Chances are, it’s been a while since you’ve seen your girlfriends. Maybe you saw each other once a week for dinner and drinks, and you got to air out any tension or feelings. Or maybe you all were planning a spring break trip of your own. Whatever it may be, the coronavirus pandemic has put all of our lives on hold. That said, it’s still important to stay in touch with our friends and loved ones—what better way to do so than with a girl’s night in! Reconnect online and follow these tips for a virtual girl’s night in.

Plan What You’ll Do

Before you all sit on a Zoom call and stare at each other for the first 10 minutes, think about what you’ll do before the night begins. Do you just want it to be a virtual happy hour, where you all have your drinks and chat about your days? Or do you want to use Netflix Party and watch some rom coms together? Maybe you want it to be a game night? It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as everyone has an idea of what the night will look like.

Decide on a Quality Platform

Once you’ve decided what you all want to do, you need to talk about the virtual gathering platform you want to use. Zoom is a good choice, but if you only have the free account, then you’ll only get about 40 minutes of chatting time. There are also platforms like House Party, Google Hangouts, and FaceTime. Don’t forget about Netflix Party if you go the movie-watching direction. Make sure everyone knows which platform you’ll use before the night begins.

If Wi-Fi is an issue, remember there is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned Facebook group chat!

Get Drinks and Snacks Prepared Beforehand

The best part of any girl’s night in are all the snacks and delicious beverages. Though it’s not the best idea to go out to the store just to get your favorite candy and bottle of wine, there are options for getting those delivered to your door if you plan in advance. For example, if you’re a wine lover, you can buy wine online and end up getting a bigger selection and higher-quality wine. The sooner you plan a girl’s night in, the better chance you’ll have of having the right snacks and drinks on-hand.

You should also try to make sure that you have enough snacks nearby—if you constantly have to leave the screen to refresh your wine glass or your popcorn bowl, then that’ll get frustrating. Try to get all of the goods prepared and close by for when the night begins.

Want to make your own mocktails? Here is a recipe everyone can enjoy together!

Though these times are strange, they also provide us the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones. And we all know how super important it is to check in with our fellow Mom friends during this time. Use this extra time to love each other a little harder, even if it’s from afar!