It’s the most wonderful time of the year, even if it isn’t the greatest of years. At least, this is what I’m trying to convince myself. 

Like just about everyone, I’ve questioned whether or not to just “meh” out of the entire holiday season. What’s the point of putting up a Christmas tree if no one is going to see it? Christmas cards? Why bother? Nothing happened this year. But, here I am, trying to wholly embrace the season and keep some holiday traditions alive, mostly for my children’s sake. However, the more I think about it, really, a lot of what I’m “phoning in” is for me. I need to have a Christmas tree; I need to have Christmas music and make plans to connect with friends and family, even if I’m not going to see them in person.

The holidays aren’t canceled; we just have to be creative with how we celebrate this year. 

We are taking every precaution and following local guidelines when deciding what socially responsible holiday activities we are planning. Any other year, we would be in the midst of your standard cold/flu season, where honestly, I wouldn’t think twice about meeting up with family or friends, even if the kids had a little sniffle. That’s just what happens this time of year. Of course, not this year. 

Because things are constantly changing, I’ve been using Lysol® Germ-Cast™ to track current flu and COVID-19 cases in my area. Lysol® Germ-Cast™ is a free app (available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play) that provides daily, county-level flu and COVID-19 levels as well as a three-week flu forecast.  

Thinking about driving to your relative’s house for the holidays? Check out Lysol® Germ-Cast™ before you pack to learn what cases look like in their area.   

If you are hosting a small gathering, Lysol® Germ-Cast™ also provides illness-prevention information like daily tips, tricks, and guidance—and, as always, check CDC guidelines to help plan accordingly. 

I love hosting, and I put together a few items for my guests for a (fingers crossed!!) small outdoor gathering (if the levels and mandates deem it safe): 

• Face masks – cute, local options or paper masks
• Bottled water and individual beverages
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Name and contact info of all attendees at the house
• Individual snacks
• Disinfecting wipes
• Decorative hand soaps

I’ve also got a backup plan if things change or guests choose not to attend. Choosing to celebrate virtually? Here are few ideas to up your virtual meeting game: 

• Virtual Bingo – Mail or drop off bingo cards to friends and family along with an invitation to play at a designated time. 
• Pictionary – Drawing Game – Not to brag, but this is my jam. To play, divide into teams; choose which team, and “drawer,” goes first. Open a random word generator. The drawer generates a word and has one minute to draw that word for their team to guess. If the team guesses the card correctly, they get the point.
• Charades – Same principle as Pictionary, but using this charades generator to spark ideas to act out instead of drawing. 
• Cookie Decorating Contest – This is an Arends tradition. We individually decorate cookies and have an independent, neutral third party (usually a neighbor) determine the winner during the holidays. We are doing this virtually this year, so there will be four sets of neighbors weighing in—fierce competition.

However you are planning on celebrating the season this year, be sure to use Lysol® Germ-Cast™ to make informed decisions. 

Lysol® Germ-Cast™ is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Editor’s Note: This post was sponsored by Lysol™ Germ-Cast™. The compensation we receive in exchange for placement on Wit & Delight is used to purchase props, hire a photographer, write/edit the blog post, and support the larger team behind Wit & Delight.

While compensation was received in exchange for coverage, all thoughts and opinions are always my own. Sponsored posts like these allow us to continue to develop dynamic unsponsored content. Thank you for supporting our partners!

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.