As I write this, it’s week four of social distancing for us and week one of social distancing from grandparents. For me this means no childcare (insert crazy face emoji), no breaks, almost no naps, prepping for potty training (tomorrow = panties) and needing to focus on my business but not being able to. These are some crazy times!
As we find ourselves chin deep in dishes, Cloroxing every item that comes through our doors (twice) and trying to remember what day it is, it is easy to see how celebrations of any sort seem either out of the question or unintentionally forgotten.
Trust me, you are not alone if you’ve forgotten someone’s birthday or that Easter was even on the calendar while sheltering from home. However, we cannot lose sight of how important celebrations are and what they mean to others.
Apart from being a full-time mom and wife, I have a business called Prep Lively. It is an event planning company that handles all of life’s celebrations (except weddings, sorry). I have always been a perpetual planner when it comes to celebrating—birthdays, milestones, weddings, babies, summer break, block parties, holidays, pop culture, “you did it’s”, the list goes on and on. Any excuse to gather people together or make someone feel special is what brings me joy. I just love festivities, so you can imagine how hard this season of social distancing is for me!
I keep wondering how I can help people feel acknowledged and loved when I cannot host something for them. I know I am not alone in this thought.
The month of May is filled with reasons and people to celebrate, so let’s make sure we aren’t missing opportunities to do so, if even from a distance. I have come up with a few ideas on how to not miss opportunities to acknowledge those friends and family who make life worth celebrating…every day!
CALENDAR IT
Look at your calendar! Make sure you have every birthday, Zoom graduation, holiday and occasion you wish to celebrate clearly noted. Then, mark what day you want to do something about those dates and have alerts sent to remind you if you use digital calendaring. It’s important to make a note on that day, so you don’t forget. For example, “May 7th—order flowers to be sent to Mom for Mother’s Day”, which you would know to do because you would have Mother’s Day marked on May 10th. Then, daily check your calendar! I even note things like, “May 6th—Tea party with Sage”. That way, I can plan ahead to make even a tea party with my 2 year old special. Sure, I can throw together something on the spot, but if I plan ahead it becomes a lot more meaningful. Same goes for big events, especially during social distancing where you may want to send them something if you won’t see them.
UTILIZE YOUR RESOURCES
Right now, so many small businesses are doing special things to keep afloat. When you are able to plan ahead, which you are because you followed tip number one, you can find so many great things to send or do for people! For example, during social distancing, Prep Lively offers a “Party in a Box” and Cheese to Chocolate will bring the most amazing mini charcuterie boards to your doorstep. Katiebugs has DIY sugar cookie and cake ball kits you can get at their Drive-Thru. Seriously the list goes on and on! With that being said, you don’t always have to spend money to recognize someone, which leads me to tip number three.
BE CREATIVE
Just because you may not be able to spend time with someone in person, you can absolutely Facetime, plan a group online Zoom meeting or leave them a note in their mailbox. My go tos are Instagram and Pinterest when I hit an idea block. I look up hashtags or things to get me inspired. If you know you have a lot of one thing, use that as a search tool. For instance, if you search Pinterest for “graduation craft with paper” because you may have a lot of paper, it will give you examples of how to make a cute graduation hat. Make one, then email friends and family, asking them to send you college advice. Print everyone’s advice individually to fill a jar, then leave the hat and jar with a sweet note on the porch of the graduate you’re celebrating and they will definitely feel the love. Helping someone feel their worth does not mean spending money, however it does mean remembering and doing something out of the ordinary!
The ideas I’ve mentioned are all things I have to remind myself to do, but I’ve learned they really help when it comes to celebrations during this odd season. If anything, I hope they have inspired you to be more intentional to remember those occasions worth celebrating, because we have so many things and people in our lives worth lifting up! Maybe someday I will write a post on entertaining, but for now I’ll keep my distance and celebrate at least six feet away.
Meet the author!
Whitney is a visionary with a passion for artistic expression. She is into all things pretty, loves a good house renovation project, entertaining, and a hot drink at both morning and night. She and her business partner saw a need in Oklahoma City for an event planning service that would meet the needs of kid birthday parties all the way to large scale corporate events. Both with a background in education, they possess a knack for meticulous planning and (they think) flawless execution.
Though an entrepreneur, Whitney’s main job is loving on her daughter Sage. Their days are spent chalking, crafting and squeezing in as many learning opportunities as possible. Whitney’s family of three (four with their dog Wesley) resides in Oklahoma City, where they never want to leave! Council Road has been her church home for almost three decades and she is extremely proud of the women’s ministry that continues to develop. Lastly, for those of you who are wondering, Whitney is a very organized enneagram seven.