iPhone Life Magazine

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APPS FOR MORE MEANINGFUL HOLIDAYS

- BY LEANNE HAYS

It’s been a weird year, and as the holiday season approaches, it’s hard to know how to celebrate. Depending on where you live, it’s still not safe to host or attend parties, let alone travel. Annual traditions like photos with Santa, religious services, and even shopping at brick-andmortar stores are also out. It’s OK to mourn, but chin up! There’s still plenty of cheer to spread if you go about it the right way. I’ve researched some virtual ways to give meaningful gifts, enjoy activities with your family, and help those who need your support in this trying time.

GET CREATIVE–HOMEMADE & CONSCIOUS GIFT GIVING

Baking, knitting, and other hobbies have entered a renaissanc­e since COVID-19. This holiday season, taking the time to make a gift shows loved ones you care and working on crafts as a family is a great way to make memories.

One of my favorite apps is LoveCrafts (free). You can download free and paid patterns for knitting, crocheting, needlepoin­t, and sewing. You can also purchase yarn or whole kits for creating fiber arts projects.

For a personaliz­ed gift that’s just as fun to make as it is to receive, check out Chatbooks (prices vary). This photo app allows you to create soft and hardcover books, cards, and wall tiles with your favorite pictures. You and your family will have a blast curating your snapshots and creating these keepsakes.

If you aren’t the artsy type but still want to give a thoughtful present and even start a new tradition, may I recommend Jolabokafl­od? No, that wasn’t a typo. It’s an Icelandic word that translates to “Christmas book flood.”

It’s a Christmas Eve tradition where people exchange books, then spend a cozy evening reading together. Download Litsy (free) and do a hashtag search to find just the right read for each family member and friend. You’ll find recommenda­tions and reviews for historical fiction, mystery, humor, and any other category you can think of. For bonus points, order your books from betterworl­dbooks.com, where you’ll find over eight million new and used books. A percentage of every purchase goes toward global literacy projects, and you can pay a little extra for carbon-neutral shipping.

NEW TRADITION–GET OUTDOORS!

Annual traditions reach across time in every direction. They give us not only enjoyment in the moment, but also something to look forward to and happy memories we can relive later on. With so many of our holiday activities on hold, we have the opportunit­y to try new things. Some may become traditions, some just a stand-in until things get back to normal.

Getting out in nature is a healthy way to spend time with loved ones and burn off pent-up energy. Even in winter, there’s lots of fun to be had on the trail as long as you bundle up and take the proper precaution­s. You can plan outings with people outside your household, as long as everyone stays at least six feet apart and wears a mask. Plus, let’s face it, wearing a mask is much more agreeable when it’s cold out!

Download the AllTrails (free) app and discover over 100,000 trail maps with reviews and photos. You can choose trails for walking, biking, or running, find out if they’re suited for kids and the elderly, and whether or not you’re allowed to bring your dog along. Once you’ve found your trail, be sure to check your favorite weather app. My personal favorite is WeatherBug (free) because it offers extreme weather alerts and a severe storm risk map. As a backup, check out Winter Survival Kit (free) for a list of supplies to pack and transporta­tion systems to check before you hit the road. The app can also use Location Services to pinpoint and share your location should you get stranded. Finally, be sure to notify a reliable friend or family member where you’re headed, in case you’re not able to access your iPhone.

Turn every walk into a treasure hunt with the Geocaching app (free)! Geocaches are small prizes that people hide for fellow players to find. Challenge yourself with a map, compass, and clues to track down geocaches. The sky’s the limit on what you might find. Try creating and hiding caches for others to discover. Download wikiHow (free) for tutorials on everything from rock painting to jewelry making, to whittling. Your geocaches will be the stuff of legends!

GIVE BACK

This year hit the economy hard, and there’s need everywhere you look. If you’re fortunate enough to have money to donate, make sure you’re giving to a reputable organizati­on. Charity Navigator (free) is here to help. Look up any non-profit and you’ll see how much is spent on administra­tion, fundraisin­g, and CEO salary, as well as other metrics. I learned that one of my favorite charities, Heifer, has an excellent donation-to-overhead ratio, but the CEO makes over $400K a year. Disappoint­ing, but now I have the informatio­n I need to compare it with other charities.

If you’d like to donate time as well as money, Golden Volunteer Opportunit­ies (free) will provide a list of possibilit­ies in your area. You can volunteer despite social distancing with lots of online options! I found a really fun gig transcribi­ng historical documents for the Smithsonia­n, and my kids are looking forward to watching penguin cams and tagging the birds to help scientists understand their habits. Golden lets you log your time, share activity, and even learn the value of the time you donate in dollars.

However you and your family spend the holidays this year, I wish you peace, joy, and health! Let me know how your socially-distanced celebratio­ns went, what books you loved, and if you found any apps or charities you’d recommend to our other readers.

Leanne Hays is an SEO Content Strategist at iPhone Life. She loves reading and blogging, and is never without a book in her backpack or an audiobook on her phone. Short-term goals include finishing painting her house and starting an aquaponics farm, long-term goals include a bike tour of Italy and writing a novel.

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