While practicing social distancing, it’s inevitable that many have missed out on special events and milestones and started to experience cabin fever. After staying indoors and working from home for months, there’s been quite an adjustment to how we interact socially and conduct our day-to-day lives. It’s crucial to make sure that you are still taking care of yourself both mentally and physically and find unique ways to bring joy back into your life. Times of celebration like anniversaries, graduations, and birthdays should still be celebrated and acknowledged. To help you brainstorm, I’ve put together a list of special activities you can partake in while being quarantined. Scroll down for celebration ideas you can do safely — we’re all in this together.

PICNIC DINNERS

This idea is one of my favorites for special date nights and birthday meals. Nothing feels better than eating outdoors on a summer night. If you have a rooftop space available for use, grab a bottle of Pino and order a pre-fixe tasting meal from a fancy restaurant (if you’re in Chicago, The Darling has the cutest dinner option with everything you need for a special night). It’s also a great excuse to dress up, which can boost your mood entirely. If your area allows it, a park picnic can also be a great idea and allows for social distancing if you stay at least 6 feet apart from other groups. You can curate some picnic snacks via your local grocery store or utilize a gourmet Picnics in the Park company (Picnics in the Chi if you’re Chicago based, Picnics in the City for Houston readers) if you want the magic to be there as a surprise for you and your guest. As long as you have a blanket and speakers, you can really set the vibe for any occasion.

INDOOR GLAMPING

Sad you’re missing out on special trips to commemorate milestones? There are so many ways to bring nature inside if you’re craving an outdoor adventure. Pitch an indoor tent or create a fort made out of blankets, consolidate all of your indoor plants around your campsite, and get a fire streaming on your laptop to really set the mood. You can even find starry sky projection devices via Amazon here and stream a forest soundtrack on your speakers to totally immerse yourself in the illusion. Try to stay off your device for maximum relaxation and disconnect from the outside world for the evening to really enjoy each other’s company. You’ll wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and energized with this detox!

BAR CRAWLS

Bar crawls are a great way to escape monotony. A lot of restaurants and cocktail bars are delivering kits and have drink deals for purchase. Order a cocktail from a few different bars and rate your favorites or recreate Eastern Standards and Picantes at home. Depending on the allowed circumstances in your neighborhood, you could even go on a walking bar crawl and take your drinks to go while getting some fresh air.

A SPA DAY AT HOME

Surprise your partner or roommates with a spa treatment for their special day. You can start with an at home facial with masking, gua sha (how to guide here) and serums followed by a facial or body massage. Light some candles, put on some soothing spa sounds, and draw a bath for maximum relaxation time. This is something they will really appreciate and enjoy while transforming the space you see every day into a special environment.

ONLINE COOKING CLASS

Take a classic date-night idea and turn it into a classic at-home date-night idea or treat it as a special bonding activity among roommates. The internet is loaded with virtual and Zoom cooking classes (many of which are free) from Kitchen Rodeo, Haven’s Kitchen, The Culinary Institute of America, and Brooklyn Kitchen. You can even find virtual classes on Instagram live from Michilan starred chefs like Massimo Bottura, Lidey Heuck, and Christina Tosi to follow along with. No matter what platform you choose, these classes and instructional videos are a great way to make quarantine nights or mid-day brunches feel special. You can even FaceTime friends or family members, take a class, and then dine “together.” Until we can all be united in real life again, this is the next best thing.

VIRTUAL SCRAPBOOKS

To celebrate large milestones like birthdays or graduations, Zoom meetings can get a bit awkward in bigger group gatherings as not everyone may know one another and it becomes hard to keep track of all members simultaneously on one screen. Instead, surprise the guest of honor with a video or book with messages and memories (lots of cute special occasion ones via Artifact Uprising) from people in their close circle. This can be a great low-cost option to remind your loved ones that they are cared about and appreciated despite the trying times we are experiencing at the moment.