Keep in Touch with Anna & Kate

What happens when two extroverts are stuck at home during a global pandemic? We put our heads together and try to find every possible way to stay busy and connected! Whether you are single and need a break from the quiet or have kids and need a break from the noise, we discuss activities to do in your home, virtually, or in your local neighborhood, and also ways to support your friends and local community during this time. 

Continuing our discussion about hosting events, we check in with Anna's friend Beth about her monthly group dinners and brunches. Beth shares all her tips and tricks for hosting a successful dinner party or brunch - including the value of a good spreadsheet! We also talk about the joy of peanut butter and chocolate and our favorite emojis. 

Planning to host a dinner party or coordinating a group outing? While not professional event planners, we do host a lot of parties and group events and wanted to share our thoughts on the art of event prep. We break down the steps for before, during and after an event - scheduling, budget, managing dietary restrictions, facilitating conversation, accounting for flaky people, late people, etc. We also talk about the role of the guest - what to bring to a party and ways to reciprocate even if you don't want to plan your own party. 

Thinking about organizing a group trip or group event? Looking for ways to connect with new people in your area? In this episode, with the help of our friend Jeff, we discuss the pros and cons of various apps and websites in helping facilitate meet-ups and connecting with friends. We also talk about Jeff's special ability to nap anywhere and his great love of peanut M&Ms.

Continuing our discussion of handwritten letters and gifts for friends, we check in with Kate's friend Elea, (an architect and artist who has amazing handwriting), to hear some of her ideas for handmade gifts. From etched glass to origami to our favorite stationary, we share a ton of ideas for gifts and letter writing and remind ourselves that you don't need to wait for a big event to let someone know that you're thinking of them!

What's better than a handwritten note or a gift from a friend? In this episode, we discuss ways to stay connected with friends through sending packages and notes. We talk about Anna's awesome Favorite Things Gift Exchange and share ideas for ways to make sending cards and postcards easier. We also read some wonderful cards and letters that we've received over the years. 

Welcome to our Podcast! In this episode, (also known as that time that we decided to start recording a podcast while Kate was sick with a bad cold), we talk about one of the main ways we have stayed connected over the years - group trips! We share some funny trip anecdotes and helpful tips for planning your own group trip. At the end of the episode we answer questions about ourselves to give you a better sense of who we are. Enjoy!