
Our usual jaunt quickly becomes a 5-mile long distance excursion after the first, uh-oh snow flake makes its annual appearance. We now have to rise earlier, plan for a longer travel day in dark-thanks to the absence of dear old Daylight Savings Time.
Give yourself a break with these tried and true ways to staying connected, revitalized and building stronger trustworthy bonds so you don’t lose momentum.
Swap- Get a group no larger than 10 people together for a clothes, accessories and shoes swap. A really cool idea if you add a theme. In winter I plan a Spring/Summer event and throw in an evening buffet that doesn’t break the bank because on the Evite you ask everyone to bring their good as new garments, etc. and a covered dish.
I love Mexican food so that is my go-to for a fresh spring themed event. The deal is to keep on giving. We gather anything leftover and donate it. This year I donated goods to several states and countries and it felt terrific!
Dessert Dash Donate- Everyone loves dessert! Find a mutual cause requiring a donation. Send out an invite asking someone in the group to host. Each person brings a dessert, a donated item based on a chosen theme, maybe a little something extra for a gift basket. Typically you have the party close to the time of a community event so you can transport the items right to a donation site within your area. As the host, you prepare the coffee/beverage, reusable sacks to collect and transport and of course a donated item.
Keep the dessert time to 2 hours or less, setting up future meet-ups. Toss names into a hat as to who will make the drop off, rewarding that person with a small gift basket of sweets and treats. Need theme ideas: back to school, spring forward fall back, celebrate entrepreneurial success, the choices are endless. Whatever you decide to do-make it fresh and unique.
Staycation Connection- Find local activities that satisfy a crowd, encourages conversation, not always gender biased. Create a “draw straws” invite with popular selection as the destination winner. Incorporate fun facts about the venue. Find day packages which include snacks or other amenities to reduce additional travel. There are fantastic. Schedule when many events are free.
Once a year here in Connecticut, almost every museum, arts and sciences, concerts, feature a free day or at least ginormous discounts-of course I had to miss it this year by traveling out of town. There are so many free alternatives year round too. Run of the mill networking sites do a decent job but think beyond the usual and your connectors will thank you for it.
Don’t hibernate-coordinate
Until next time~