Pre-kids and married life I was out and about almost every evening. 

Having no responsibilities meant I never needed to be at home. 

I’d often work late, go to the gym or for a run after work, have drinks with friends, go out for meals and visit various friends and family. 

I rarely just stayed in for an evening. 

Since having kids and becoming a family things have definitely changed! 

Now I’m at home so much more and spend virtually every evening here as the kids are in bed.  No longer can I just pop out to do whatever I like. 

I do still occasionally go to the gym or visit a friend, but we usually go to the gym as a family after school and most of my friends now have their own kids and responsibilities so meeting up isn’t a regular occurrence. 

This means I am now at home nearly every evening. 

I work some evenings, but when I’m not working from home then I love nothing more than a cosy night in with my husband binge-watching a series, laughing at comedy or being inspired by the latest plant based food documentaries. 

In this blog post I’m going to share with you my top tips for the perfect cosy TV night in (when the kids are in bed of course!)

The right equipment

There’s nothing worse than a TV that’s so old it’s losing its picture quality or has a fuzzy sound. 

To enjoy your many night’s in as parents then it’s a great idea to invest in a good quality TV set. 

We recently purchased a new TV after having our old one for over eight years and it was a great decision. 

We now have perfectly clear audio and a crisp picture. 

If you’re in the same boat and haven’t checked out new TVs for years and years like we hadn’t, then you’ll be amazed at how much they have progressed. 

Just check out the impressive Panasonic Oled Televisions for an idea of what I’m talking about. 

Having the most superb cinema like experience in your living room can really make those cosy night’s in much more enjoyable!

Something fantastic to watch

I won’t lie; Ben and I can be super indecisive. 

Those evening are the worst, when you just can’t decide on something to watch together or can’t think of anything. 

For the perfect night in, make sure you have something lined up and ready to indulge yourselves in.  This will save wasting precious time flicking through different titles and choosing something not quite right. 

The most perfect night’s in are those where you can whack on something incredible as soon as the kids are tucked up in bed, making the most of those precious few hours kid-free.

Great food and snacks

If you’re going to be eating dinner during your cosy night, then plan this in advance too. 

Decide who’s cooking or which takeaway you want to order. 

If it’s a weekend night then you may want to pre-order a takeaway so you don’t have an unexpected long wait.  Your cosy night won’t be so perfect if your tummy is growling through the first half of the film! 

Perhaps one of you can put the kids to bed whilst the other cooks? 

Make sure you have some tasty snacks to hand too so you don’t have to move when you’re engrossed in the TV!

Mood lighting

There’s nothing very cosy about lights on full beam, so turn down the dimmer switch or even better turn off the main lights altogether. 

Light candles for extra cosiness or have a low lit cosy lamp in the corner.

Your room will become instantly homely and calm with some flickering candles as your light source in the evening. 

Let’s just hope the kids stay snoozing!

A log burner for colder months

Another one of our best investments in our home was a log burner.  There was a hideous fireplace here before that didn’t even have any sort of fire in it, just a concrete and black hole of nothingness. 

On cold winter evenings (and currently chilly spring evenings, hurry up summer), we’ll light up a fire and snuggle up in front of it. 

There’s no cosiness if you’re not warm enough, so snuggle up under fluffy throws, pop the heating on if you need to and stay warm. 

In some areas you aren't allowed to have a real fire in your home, but don't worry - simply check out Barbas Bellfires Fireplaces who create some amazing gas fireplaces that look like real log burners!

No distractions

Yes we love our smart phones and we are addicted to them, but for the most perfect night in we need to put them down and turn them on silent! 

Only then can we fully snuggle up, enjoy each other’s presence and actually pay attention to whatever it is we are watching!  Otherwise we’ll be having to skip back to catch up on what we’ve missed or annoyingly keep asking each other what just happened.

 

With a little preparation, the perfect cosy night in can be bliss.  Now to get the kids to bed on time...!