With COVID on the rise again throughout the United States the CDC is recommending avoiding large family gatherings. Being apart doesn’t have to mean not celebrating the holiday together. Now that we are six months into Zoom meetings and video calls most folks are officially getting the hang of how to communicate electronically and a Thanksgiving celebration over video chat opens up a new realm of possibilities.
One of the unforeseen benefits of a virtual Thanksgiving celebration is being able to enjoy the holiday without the hectic experience of traveling on a holiday weekend. No matter where you family is, Zoom meetings and video chat allows you to celebrate together, both in small groups or as a large party.
Thanksgiving is all about the food. Even if you can’t eat together as a group it’s still possible to enjoy Grandma’s stuffing recipe, an Aunt’s Famous Apple Pie – and let’s be real Costco’s Pumpkin Pie.
Ask each family member to share their favorite recipe a few days before the holiday. You can use a Shared Google Doc to allow everyone to type and collaborate together or designate a single family member to recipe photographs of everyone’s handwritten recipes. Consolidate the recipes into a single document or folder and distribute to the entire family.
Listening to everyone’s favorite music is almost as fun as listening to everyone try to avoid politics over the dinner table. Ask the entire family for a couple of their favorite holiday or cooking songs and consolidate them into a Spotify playlist. Once you have the entire list, share the playlist with the family. Even if you don’t pay for a Spotify subscription it’s possible to listen to a shared playlist!
Without everyone in the same room it may be hard to really get that Thanksgiving experience of togetherness but Zoom has enabled families around the world to communicate safely and face-to-face.
Replicate the dinner experience by setting a time to ‘eat’ dinner together. During the call talk about your experience cooking (or ordering takeout). This is a great time to share what everyone learned from the family cookbook!
A family zoom call doesn’t have to be hours long but you may be surprised how much people want to chat. Zoom allows you to host up to 40 minutes with 100 people using their free account but it’s likely SOMEONE in the family has access to a premium account by now. If Google is your preference Google Hangouts is now available to everyone for free.
Did you know most laptops can be connected to your regular family TV? This provides more visibility to see everyone in the Brady Bunch view and also offers the opportunity to eat Thanksgiving dinner in front of the tv for the first time ever!
Depending on your laptop you may need a converter or a direct HDMI cable to connect your system. An extra long HDMI cable is good for ensuring that even if you are watching the big screen you can bring your laptop close to your family for the web camera on your end.
Zoom calls without structure can be feel a bit uncomfortable. Playing a game is a great way to get everyone engaged. Imagine you were sitting at a dining room table and take whatever family tradition you are used to, and convert it to an activity you might do over a zoom call!
Virtual Thanksgiving Ideas
Interested in other virtual party games?
Zoom fatigue is REAL and if you don’t feel up for yet another video meeting, that’s ok. It’s still possible to create a face-to-face holiday without another virtual meeting.
One fun tool for creating a family video is Tribute! Designed as an easy way to collect videos from groups, set a prompt for everyone to talk about [I like the theme of thankfulness] and send out the video link so everyone can record and upload their unique video. Once the full video is compiled you can distribute the finished video as a fun keepsake of an unusual year.
Tribute isn’t free, but starting at $25 it’s a great way to create a new family tradition.
It’s been said enough that 2020 is an unprecedented year. No matter how you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving, do so safely. We are all in this pandemic together and being conscious and aware of our health is more important then ever.
It’s been a long year and yet flown by at the same time. The best part of it being Fall is we’ve now hit the perfect opportunity for curling up under a blanket, drinking a hot cup of tea, and binging on Netflix with the pretense of its the ideal ‘fall activity’ [not that we haven’t been doing that since March].
In Colorado fall is a weird time of year the waffles between heavy snow and sixty degree weather, often in the same day. No matter what weather it is outside, staying cozy and relaxed is my prime concern.
It doesn’t matter what the weather is like outside, I nearly always have a blanket with me. There’s just something comfortable about that extra layer of warmth, especially if the world is a bit unpredictable.
The Manolia Blanket from Teema Towel’s it’s perfect for enjoying the fall and matches any style of décor. At 94 inches wide two adults can enjoy watching tv with just enough warmth to be comfortable, or even enjoy an impromptu fall picnic under the leaves.
Fall is the best time of year to swap over to a more breathable sheet set, allowing you to better regulate body heat without having to kick up the whole house temperature. I recently discovered bamboo sheets and I really love how easy they are to care for all while staying soft through multiple washes.
Sheets from Simply Organic Bamboo are made from 100% bamboo viscose making them entirely natural and sustainable. Comfort can be good for the environment as well!
Tea is good any time of year but during the fall it just seems that much better. After a long day I like fixing up a hot cup of tea before bed and reading for a bit.
Organic India is tea that’s not just good for the soul, but also the body. Herbs have been used for centuries to promote natural detoxification and lowering stress. With a focus on leading the industry with organic products and healthy living Organic India is the ideal tea for making healthy changes this fall.
Tulsi Sleep | Tulsi Masala Chia | Tulsi Cinnamon Rose
Now that it feels like we are working from home for the long haul jazzing up the workspace is the perfect way to enjoy a fall change of pace for the whole family. Toys don’t have to be just for kids and productive fidget focus tools can help keep you on task during a long day of zoom meetings.
I’m a huge fan of supporting neighborhood toy stores and Beyond the Blackboard is my favorite Colorado toy store. Founded by teachers Beyond the Blackboard has educational toys and games for all ages. You can even ask them to pack up a goody box for all your office mates as a fun fall gift!
With the windows closed and less opportunity to spend time outside, lowering the chemicals you are exposed to on a daily basis is a good goal for the fall months. Deodorant is the one chemical most of us apply on a daily basis, without fully understanding what placing those chemicals against our skin can do on a long term basis.
Pit Liquor is the solution to smelling fresh this fall, all without extra chemical and toxins. High-proof alcohol is less toxic than most other ingredients and it really works! Easy to spray on, you’ll be surprised how clean you’ll smell by the end of day. They even have a hand sanitizer solution, ensuring that you can be healthy and smell good at the same time.
To say it’s been a stressful year is an understatement. I’m a huge fan of aromatherapy to help me relax and when the heater is on its hard to find a diffuser that can really keep up with the dry air being pumped into the house all day. Goddess Garden’s Aromamood bracelets are the perfect solution.
Designed with lavastones each bracelet captures essential oils and To say it’s been a stressful year is an understatement. I’m a huge fan of aromatherapy to help me relax and when the heater is on its hard to find a diffuser that can really keep up with the dry air being pumped into the house all day. Goddess Garden’s Aromamood bracelets are the perfect solution.
Aromamood Bracelets | Essential Oils
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this content but did receive product samples to facilitate the writing of these reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When I first heard that Colorado was getting our own Gaylord Hotel I was more excited about ICE then anything else. ICE is a Gaylord tradition and when I lived in Texas I had heard about how amazing it was, but didn’t get a chance to go myself. I received an invite to check out opening weekend from the Gaylord media team about a month ago and I’ve been counting down the days ever since!
Each year the Gaylord Hotels across the country create a winter wonderlands, filled with breathtaking Ice Sculptures kept at a below freezing 9 degrees for the entire time the display is open to the public. The Gaylord Rockies inaugural display shares the classic Rudolph story featuring characters from the claymation movie.
Coming up with the perfect holiday gift ideas for a travel lover is a fun way to learn more about their favorite destinations, and take a mini vacation of your own. From the best gear to help them enjoy their next trip to items that commemorate past adventures picking out an unforgettable gift for this holiday season is easy when you browse through our picks for 2019’s top travel gifts.
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