With Coronavirus lockdown set to continue for a while longer (who the hell knows when this will be over?) there will be plenty of people who will be wondering how they’re going to celebrate their partner/friends/flatmates birthdays in quarantine.

Of course, there are plenty of worse things happening at the moment, but many of us will still want to make our loved ones special days as fun as possible!

Here’s my list of 20 ways to celebrate your birthday in isolation;

1.) Make them their favourite breakfast in bed – Bacon and eggs, avo on toast… or if your feeling adventurous, even attempt to remake a Dishoom classic! Mmmmm!

2.) Boozie brunch – buy a crate of beer/a couple of bottles of Prosecco/your favourite cocktails, get your timer ready – 90 mins, get set, drink *Always drink responsibly 👀

3.) Birthday playlist – make them a birthday playlist of all of their favourite songs. Everything’s better with a bit of music in the background! DJs/Artists from around the world are also hosting a number of live gigs on YouTube 🎶

4.) Pub crawl around the house/garden – Do a different drink station around your house/garden and call every different station a different pub name. Each station has a different cocktail/drink as well as an activity or game. What could be better than beating your loved one at shithead, whilst necking back pina coladas?!

5.) Go for a long walk – head out and about (whilst continuing to social distance of course!) You can find a new route, perhaps follow a canal and bimble around for your allocated hour. Even better when the sun is out! ☀️

6.) Make a photobook and reminice on good times shared together – Make them a photobook with your favourite trips/holidays/memories. Lots of fun and something nice to keep!

7.) Organise a surprise Zoom/House party with their loved ones – Organise for all of their friends to do a surprise zoom call, wish them a Happy Birthday and enjoy a catch up.

8.) Buy them a new outfit to wear on their birthday– Just because you’re celebrating at home, doesn’t mean you can’t dress up!

9.) Treasure Hunt – Do a treasure hunt around the house/garden to discover their gifts.

10.) Hold a Netflix Party with your friends/family – you could even buy a mini projector for that perfect movie night in vibe.

11. Decorate the house – wake them up to a house full of balloons and banners!

12. Bake a cake for them – what’s a birthday without a huge birthday cake?

13. Get them a funny AF birthday card – there are some seriously funny isolation themed birthday cards out there. There’s some great ones here. https://www.bantercards.com/happy-self-isolating-birthday—solid-fb.

14. Treat them to a 3-course meal – tell him to dig out their finest outfits, I’m talking suits/dress and heels. Go all out because why not?!

15. Enjoy a pamper/spa evening – we’re all in need of a little relaxation every now and then, especially in stressful times like these. Surprise them with a candlelit bath, face mask and at-home nail salon. Not just for girls! My other half would jump at the chance.

16. Build a fort – who said building forts were for kids only?! Gather all of your pillows and duvets and make a cosy zone.

17. Themed night – mix it up a little and host a themed night. Mexican? How about tacos, tequila and piñatas? Or bring a slice of Italy to the house with homemade pasta and aperol spritz. You could even buy decorations to make it even more special.

18. Collate a Happy Birthday video montage – Get all their friends/family and colleagues to each send you a short video of them saying Happy birthday, compile it using iMovie for an extra special birthday surprise.

19. Buy them a craft kit – whether you’re a gin, beer or whiskey lover, there are plenty of kits available that provide recipe booklets and all the tools needed to formulate your own favourite tipple… all from the comfort of your own home. They make great gifts and also a fun activity to do during the day!

20. Buy a bottle of champers to pop for brunch

So there you have it, it may not be quite how they planned their birthday but you can be sure to make it one they’ll remember!

Stay safe everybody.

H x