“I’m a pretty active person so I’ve challenged myself to get socially creative during this season of being homebound. I have coordinated virtual activities ranging from themed trivia nights, cooking challenges, personalized snail mail to friends and some other hands-on favorites to make me feel closer to my loved ones. Below are some of my more personalized tips for being social during social distancing.” - Taryn, Events Team Coordinator

1. Virtual Trivia & Game Nights

Weekly a group of my friends & I play virtual trivia. Each week a new quiz master creates the trivia questions and we recently had a David Bowie themed trivia night for a friend’s birthday. Below are some fun resources!

• Jackbox Games

• Trivia Questions Inspiration

• Songversations: Conversation Starters About Music

• The School of Life: 100 Fun Questions

2. Virtual Crafting Date

I love to get creative, and virtual crafting dates with my friends have made home hangouts more enjoyable. Some of my favorites are listed below.

• Makers Mess Craft Kits

• Paint By Numbers

• Etsy Craft Kits

3. Snail Mail

I’ve sent friends and loved ones letters with custom cocktail recipes inside. My favorite stationery is at Shop Shorthand in Highland Park, and I’ve listed some other notable LA favorites as well.

• Shop Shorthand

• Shout & About

• Urbanic Paper Boutique

• Burro

4. Virtually “Go Out To Dinner”

Dress up, set your table, and order take-out from the same restaurant together. It will feel like you’re dining out at your favorite spot with a friend.

• Check out our restaurant guide HERE for ideas!

5. Puzzle Swaps

Mail and swap puzzles you have finished with your friends. I have done this a few times already and it’s been a fun way to get new puzzles in my rotation. Here are some fun ones that I’ve had my eye on.

• Bon Appetite Puzzles

• Food 52 Puzzles

• Town & Country’s Recs

6. Cook Together

Pick a recipe that you and a friend want to try and make it together virtually. Make your cocktails together before your virtual happy hour, or take a stab at home baking!

Food Recipe Rec’s

• Refinery 29 Recipe Recs

• Vanity Fair Recs

Cocktail Tutorials

• Tastemade

• PUNCH

7. Do An Online Class Together

There are so many engaging virtual resources right now. This is a fun time to learn a new skill together or feel like you’re at your favorite workout class again.

• Free Master Classes

• POPSUGAR Fitness Classes

• Cocktail or Cooking Tutorials

8. Book Club

Use Good Reads to track the books you and your friends are reading. Like the puzzle swaps above, you can swap books once you finish or you can read one together!

• GoodReads

9. Movie Night

Use online streaming services to have a virtual movie night with a group of friends. Popular streaming services have created additional features for ways to stream movies with friends with chit chat & comment features on-screen. Peanut galleries welcome.

• Netflix Party

• Metastream

10. Virtual Manicures

If you’re missing your R & R time getting your nails done, order a fun nail kit and have a virtual nail party. In addition to Olive & June’s nail kits, they have nail stickers at Target that are really fun too.

• Olive & June Kits