How to make quarantine your best ever house party!

And then... we all sat at home... again.

Some of us completely unexpected, without a job but with their whole family. Others all by themselves, with an improvised home office. Or with their partners, in that same home office (‘Babe, I have a call at eleven, if you could hang up in a minute or two? Yeah, that would be great..’). Anyway, we all have to improvise, adjust and get used to this new situation. To help you on your way and make this situation a little bit easier, we have come up with our top tips on how to make quarantine your best ever house-party!

Because we believe that the best way to handle this situation and get through it, is to stay as positive and kind (to ourselves and others). Whether or not your work continues, or maybe you have a few mini versions of yourself at home that need (a lot of) attention: because many social activities are temporarily discontinued, we are at home for the time being. So, here are our tips to get your house party started:

Reconnect to yourself

Use this time to find your inner balance again and re-discover what is important to you. Do the things that you have been saying you never have time for any more.  Almost all of us lead busy lives, with all kinds of commitments & appointments filling our days, making it easy to forget to live in the moment and reflect on how & what we want to experience in life.

If there's one thing we know it is that time flies. Before you know it, that book you’ve wanted to read for so long or that movie you would still love to watch sometime end up somewhere in a pile of clutter. The next project, the next appointment, the next dinner date or party, we all get carried away with the busy-ness of life. Whilst all these things can be enjoyable it is also so good for us to take a step back from time to time.

How nice that we have to do a little bit less now? Have more time to think about where we are in life and to reflect on all the amazing things we have done and memories we have made the last years? Reflect on the past, write down ideas and make plans for the future!

Meditate

Whether you are an experienced in the art of mindfulness or a newbie in this field, everyone can meditate. And it is good for you! Research shows that a consistent daily meditation practice of 20 minutes can assist your body in its regulatory and refreshing functions equivalent to that of what 2 hours sleep can achieve! It's one of the BEST gifts you can give to yourself.

Create a nice spot in your home and try to meditate every day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes to begin with. Build a routine around your practice, make it as regular as brushing your teeth! The free app ‘Insight Timer’ is a great tool to help you with this.

Turn up the volume

Instead of sitting in a full train or during traffic, now in the serenity of your own home: listen to podcasts. There are so many great ones to choose from on iTunes or Spotify with sweet stories, educational subjects, cool interviews or discover new music! The perfect companion for when you are doing your household chores or just with a nice cup of tea snuggled up on the couch. A few of your favorite podcasts are: Jay Shetty - On Purpose, Lewis Howes - The School of Greatness and Brené Brown met Unlocking Us. 

Get into the kitchen

Try out new recipes and broaden your horizon when it comes to ingredients. Spice up your world with recipes from other cultures or check out food blogs and create something you would normally never think of, or take the time for. Make it social by sharing success recipes with friends and family via FB groups or What's App group chats. This way you stay in touch and maybe you’ll even inspire each other! One of Floor's favorite cookbooks is Veggiestan. 

Online book club

The libraries are closed and physical book clubs can't take place, but that doesn’t mean we can’t read & share the books we love! Make time to read that you wouldn't usually have if you were at work and living your usual life. ENjoy a mid-day read by the window when the sun is shining (or when you have a balcony or garden: you know what to do!). Just like your fave recipes, this is also an opportunity to connect & share with your friends and family and exchange tips with others online.

Explore nature...

from your couch. Watch a nature documentary! You will be surprised how many beautiful documentaries you can find online, such as one of our favorites ‘Our Planet’ on Netflix.

Mask mask mask

How nice to have (and take) time for a good mask? And there is só much choice: facial masks, hair masks, eye masks, lip masks, feet and hand masks… leave them on extra long while working at home or relaxing (for example while listening to that podcast). Now we spend more time indoors it is important to stay moisturized. Our fave masks at Nourished are:

+ Instant Glow Face Masque from Retreatment Botanics

+ Brighten Me- Vitamin C Sheet Mask from AIMX 

+ Face Compost Purple Power Mask from Eco by Sonya 

Tip: before applying you mask make sure you have exfoliated your skin for that extra-smooth-baby-skin effect. 

Experiment with new looks

Now we don’t really have social activities, this is the perfect time to experiment with new looks. Check out our IGTV for some inspiring 'Get The Look' makeup tutorials from Cate at @eyeofhoruscosmetics. Think of nail polish (get inspired by the brilliant designs of @anouknailedit) make-up or hair. Maybe you’ll become a total professional in applying products that you never felt confident enough to use (hello, winged eyeliner) or you’ll discover products you forgot you had. Celine Bernearts (@celine_bernearts op Instagram) is another great inspirational beauty expert!

Create & Connect

Send a cute card to your grandparents or that one friend you haven’t talked to in a while. If you’re really in a creative mood, you can even make cards yourself! Even though you’re might not be able to be physically with the people you love this festive season, you can still create that connection in other ways. (Video) call your parents, other family members or friends and really take your time. Include a good cup of coffee or a cool beverage and... fun guaranteed!

Home work-outs

Maybe you cannot see one more home-workout because of the millions of fitgirl that seem to have found a new mission in life, but being active at home is actually a very good and effective way to stay healthy during this time. You don’t have to overdo it, just do whatever feels good to you. Maybe you get inspired by all these fitness guru’s, or you are more of a yoga and pilates type of woman: it’s all up to you. The nice thing about this ‘hype’ is that there are now countless videos available online, such as on YouTube and Instagram. For example @nikizoub or @samanthahafen. All you need is a fitness mat and possibly some tools. For example from @iloveyoganl.

Ni hao

Always wanted to learn a new language? Now is the time! There are a lot of useful apps that you can download. Search in your app store for Memrise, Babbel or Duolingo.

Self tan

Finally the time to apply your selftan properly, without having to rush to work, to bed or your next appointment! Apply the product(s) before you start the day in your home office or before chilling on the couch to watch your favorite holiday movie. Read our article on how to swap your winter skin to a golden tan here. 

Romantic dinner

Time for a romantic dinner? Even though eating out isn't an option right now, that doesn't mean that you have to toil in the kitchen every day or that date nights are cancelled! Order food from your favorite restaurant (many restaurants are temporarily affiliated with a home delivery service or deliver – free of charge – themselves to keep their business running) and support the local businesses that are currently struggling. Light some candles, put on something nice and enjoy your date night at home!

Staycation

Feel like going on a vacay? Go for a staycation in it’s most literal form and dive into Bart’s boekje (@bartsboekje). Enjoy all of the beautiful stories and images and imagine yourself traveling without having to leave your home.

Interior inspiration

Feel like changing your interior, because you spend a lót of time in there lately? Take a look at this clean and green interior inspiration: @houseplantclub

Action!

Have seen enough, feeling inspired and ready to start? At Bauwerk Colour you can buy natural lime paint to create a new & inspiring non-tox interior. Check out their Instagram page for even more inspiration @bauwerkcolour.

Last but not least

Still feeling bored after áll these tips? It might be time for a new hobby! Draw or paint, bake that cake, learn to crochet or knit, or write a short story. Or an entire book.

Enjoy creating your own party Beauty's & stay tuned to the Nourished Gram for more at home party sparkle month inspo!