Tag Archives: night in

Friday Date Night

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Friday Date Night

Hello! A weekend in mine and Johnny’s world follows a fairly regular format of a date night one day and then Johnny will hang out with friends and I get the apartment to myself on the other. It’s great! These past few weeks have been exhausting for me because I started a new online job on top of my regular schedule. While we did have plans for a friend to come over on Friday, I had absolutely no follow through and we ended up having an awesome date night in, instead. Check it out:

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Literally all of last week, I developed an intense craving for Mary Coyle’s, which is a mom and pop Italian restaurant and ice cream parlor in Highland Square. I have absolutely no idea where this came from because I haven’t had Mary Coyle’s since I was a teenager. All I knew is that I had to have it lol! Being the angel that Johnny is, he DoorDashed it for dinner on Friday and I couldn’t wait to dig in while we watched our free trial of Peacock. Unfortunately, It was nowhere near as good as I remembered it being. 😦

At Mary Coyle’s I went with my teenage order of Fettuccine Alfredo and a blueberry sundae and, if we’re all being honest with each other – it sucked! The Alfredo was dry and the serving size was so small. Not that I want a heaping dish when I order out but this was legit a half handful of noodles at best and I was still hungry after the meal. I figured that I would fill up the empty spots with ice cream but that didn’t go accordingly to plan, either. The sundae consisted primarily of marshmallow fluff rather than ice cream and it was so disappointing!

Although the meal left a lot to be desired and required supplemental Doritos, we still had a great evening in. After dinner, we spent several hours playing Mario Kart 8 online and it was a hoot. It’s fun to race against Johnny and the computers but it was even better to play against actual people around the world. The races online were actually challenging and every time we thought we were going to finish up, “just one more” would turn into two or three. And, of course, we can’t get enough of the new racetracks that have been added too. 😀

A DoorDash and video game date night was just what I needed after yet another busy week. Whether we are out on the town or in for the evening, it is always the best time with my main squeeze! ❤

What is a perfect night in for you like? Are there any restaurants that didn’t live up to your memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Rejuvenating Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Freeman Rejuvenating Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask Edition

Hello!! Friday is usually Johnny’s big night out and my big night in. During my evening with the apartment to myself, I love to play Paper Mario and Animal Crossing and watch all of the shows that Johnny refuses to watch with me (IE: Hoarders!). As I was getting settled, I realized that it had been a long while since I used a face mask so I decided to do a little pampering:

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For my spa night, I used the Freeman Rejuvenating Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask and it was pretty good. My first impression was how nice it smelled – just like freshly cut cucumbers, which was really refreshing. The pale blue color was also very pleasing too! The directions for this mask said to remove after seven to ten minutes so I applied the mask and waited…

When I’m using a face mask, I try to leave it on for as long as I can. However, that was so not the case with this mask. It dried very quickly and by the five minute mark it was already hardened considerably but not unpleasantly. Fast forward to minute seven and my skin was begging me to take it off. I experienced a mild burning sensation and it was like heaven when I began removing it.

Although it wasn’t the most pampered I’ve ever felt during my face mask time, I was still impressed with the results. The exfoliating pink salt worked well and my skin felt smooth and looked nourished. It was super drying, though, and I actually had to apply my nighttime skin care routine twice because of how thirsty my skin was. It was all good after that extra moisturizing boost!

I liked this mask well enough but I don’t think that I would use it again. If I were to try it one more time, I would definitely remove it at five minutes, which I would recommend if you try it too!

How do you like to spend a night in? What is your favorite face mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Hosting A Fun Family Game Night

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Hosting A Fun Family Game Night

Many of us have exhausted a range of activities in the midst of societal lock down. We’ve baked, we’ve cooked, we’ve tried foreign cuisine, we’ve read, we’ve relaxed. So, it’s understandable if you’re feeling restless or irritable once your options for activities have been depleted. Not being able to ‘get out’ and enjoy the warm weather (by virtue of it being winter) also limits us a little more. You shouldn’t feel guilty for feeling irritable, as a lot of people are – myself included!

But what’s best for when you’re feeling irritable? To us, playing games and having fun with our family members can really help. Games help us act creatively, to compete in safe settings, and moreover, to have fun and a laugh. Hosting a fun game night with the family can be lovely then, and perhaps a weekly tradition.

But what sort of game nights could you have with the family? Your board game collection is a great place to start or you could order a couple of games online for something totally different. Why not also consider some of the following options?

Word & Quiz Games:

It can be fun to test your general knowledge or show off your Words With Friends skills with a word game. My personal favorite word game is Scrabble and using a descramble words tool can help you buff up before the games begin. Memory games, general trivia, and even games like timed ‘random Wikipedia journeys’ can be a great idea. These games will help you get a brain workout by the end of them! And who’s to say they aren’t competitive?

Video Game Parties:

If you have any video games consoles and games that offer cooperative play, you will be in for a blast. Four play Mario Party can be phenomenal, for instance, helping you enjoy a range of mini games across a players board, building stars, and dunking on others as you go. You’re sure to have fun with Mariokart, Keep Talking, And Nobody Explodes to show you what friendly competition is all about. We would also recommend Human Fall Flat and Fall Guys if you’re looking for something comical and cartoonish.

A Homespun Talent Show:

It can also be a wonderful idea to enjoy a homespun talent show, one that helps you feel connected, appreciated, and able to express your silliest joys. Perhaps you and your partner can do a magic show for the children, while they can lip sync and play air guitar to their favorite song. It sounds very silly, and it is! The goal is for everyone to be grinning from ear to ear. You can all judge and score each act and work up to the semi finals and finals over the course of a weekend. It might be a bit of work, but the outcome will be well worth it!

With this advice, we hope you can enjoy a fun game night with the family – and no doubt end up having a ball. You will feel much better afterwards too! 🙂

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Planning The Ultimate Game Night With Your Friends

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Planning The Ultimate Game Night With Your Friends

Hi! The weather in Akron, Ohio is currently snowy and freezing which ultimately makes going out a real drag. Believe me, I love nothing more than being out and about with my boyfriend and friends. However, it’s a hard pass when I need thirteen layers on to stay warm! This cold existence has left all of us stranded in our homes, riddled with the desire to still do something while remaining on the couch the whole time.

Cue: A game night

This past month, I have participated in so many game nights, I have lost track. Am I mad about it? No! Quite the opposite, actually. You know why? Because I prefer something like this to going to the bar any day of the week. In this post, we’re going to discuss the makings of a perfect game night for you and your friends to enjoy:

Location:

The host of the game night should reside in a good central location from all of the guests if they have enough room for such tom foolery. You might not want to be Keeper Of The Games in your studio apartment! Make sure there is enough space for everyone to spread out comfortably and I do mean comfortably because no one wants to sit on a threadbare couch!

Snacks:

Snacks are a crucial part of the game night and the responsibility can be divided up pretty evenly among your group. Everyone could throw in money for pizza, share a snack of their own, or a potluck style meal could be what suits you guys best. Either way, it shouldn’t be up to one person to provide all of the snacks for your evening.

Drinks:

Does your group of friends enjoy drinking? Great. Everyone can bring some beer or a bottle of wine. Does your group of friends not enjoy drinking? Great. Everyone can bring some pop, juice, or you can make mocktails. All I know is, you can’t be snacking on salty treats without something to wash it down with!

Games:

The games for the event is definitely something that should be discussed beforehand amongst your group. Is it a video gaming night? Classic board games? How about a murder mystery night? You could even play games that pay cash so you can fund your next get together! This is all important to know ahead of time so everyone knows what to bring or how they should dress.

Normally, my game nights include a little bit of everything from video games and cards to trivial pursuit and dice. You can stick with a theme and alternate weekly or draw different games from a hat. Just make sure that everyone who has a game that they would like to play gets that opportunity at some point.

Game nights are an amazing way to spend time with your friends while saving money that would otherwise be spent at the bar or restaurant. Make your events a weekly or monthly thing and watch your friend group grow even more tight-knit through the bond of good old fashioned fun!

What are your favorite games to play? What are some of your tips for the ultimate game night? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

4 Fun Ways to Spend a Night in with Friends and Family

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4 Fun Ways to Spend a Night in with Friends and Family

What are you usual plans for a Friday night in? Do you go out to the bar with your colleagues? Maybe you have a lovely dinner with your partner or family members at a fancy restaurant? Or perhaps you like to visit the cinema and catch up on the latest film releases? Whatever your decision, there’s always the option of staying indoors with your friends and family.

But why? There are plenty of good reasons to stay indoors, such as the reduced cost of having an entertaining night or the freedom of doing what you like and not having to be around crowds, loud music, and sloppy drunk patrons. If you’d like to switch it up this week and enjoy a night in, here are a couple of ideas to get you excited for a change of pace:

Movie Night: Having a movie night can almost become a ritual if you do it often enough. It’s a night to look forward to because you get to catch up on the latest shows or movies with your friends while stuffing your faces with pizza, tacos, or any kind of greasy fast food. It’s cheap as well thanks to subscription services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. There are even specialized services, such as Crunchyroll, if you’d prefer to watch something like anime.

With so many shows and films available on the internet, it’s hard to get bored or stumped on what to watch. You could even have a video night where you browse funny and interesting YouTube videos together with your friends and family, and with the growing library of content you’ll always have something fun to watch.

Bingo Night: Bingo might be associated with seniors playing in a club or retirement home, but it’s still a fun and exciting game that is suitable for the whole family. No matter how old or young the players, bingo is a fun game that can be played almost anywhere. You don’t need complicated machinery either because you can play bingo online and use online tools to draw numbers and print off bingo cards. Or you could take things one step further and make the cards relateable to the players by using their initials and inside jokes or memories as the calling criteria.

Gaming Party: Almost everyone has played a video game once in their life, and it’s becoming increasingly popular for young adults, parents, and children to engage in video game parties. Set up a large television in the living room, grab loads of snacks, and connect four controllers to your video game console of choice and play together. You could even get party games such as Just Dance which is fun even if you’re not a gamer—you don’t even need controllers because you can play with your phone!

Board Game Night: Board games have been somewhat forgotten because of the rise of video games, but it’s still a hobby enjoyed by many people around the world. Whether it’s a humble game of Monopoly or something more immersive such as Dungeons and Dragons, there are plenty of board games and pen and paper games for you to play with your family and friends. Board games aren’t very expensive (they cost about as much as a video game or less) and you can have countless hours of fun with them if you keep them in good condition.

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The Perfect Festive Night In

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The Perfect Festive Night In

The countdown to Christmas is on, by the end of this week we’ll be tucking into a big dinner and ripping open the presents under the tree! But in the meantime, why not enjoy the run-up to Christmas? It’s that perfect time of year when everyone is truly in the festive spirit; chances are you’ve already broken up from work and have free time to relax and enjoy yourself. Here’s everything you need for a perfect, festive night in.

Make Your Surroundings Cozy: Whether it’s your comfy sofa with plenty of throws and pillows, or your bed with gorgeous, clean sheets make sure that you have everything situated for cold winter cuddles. If you want to really treat yourself you could buy a brand new set to use; Christmas bedding is a popular choice, or you could go with something luxurious like hotel bedding from Richard Haworth. Light some candles, turn on the heating, draw the curtains and create the perfect cozy environment to enjoy your evening.

Use Some Pampering Products: A pampering bath is the perfect way to begin your cozy night in. A soak in a hot bath with a luxurious bath oil, bath bomb, or bubbles will warm you up and have you feeling perfectly relaxed. You could use a face mask to treat your skin, and a hair mask to nourish your locks. You could paint your nails in a festive shade and use your most indulgent skin care to leave your skin feeling extra smooth and soft. We all have those products which we save for a special occasion, so why not make that now!

Change into Comfy Pajamas: Once you’re out of the bath, comfy pajamas are a must. You can buy pajama sets, dressing gowns, fluffy socks, and slippers all for relatively cheap, and they’re great for this time of year. You want pieces that are ultra soft and comfortable so you can properly lounge. I recommend TJMaxx for all of your pajama needs – that’s where I stocked up!

Prepare Some Festive Food and Drink: Enjoy some of the delicious festive snacks that you probably wouldn’t have during the rest of the year. Hot chocolate with all the trimmings, or a glass of mulled wine. Lots of chocolate and indulgences- Christmas isn’t a time to be counting calories! Allow yourself whatever you want, guilt free. The inevitable New Year’s detox is right around the corner so may as well enjoy it while you can!

Decide On a Few Things To Do: Do you have a box set that you’ve been dying to start, or a program you want to catch up on? Now is the time to put it on. You could scour Netflix for some Christmas films or download lots of books to your Kindle. You could listen to music, Skype a friend or family member, or even put on a meditation app and just relax. This is a great time to catch up on all of the fun things that you want to do on a regular day, but just don’t have the time for. Having time to sit around and do whatever you want gives your mind a much-needed break from work. When you eventually do go back in in January, you’ll be well rested and ready to go.

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