Things have changed for the time being. Weddings have been canceled, graduations are postponed, high schoolers are missing out on prom and businesses are closing their doors.
These are not fun times.
I mean hey, I never thought I would be celebrating my birthday social distancing inside of my house. Don’t get me wrong, I love my house! It’s cozy, it has great lighting and my roommates are awesome (as long as they wash their dishes). But I had other plans in mind: Peruse around the Utah Museum of Fine Art, a sit down dinner at my favorite ramen spot, Tosh’s, a glass of wine (or 2) at Purgatory, finished by my usual birthday ritual of eating Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream in bed while watching (my favorite movie of all time) Better Off Dead.
Unfortunately, those are (mostly) things I can no longer do.
But- as my dad always says, “it is what it is, kid.” We all need to make the most out of what we have. Now, more than ever, it’s the little things in life. So while I might not be going out to celebrate my birthday this year, here’s some stay-at-home ways I’ll be enjoying the day from inside:
- Self care: Self care is different for everyone. For me, it’s a long walk around the neighborhood, a relaxing youtube yoga class (CorePower Yoga is offering free live classes daily), a steamy bubble bath with Billie Holiday playing in the background and a brightening face mask.
- Dressing up: Yes- dressing up! Ahh, the nostalgia of being 7. We should all be channeling our inner 7 year old! Throw on a sparkly dress (or suit!), do your hair (or just brush it for the first time in two weeks), throw some glitter on your face- hell I might even shave my legs! It might seem silly, but its fun and putting yourself together during these unsettling times brings a sense of normality to your day- and that feels good.
- Take a virtual art tour: While I’m heartbroken that I can’t dance around the UMFA in person, their incredible staff has put together UMFA Online! This includes virtual tours, livestream films, behind the scenes blogs and so much more. Which means: Lucky me! I’ll be virtually spending the whole day at the museum!
- Elegant Picnic Dinner in the backyard: Luckily, it’s April! Which means it’s no longer winter- which means temperatures are reaching 60 degrees and it’s the perfect time to have a picnic. And that’s exactly what I’m planning on doing. Throw down a cozy blanket, grab one of your stock-piled bottles of wine and curbside pick up some dinner from your favorite local restaurant.
- An at-home bar: I definitely can’t make a cocktail as well as a professional bartender can- BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t try. Like probably most you, one of the first things I did was create a stockpile of all my favorite alcoholic beverages. For me thats 8 bottles of Castle Creek Winery’s Monument Red, 2 cases of Epic Brewing’s Los Locos and High West whiskey. Here’s my very very very simple cocktail (if you can even call it that): 1 shot of whisky, 6 oz of any cola and ice. Not so “fancy” but let me tell you- it does the trick. *insert wink face*
- Dancing with my friends (virtually): Thank goodness for video conferencing, (especially right now during a birthday spent in quarantine). Staying in touch with friends and family is absolutely vital for your mental wellness. So call all of your friends, put on some music and have a virtual birthday dance party! Shake what ya mama gave ya!
- Ice cream & a movie: Like I said, it’s my birthday tradition to eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in bed while watching Better Off Dead– but this year I’m going to switch it up and support local- these local businesses need our help now more than ever. Bonbon Gelato and Ice Cream is offering local delivery, Howdy Ice Cream is offering curbside pick up, as well as Normal Ice Cream and Monkeywrench (for my fellow veggie lovers). So I have quite a few options (maybe I’ll try them all)! As far as movies, SLFS has launched their SLFS @home screening website. You can click and buy a great SLFS-curated, new, independent film to watch online, in support of SLFS at home. My SLFS movie recommendation: Extra Ordinary.
So whether or not you have a birthday coming up, try out some of these silly activities to hopefully brighten your day.
And please remember, Salt Lake magazine is a small local business too. We’re doing everything we can to keep you up-to-date on the local businesses you love and how they’re faring in these difficult times. We’re also doing everything we can to add some fun and color into your quarantine. To subscribe to SLmag, go here.
