Wondering how to stay connected during social distancing? Today I'm sharing 3 essential ways my family has stayed connected to our extended family and the world during our self-quarantine.
We are heading into week WHATEVER of social distancing, self-quarantine and basically living life at home with our immediate family. It's strangely feeling more and more normal living this way.
I've had lots of ups and downs over the past month and a half but generally, my family is handling the crisis pretty well. I think that it has helped that I already worked from home and my husband already had a home office set up as well. It has also been nice that my twins are too young to know what's going on or to have to figure out some sort of home school.
It's been a challenging time but has taught me so much about what I actually need and don't need in my life. I don't need to go out for coffee but I DO need to stay connected. One thing that has been important is still finding ways to reach out to the rest of the world and especially our friends and extended family without actually seeing them. It's easy to fall in a rut of just focusing on the wild toddlers and my husband but at the end of the day, I've felt more positive when I also find some ways to stay connected. With all the restrictions we are living with it's hard to actually figure out how to do it though.
3 Critical Steps to Stay Connected During Social Distancing
Sharing Daily Photos with ibi
One way to strengthen personal relationships with the people who matter most is sharing photos and videos of day to day life, especially if you have little ones. ibi is a smart photo manager that brings photos, videos and, people together... perfect for this hard time and a critical step to stay connected.
my ibi lets me share new family photos like this!
And especially the ones that look more like this... :-).
I share many photos on social media or this blog BUT there are also lots of moments that don't make it here or I'd prefer to keep a little more private like this one which makes for some good laughs with the extended family.
Plus I hate having my photos in all these different places and worrying about them getting deleted. The ibi is like a personal cloud that saves, organizes and protects those cherished memories. It allows me to seamlessly organize and share not only new photos but old ones too. I no longer have to have that feeling of not being able to find that special photo of the twins again.
AND ibi has 1TB of storage which keeps 250,000 PLUS photos OR 100+ hours of HD videos. The best part is there are NO MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION FEES!
I can create folders to reorganize the photos and videos that can be loaded from my and my husband's phone and cameras and keep them in one place. It helps with all of that digital chaos.
It also allows you to give your family access to the photos through the photos stored on your physical ibi through the ibi companion app. They can then pull up the app and see the photos... even if they don't have an ibi of their own. You can control who sees what and also keep anything private if needed.
The Hubs and I don't have any immediate family who lives in Asheville with us so we've had to get creative since the twins were born to share photos with everyone who has a different phone and operating systems. This is the perfect photo and video organizing solution for us not only for social distancing but after when we are still trying to stay connected to family who lives far away.
Virtual Dates
I keep thinking about how lucky we are to be stuck at home during a time with such easy access to video chats. They make staying connected so much easier and are a great way for us to feel close to friends and loved ones. In fact, my three closest friends from high school and I have done weekly chats since this whole thing started and it's been such a blessing.
Video chats are great for online wine or coffee dates. You can also have dinner virtually or even watch a movie... together but separate with options on Netflix.
Acts of Kindness
Kindness is NOT canceled and just happens one of my essential steps to stay connected during this mess. Here are just a few ideas...
- Make a handmade card or note
- Send flowers
- Send a DIY gift box
- Send family encouraging text messages
- Ask neighbors if you can pick them up something at the store
- Smile at strangers even under your face mask
- Find ways to send someone a small care package
- Support local business if you can
- Leave sidewalk notes of encouragement
It's easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and our own problems during this crisis but looking beyond your needs to help friends and family can really do a lot to help stay connected. It will bring a smile on your face and the person you are supporting.
ibi
And don't forget you can get your own ibi HERE which is perfected for storing and sharing your favorite family photos for years to come... not just during these tough times!
Need more help dealing with these changes? Also read…
- My Healthy Stockpile Grocery List
- 5 Steps to Be Productive Working from Home
- 10 Easy & Effective Home Workouts
- 12 Creative Ways to Stay Sane During Social Distancing
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Your turn!
How are you staying connected during social distancing?
Dr Sarat Chandra says
Lovely photos! Excellent ways to stay connected.
Leslie says
This is such a thoughtful post! I love these ideas! And those pictures of you with your boys are precious! That Ibi would make a wonderful Mother's Day present for sure!
Kaleigh @ Lively Table says
What a great way to stay more connected to family and friends. Your photos are too cute!
liz says
Such a great post! I love the idea behind this, I may just need to add it to my list!
Jon Maldia says
I want to learn more about ibi. It looks like a very interesting product.
Amy Gorin says
I love this idea to stay connected with loved ones. A photo is worth a 1000 words as they say! 🙂
Sarah says
I've never heard of Ibi but it sounds like a great way to stay connected!
Deborah Brooks says
We gave my parents a similar photo sharing device last year and they really like it. Great photos of your kiddos!