Staying at home means avoiding the nail salon, and as someone who always smudges regular nail polish (seriously, how is it possible that they can still be ready to smear by the time I go to bed?), I have a newfound appreciation for the variety of modern manicure solutions available. I previously reviewed Ohora's at-home gel strips , which are a great option for hassle-free designs. Another option that I really like, even though I am far from a pro, is dip powder. Dip powder is essentially an acrylic powder that contains pigments or glitters. You purchase a set of liquids that can be used with the powders of your choice for a quick and clean manicure that requires very little dry time. Dip powder is easily accessible, and if you're new to dip nails in general, I'd suggest a reasonably priced option for practice. I started with the Lavender Violets brand on Amazon, which comes with a set of powders + all the liquids you need for a beginner. I did find that the longevit
Goodbye to 2020, and a cautious "hello" to 2021! If you're like me, you had a pretty uneventful New Year's Eve.
That's not to say that my NYE has been particularly exciting every year until now, but the pandemic has certainly ensured that there is zero possibility of that changing for the foreseeable future. We settled in for a night of Schitt's Creek and oddly depressing NYE broadcasts, and yours truly is the only one who made it to midnight!
With the monotony of stay-at-home life, I think it's important to try and plan different things to look forward to. Valentine's Day hasn't always been a "big deal" in our household, but what I've noticed over the years is that if you treat everything as "not a big deal", you start to look back and realize... you haven't made anything a "big deal" in a while. Paired with significant USPS delays, I'm planning for next months' activities now so that our Valentine's Day plans are ready to go!
With all of that being said, if you find yourself looking for stay-at-home date night (or day!) ideas, whether due to the pandemic, sheer desire to stay in, or any other reason, I've pulled together a curated list of low-key, fun activities to shake up the norm, and make memories with your loved ones. Read on for more!
Cooking Competition
A few years ago, we celebrated our anniversary with a pizza competition. Each "competitor" came up with a recipe, shopped for ingredients, and came up with a punny name. Then we ate them!-- err, I mean judged them.
You can incorporate this idea with any favorite type of food!
- pizza
- cheese fries
- nachos
- tacos
- ice cream sundaes
- lattes
- cocktails or mocktails
Hint: if you decide on a pizza competition, you can check out my winning garlic parmesan mac and cheese pizza recipe, pictured above!
At Home Paint Night
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| Image by Pexels from Pixabay |
Paint nights are a fun activity that usually includes a group of friends led by an instructor to create the same painting. It's a really fun way to get creative, and many studios or paint night companies are offering an at-home option. You can find virtual classes in your area, or buy a paint night kit.
I'm particularly excited about the paint night kit because this way we won't create the same piece, like we would in a live class. We've picked out two different paintings to complete at the same time, so we'll both end up with pieces that we like, and they won't be two interpretations of the same painting.
Favorite Meal Re-Do
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| Image by Anna Prosekova from Pixabay |
One of my favorite anniversary dinners was a re-do of our wedding meal that we attempted at home. We made crab cakes, beef wellington appetizers, and a red velvet cake, among other items that we could recall from 2 years prior!
This doesn't have to be specific to a wedding, but if you have any special memory related to food-- whether a first date, a great meal that you had on vacation or something from your favorite date-night restaurant that is not an option at this time, try to recreate it at home!
If you aren't a chef, go easy on yourself. The point is to have fun, and of course, eat delicious food! There is no harm in choosing some premade options and doing what you can to replicate the meal as closely as possible. For example, I certainly didn't make crab cakes from scratch, and I'm pretty sure we either purchased a cake or used a box mix. The point is to have fun and end up with too much food!
Game Night
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| Image by top10-casinosites from Pixabay |
This one can certainly be paired with any of the other suggestions, but in a world of smartphones and video games, it can be nice to sit down and dig out some board or card games for some unplugged competition fun. Try some old favorites like Scrabble or Monopoly, or newer card games meant to make you laugh. If you have the time and the headspace, you can also attempt a murder mystery game, like the Hunt-a-Killer series.
Outdoor Movie Night
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| Image by Andy Giraud from Pixabay |
This one won't work for me, but for those friends in warmer climates, a change of scenery can make the difference between a special date night, and your regular socially distanced Netflix streaming.
Set up with an outdoor projector screen (some of which are surprisingly affordable!), a movie projector, some blankets, pillows, + food and drinks. Add a fire pit, if you have the space to do so, to complete your set up!
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