(Originally Shared in the Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery Newsletter of October 8, 2020)

Today, we are doing something different. We are not going to speak all about what Made From RI and Made From RI Gallery has to offer. Instead, we are going to speak about the end of 2020 and the family. We are a family business and the state of how the family interacts in 2020 concerns us.

So this email is going to kick off a series of items between newsletters and blogs. The thought is on how families interact over the holiday season. Be it Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's, or anything else. We want to help you celebrate.

Before we start, we are going to ask a favor. If you find this listing useful, share it with friends. Tell them that we will be creating offers and discounts in the next few days and that we will be sharing these here on the newsletter list first... signing up would be cool too... just follow the link here:  Made From RI/Made From RI Gallery Newsletter Sign Up And thanks for taking us along for the ride!

We will be creating a variety of specials over the coming days. These are being considered with care, so we will release each as we plot to create them in the next few days. We promise to make them special.

Here are our suggestions for creating a Virtual Celebration. We will provide a suggested resource list at the end of this writing.

Make A Guest List:
Who will be at your party, get together, dinner or shindig? Make a list. Once you make your list, you will need to send out invitations so that they will be able to join you online. Send the invitations via email (or internal to the invite app).

Find A Time:
One thing that families and friends will need to do is find a time to get together. It could be that we are working across time zones and we need to coordinate that perfect moment. Use an electronic calendar (such as Google Calendar or iCal) to coordinate.

Choose Your Virtual Platform:
By now, we have all heard about Google Meet, Zoom, GoToMeeting, and the like. Choose the platform that works best for you. Play with the application a bit and learn about virtual backgrounds... then post that ideal backdrop to host your occasion.

Think About The "Less Tech Savvy" On The List:
Provide instructions in advance on how to share screens, operate cameras, and microphones. You will want to give a little instruction on speaker volume (and muting... if you know what I mean).

Send Out Reminders:
Send Out Reminders reminders a week or even a few days in advance of the occasion. See if there are any questions from Aunt Martha about how to connect to Wi-Fi in the kitchen. You want everyone to be comfortable and present. Remember, this is fun for everyone.

Create A Play List:
This is simple and complex. Creating the playlist is easy to do; select your music. Making certain that it is shareable is another. We are including a video link in the Resource List below to help with this.

Dress Up:
What is Thanksgiving without Uncle Buck in a Turkey necktie? Or Aunt Petunia in her 'I Yam What I Yam' apron? Snoopy in his Pilgrim hat? What is Christmas morning without matching themed pajamas or ugly sweaters? Who wears the Santa hat? Will Dad end up with a lampshade haberdashery? 'Nuff said. You get the idea.

Have Fun:
Be good to one another. Reminisce. Talk. Eat together. Have a good time. Oh, and there are now some ways that you can share video experiences on Netflix and Disney+. You will want to consult those platforms for suggestions.

Resource List: (none of these linked resources have any relationship with Made From RI)

Electronic Invitations: 

Paperless Post

Evite

Calendars: 

Google Calendar

iCal

Virtual Gathering Platforms: 

Zoom

Facebook’s Messenger Rooms

Skype

FaceTime

Creating And Sharing A Play List:

YouTube on Sharing Audio