Evening Plans: Virtual (Or Solo) Dinner Party

Photo by Linus Mimietz 

Before the world went into disarray, I rarely cooked and ate dinner at home. My evenings consisted of dance classes in the city or picking up something quick to eat after a long day of work. That being said, I barely made an effort to turn dinner at home into a luxurious experience. But ever since lock-down began, I'm really starting to see and reap the benefits of a slow and lovely home-cooked dinner. And there are so many small, affordable, and impactful ways to take any ordinary dinner at home up a notch to make it feel like a treat. Here are a few ways I plan on turning more dinners at home into a warm and cozy experience:

• Drink a glass of wine (or 420 it) and play music while cooking. TBH, this is the only way I actually enjoy cooking. I need to be entertained while I'm cooking or else it feels like a chore. 
• Light a Candle and dim the lights. This is the easiest way to totally change the atmosphere and pretend like you are dining in a nice restaurant.
• Pick up fresh flowers for the table. Trader Joes has such cute and cheap floral options. Plus you can shop stress-free since TJs has really great social distancing practices. 
• Put on a classic movie while eating. There is something just so romantic and enchanting about old Hollywood movies. One of my favorites is Clue (1985). It's honestly hilarious, the fashion is fun and the movie is a little dark... aka it's right up my alley. 
• Plan a virtual dinner party with friends and play a game. Virtual charades sounds hella fun in my opinion. You can assign everyone to teams and each player can donate $5 to go to a charity that the winning team gets to select. 
• Add a fun dessert to the menu. There are so many healthy alternatives to our favorite desserts now so even if you are watching what you eat, you can find a way to indulge a little. 
• Wear something you feel cute in. A white cozy wrap sweater and white cotton shorts make such a cute and comfy outfit. I personally feel a lot more inspired when I feel cute. Just adds a little more umph to my day, plus you're ready to take a thirst trap and send it to your Snapchat bae or IG story (don't act like you don't do this because we all do).   

This is a ritual I want to continue for the rest of my life. Obviously, it's impractical to tell myself that every single night I'll do this... but one to two times a week sounds easy enough. Cheers to enjoying the slower moments in life. Wishing you and your loved ones a cozy and lovely day.