I can’t actually remember the last time I went ‘Out Out’! But, who cares! Move over Micky Flanagan, it’s all about the In In now, whether we like it or not!
It was my birthday the other week and so I decided to go big and go (stay) home!
Camp Out
Back in the day when G and I were both living in Greece, one of our favourite things to do was to go out into the countryside with our friends and have a BBQ. Normally at one of our family or close friend’s cottages “Mitohi’. We’d sit up all night, around the fire, drinking and giggling with our nearest and dearest.
In the UK we still use any excuse to get the barbie out, but with kids its always a little bit more stressful and rarely lasts ‘into the night’. Bed time and routine always getting in the way. However, where there’s a will there’s a way!
In total Black Adder style we came up with a cunning plan. Setting the 3 man tent up in the garden. We filled it with blankets and pillows and let the kids have a mini camp out. Then when it got to bed time, we went through their normal routine, but instead of putting them to bed, we set them up in the tent. All snug as a bug this meant that we could continue our hot toddies by the fire and reminisce about ‘back in the day’. Without the worry of waking kids or having to go back and fourth to check in on them/settle them back down. We stayed up as late as we wanted and once we were done, we simply picked them up; sparko and put them to bed.
And after a long, full day of bbq’d food, s’mores and hot chocs it wasn’t just the babies that slept, well like babies! And you know what even after lockdown, this will now be a regular in in win. I mean no baby sitter, no cab fare home – win win!
Camp In
With our camp out evening being such a success, it got us thinking. How could we recreate a similar scenario. But suitable for those run of the mill, isolation in in days? A big lockdown low for us at the moment is the struggle to wear the kids out. Either through physical exercise, mental stimulation or a combination of the two!
Even before Lockdown, one of the biggest selling points for us when it comes to camping is the fact that the kids always sleep really well. They sleep sounder and for longer. Not quite warm enough, just yet to camp in the garden all night long, we thought we’d do a camp in.
Tipi
Taking inspo from Pinterest, we repurposed P’s old cot and set about crafting up the perfect, indoor camp out.
Taking the two bar sides and propping them together, before binding. We then then draped the pyramid shape with light fabric and decorated the inside with fairy lights. Once filled with cushions and blankets it became transformed into a perfect snooze pod and reading corner! Bed times on adult stay up nights are now child’s play – quite literally!
How are you managing to stay isolation In In without going cray cray? Share your hacks in the comments below.
Stay safe,
Berrit x
