Anyone that knows me will know that 9.9/10 I will take a cosy night in - complete with a takeaway/netflix or Harry Potter marathon/even more completely unnecessary snacks etc. - over a night out any day of the week.
The 0.1 is dedicated to my inner wild child which sometimes likes to pop out and drink too much gin, very occasionally slut drop - subsequently falling over and landing in the foetal position on the floor - and make an even bigger prat of myself than I usually do but luckily she stays tucked away most of the time.
But anyway, I like a good night in, and I think I do them pretty well too. I can nail the food part (obviously, goes without saying), I can usually pick a Netflix classic that everyone will want to watch/I have carefully curated a friendship group that all love Harry Potter so let's be honest, that's what's going on isn't it? But sometimes you want a bit more than just a standard night in. Maybe it's a friend's birthday. Maybe it's a celebration. Maybe you're feeling all yolo/"COME ON QUEENS LET'S SLAY THE WORLD AND BE ALL SASSY INDEPENDENT WOMAN"... and that's where this post is going to help you make your night the "night in" equivalent to Beyonce.
Who run the world, girls, and all that...
1. Choose your location
So Ally and I fancied a night in and we fancied feeling a bit swish - swish, LOL, nope I have no idea who I am anymore either - so of course we went back to one of my all time favourite hotels in London, The Ampersand. Set in the heart of South Kensington, The Ampersand is a 5 star boutique hotel (and restored Victorian building fyi, check the sass on that) super closeby to the V&A, Natural history museum and many more. The location is not only perfect for your Beyonce themed girls night in but also especially amazing for any London first timers or anyone looking for a real taste of London.
Now, apart from the actual location of The Ampersand, here are some reasons why I want to move in and never leave;
- THE BATH THAT DREAMS WERE MADE OF, JUST LOOK AT IT I DON'T EVEN NEED TO SAY ANY MORE DO I, NO I DON'T!
- The bed. The bed is huge, the bed is beautiful, the bed feels like you are sleeping in clouds that have been spritzed with some kind of magic goodness. Basically I want/need the bed in my life every night.
- The bathroom is not only monochrome and more stylish than Olivia Palermo but it has heated floors and it's basically heaven on earth.
- The restaurants serve a dreamy dinner and the BEST gluten free afternoon tea. I actually previously reviewed a stay here and the food before so I'll pop that link here.
- The staff are wonderful and so friendly that I want them all to be my friends. Does that make me sad? Possibly. Do I care? Definitely not.
And that's just a few reasons. Honestly, treat yourself to a night here and you'll see why I cannot stop fangirling.
2. Choose your people
The cool kids say your vibe attracts your tribe and I couldn't bloody agree any more. One of my favourite things about age is you care a little bit less about the things that don't matter. Over the years people have joined my little squad and others have dropped away and I can honestly say that anyone in my life right now is there because I 100% want them to be there. Obviously you all know about Ally (if you don't, where on earth have you been?), she is basically the cooler, funnier version of me and no girls night goes ahead without her <3
3. Snacks
I may make diabolical life decisions but one thing I do OK at is the snack run. On our girls night in, after ordering room service (pizza and chips fyi) we whacked out our little box of cupcakes - alongside some prosecco because if you don't go basic are you even a blogger - and devoured them all whilst watching Friends/Harry Potter/Netflix*.
*When I say watching, I mean having it on in the background while we talk over the whole entire thing.
4. Entertainment
Now, if you and your girls are like Ally and I then you won't even feel like you need entertainment because let's be honest, you are the entertainment (anyone else have those friendships where you genuinely consider making yourself a comedian double act but realistically you're the only ones that find each other funny?) but... if you're having a day off - because, you know, can't be the life and soul of the party all the time, then you need your entertainment ready.
Something to watch;
- Grey's Anatomy - my one true love, queen
bae bee, my everything. If you haven't already seen it, start it now and join the queue for Derek Shepherd/Mark Sloane/Jackson Avery.
- Suits - Another of my all time favourites and 100% most definitely absolutely not because Harvey Specter is my dream man. Nope, not at all because of that.
- First Dates - my current favourite thing on TV because it manages to equally make my dating life feel less tragic and give me hope that good guys exist.
- Harry potter. I don't need to say any more do I?
Something to read;
- My good friend and absolute blimmin star Elle Croft has released her first ever novel The Good Wife and whilst I barely even have time to empty my bladder right now, I am one chapter in and I already absolutely LOVE it. Order a copy here and thank me later.
- Erm, this blog. Obviously. (*insert eye roll/LOL JK TOTALLY TAKING THE PISS emoji here*)
- Sophie Milner's blog. Soph is a friend of mine and absolutely KILLING the game on instagram but for me, her blog has always been something I've loved devouring. Her recent post about playing the Cool girl in relationships/whilst dating was nothing short of brilliant and summed up exactly how I currently feel.
5.Pimp it up
If you follow me on Instagram then you'll know that I'm all about being as extra as it gets and every little extra helps so obviously I took 399593439 (nearly dead) roses so I could rip off every petal and have the most indulgent bath in existence. It made for a great gram but a f**king awful clean up job so you know, those extra details are down to you.
Lol. No you're all of a sudden slightly embarrassed about your levels of doing it for the gram.
And I think that's where I'm gonna wrap this post up. I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you got some inspo for a girls night in, and I hope if you ever need a place to stay or fancy treating yourselves that you think of The Ampersand because it really is a beaut!
Where's your favourite place to stay in London? What's your favourite thing to do on a girl's night in?
xx
Huge thanks to The Ampersand for letting us feel like the Kardashians for a day/night. We'll be back soon!
Labels: Lifestyle