Staff and member recommendations from things to do on your own to things you can do with friends and family. Do you have a recommendation to add? Click here to email us your recommendation.

Fun Event Ideas

Keep your ESA bonds strong by creating activities that you can enjoy together with ESA friends. All of these could be adapted to include some invited guests, and online only events can even be adapted to be "public" if you like. 

	Holiday Giving Tree -- Create your own giving tree as a great way to help fundraise for a charity of your choice during the holiday season. This is a fun way to collect physical and/or monetary donations to help those less fortunate. Click the left photo to download an event kit with everything you need to know to do your own giving tree.
	Seedling Exchange --Deliver an invitation to members and guests along with a different variety of seeds to each about 6 weeks before the exchange so they have time to grow 24 seedlings from their packet. Host a Zoom social for the group during growing season and culminate with a party in the driveway or park to enjoy to swapping varietie. Each grower goes home with a lovely assortment plus some new friendships. See a member example on the Recruitment page > Calendar parties or click the photo left for more ideas.
	World Class Museum Tour – many museums worldwide are offering free virtual tours, which make for a fabulous “travel” educational. Invitations include a link to the museum tour of your choice (everyone watches the tour in advance), a recipe for a drink or dessert from that country, and a link to the Zoom party where you’ll enjoy the treats you created and talk about all the good stuff you saw and learned.
	Virtual Beer Tour – Safely enjoy a flight via a virtual tasting party. Invite a guest host/beer expert to help you select 4-6 beers for your tasting. Send invitations with the list of beers so everyone participating can purchase their own (a liquor store may be willing to offer a discounted package price for participants). Invitation so include a link to join the live Zoom event tasting, where your beer expert will walk everyone through the unique characteristics of each. All the beer lovers in the household can join this one.
	Game Night – Enjoy a game event, safely distanced or online. In person, take your Cornhole competition to a large empty parking lot and include plenty of space between players and lanes. Bring your own bags and snacks. Or go virtual with Trivia night (just like at IC convention, Pictionary, or charades by Zoom. More game night info
	Chapter Recommendation – Online Painting Classes “Several of us have taken some of the online classes provided by our local Painting with a Twist studio. We connect through conference calling so we almost feel like we are in the same room. We also have a group text so we can take pictures at different stages and share with each other.  So much fun!  Just the thing needed to lift spirits!  We are definitely planning to patronize this business more in the future!” - Karen A./Zeta Nu Chapter of Colorado Spring, CO
	From IC Membership Workshop -- Pot Parties  “Our IC membership workshop breakout group brainstormed the idea for a series of online educationals or socials all with “Pot” as part of their themes done via Zoom. Facebook live videos could be cute invitations posted on your chapter Facebook page, unique idea with a fun play on words. Share/demonstrate Insta”pot” recipes, make fun painted “pot”, crock "Pot" recipes night, hold Me in Your "Pot" (make beautiful/useful pot holders) garden in a "Pot" (herb/flower/vegetable garden in a pot, “Pot of Gold” (Chapter History or party with a purpose)" – Susan W./Beta Epsilon Chapter of Frankfort, KS

 

Helping from Home

Looking for ways to help your community today? Every community and organization has varying needs right now. Below are a few ideas to help you get started. Be sure to check in with the organization you are trying to support for their latest guidelines on receiving donations.
 

	Operation Paperback (a 501c3 organization) began in 1999, sending its first shipments to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. They match donors of gently used or new books with individual soldiers, military units, their families, or veterans’ groups who have requested books. You can select a recipient from the list, enclose a note with your books, and even order USPS pick-up from your home. Super-easy Hope for Heroes project to take on from home with books you already have. Read the inspiring thank you notes from soldiers on their site and sign up to volunteer as a donor.
	Water for Blessings is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing every child everywhere clean drinking water. Members can help by crocheting covers to cushionr portable water filters the organization provides to those in need. The filters economically provide an inexpensive, home-based filtration system to people in 45+ countries including the U.S. Learn more at www.waterforblessings.org  Click the picture for pattern and instructions on how to Crochet for the Cause
	ESA’s Warm Welcome project was created out of the need for women and babies to be safe and warm when leaving the hospital. Check out the Warm Welcome page on the ESA website to read about a few craft projects you can work on and donate once things are back to normal.  Click the picture for instructions.
	Heart pillows for the VA Hospital: These pillows aren't only for brightening a patient's day, they are designed to be hugged when a patient is coughing to alleviate pain. Contact your local VA hospital to check on any recent restrictions or requirements for your donation. Click the picture for instructions.

Ways to Connect

Staying connected has never been so important. Here are a few tips:

- Software to connect with:

Great for gathering with lots of people. - Free accounts allow 45 minute chats. Paid accounts allow unlimited time.	Great for chatting with multiple people. - Free with no time limit.	Great for one-on-one conversations. - Free with no time limit.
Facebook Events (Facebook.com): Searchable topically AND geographically (“events near me”), and easy invitations function for inviting Facebook friends Facebook events are sharable on member profiles to expand exposure. Also sharable on the pages of related groups/pages (your city’s Chamber of Commerce page, pages of groups related to your topically to your event (Bunco, Mah Jonng, quilting). Good For: Advertising an upcoming in-person event as well as for actual online events. Allows for participation across distances and a promotional campaign leading up to the event to get registrants excited. More Info	NextDoor.com: A social media site based on neighborhood locations, bringing together people who live near one another. Free for residential users, paid for businesses and advertisers.  Good For: neighborhood-oriented or localized information (an event or activity taking place in a specific limited geographic area, like a front porch clothing drive, back to school yard-sign day, sidewalk chalk art walk, or car parade.) More Info

 

"Anyone can cook!"

This famous quote by Chef Gusteau (Disney's Ratatouille) couldn't be more true. Here are some recipes to help pass the time and broaden your dinner options.

The recipe is for chicken squares. These are one of my favorite things that my mom makes. - Recommended by Monica Haddock, Eta Pi/IN	Original Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip semi sweet cookies is our family fav, and since we live in higher altitude, I do the higher altitude recipe which is included on the label. I usually make a triple batch. - Recommended by Susie Morris,  Sigma Rho/CO
Serve up this rich, creamy, and highly addictive Instant Pot Crack Chicken tonight! Creamy, cheesy, salty bacon, ranch, and tender chicken all in one dish! Who could ask for more?  - Recommended by Sara Jane Johnson, Lambda Chi/MI	Looking for some hearty comfort food? Try this delicious savory crock pot beef stew. -Recommended by Tracy Swanson

TV/Movies

The age of streaming televison is upon us! 

Bob Belcher is a third-generation restaurateur who runs Bob's Burgers with his loving wife and their three children. Bob believes his burgers speak for themselves and isn't afraid to offer a variety of off-beat creations. (Netflix) - Recommended by Sara Jane Johnson, Lambda Chi/MI		Lego Masters is a British reality show in which teams compete to build the best Lego project. It is hosted by Melvin Odoom and judged by Lego designer Matthew Ashton and structural engineer Roma Agrawal and Fran Scott. (YouTube)  - Recommended by Lauren G. E. Ryan, Chi Delta/NC
I've been binging on "Bosch" on Netflix. He's a homicide detective and there are some grueling episode, but I love this stuff. There are 6 seasons, I think and I'm part way through season 3.  - Recommended by Terri Olson, Selta Mu/MN		Following the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. Set in Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1990s. - Recommended by Monica Haddock, Eta Pi/IN
Comical tale about the residents of a small, remote Alaskan town and their preoccupation with ice hockey. Excitement comes to the town when, as part of a publicity stunt, the professional stars of the New York Rangers come to Alaska to face off against the local amateur team in a televised match. Small-town intrigues and petty rivalries must be shelved if the locals are to put up a respectable defence. - Recommended by Tracy Swanson		Bachelor football star Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) seems to have it all. He is wealthy and carefree, and his team is on the way to capturing a championship. Suddenly, he is tackled by some unexpected news: He has a young daughter (Madison Pettis), the result of a last fling with his ex-wife. Joe must learn to balance his personal and professional lives with the needs of his child. - Recommended by Tracy Swanson

 

Prefer a Good Book?

Find our recommendations for books that we love - from fiction to self-improvement, you'll find a something great to pass the time! Check out our book recommendations here.

Want to share YOUR recommendation? Email us your book review.