It’s Friday, so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five. Usually by this time in December, we’re on our way to California to celebrate the holidays with The Husband’s family and many friends. This year, we’re staying put in Chicago. We’ve been trying to figure out some ways to make this year’s holidays somewhat special or at least more fun!
Host a curated holiday Zoom with family or friends. Ask people to share a favorite holiday memory or tradition or draw names and “gift” the recipient with a tribute. Pick someone to be a master of ceremonies to keep things moving and consider recording it for future generations. This sounds corny but we did a similar thing for a 50th birthday and it was pretty great.
Ask family members for favorite holiday recipes and do a Zoom or Facetime cook along! Pick a recipe and send it around a few days in advance so that everyone has time to get the ingredients. Then, get together to cook and prepare the food together. If the recipe is a family tradition, share the first time you had it and who’s recipe it is. My MIL passed down a cookbook of family recipes so we’re going to try some.
If you’re close to family or friends, drop off food for a pot luck holiday meal or cookie exchange. If you’re used to splitting the holiday meal preparation, consider making the your part and portioning it out and dropping it off to family or friends. Some of my running friends and I had an outdoor, socially distant cookie exchange. We met and stored our cookies in a car trunk and went for a run. When we came back, we exchanged cookies and chatted a bit before heading home with our cookie haul. It was so much fun that we’re planning to make it an annual tradition.
Make your holidays special. Get dressed up and set a festive table. Use the nice china – if you have some! Drink the good wine or make a time intensive recipe that is “reserved” for special occasions. Consider dropping some off for a neighbor who may be alone this year.
Walk, drive or run to see the holiday decorations in your neighborhood. Many communities have drive through light displays. Here, the Lincoln Park Zoo had Zoo Lights and the Chicago Botanical Garden has a beautiful display, as well. Both are sold out, but we’ve been enjoying Zoo Lights by running around the outside perimeter of the zoo!
What are you doing to make your holidays more special this year? Please leave your ideas in the comments.
Have a good weekend!