[Gemme]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaMa'am

Good morning, crafty Peeps!

I have a (sort of) crafting dilemma that I hope everyone can contribute some ideas to. I have a medium-sized extended family, and we're not going to be able to get together in person for Christmas like we usually do. It's just too risky - I'm immunocompromised, there are little kids, elderly people. We're all agreed that it's just not going to happen this year, and a Zoom dinner isn't going to cut it. (My weirdo family doesn't talk during meals - it would just be streaming camera of all of us chewing our food.)

But what can we do, that would take into account that different people will want to do different things and have different capabilities? A couple of ideas I had:
- Some people could write newsy Christmas cards and mark on the outside "Do Not Open Til December 25"
- Some people could assemble boxes of gifts and mail them to the different households. Maybe we could Zoom the opening of presents.
- We could reserve December 25th for making phone calls to each other (and other friends and family, too).

These ideas seem really straightforward and not very festive though. I want to bring all age groups into it (we have ages 2 through 90). Keep in mind we would have to get started on this right away, since if the post office is involved, stuff should probably get there no later than November 30. I want something whimsical, that maybe only I could do - but how could I encourage other people to be whimsical in their own way? And - number one - how can I keep this and make it sound LOW EFFORT? My family doesn't get jollied into projects very easily. The trade off is that we will not be travelling three hours each way to see each other in person.

I would like to avoid the route of exchanging Christmas cards with just the name signed inside and a gift card included. You know what I mean.

So hopefully now your creative juices are flowing. Please post any ideas you have here for me. And if I can offer feedback on any ideas you have for your own family gatherings, I will be very happy to do so - just let me know.

Happy Merry Merry,
Georgia

I love your ideas as well as Besame's and sis' too. What if...keeping LOW EFFORT in mind...each part of the family sends a recipe for a part of the Christmas meal to another. Kind of like a long distance pot luck. Kids can have input into what to send and how to decorate or plate the dishes made and the more seasoned family members get a chance to taste a dish that Auntie So and So always made, etc. That will be something that could be received ahead of time to get the ingredients but shared on Christmas Day.

Maybe with the recipe given could be a specific memory that could be shared on Zoom or the phone Christmas Day.