I personally have just wrapped up week 5 of sheltering in place – with mixed messages coming from government officials about when things will open once again and thoughts on what the “new normal” may entail. This prolonged period of quarantine, social distancing and germaphobia has been a roller coaster of emotions – gratitude to have extended time with family, but also anxiety over how long it will last coupled with fear for the health and safety of friends and loved ones... it’s not easy, but I wanted to share how my family is getting thru this unprecedented time.
For background, I have been living with my sister’s family for this quarantine, supporting her with “kiddo coverage” while she works the front lines as a doctor. One thing I can control is how my nieces (age 2 and 4), stay engaged throughout the day. We have had a lot of art projects, exploratory walks around the neighborhood (while maintaining social distancing- of course!), pizza and movie nights, and quality time with my cat, Smokey, their new playmate/obsession.
One thing that has been a priority for us is maintaining relationships outside of this household nucleus. What better way for a tea-oriented family than a TEA PARTY?! Grammy and Grampa, who are both integral parts of the Yaupon Brothers team, were invited for a remote party... taking the family tea connection to the next level!
First step:
Make sure you have the right decorations. Ambiance is everything, and for this tea party extravaganza, we made tea cup décor to spice it up!
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Next up:
Dress up! The girls chose their favorite outfits – after all, this is a PAAAARRTAAYYYYYY! Then it’s a video call with Grammy and Grampa – who also dressed for the occasion.
On to the food:
We made hot chocolate for the munchkins and yaupon tea for adults. The latest blend, Natural Wellness was the winning choice. As a special treat, we tried out a milk frother and some food coloring to make pink and purple milk for our drinks.
The verdict was, pink milk tastes great!
As a family – even through distance, we had a lovely afternoon – with conversation, connectivity and tea at the center. It may not be the way we’ve traditionally defined quality time, but for now – this is our normal.
From our family to yours - be safe, stay healthy.