Celebrate Love With Fun Ideas At Home

Here it is! It’s that time of the year when we get all cheesy and show our emotions to others!
And we are all up for it.

Thinking about doing something special with your loved ones but don’t know what to do exactly? We’ve got you covered.

I feel every kid has made a home tent or playhouse table once in their lifetime. I use to do it all the time and loved it. Still do to this date, so why not play kids if we can? Take those pretty bed sheets and turn your living room in a cozy bedroom! A different setting is always a winner.

April’s baker is our dreamy inspiration for this activity. Her cakes are not only beautiful but also delicious (grab one if you can, they are totes worth it) but if you can’t get hold of one yourself, why not make that a fun activity at home?

For other deliveries at your doorstep, see here

Old school is cool, so pick up your phone, select your favorite photos and make a small photo album for yourself or those you love. It will forever be there for memories! We love FreePrints and Snapfish (especially cause you get 50 prints for free every month!)

And make a canvas together or create some unique handmade candles like these ones over here and here.

Hope you get to spread the love as much as you can.

Sending you lots of love from our end,

Stay Safe,

TCB xx

Painting Candles Fiesta

Art is you being free from all of the world’s heaviness.

What are you waiting for to grab a brush and a notepad and set your mind free?

Now let me start by saying that painting may not be fit for all, and that is OK. I know the fear of creating something that isn’t up to our own standards can be high, but what if painting was something we do just for fun?

It’s important (and healthy!) to take your inner kid for a spin every now and then and I couldn’t think of a better way than making some cheerful pillar candles whilst sipping a bit of bubbly and nibbling on some goodie goodies. I don’t know about you but that sounds like a delightful evening to me. Especially now since most of what we can do is being at home.

I am not an expert on art therapy, but for me crafting something with your bare hands is a great way of expressing yourself and the state you are in. Whether you are in a happy mood or a grumpy one, the end result of creating a piece will make you wonders. I can promise this will be something that will 100% happen to you, but I would say there’s no harm in trying. It may also be lots of fun!

For me, the months of lockdown wouldn’t have been the same without painting. I am quite a hyper active person. Those who know me, know that I love doing things all the time and take joy in doing many things. Inevitably, when the idea of staying at home for a longer (and longer and longer) period of time hit, it was hard to cope. Painting was a great solution to my anxiety, and it could also be yours.

And if it isn’t, at least you got some nice art and candles along the way!

Chin chin my dears,

Here’s to more wonderful and entertaining evenings/ weekends at home.

TCB xx

Theme Nights, Taco Tuesday

My careless readers, how are we feeling today?

There isn’t that much entertainment available to us at the moment, so we thought we would provide you with some ideas to be entertained in the comfort of your cozy casa. And our first suggestion is…

Theme Nights

At Home.

Pretty simple, right? Just need to pick up a theme, which can be as fantasy as Alice In Wonderland or something close to home, like Spanish Nights would be in my case. Once you’ve got the theme covered, the rest will come pretty easily.

Let’s put our most recently choice as an example. Last week we decided to do Taco Tuesdays (which is now rolling into a weekly idea given its success), and whilst cooking has certainly become a key part of our entertainment, why not go a bit further than that?

Now in order to make your theme nights a success, there’s a few things you need to have on your checklist:

Now off you go!

Enjoy and stay safe, my dears.

TCB xx

Raving At Home

Wohooo! It’s the weekend!

Yes, we still are at home.

And we are determined to have a good time!

It’s Friday morning and I am writing to you all naked from my bed. Isn’t it a great time to be alive? I consider myself very lucky to be healthy, working from home and ready for a great weekend.

Peter Pan and Tinker Bell here have been trying really hard not to get the #staycation get to them, so we wanted to share with you some ideas that have kept our weekends full of entertainment and #goodvibesonly. All you need? Happy Energy, Booze (duh!), a projector and some damn loud speakers (pssst UE Boom are very loud and great). Here go our recommendations:

FRIDAY: Turn the volume UP for Karaoke Night

Release your anxiety and week stress with some banging tunes at home! Whether you like it or love it, karaoke is always great fun. It’s not about who sings it best (though I am a bit competitive…), we love being silly!

Masters of karaoke (in London) Lucky Voice are certainly prepared for this and you can either use their "equipment free” karaoke site and app or go all-pro and get their microphones and box set at home. We’ve tested the former and it was a great success. We used our kitchen wooden spoons as microphones and had lots of props prepared for a variety of songs (along with a selection of cocktails, of course) and our voice was just so fiiiine~~~~~~

SATURDAY: Boost some energy in your very own club night

First of all, if you are ´going out´ (staying in), you’ll need to dress the part. You don’t go out in your PJs, do you? Put on some make up, perfume, and an outfit of your choice. You are gonna kill it tonight!

Start the evening with a cocktail making class - Experiment with the spirits that are in the back of your covered. They have to be drunk at some point, surely? We made a contest out of it, giving points for presentation, delivery time and taste. My cocktail won! It was a refreshing cucumber and basil G&T. Delish.

After cocktails comes the food and it’s time for a take out, but make it fancy. Nobody wants to get cooking today and you deserve a treat!

Uh-oh! How did it get so late? It’s time to get down to business, more cocktails on the go and music on please!

The set up is pretty simple, one of you in the house is in charge of the bar, the other is in charge of music and visuals. For that, you’ll need your computer, ideally a projector and some speakers. Depending on the music you like to listen to, you could head to Boiler Room or RA to check what DJs are doing live for the night (which has proven to be very fun lately) or pick on of your favorite DJ sets from Youtube. We watched Floating Points at Printworks and Midland on a German Festival and they were both awesome. Now, if what you want to hear is just pure commercial bangers, that’s fine too! Youtube and Spotify have quality video options. It’s OK if there are no visuals but we found that seeing other people having fun encouraged us to keep dancing. So much so, we went to bed at 4AM.

Hope you do too. Enjoy the weekend peeps!

Take care, stay safe, #stayathome

TCB xx

Bring Your Own Story, At Home

it’s funny how important play can be in our lives. Research suggests that those who engage in play are more switched on, increasingly able to connect and engage with others and are also significantly more productive.

I’ve always thought I am quite the player. Competitive to say the least, but also an explorer, lover of all sorts of exercise and activities that get my heart rate up and, above all, addicted to storytelling. I live off stories. Whether these are my stories or stories I hear from others, storytelling feels like a drug to me. It enriches me and it gives me a rush very few other things give me.

It was no surprise that when I was introduced to the concept of BYOS I was bought in from minute one. Bring Your Own Story is a concept very close to my heart, and one that I try to put into practice as often as I can, specially now given most night entertainment is off the cards. The concept is simple, a curated evening with your friends to explore a theme of your choice, whether that is as light as ‘travel adventures’ or as deep as a ‘heartbreak’ can be. Prepare an intimate dinner, drinks, and off you go with the storytelling!

Needless to say this experience works at its best when you invite your friends and they invite an outsider to the party. Expand your network! A bit more tricky these days, but if you are able to do it, I would advocate for it.

Meeting new people is always thrilling and those people who have a good story are never to be missed.

TCB xx

Water Sports For The Win

COVID-19 has certainly brought a lot of bad news, but that’s not the way we want to look at things at TCB.

Our reality is shifting. How we work, play and engage with others may not be the same as it was, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.

As the lockdown lifted in London and I was allowed to fly back home to Barcelona, I took the opportunity to work from there for a while. Let me tell you, it’s been a treat. Being close to my family, old friends and having a new reality has made me more appreciative of my London life but also of how lucky I am to have Barcelona (or rather, Badalona) as my home town.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 and the stupidity of some has led to a rise of new cases in Spain, a 14-day self-isolation was put in place by the UK government. Unprepared to face for such news, I decided to stay at home (we can work anywhere so why not take advantage of it?) a little bit longer and that has let me to a whole new discovery: WATER SPORTS.

It is difficult to believe that this hadn’t occurred to me before, living by the sea. However, my home visits are always so short, that I tend to spend most of my time catching up with friends and family and not so much by myself or on myself. Here come the good news: the fact that I am now allowed to work from wherever I want, allowed to stay home for a longer period of time and opened up a paramount of opportunities, one of them the water sports school in town, Espai Mar CNB.

SUP (Stand-Up Paddle), Kayak, Sailing, Windsurf, Catalan Catamaran…think of any sport related with water, and they’ll delivered. The schoolwas initially set up as a summer camp for kids, but little by little the owners realize how much potential this had for young and adults alike. Why constraint such fun only for the little ones?

I certainly like getting my inner child so my morning routine now consists on a swim by the sea and a 1h paddle boarding in the sunshine before getting started with work. Who wouldn’t want such treat? I FEEL ALIVE!

TCB xx

Digital Birthdays

I must admit, I would have never thought that I would be spending my birthday enclosed in my house. But it is what it is and we must look for all silver linings.

Those who know me, know how much I like to keep myself and those around me on a positive note. If you exude good energy you will attract good energy and I am firm believer of that.

My birthday just passed and I had my hopes that I would still be able to celebrate it at a bar at a later time in June, however those hopes did not materialise. Living in London, we had to stay in this lockdown limbo longer than in other cities. But that’s OK, we had a plan B, and so should you.

Is your birthday coming and you can’t go outside? Bring the party home and share it with your friends online. How? Follow this simple steps we provide you with.

1. Pick up a theme for the night and put your friends in competitive teams. Everybody will make an effort and you’ll get higher engagement. From Hawaiian party to a Mad Circus, the options are endless. Ensure your friends are preparing for the night by giving them small tasks and providing them with few props for fun prior to the day.

2. Turn your house into a party venue. Just cause you are home doesn’t mean you can’t turn your house into a party venue. Zoom backgrounds are fun for the viewers but it is more fun to feel the environment you are in, too. You will be leading all the shenanigans so it’s best you are in that mode. You will also keep your friends wondering what is going in the house :)

3. Buy all the accessories needed for the night in advance. Given the current situation, delivery times are uncertain, so it is better to be over prepared than worrying on your birthday day. TOP TIP: Get yourself some fun props for the night (we got a piñata!) but also remember to get something silly for your friends. Involving the participants is key for greater engagement (and excitement).

4. Prepare some online games. We have all been invited to online bingo and quizzes, but surely there’s more than that? Think about your selected theme and what games could you put in place related to it. For example, in our Circus Night, we asked each team to come up with a show for the circus and gave them 15-20minutes on the night to prepare for it (in breakouts).

5. Get a cake but get your friends to blow up the candles. It’s your party, but it wouldn’t be the same without them.

TCB xx

STAYCATION, celebrating our Earth

Probably late to the game but never late enough to celebrate the world we live in. April 22 this year marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and damn, what a world we are living in!

Despite all the sad news, the (COVID-19) isolation, the ups and downs, the crazy climate change…We love our planet, and really is the only one we have, so we should take care of it. Celebrate every day we spend on it like there was no tomorrow. That’s what we recently did, and we encourage you to do it too!.

One beautiful Saturday morning, we got up, and decided to celebrate nature, the Earth. Here we tell you how (you can do this even if in lockdown)

Have a green breakkie to bring in that Morning Glory (and some fuel!) - Check out our INDULGE section from some foodie at home inspiration!

Pack a light snack and immerse yourself into the outside world. Be eco-friendly and pick up a bike for a ride to a nearby park/ forest. We are lucky enough we have Epping Forest not too far from London, so we embarked ourselves into a new adventure. Definitely worth it. Take the time to walk around the nature and taking in everything that is around you is a magical feeling. The vibrant colours of spring, the fresh smells, the beautify of its quietness…it is priceless.

Since we can’t really be staying out at the moment, head back home and continue the fun there. Just because you are indoors doesn’t mean you can’t pretend you are in the wild. We turned our living room into a camp site and build up a tipi from ceiling to floor. You can do so in a lower scale just by creating your little tent under your living room’s table, one of our childhood sweet treats. Bring all the essentials to the tent, as if you were out of your home. A book, some music, drinks and food and you’ve got the rest of the evening sorted.

If you are lucky enough to have a terrace or a patio, you can venture yourself into having a BBQ, the ultimate outdoorsy experience. We love how grilled veggies (and meat) taste on the barbie, what can we say. Now, we understand this is not very eco-friendly, and so in efforts to offset our bad behaviour, we support the plant a tree reforestation campaign every time we set fire.

It’s night time already, so head back to your tent to finish the day with some bed time stories and a hot herbal.

Wasn’t this the best day ever? We thought so, too.

STAYCATION, but make it artsy

Hello careless readers, how are we doing in these fabulous times at home? As the weekend was approaching we were thinking what we could do that wouldn’t be old news, booooring or too adult friendly. We know nobody likes that!?

What could we do to explore our dreams and fantasies? Art, of course. We’ve already crossed that gate at home, and let me tell you,
it’s been fun.

I know for some of you this may sound frightening. For others, it may be old news already. Either way, this is definitely something we encourage you to try or keep on doing. There’s nothing better than squeezing those creative juices. I am a firm believer that if you do that, not only it will enable you to think broadly and differently but also to feel more tired at the end of your day, resulting in a better night sleep. And my oh my, don’t we all love those!

There’s many ways you can engage with yourself, here we tell you a few.

Be The Art

Recently, the Getty Museum threw an amazing challenge at us. Whilst we are unable to visit all our favourite museums around the world, the masterminds behind these institutions have passed the ball to us. If you can see the art, BE the art. Recreate it at home, and have fun.

Of course we had to try this and whilst I wanted to recreate Velazquez´s Venus, we ended up going on a modernist tangent and replicated quite an unknown Miro piece. Needless to say this was pretty unrecognisable for most, but equally so much fun!

If you are needing some inspiration, Tussen Kunst & Quarantaine is your ally.

Create Art

My latest quarantine creations :)

Creating art is a wonderful thing. Absolutely subjective to each other’s perception as well, which I find fascinating. What is art in your eyes may not be for others but really, who decides what’s good or not? In our opinion, as long as you have fun along the way, it doesn’t matter what the end result is.

There are many ways in which you can create art. That could be making beautiful and eye captivating #FoodieMonster dish to scrapbooking with prints of your photos. Needless to say drawing and painting are a favourite of ours.

Depending on how crafty you want to get, you may want to invest in few long-term pieces such as paint, paint brushes, pencils and drawing paper or canvases. I am a big fan of supporting small business so I would encourage you to check out your local art dealers to get a good deal on these. Great Art (our fave!) and Jacksons in East London are fabulous and are doing quite a quick home delivery.

Yesterday we turned our home into a life drawing studio. We put lots of scented candles on, classic music on the stereo and a glass of vino in one hand and a pencil on the other. 20 minutes for a different pose and a lots of sketches later the night was ended. It was great fun.

If you are into scrapbooks or collages, Paperchase has fabulous cheap and cheerful options. Splash the cash on some washi tape and stickers to make it all more fun and then get 50 prints FOR FREE! on Snapfish. I am a very into my photos and scrapbooks, so last Christmas I treated myself to a portable smartphone photo printer and it has been THE BEST. In case you are like me, check it out here

Digest & Learn Art

This one is certainly for the art lovers. I particularly miss my Sunday visits to the Hayward Gallery to check their latest exhibition. Or the approachable museum lates every first Friday of the month. Needless to say I can’t wait for the next fashion exhibit at the V&A. But whilst all of that will have to wait for a while, why not getting parade by truly experts in the matter on a virtual tour to your favourite museums? And not only in London but around many major capital cities?

Museums are currently providing a huge range of activities to enjoy from the comfort of your own sofa. From grown-up workshops and art courses to kids friendly art making activities, the options are vast. The Tate Galleries in London and MoMa in New York would be a great start. If you have VR googles at home, then we also suggest you try the National Gallery’s virtual tours.

But it is not only down to museums to tap into the artistic scene. This also entails the realm of music and video art, for example. Or podcasts, even! You can learn a lot from podcasts, and we’ve certainly take a turn on this to get ourselves more educated and interested in non-coronavirus matters. This American Life is an amazing storytelling podcast, and I’ve recently stumbled upon A Piece of Work from Abbi Jacobson (hello, Broad City?), which is hilarious.

Don’t think about it any longer, let’s have some fun!

TCB xx

STAYCATION, but make it Fashion

Hello careless readers, how are we doing in these crazy times?

The Easter weekend is almost over and my beaut and I continue to #stayathome safe and sound. Despite being indoors most of days, I must admit, it’s been very nice. In fact, I still feel I don’t have enough time to do everything I want!

Whilst concerned about the global pandemic, we are trying to keep our #GoodVibesOnly alive and I’d love to share that spirit with you today.

I know I’ve been absent, but it’s been difficult to process everything that has been happening for the past month, and I really wanted to figure out what I wanted to tell you moving forward. In addition, I am luckily still working on my full time job, which is also why you haven’t heard from me for a while but I am committed to continue to catch up with you and provide you with some entertainment through these rough times at home.

Now, I know the temptation to stay on your PJ´s or those comfy leggings is real but if you landed in this page you most certainly love fashion, so don’t let it slide! Now more than ever, you have time to enjoy your creative and fashion side, at home. Not sure what to do? Here our recommendations:

1. MARIE-KONDO the hell out of YOUR WARDROBE

Your wardrobe looking a bit full and messy? Bring your inner Marie-Kondo to life and sparkle some joy to that closet of yours :) It will be an arduous task, but extremely rewarding. We speak from experience!

PS. If you are wondering who Marie Kondo is we’ll be shocked but we’ll forgive you. Get to know the master of organisation on her Netflix series: Tidying up with Marie Kondo.

2. REJUVENATE YOUR OUTFITS…

…by coming up with new outfits or even creating new pieces with what you’ve got in store (i.e. your wardrobe). I will also add to the mix what Emily Gilmore said: “If it brings you joy, keep it. If it doesn’t it goes.”

I am sure sure sure you have many items in the closet that haven’t seen the light for a good while. I feel you sister! We all tend to have our easy go-to outfits, those that we can put up without even thinking. But it is important to not forget those piece you once love so much. Whilst you are tidying up your wardrobe, I am sure you’ll come across few gems. Think how you could give those a twist and come up with a new outfit with the clothes you already own. On the other hand, you could just wear your fabulous gown on a formal working from home day to jazz things up? What outfit role do you want to play today? Check us out for inspo

3. BECOME A DESIGNER FOR THE DAY

Have you watch Next In Fashion on Netflix? If not, we’ve just given you a new series to binge watch. For those who know what we are talking about, you’ll know where we are headed. Drawing! Designing! Creating! You can create something new with what you already have. Yes, you heard me. All you need is a pair of scissors, paint and perhaps some patches or embroidery. Those pair of jeans that you don’t wear? Give them a splash of white paint, or paint a pattern you like in them et voila! You’ve got limited edition denim, right here right now. Or if you are not into painting you cut do some fringing on your trousers, jackets or even crop top some of those old school tees you don’t wear that much anymore. Experimenting is key to a fun day :)

4. PLAY WITH YOUR YOUNG SIDE (OR YOUR SIBLINGS/ FAMILY)
AND TIE DYE

Pick a white tee you don’t use as much anymore or get a new jogging set (on amazon, for example) and experiment with tie-dye! We used to do this a lot when I was little and I had plenty of fun doing it. Needless to say it’s easy, it’s fun and every piece is unique. And is on trend! Win-win. The brand Rit Dye is great and available on amazon; you’ll have to select the colours you like rather than getting a kit. If you are looking for a quick and inexpensive kit without fuss, then we recommend this set here

5. GET INSPIRED BY KEY PLAYERS IN FASHION…

…on a variety of podcasts and live sessions available on instagram. Almost all big names are doing sessions to keep ourselves entertain so check their instas and I’m sure you’ll be surprised by how much they are providing these days. There’s so much content out there I find it hard to keep up! I personally love Business of Fashion and ManRepeller, but equally there’s a bunch of documentaries on Netflix worth watching.

Happy Quarantine!

Lots of love,

TCB xx

Vacay with Friends: 8 Rules for planning a great trip

Listen, we get it. Planning a group trip is always stressful. We are all excited to embark ourselves into an adventure together, but coming to consensus can be sometimes tricky, to say the least.

Tips that should make your planning smoother

1. Once you’ve decided on a destination, Lock in your flights quick, the rest can be done later.

2. Set up a budget pool so that nobody is disappointed, and targets are clear from start.

3. Democracy is key, everybody has a say and that’s the best way to reach consensus. Despite it causing friction at times, it is necessary to be equal.  

4. Don’t let one person take all responsibilities. She/ he will feel under pressure to please everybody and will burn out quickly

5. If there’s one person designated as a planner, don’t forget to thank the planner. It’s free and mostly appreciated!

6. Set up a piggy bank or a split fare app for all expenses, you want no misunderstandings when it comes to money, money, money

7. Avoid the use of phones when together. This time together is to enjoy yourselves, together. It’s not coming back, so you better enjoy it as is. Not paying attention to your peers is rude and makes an impact in the group dynamics. Quintessential rule: at dinner, phones go in the middle of the table. The first to reach for theirs must buy a round!

8. Have Fun

And take pics along the way,
memories in your brain and in paper!

Turn Your House Into An Adult Slumber Party

Adult Sleepover

A Guide to have your house ‘slumber party’ ready

Peter Pans out there, we get you. Who wants to grow up? All the fun happens when you are a kid, we just didn’t know it.

But that’s OK, we are here for ya. Following our desires to continue to be kids, we’ve come up with another idea to try at home: The Adult Sleepover.

Yup, we said it. Girlfriends, booze, movies, beauty, fashion and food, lots of it. All the good things in one place at the same time. Could this get any better? Well of course, we’ll be helping you get things sorted so that you don’t stress about a thing. BOOM.

TIPS TO RUN A FUN NIGHT IN WITH YOUR SQUAD

0. First of all, pyjamas. Don’t forget pyjamas.

We are all up for theme parties, but this does not have to turn into a Becky G ‘Sin Pijama’ videoclip, either. Tell your friends to be fierce, but no need to go crazy on the outfit. It’s all about being yourself, in whatever format that is 😊

3. Champagne Papi, aaall the way, all night.

Bubbles should be running all night long, please. OK, if you are not into it or budget does not allow, then grab a bottle of your fave alcohol and make a cocktail for the night. Margaritas, Espresso Martinis and Cosmopolitans are currently banging

5. iT’S TIME FOR GOSSIP AND GAMES.

People are always keen to play, but in many instances, we just don’t know what. Board games are always a winner (Trivia, Twister, Pictionary, …) But if you don’t have those at hand, a good old game of charades or ‘who am I?’ is always great to break the ice.

For anything else, Karaoke. Karaoke with your hands and a youtube clip or do it properly through a console; either way, we are fans of sing-along.

7. SEX AND THE CITY.

To finish off the night, set your night camp and put on a classic rom-com. Or just go straight for the Sex and The City Boxset. We all know that’s what you wanted to do from minute one.

1. Prep the house for your guests. First impressions are key.

Make sure there’s enough resources for the night (and morning after!): loo roll and toiletries, pretty flowers & candles throughout the house, and lots of candy are essentials to keep everybody UP, UP, UP!

We are great advocates of keep our world green, therefore it is also essential to make sure we have enough cutlery and glassware to accommodate all guests. Say bye, bye to plastic and score a fancy look to your slumber party.

Wanna have an extra touch with your girls? Add personalised slippers under the bed for each one of them.

4. Have a dinner menu set to go on the night

It’s a night to enjoy with your girls, not to be stressed about having to prepare any food or mess the kitchen around. If your girls are crazy healthy, there’s plenty of cold salads you can prepare in advance of the event (I love a Green Salad with Falafel, for instance). Otherwise, indulging into treats is also OK! Burgers, Pizzas or Dumplings are always a goer, in our opinion. Order take out or have this nearly ready closer to the event date.

6. THE NAIL STATION

A good sleepover requires a bit of pampering. No need to go crazy, a good nail polish station will work a treat. You can ask each one of your guests to bring their favorite tools and colors or you can set it up yourself, either way, paint away!

A Guide To Celebrate Your Birthday like Royals

Chateau Life

A Guide to celebrate your birthday like ROYALS

Birthdays are special to us. There’s a tendency to hate celebrating growing old, but at TCB we believe on the contrary. Let’s celebrate life, let’s have a good time with those who we love the most. Always, in style. How? Becoming the king and queen of your day, in a Chateau.

Yup, you’ve heard us, in a Chateau. Unknown to many, plenty of wineries in the South of France have opened their doors to cater birthdays and special events. As we type, there’s at least 25 chateaus being advertised on Airbnb (link). If you love wine, we suggest Bordeaux as your location, and if you ask us more specifically, the Old Presbyterian in Langoiran is to dream for.

Now, there’s many things to think about before the big day.

Guests: Find out how many guests you’d like to invite and then look for the appropriate chateau. We suggest a maximum of 20 guest to not get things out of control. Usually chateaus can host up to 14 guests. Further than that you may need to look for an adjacent Maison next to it to house the rest of your friends.

Book, book, book: be quick on your decision, these beautiful properties tend to go quite quickly over the spring-summer months so you’ll need to act rapid. We suggest booking 6 months in advance.

Theme: Now you may find this silly, but adults love a theme party, too. It gives us purpose and excitement to go to a specific party and gets us generally more engaged. People may complain about it initially, but afterwards everybody loves it. Who doesn’t like to let go every now and then?

Transport: we suggest you book your chateau nearby a big airport. Bordeaux is a great choice, but Marseille and Lyon are other options. Once location and guests are sorted, make sure you book transportation from the airport to your home for the weekend, whether that is rental cars or chauffeurs. A smooth transition from point A to B is a great way to start your fabulous birthday weekend.

Budget: You really need to get a budget drafted for the event, otherwise things could get out of control. If you have a set budget, you can easily look things up according to it, otherwise you can get lost in a paramount of options you may not even be able to afford. And most importantly, you need to get a deposit paid to you ahead of time to secure your guest spots. Nobody likes to play the bad man, but it is essential to do this to avoid guests backing out without paying their share. Commitment is key.

Winery Guided Tour & Tasting: Bordeaux is one of the biggest areas of wine production, specially Red Wine. Finding a Chateau that provides a guided tour and a tasting won’t be difficult, it depends on what you are after. Our suggestion goes for Chateau Soutard, a majestic winery that not only provides a guided tour and a tasting but also a picnic by their vineyards. BOOM, what else could you ask for?

Visit a nearby town: if your guests like to stay active, along with a winery tour you could visit a nearby town. If you decided to go to Bordeaux, then Saint Emilion is a must, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, walking distance from Chateau Soutard. Literally the cutest french town around.

Now that’s all you need to do before heand, but closer to the time, you’ll need to think about…

Groceries: if you don’t want your budget to get out of hand, we suggest you have several meals at the Chateau. After all, being at home is part of the fun? If you are planning for a two-night stay (that is, from Friday til Monday night), we suggest all breakfasts and dinners to be hosted at the house.

Take advantage of being in France and get loads of French baguettes and pastries for breakfast, mixed up with charcuterie, cheese, fruit and plenty of coffee and juices. On the departure day, cook a fry-up to get people charged up before heading home.

As for dinner, we suggest making things pretty and simple: one dinner can involve rotisserie chicken and roast potatoes with salad and the party night can be pizza night. Easy, easy, easy. All you have to do is reserve those chickens a couple of days ahead of time (most supermarkets do rotisserie chicken in France) and scorch a pizza place near you. For breakfast, groceries store.

House décor, birthday props & games: in order to get into the spirits of the theme, we suggest decorating the house accordingly. Don’t go too crazy, just few details to make it look more like your house, rather than a stranger’s house. Prepping the dinner table always works a treat. Make sure there’s some cold champagne ready to pop, too!

As for birthday props & games, these are essential too. Put your guests in teams, it’s competition time! The more engaged they are, the stronger they relationship will be. Some game suggestions that always work well: hide & seek toys, the egg hunt relay, the hula hoop contest and ‘who wore it best?’

On your birthday party night, get all your teams dressed up according to a theme and give points to the team that made the biggest effort, performed the best. This activity can be one of the weekend highlights and makes people lose their inhibitions.

Now it looks like everything is set! As an organizer, yourself and your confident (whoever you want to take with you) should get there a day in advance, so that everything is set up and ready for when your guests arrive. And to have some champagne before the storm comes in.

Cheers babes!

TCB xx