One of the best parts of UVA and the Cville area is that you’re never going to have a hard time making plans to go out or try something new because there’s so much to do here. However, as the semester gets busier with midterms, it can feel tiring to go out, or the weather may get in the way of plans. Perhaps all you feel like doing after a long week is just staying in comfy PJs, or your friend isn’t a big fan of going out. Making plans to stay in can be a great way to unwind and have a memorable time with your friends, and there are so many different things you can do.
Movie Night/Show Marathon
I remember laying out picnic blankets on the floors of my dorm in Gooch in my first year for movie nights with my roommate and friend. We would use my small ottoman to put my laptop on and sit on the blankets with only my fairy lights on. We eventually moved on to an actual TV in a living room throughout the years, but those are some of my fondest memories.
Movie nights are such a classic way to spend a night in with friends; you can make it even better by pairing it with snacks or even a pizza night. Not in the mood for a movie? That’s fine; binge your favorite show with your friends, and if they haven’t seen it before, now you get to see their reactions to your favorite show.
Brunch
Brunch is always such a fun meal, and it absolutely does not have to be going out to eat. Having friends over for brunch can be so relaxing because you get two amazing things in front of you: breakfast foods and yapping with your friends. It’s also something you can get pretty creative with, for example, coffee bars with different syrups and flavorings, potluck-style brunches, trying a new recipe like pumpkin spice pancakes with triple chocolate chips (it’s amazing for the record), and so much more. So go invite your friends over for brunch and make it as basic or fancy as your heart desires!
Painting/crafts Night
One night, my friends and I made plans to go out, but we planned to meet up at her apartment first. Somehow our plans to go out turned into an arts and crafts session to fix a poster board while sipping on strawberry lemonades. Arts and crafts just have such a nostalgic vibe from when we were younger that it makes it such a calming thing to do with friends.
The Michael’s on Barracks has some cute paint-by-numbers, crochet kits, bedazzling kits, and other sets, especially during various festive times. Grab a kit, put on some background music, and have a wonderful little painting or arts and crafts night with a friend for a calm, relaxing time.
Baking Treats
Who doesn’t love a little sweet treat, right? Baking is another wonderful thing to do with friends, especially if you’re looking for something a little more eventful, because a bunch of people trying to bake one thing can always be rather entertaining. Bake a cake from scratch or just decorate one. Bake brownies from a box mix or frost sugar cookies. You’ll be too busy eating the results to care how pretty it turned out (or didn’t).
At-home spa day
Personally, a solid everything shower always feels absolutely amazing after a long, tiring week, but that can easily be elevated just a little more. Have everyone put on their comfiest or cutest pajamas because this will be infinitely better if everyone’s in comfortable clothes. Then, grab a few face masks for you and your friends because everyone loves a good face mask. While those masks are on, why not add on to the self-care and give yourselves an at-home manicure with a fresh coat of nail polish. Put some music in the background, have whatever drink/beverage the mood calls for, and enjoy your spa day.
There are so many other ways to get creative and have an amazing night in when you want to spend time with your friends, and going out might not necessarily be the vibe. Hopefully, these have given you some inspiration for things to do with your friends as life gets busier and the weather gets chillier!