Preparing for a Winter Evening at Home
Winter is coming when many people prefer to stay indoors. During the colder season, my friends and I are always looking for ideas of things to do whilst staying at home, in the warmth. After all, with the days getting shorter and shorter as well as colder, heading out is not that appealing.
Instead, here are some ideas for what to do during the ultimate winter night in, either alone or with family and friends. Suggestions include watching a great movie, having a dedicated poker night in or perhaps getting creative with some seasonal crafting or cooking. If you don’t fancy company, a cup of coffee and a good book or your favorite show on TV may be a good option.
Watch a movie
Movies to be released on DVD during the next few months include a remastered version of Shindler’s List, coming back to our screens 25 years after the original version. This thought-provoking film is as relevant now, as it was when it was first in cinemas.
Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, and fellow actors are back in the sixth installment of the Mission: Impossible series, this time called Mission: Impossible – Fallout. It is another action-packed movie, sure to excite any long-term fans.
Children’s movies like The Incredibles 2, Disney’s Christopher Robin, The Little Mermaid and Teen Titans Go to the Movies are all being released during November and December.
With the school holidays looming for many parents (and grandparents), these can be good purchases to keep on standby. They’re useful to have ready for when it is too miserable to go outside and the children (and adults) need some quiet time or to give away as Christmas gifts.
There are also plenty of old movies which will keep the whole family entertained. If you need further ideas for what to watch, have a look at my many movie reviews.
Arrange a poker night
If you would like to spend some time with friends but don’t like to stare at a screen for too long, or don’t have enough couches or comfortable armchairs, why not invite your friends around for the ultimate winter night in with some poker? Combine it with some lovely food and you are well set up for a long night in. If you like inspiration or to brush up on the rules, there are plenty of guides online to help you out.
If poker isn’t your thing, perhaps try some other card games or board games. Long-term favorite board games include Scrabble, Monopoly, Risk, Catan, and Clue / Cluedo. Of recent popularity, but not for the politically correct or innocent adults and definitely not for children, is Cards Against Humanity.
 The ever-popular Scrabble
Children may prefer games like Twister, Jenga, KerPlunk!, Connect Four, Yahtzee, and Hungry Hungry Hippos.
Get busy with seasonal crafting
With Christmas and the huge expectation of gifts, it may be hard to find the perfect gift for everyone. To give something more personal, you still have plenty of time to create your own hand-made gifts. Children will love making things e.g. paper chains, paper stars, and snowflakes, garlands, etc.
If you have felt and embroidery thread to hand, you could make some Nordic style Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree, or give away to family and friends.
Cook and bake for friends
Much time during the holiday season is spent eating or at least snacking. Most families have their own typical food and sweets, without which they’ll feel like something is missing.
For a great night in, invite some friends over and ask everyone to bring their favorite foods. If you prefer more structure, perhaps assign who brings starters, main courses, desserts, something sweet to go with coffee afterward, etc. If you have many friends joining you, then somebody could bring drinks to go with each dish too. At the end of the evening, you may have recipes for plenty of new dishes to make (or avoid!).
Have a great time at home
Even if you are inviting friends to your place, you don’t have to do all the work. By assigning different tasks to each of your guests, and planning the evening ahead of time, there should be minimum running around. You may not even have to head out into the cold!
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