Giving gifts during social isolation can assist in alleviating the boredom and loneliness that many people may be feeling. It could also be a birthday or some special occasion and you don’t want your loved ones to feel like they are forgotten.
Some great gift ideas that will show the love but maintain our social distancing.
Netflix subscription
Kicking ones feet up with a bowl of popcorn and binge watching will help with much needed stress relief. This anti – social tool is now considered fashionably social. Gift cards can be bought at many retail outlets they range from R150 up to R1000 and don’t expire.Existing Netflix members can use the gift card to top up their Netflix account credit, while those who don’t have an account can redeem their credit by visiting netflix.com/redeem. Purchase the card while out shopping and send a photo to your friend to #stayhome
Books
Now is the time to become a book worm again, with more time to read Kindle unlimited offers the biggest selection of eBooks and Audiobooks, this online e-book e-commerce store that is operated by Amazon can be accessed from any Amazon Kindle, Fire tablet or Kindle mobile app. Gift cards are available in the Amazon store.
Things to look forward to
Unwinding at a nail bar while getting some winter colours splashed onto your nails.With dehydrated hands from all the hand washing and sanitising, a luxurious hand treatment that will rejuvenate your dry and lethargic hands is something every women looks forward to. Silky smooth hands and styled hair are what dreams are made of. Online vouchers from various salons are available to be used after lockdown. Tours of Jozi are a great way to get to know the Jozi, book a tour with Honest Travel experiences and receive a 30% discount, walk the city after lockdown with your friend. Dream big, plan a holiday with your friend locally or internationally with Mathakgong Travel. An annual holiday with my girlfriends is one of the highlights of my calendar.
Learn a new skill
Acquire a new skill so that when lockdown has ended you can have bragging rights to your new achievement. Learn a language with the free app Duolingo it has over 30 languages that offer bite- size lessons. Always wanted to try podcasting but you didn’t know where to start, try podcastconsultant.com . Browsing through your phone you will realise you have hundreds of photos , to learn the in’s and out’s of Adobe Photoshop online for free try design.tutsplus.com , they offer paid content as well, but the freebies offered will get you well on your way to being Photoshop proficient. Even cooking and trying out new recipes, swop a recipe each day. Cloud coffee became quite the craze.
Video message
Written messages often fall short of being sincere and hardly ever portray the full meaning of what we want to say. Take a minute or two to record a short video and send it to your friend. Who know’s maybe today they are felling down and seeing your face will cheer them up plus they can watch it over and over. This unexpected gesture is sure to make them feel warm and fuzzy inside. Try vidday.com
Zoom calls for a good chin wag
The leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing , chats and webinars. Who would have guessed a few weeks back that we would be holding virtual coffee dates with our girlfriends around the world while in the comfort of our lounge drinking a steaming cup of our home brewed coffee. As face to face gatherings have been discouraged and even banned in this age of social distancing, putting on our make up and taking out the curlers has become the highlight of our day. After all who wants to look like they have just crawled out of bed.
Photobook
Seeing your photos in reality and to hold them in your hand gives so much more meaning to those snaps on the phone. For the best quality photo books and weekly specials that come out on Thursdays I use Rapid Studios. Creating a photo book of your memories during lock down is not only a relaxing hobby but will create a unique and historic coffee table book. Gift your friend a photo book of your adventures and fun times together. These books will only be delivered after lockdown but they are a fabulous project to keep one busy.
Restaurant voucher
Aurum restaurant is one of the many that are offering gift vouchers where one earns 20% extra in value added spend, during this lockdown period. Assist the staff to earn an income while they are unable to trade and tide over during this difficult time. Mouth watering meals will be waiting when doors open again and there is no better way to celebrate a get together than at your favourite restaurant. Go to the Eatout website where you can assist staff with backabuddy.co.za this simple platform allows you to help staff stay afloat as so many normally rely on tips.
Send fresh flowers
With rainbow inspired gifts being really popular at the moment bunches of flowers in different colours make the perfect gift. Brighten up a friends home with a beautiful bouquet that comes straight to the door step. Netflorist is offering deliveries form the 5 May. Another option is to give a gift card from a store like Woolworths where garden seeds can be found. Start planting a vegetable garden, being outside in the sunshine gives a cheerful, happy vibe.
Nespresso
For all the coffee lovers Nespresso offers a free delivery of 5 or more sleeves , their supply chain is functional and the courier will deliver under strict hygiene protocols . Place orders online, and delivery takes 2-5 working days. Their website also has some great recipe ideas for those who see themselves as future barista.
eVouchers
Browse the internet and you will discover evouchers for almost every industry out there. From photographers, Tupperware , gifted.sa and so much more. We are spoilt for choice and convenience especially for those last minute gifting ideas. Buy now and use it later, choosing an online store is just as much fun as spending it.
While life feels upside down and maybe even inside out there is still a lot of fun to be had. Thinking out the box has become a new way of living and putting a smile on our friends faces has become a whole lot easier and more personalised.
Doing everything wearing blue jeans, Marion has travelled extensively both locally and internationally.
Writing about places, people she meets, food she tastes and anything interesting in-between. Her passion for
photography and seeing the world are what fuel her.
- Gifting your girlfriends during Coronavirus season - May 1, 2020
