Virtual Parties – Page 2

Social distancing is a party host’s worst nightmare which makes entertaining in quarantine challenging. Sure, we understand that the rapid rise of COVID-19 has made social distancing the nation’s top priority. That doesn’t mean that our loneliness and boredom haven’t caused us to develop a burning entertaining itch. Gasp! How dare we tap into our negative feelings towards social distancing? Don’t we care about the thousands of people dying globally from the coronavirus? Of course we do! But, it’s also important for us to express the truth of what social distancing means for a vibrant party hostess. It sucks. We hear you, feel you and have a solution for you. You can still try entertaining in quarantine although you’re miles away! Here’s how. Entertaining in Quarantine Using Mood Boosting Activities It’s easy to feel sad and depressed while being cooped up at home for weeks on end, especially if you live alone. You can practice entertaining in quarantine (and lift your spirits) using these five mood boosting quarantine activities. Host a Virtual Baking/Cooking Party (Image Source: Becca Tapert) First, you'll want to start with a guest list of your closest friends or family members who would love the idea and want to participate. Inviting 8-10 people should be perfect. Next, you want to think "What do these people like to eat?". Once that's determined, find a recipe that showcases everyone’s common food interests. To spice it up a bit you can find something adventurous (within the same family of foods) that your crew has probably never tried before. It’s entertaining in quarantine - the Tasty Edition. Once you’ve narrowed down your ideal guest list, send each invitee an animated invitation from Paperless Post. Furthermore, these invitations add fun and interest that beats sending an ordinary What’s App message! Here’s what you should include in your invitation: Date and Time Preferred video calling platform (Zoom, Google Hangouts or whichever works best for you and your crew)The recipe Encourage your crew to use their favorite grocery delivery app to get all the ingredients they need. After all, we aren’t leaving the house unless it’s absolutely necessary. There’s too much at stake. On the Day Your crew may not be there physically but they’re going to see (and hear) most of what you do on that video call. Set the mood with the right playlist from your favorite music streaming service. Spotify is great for some fun playlists. The fun really comes in when the cooking starts. Encourage everyone to talk through what they’re doing. Mistakes will be made. Laughter will fill the air. Some final products will be utter disasters and others will taste quite good. All in all, the point is to have fun trying something new even though you’re far away. Host a Virtual Game Night (Image Source: Jessica Thomas) Doodle sums it up nicely in the image above. Virtual socializing has significantly increased since the quarantine. Virtual game, trivia and quiz events in particular have increased by 44 percent. People who love to entertain are already hosting fun virtual game nights. How can your virtual game night stand out? Plan a unique event that matches the interests of your guests. Here are some tips. Invite people who know each other well and are comfortable together.Run a poll to allow your guests to choose their preferred virtual game. The Houseparty app is great for accessing fun built-in virtual games. Some other game options include:The Jackbox Party PackQuiz UpPlaying CardsScattergoriesSend an invitation using PaperlessPost that includes the date and time, preferred video calling platform and winning game. Add an extra level of fun by issuing prizes to game winners. An Amazon gift card or GrubHub coupon works best in this virtual environment. Host a Virtual Happy Hour (Image Source Gabriel Benois) It’s no surprise that virtual happy hours top the list of entertaining quarantine events. Doodle approximates that there has been a 296 percent increase in this virtual love of some bubbly. A virtual happy hour depends heavily on conversation. Therefore, you have to think carefully about topics for discussion and how you’ll gently guide the conversation if there are lulls. Using a virtual happy hour for entertaining in quarantine can be quite entertaining with the right conversation. Some possible conversation topics include: New HobbiesNew BooksSpending More Time With the KidsNew Family ActivitiesTiger King or some other outrageous Netflix seriesNew Recipes Then there’s the booze. Drizly is an online liquor delivery service that offers a wide range of beverages. You can consider having everyone order from them if you have a specific type of alcoholic beverage in mind. Otherwise, they can use a grocery delivery service to have the beverage of choice delivered from a local grocery store. If you love Mimosas then we have an excellent post that showcases 9 easy and delicious mimosas you can make or sip during your virtual happy hour. Host a Virtual Craft Party (Image Source: Kelly Sikkema) It’s time to involve the kids! Sure, they’ve been driving you crazy all day while you’re still trying to figure out this homeschooling thing (don’t teachers deserve a gold medal?!!). The trick to hosting a successful virtual craft party is to find an easy craft idea that everyone will love. Twirl is a company that specializes in these types of events. They do all the hard work for you. Give them your concept and they’ll create a craft kit and ship it right to everyone's doors. They’ll also have someone from their team guide the art project! Although Twirl is great, you may not have upwards of $150 to spare for an elaborate virtual crafting party. Pinterest is a great place to start your search for awesome virtual craft party ideas. This Pinterest board has some nifty ideas. You and your guests can order the necessary supplies through Target’s Shipt shipping option. The steps for piquing interest in a virtual craft party are similar to other virtual parties: Choose your guest list wisely. You want people who will enjoy the activity and work well together.Send out a poll so that guests can choose the craft option.Identify the best video call platformSend the invitations.Have an awesome party! Prepare Your Home for Future Events (Image Source CDC) We’re holding on to the hope that this too shall pass. Therefore, it’s important to use this quarantine time to prepare your home for the awesome parties you’ll host post-coronavirus. Spruce up your home by: Purchasing some new furniture and/or room accessories to give a much-needed facelift. Wayfair is a good option for speedy delivery. Clean out your closet and pantry and donate stuff to those in need.Do some spring cleaning - dust your rugs, change your curtains and make those windows sparkle.Schedule an appointment with an interior designer using Havenly. Entertaining in Quarantine is Possible The seemingly endless quarantine has probably put a damper on your party spirit. Chin up! You can still have fun with those you love even if they’re not physically close. Try some of the virtual party ideas detailed in this article and give them your own special hostess flair. Also, remember that there will be life after COVID-19. Still make plans, dream, and have hope. Use this time to do what you can to prepare your home for the flood of parties you’re going to have post-coronavirus. Want more useful tips? 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