From a social point of view, let’s face it, January isn’t a great month – we are all spent out from Christmas but apart from that, the nights are dark and cold making us feel less motivated to get up and go out! I thought it would be a good idea to all put our heads together and come up with cheap ideas for nights in with friends and for nights in on our own so to look at things like good books and DVDs.
Come Dine With Me Evenings
I don’t know how many of you have been watching any of the series ‘Come Dine With Me’ but if you haven’t then I would suggest that you definitely give it a go although be warned, once you’ve watched one, you’ll be hooked! The relevance of this is in the concept – 5 people take it in turns to prepare and cook a meal for the others and at the end of the evening everyone gives the meal a mark out of 10. The winner is the contestant that scores the highest at the end of the week. I think that this is a fantastic idea to use for a night in with friends during the winter – you get the sociable aspect and an excuse to dress up with the added excitement of some friendly competition. The 5 evenings could be carried out over a 5 week period providing a fun weekly activity throughout January!
Reading a good book!
After a long day of never ending domestic chores, what better way to unwind than to escape into a good book? I thought it would be a good idea to look at some recent book releases and to recommend our favourites. After all it is very difficult to know which book is going to provide a good read from the endless covers we are faced with in book shops and at the library, the choice can be a bit overwhelming!
- Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Sophie Kinsella is one of my favourite authors. Her books are easy to get into and therefore are good if you have to pop off and attend to the children…etc. I find that the stories are always entertaining and the characters easy to relate to. ‘Twenties Girl’ has recently been released and is a captivating story that’s a bit different and is definitely hard to put down. It is described as follows:
“Lara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don’t get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara’s great aunt Sadie – in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl – has appeared to make one last request: Lara must track down a missing necklace Sadie simply can’t rest without. Lara’s got enough problems of her own. Her start-up company is floundering, her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, and she’s just been dumped by the love of her life. But as Lara spends time with Sadie, life becomes more glamorous and their treasure hunt turns into something intriguing and romantic. Could Sadie’s ghost be the answer to Lara’s problems and can two girls from different times end up learning something special from each other?”
- Mum to Mum: Happy Memories and Honest Advice, From a Real Mum by Colleen Nolan
One of my favourite daytime shows is channel 3’s ‘Loose Women’. I often plan my lunch to coincide with the 12.30 till 1.30 time slot to justify stopping and sitting down for an hour! Lively banter and topical debate makes for an entertaining show and as the women talk about issues and problems that affect us all you really start to feel like you know the presenters. One of these women, Colleen Nolan, has published a book detailing her experiences of parenthood, which I think we could all relate to and be reassured that everyone is in the same boat when it comes to trying to be the best parent you can. The book is described as below:
“This is a book to bring laughter, consolation and solid advice for every mum who’s found herself wandering blearily round her kitchen in a milk-stained dressing, too exhausted by yet another sleepless night to remember what day of the week it is, or been left wondering where it all went wrong as her teenager screams, ‘I hate you!’ and storms out of the room. Coleen has been a stay-at-home mum and a working mum, steered her children through toddler tantrums and sibling rivalry, helped with their homework and cheered them on at football, handled their heartbreak at her divorce and the transition to living with a stepfather. She knows how rewarding motherhood is, and how hard. In this book, she shares some of her funniest and happiest moments as a mother, as well as the frustrations and tough times every parent faces. She also gives lots of tried and tested, practical advice for each stage of your child’s development as well as tips on dealing with issues like bullying, bereavement and divorce. Above all, she reassures us that real mums aren’t always perfect, and no one gets it right all the time. Loving your kids and doing your best is what matters.”
- Friends, Lovers and other Indiscretions by Fiona Neil
Escape the real world and satisfy your curious streak as Fiona Neil allows us an insight into the lives of a group of friends and all the secrets and controversies that life can hold. See below for a more comprehensive review:
“It’s early 2008 and the credit crunch is starting to bite. Sam and Laura Diamond – and their friends – are circling forty and all feeling a lot less certain about life than when they first met in their twenties. Laura wants to work part-time and have a third child – an appalling prospect for her husband Sam, whose secret ambition is to give up his job as a struggling scriptwriter and have a vasectomy. Life’s no more straightforward for wild child turned corporate lawyer Janey Dart. Having finally given up on Patrick, the love of her life, she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and hastily married to a wealthy hedge fund manager who loathes her friends. And Sam’s oldest friend, trendy restaurant owner Jonathan Sleet, is about to hit the big time with a TV series and cookbook, but can’t control his roving eye. So it’s no surprise that back on their organic farm in Suffolk, his once glamorous wife Hannah is finding distractions of her own. Determined to reunite the group, Jonathan brings everyone together for a holiday to celebrate his fortieth birthday. But six friends, two decades of tangled fortunes and an explosive secret from the past make for an unforgettable week.”
DVDs:
Switching off at the end of the day and settling down to watch a DVD is a really good way to relax. Whether it is with your family, a cheap night in with friends or just some quiet time to yourself, it allows you to step into another world and forget about the stresses of your day. Let us have a look at some popular choices:
- Sex and the City
Get your friends round and prepare to laugh, cry and be thoroughly entertained! It is not essential for you to have seen the hit TV series of Sex and the City as you will quickly pick up the storyline, so don’t worry about that! The main thread sees Carrie and Big preparing for their upcoming wedding while Miranda and Steve are facing breaking up, Charlotte and Harry’s family is expanding and Samantha has been in a relationship with Smith for five whole years! I enjoyed how we were able to look at how each woman’s life has moved on and changed since the TV series, those of us who have watched for the past few years feel like we know these women and really do care about what happens to them. They are entertaining as ever and the twists in the plot provide a funny and emotional journey, perfect to share with good friends and a good bottle of wine or two!
- Baby Mama (2008)
I watched this film last night and I have to say that it was brilliant! I often drift in films, much to the annoyance of my boyfriend when he then has to explain what is going on! With this one however I was gripped all the way through and really enjoyed it! The storyline sees Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) as an extremely successful businesswoman who has everything career wise but longs for a baby. With no husband and a “t-shaped uterus” she is told she has a 1 in a million chance of conceiving and resorts to a surrogate, a “baby mama” in the form of Angie (played by Amy Poehlar). As the two women embark on this exciting journey, they have to learn to accept each others very different ways of life. The twists and turns keep you guessing all the way through and I really felt involved in the lives of these women by the end of the film. A good mix of sad moments and some so funny I was sat laughing to myself! The character of Angie in particular provides some good laughs not least when her preferred baby name is Stephani after the singer Gwen Stephani! I hope that this has given you a little taster; I don’t want to give too many details away and spoil the storyline!
