Hi everyone, happy Saturday! Liz’s assistant, Carolyn, here. I don’t know about all of you, but the “distance” part of social distancing is hitting me pretty hard right now. My circle of human contact has been consistently small for the past several months, and while all of the Zoom reunions and virtual happy hours are great, there’s just nothing like the real thing (baby).
I thought it might be helpful to round up a list of creative ways to connect with loved ones from far away, whether you’re celebrating a special milestone or you just want to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Chances are you know someone who will be spending a birthday, Father’s Day, graduation, wedding day, or first few weeks of motherhood apart from friends and family—hopefully these ideas will bring you all a little bit closer.
Ten Ways to Make Someone Feel Loved from Far Away
- Curate a personalized playlist on Spotify: My dad just got a Spotify account, and I thought it could be fun to create a personalized Father’s Day playlist for him containing all of the songs that remind me of him. This would also be a fun way to relive the glory days with your college friends, keep your workout buddy motivated with some pump-up jams, or simply send some happy vibes to someone who’s going through a tough time.
- Send a pretend postcard: Wouldn’t it be fun to receive a postcard from the vacation you were supposed to take, from the friend who was supposed to be there with you? Or maybe you send a friend a postcard on what was supposed to be her wedding date and write about how much fun you’re having. Etsy has a great selection of travel postcards, or you could even send an e-postcard for contactless delivery.
- Sign up for the same livestream workout class—your treat!: It can be really hard to maintain workout motivation while you’re sticking around the house, but knowing that you have someone working out with you makes it so much more fun. I just took my mom’s favorite barre class with her via Zoom on her birthday, and it was a blast doing something together that we probably wouldn’t have been able to do under normal circumstances!
- Suprise Venmo: This is one of my go-tos for birthdays or big achievements. Just send your friend a few dollars over Venmo with a note that says drinks or coffee are on you today. I think this would be a nice way to reach out to any healthcare or essential workers you know, too.
- Put together a video compilation of greetings from someone’s family and friends: Maybe your friend can’t spend her birthday with anyone this year, but that doesn’t mean she can’t hear how much everyone loves her. Reach out to family and friends and have them record a short video message for your friend, then throw them all together in iMovie to create a video you can send to her. I also love this idea for a virtual baby shower—have everyone say why they think someone is going to make a great mom.
- Local flower delivery: You can never go wrong with a fresh flower delivery, but bonus points if it comes from a local shop. My guess is that business at a lot of floral shops is a little slower these days with all of the wedding and event cancellations, so why not support them if we can? Find a local store to put together a bouquet for someone who would appreciate it and have it delivered straight to their home.
- Pick a new show to watch together: We might be running out of things to discuss in real life, but everyone loves talking about shows. Team up with a friend to pick a show you’ve both never seen and commit to starting it together. You don’t have to watch every episode at the same time, but you can definitely share your thoughts! My current obsession is Workin’ Moms on Netflix.
- Cook the same recipe and FaceTime over dinner: My family and I recently all made homemade pizza in our respective homes, and then hopped on FaceTime to talk while we enjoyed the final product. This is something I would never have done before quarantine, but it was a fun way to catch up and spend time together. You could also send someone a pizza making kit or a special sauce and toppings to make things even easier.
- Send a tiny care package: Ship someone a package of things you know they need and will appreciate—a new tube of mascara, a fresh package of hair ties, a cute matchbook, luxurious soap, their favorite kind of tea or coffee, or even a disposable camera to document these strange times. It’s sometimes the little things that mean the most!
- Have a meal delivered: Last but not least, sending over a meal from someone’s favorite local restaurant is always a wonderful way to show you care. I think we’re all a little tired of cooking right now, and a surprise dinner from a restaurant someone LOVES would be the most amazing treat.
){kind=link}