Yahoo Finance Can't see your family for the holidays? Here are ways you can still celebrate and stay connected
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This time a year ago, millions of families around the country were faced with a difficult decision surrounding in-person holiday gatherings. As COVID-19 continued to spread across the country with no vaccine available at the time, experts warned against social gatherings, leaving American families little choice but to cancel their holiday traditions or take their celebrations virtual.
This year looks a little different, thanks to vaccines that minimize the risk of spreading or contracting COVID-19. However, the omicron variant poses a new—and complicated—risk as families plan to gather for the 2021 Christmas season.
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Similar to last year, families may be facing the decision to meet in person or celebrate virtually, especially as COVID-19 cases are on the rise yet again. Whether someone in your family or inner circle has tested positive for COVID-19 or if your family plans to play it safe this holiday season with the uptick of cases, there are still plenty of ways to connect with your family if you're planning to spend Christmas apart from them this year.
Thanks to modern technology, delivery services and top-rated home products that we've tested and approved ourselves, a virtual Christmas celebration can still be filled with plenty of holiday cheer. Here are a few ideas for staying connected, gifts to send in place of your presence and products to treat yourself if you're having a solo Christmas.
1. A Home Chef meal delivery kit for a fancy meal at home
While you may not be able to share home-cooked goods during a virtual gathering, you can still make your own creations at home and share them through photos or a video call. If you're spending Christmas with relatives virtually, try hosting a meal prepping event. You can whip up a family recipe together or try a meal delivery service, which can help bring a virtual dinner to life. Get all the ingredients and instructions delivered to your doorstep and you'll have a delicious meal for Christmas in no time.
Our favorite meal delivery service we've ever tested is Home Chef—this customer-loved brand provides high-quality ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes, making mouth-watering meals at home a possibility for any cooking skill level. We tried the Farmhouse Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, Green Onion Gravy, and Corn, which—to our surprise—yielded wonderfully even and juicy fried chicken with ease.
Try a Home Chef meal delivery kit
2. A quality webcam to connect virtually
If your built-in computer camera just isn't cutting it anymore, now is a good time to invest in a brand new webcam to boost your camera quality for your virtual holiday celebrations. Zoom meetings and hangouts probably aren't going anywhere in 2022, so if you've been thinking about investing in a webcam, here's your sign.
We've tested plenty of webcams on the market and found the affordable Mimoday S2 to be an exceptional option for any casual webcam user. Available for purchase on Amazon, with this webcam you'll get smooth video performance and sharp camera quality at a price point you just can't beat.
Get the Mimoday S2 Webcam at Amazon for $18.90
3. A Roku Ultra device for unlimited movie-watching
Stuck home alone for the holidays? What better way to pass the time than watching movies you've had on your must-watch list for months? Perhaps now is a great time to rewatch the "Home Alone" series for the irony of it.
Dubbed our best overall choice for a streaming device, the latest Roku Ultra is the top option for most people looking to have tons of films and TV shows at their fingertips. Get access to your favorite streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV and more in one place with an easy-to-navigate hub. Roku Ultra also supports 4K/HDR (including Dolby Vision), along with Dolby Atmos sound for a high-quality watching experience from home.
Get the Roku Ultra from Amazon for $69
4. Fun virtual games for the whole family to enjoy
Virtual game nights helped so many of us get through the 2020 quarantine days, and Jackbox Games deserves an honorable mention for being a top choice for quarantine game night. That's why we think it'd make an entertaining (and fitting) choice for a virtual holiday gathering.
If you haven't heard about Jackbox Games, the collection of fun multiplayer party games can be played with people in the same room or those on the other side of the country. Choose from virtual trivia, murder mystery, drawing and more—all you need is a TV or Mac/PC to display the game and your phone to use as your remote. So, if you're ready for something a little more dynamic than Zoom mingling, break out the Jackbox Games for fun with the entire family.
Another great way to connect with family members virtually is through the well-loved Nintendo Switch gaming console. Spend your Christmas Day afternoon playing multi-player games like Mario Kart or Animal Crossing with family, even if they're in a different location from you.
Beyond these multi-player games, there are plenty of other games you can enjoy solo if you're looking to pass the time—Stardew Valley and Untitled Goose Game are a few fan-favorites.
Get the Nintendo Switch with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy-Con from Amazon from $299.99
Get the Nintendo Switch OLED Model with White Joy-Con from Amazon for $349
5. A set of Christmas cards to write to your family members
If you're spending Christmas away from family members, now is the perfect time to write some thoughtful snail mail to wish friends and family a happy holiday. It doesn't necessarily have to be a photo-printed holiday card from a photo service—although it's never too late to send out a photo card with well-wishes. A simple stationery set, a good pen for a pretty script paragraph and stamps are all you need. You can even craft your own Christmas cards if you're feeling especially creative with your holiday downtime.
Get Designer Greetings Monogram Boxed Cards from Amazon for $9.04
Get the Pilot G2 Premium Gel Pens (12-Pack) from Amazon for $12.98
6. A free app that lets you watch Netflix with others
If you miss watching cheesy Christmas movies or catching up on TV with your family, no need to worry—you can still watch these together, at the same time, thanks to Teleparty. This free app allows you to watch Netflix with friends online, synchronizing your video playback and allowing you to group chat at the same time. It only works on desktop or laptop computers, but you can watch any show on Netflix.
7. A weighted blanket to keep you cozy
You might as well make your Christmas as cozy and comfortable as possible for yourself. The perfect companion to a good movie and some hot cocoa is a weighted blanket, which our reviewers liken to being comfortably held or hugged.
Our favorite weighted blanket, the Gravity Blanket is the perfect big hug to keep you full of cheer throughout the holidays. This blanket started as a viral Kickstarter campaign a couple of years ago and has amassed a cult following from the internet ever since. We can confidently say that this weighted blanket is worth the hype—it feels luxurious and well-crafted, with the weight distribution constructed just right. Plus, we love the velvet cover that adds a cozy layer to the blanket.
Get the Gravity Blanket from $215
8. An Apple Watch for old-fashioned walkie-talkie
The Apple Watch Series 7 can do so many things like monitoring your heart rate, keeping track of your location and sending texts. But, did you know it can also be used as a walkie-talkie? Try it with friends and family across the country to chat in real-time with your Apple Watch.
It's simple: open the Walkie-Talkie app on your watch and it will give you the option to chat with other Apple Watch users in your contacts. With a simple tap, you can connect with friends and pretend like you’re kids again, sending coded messages right from your wrist.
Get the Apple Watch Series 7 GPS + Cellular from Amazon for $499
9. A special delivery for your folks back home
If you and your family are feeling bummed about not spending the holidays together, try sending them a gift that'll arrive the same day. One idea is to send them their favorite spirits or beer through the alcohol delivery service Drizly. Just select the drinks you'd like to send them through the app, set the delivery location as their address and let them know they should expect a surprise gift at their doorstep.
Another delivery service that anyone with a sweet tooth will love is Baked by Melissa. This New York-based bakery sells delicious bite-sized gourmet cupcakes that can be shipped anywhere in the country. Baked by Melissa even serves adorable holiday-themed cupcakes, so you can send your family members miniature cupcakes with festive flavors like Festival Babka and Caramel Hot Cocoa.
10. A fancy candle, a luxurious robe and an oil diffuser to treat yourself
If your plans got canceled and you find that your holiday plans are not quite what you were hoping for, take the day to treat yourself with a few simple pleasures to make the day a little more special. Lighting a few high-quality candles can really elevate the mood—we've tested and raved about the high-end Jo Malone London Mimosa & Cardamom candle and confidently recommend it for a cozy night in. For something a little more budget-friendly, we loved the Voluspa Baltic Amber candle for its rich scent and gorgeous vessel.
If you're looking for something to really boost your home's scent (or simply can't light candles in your rental) an oil diffuser will make your home smell divine. The Airomé diffuser is the best one we've ever tested—the diffuser itself looks like a gorgeous vase, so it can easily blend in with your home décor, and the diffuser itself works like a charm by diffusing a fine mist that's never too overpowering.
Pair these with a top-of-the-line robe to really take your relaxation to the next level. Reviewed staffers love the Parachute Classic Robe—it's just as good as the robe you get at a 5-star hotel, if not better. This bathrobe is made from 100% long-staple Turkish cotton, making it a heavier but high-quality choice for those who love the feeling of luxury.
Get the Jo Malone London Mimosa & Cardamom Home Candle from Saks Fifth Avenue for $70
Get the Airomé Ceramic Essential Oil Diffuser from Amazon from $26.59
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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: How to celebrate Christmas and New Years away from family
