A L T E R M E H O M E A N E C D O T E S

We don’t know about you but this week has felt a little like one from April, not July.. however you can have a wonderful time regardless of the weather!

It is hard to not let the expectation of sunshine in Summer dampen your days so we thought we would share some of our favourite rainy day activities(that won’t break the bank)!

OUR TOP RAINY DAY ACTIVITIES

THE INDOOR PICNIC - Make some space in your living room by moving all of your furniture to the sides, open the windows a little (enough for some fresh air but not so much that the rain pours in!) then layer cushions & blankets on the floor for comfort, and create a little grazing board with all of your favourite snacks & enjoy with friends and family using the art of imagination to transport you to your favourite picnic spot!

THEMED COOKING NIGHT - Last night we decided to have a ‘Spanish' night’ - we picked up ingredients to make a huge paella, and some Spanish tapas style snacks as well as some red wine, brandy and oranges for sangria, then spent the evening playing loud ‘Spanish’ style music (think Bamboleo…) There really was something wonderful about cooking a paella, with a sangria in hand, nibbling on tapas that transported us back to our favourite spot in Barcelona - despite the weather outside being one of the worst storms we have had this year!

We might have to do a separate blog post on ‘Jack’s famous Paella’ it was the first meal he ever cooked for me and we usually have ‘paella Sunday’s’ most weeks now!

PAINT THE SUMMER INSTEAD - Another wonderful rainy day activity is to flick through your photos (usually on your mobile or tablet) and find your favourite summer photo - could be on holiday or at hone, but the sunnier and happier the memory the better - then grab some paints and paper (the works online is our go to for craft nights!) and try to paint your picture - it doesn’t need to be perfect but it really is a wonderful way to enjoy the evening - Cheese & wine optional!

This was one of our first painting nights which we started during lockdown, it was such a fun evening, we even got dressed up for the occasion and has some fancy fizz!

RE CREATE A RECIPE FROM YOUR FAVOURITE RESTURANT - Is there a dish that you always order when you visit your favourite eatery? Now is the time to create this at home - if possible try to source your ingredients from local independents, such as butchers or farm shops as this just adds to the experience of re creating the meal! Pop on your favourite play list and get cooking! It is such a simple activity but will bring so much joy! Make the meal extra special by setting the table and lighting some candles!

We love the Daylesford vension ragu - which is a very warming meal for a colder summer day but not too heavy that it feels like a winter meal!

PAMPER EVENING - In our opinion this is something for everyone - who doesn’t like a relaxing pamper evening?! We love to grab a few facemasks and set up a foot spa station - we have one that I got when I worked for Argos on the buying team - but a washing up bowl, hot water and some salt scrub will do the trick! Then fill up hot water bottles (see our lovely covers here!) and cover yourself with a blanket - sit back, relax with your feet in the water - face mask on, spa music playing, you won’t even realise its pouring with rain outside! This is a great one to do with children too as they will love the idea of getting to go to a ‘spa’ at home!

We designed our bathroom to feel very spa like - but this can be achieved so simply by purchasing a lovely ‘spa’ like product, lighting some candles and playing some calming music!

Do you have any go to rainy day activities? We would love to hear & please let us know if you give any of these a try!

OUR RAINY DAY ESSENTIALS