Author: Layla Dian

Posted on

How to Host a Fun Night In

Three young girls lay side by side in a hotel bed wearing white robes and white towels wrapped around their heads.

Having fun on the weekends doesn’t have to mean going out

There’s a lot of pressure to make the most out of every weekend in college. But letting off steam doesn’t have to mean heading to the bar Friday and Saturday nights and then recovering on Sundays. It is possible to have just as much – if not more – fun staying in for a night. Except for one thing: Hosting a night in involves work. Organizing, planning, and getting your place ready for guests can seem overwhelming. But planning can actually be part of the fun. Whether you’re looking to save some money, or you’re just tired of the same old college bars, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a guide to throwing the best possible weekend night in. 

Night In Ideas

If you have no clue where to start, here are some possible night in activities:

  1. Game night- have everyone bring their favorite board/card game and let the competition begin
  2. Spa night- complete with face masks, manicures, and cucumber water
  3. Cocktail night- have everyone make a signature cocktail to share with the group
  4. Dinner party- pick a fun new recipe and cook dinner with friends 
  5. Charcuterie & wine- meat, cheese, crackers, wine, good conversation– what more could you ask for?
  6. Get crafty- get some canvases and paint and let your inner Bob Ross run free
  7. Presentation night- Anna O’Connell, junior at the U, said this is a favorite among her friend group. Basically, everyone has an hour to create a PowerPoint presentation about something they feel passionate about. This could be anything: a ranking of characters on your favorite TV show, a list of the biggest red flags when dating or a persuasive presentation about why Minnesota is the best state ever. After everyone finishes, people take turns presenting to the group. “When everyone is super into it it’s really funny. We turn it into a drinking game sometimes. It’s a lot of fun,” O’Connell said.

Planning

So you decided you’re hosting this weekend, now what? Event planner Hannah Thompson suggests that you start by setting a budget, and then most importantly, stick to it. “Have an actual budget, don’t just go for stuff because you think ‘Oh that’s cheap.’ Have an idea of what you need,” she said. Having all your friends pitch in is a great way to save some money and make sure everyone feels involved in the process. 

Once you figure out how much money you’re working with, head over to Pinterest to decide what kind of a vibe you want for the night. Create a shared Pinterest board with your friends where everyone can collaborate. Thompson calls this the “brain dump” phase. After everyone has contributed, you can start to flesh out common themes and get a better idea of what exactly you want your night to be like. 

The more you figure out ahead of time the more successful you’ll be. Thompson urges her clients not to put off planning, “Plan ahead,” she said. “Don’t do any last minute planning.”

Food

Food is what separates a good party from a great party. An easy and inexpensive way to feed all your guests is with a DIY food bar. “Pick a low maintenance food. So we’re talking a taco bar, sandwich bar, pasta bar, build-your-own pizza bar, salad bar. You can have a lot of fun with it,” Thompson said. “Every time I’ve done a food bar it’s been under $50.”

Make sure that you’re mindful of any dietary restrictions that your guests may have. If you have friends that are vegetarian, gluten free, or have any allergies make sure that they have options too. Having each of your guests contribute one element of the food bar is a great way to take pressure off you as a host and ensure that there is something for everyone. 

Drinks

Alcoholic or not, everyone needs something refreshing to sip on. A fun way to emphasize your theme is with a signature drink. It can be simple, like cucumber water for a spa night, or more elaborate, like a spicy margarita pitcher for taco night. Making a pitcher or punch bowl of whatever you want to serve makes the prep much easier and leaves less for you to stress about once your friends arrive. No one wants to spend the night tediously making single serve cocktails or mocktails, you’re a host not a bartender! Having your guests BYOB is another way to simplify and save some money. 

Finishing touches

Things like decorations and music can be the cherry on top of your night in. You don’t need to buy anything new for your decor. Thompson suggests utilizing what you have and DIY-ing when you can, “If you see something that you like, take a look around and see if you have something similar. It might not be an exact match, but it could still work. You would be surprised what you can make from Dollar Store supplies. I’m a huge fan of DIY-ing.”

Music has the power to completely change moods. Curate a playlist to set the vibes you want for your night in. You could make a shared playlist so that your guests can contribute too. When you’re the host it can be easy to get so caught up in worrying if everyone else is having a good time that you forget to have fun yourself! Don’t forget to let loose and enjoy your night.

Posted on

Weekends With Dad

State theatre buildings lit up during the night.

How going to the theater over the years has brought us closer.

I have been going to the theater on an occasional weekend with my dad since I was 10 years old. It’s “our thing.” We get all dressed up, go to a fancy restaurant for dinner, and then go see a play or a musical. It happens two or three times a year, at least one time during the holidays. 

I can’t even remember all the shows we’ve seen. We’ve covered most of the major theaters in the Twin Cities area. We’ve seen shows at the Children’s Theater, the Orpheum, the Guthrie, the Pantages, the State Theater, the Ordway and some other smaller venues too. 

My favorite part isn’t the dressing up, the good food, or the entertainment –although those are all major pluses. It’s the car ride home, when my dad and I debrief the evening. We always end up with a bunch of new inside jokes from the night and repeat the funniest lines from the show to each other, never tiring of it. 

We don’t really care if the show is good or bad. To be honest, we prefer the bad ones. We saw a production of “West Side Story” at the Ordway in 2017, which we still regard as our all-time favorite. Not because of the huge musical dance numbers, impressive costume and set design, or the classic “Romeo and Juliet” style love story, but because the Jets could not snap in time with each other for the life of them. 

Every time the supposedly badass gang would do their classic synchronized snapping, it sounded like someone was making popcorn on stage. My dad and I could not keep it together. We were stifling our laughter from our seats in the balcony while the actors tried, and failed, to snap in sync. We still joke about it today. 

In 2021 our holiday musical of choice was a December production of Fiddler on the Roof, also at the Ordway. While we were flipping through the program before the show started, we noticed an interesting detail in the lead actor’s bio. He only stars in plays that he also directs. 

For some reason we clung to this and created an elaborate backstory about how he is such a difficult actor to work with that only he can handle himself, therefore he must direct his own productions. We imagined him combing through the script, throwing himself extra lines and making sure that he only ever has to stand with his good side facing the audience. We really cracked ourselves up with that one. 

When I asked my dad if he had a particularly funny memory from our outings, he reminded me of a play we saw a couple years ago. Neither one of us can remember what it was called or even the basic plot or premise. All we remember is that we thought we were going to see a fun, fluffy musical, but instead it was two hours of dialogue from three actors who never left the stage. Very serious. And quite depressing, honestly. 

At the end of the show, all the actors left the stage but the lights never went down. Confused, the audience didn’t know whether to clap or wait for some big finale. After about a minute of silence, a janitor with a mop walked past the doorway of the set. 

In the chatter of everyone exiting the theater, we could hear people trying to dissect the deeper meaning of the play. Everyone else seemed quite impressed, but we had never been more confused in our lives. All we were trying to figure out was if that person at the end was an actual janitor or an actor. Our seats were high in the balcony, so we couldn’t see their face.

We left the play deciding that it was basically about nothing, and that a random janitor at the theater just jumped the gun trying to clean up. We had a good laugh about that too. 

Looking back, I now see that going to the theater is a wonderful way for anyone to spend their weekend. There’s something that feels inherently classy about the theater, especially older ones. The velvet cushioned seats, ornate ceilings, and live orchestra accompaniment give the whole experience an air of elegance. 

Some people, like me, like to get dressed up. But you are welcome to wear whatever you’re comfortable in.  

There really is something exciting about seeing a live performance. When the house lights in the theater go down you can feel the buzz of excitement as everyone goes silent and anticipates the first notes of an opening number. When you go see a movie you know that you’re seeing a polished, edited version of a story. In theater, it’s all unraveling in real time. Anything can happen, giving the whole experience a touch of exhilaration. 

It’s also one of the best ways in 2023 to spend up to three hours completely unplugged. Using your phone during a show is not only a major faux pas, but it could get you kicked out. 

But when I look back on 12 years of regular outings with my dad to the theater, it isn’t really about the performances at all. It’s about making memories and laughing with my dad.

Posted on

5 Weekend Activities– For Under $20!

A cartoon sketch of a hand placing a coin in a piggybank.

What can you do when your heart says yes, but your wallet says no?

We’ve all been there: excited to relax with some well-deserved fun after a long week of work, school or both. But let’s face it, most of the time “let’s do something fun!” is just a euphemism for “let’s spend some money!” And sometimes your bank account just won’t allow it. So here are five ways to have a good time on those weekends between paychecks.

1. Go to a museum

The Minneapolis Institute of Art has free admission and a vast collection of artwork and artifacts, old and new. The museum’s permanent collection includes pieces that are thousands of years old, and features art from six continents. It proves to be a fun AND fascinating way to spend your day. 

Cost: $0

2. Bake a Pinterest inspired cake

All you need is a box of cake mix, frosting, cherries, food coloring and a plastic bag with a corner cut out as a makeshift piping bag, and voila! You will end up with a perfect, aesthetically pleasing, Pinterest worthy cake. OK, OK. It might not be perfect but it will certainly be tasty. And fun! (Pro tip: whip your store bought frosting with a hand mixer to get more bang for your buck.)

Cost:

Betty Crocker cake mix: $1.79

Betty Crocker frosting x2: $3.78

Market Pantry assorted food coloring: $3.69

Maraschino cherries: $2.49

Grand total: $11.75

3. Have a picnic

Something about eating lunch outside on a blanket just makes it taste better. You can have an Instagrammable picnic for under $20 easily with food from Trader Joe’s. Your menu: salad, French bread, marinated mozzarella balls, and, to wash it all down, bubbly ros​​é. TJ’s offers a variety of salad kits with dressing included for only $3.99. The French baguette pairs perfectly with the marinated mozzarella; you can dip your bread in the olive oil marinade, top it with the cheese, or both! And who doesn’t love rosé?

Cost:

French baguette: $1.99

Marinated mozzarella: $6.49

Salad kit (3.5 servings): $3.99

Brut Rosé French Sparkling Wine: $6.99

Grand total: $19.46

4. Try a free workout class

So many gyms have free trials/promotional “first class free” deals, take advantage! CycleBar, Orangetheory, and Pure Barre all offer one free class for first timers. Corepower Yoga offers a whole week of free classes for potential new members. Look up some fitness centers near you and you’ll be sure to find a deal.

Cost: $0

5. Throw a good old fashioned slumber party

I’m talking about a fort building, movie marathoning, truth or dare playing, classic slumber party! In order to really have fun with this you gotta commit to the bit. Invite your friends over, tell them to wear their best PJs, bring a sleeping bag, and then let your inner child run wild. Have each friend bring a snack of their choice for the group to share. 

Cost: 

Party size bag of Doritos: $5.99

Grand total: $5.99