameras at their front and back doors. We can also talk and listen through our cameras even if we're not home. Everyone needs something they love to do. For me, it's playing the piano. I feel very lucky that we have the space for a baby grand. Both my daughter and I play. This is what I like to do when I take short breaks throughout the day. So between playing the piano and taking walks out in nature, I stay calm and happy. How about you? What do you do for fun? It's time for you to share in the comments. Here are some of the questions you can answer. Tell me when and where you exercise. Do you have an electric toothbrush or a manual one? How often do you do laundry and wash the dishes? Do you snack between meals? Do you drink filtered water? Do you check your mailbox every day? Where is it? And finally, what do you do for fun? Try to use some of the vocabulary from our lesson. That's all for now. If you'd like more interaction and feedback, then join the English with Jennifer community on Patreon, where we practice all skills for confident, effective communication. The link is in the video description. Thanks for watching and happy studies!