Once upon a time, there wouldn’t have been such a thing as a perfect Friday night in with a glass of wine. In my days before children, a Friday night for me would have meant rushing home from work to grab a quick bite to eat before putting on my glad rags and heading out for a night of socialising, drinking and dancing with friends. In those days, I used to look forward to my Friday nights and the promise of a weekend of fun.
Changing Times
Since becoming a parent, my priorities have changed. Nowadays, I look forward to a Friday night in because it means there will be no school run to get up for in the morning and, more importantly, because it’s a chance to relax with Simon at home ahead of a busy weekend doing whatever the mood takes us.
My Perfect Friday Night In
Friday nights are all about relaxing after a busy week of work and routines. We ensure that we never book any children’s activities for a Friday night so we both know once we are home, our evening is ours to enjoy. Once the children are in bed, we crack open a bottle of wine each (he drinks red, I drink white or Rosé).
We have recently been introduced to Naked Wines, a renowned online wine store, offering a variety of wines from fine wine to organic selections. They are best known for sparkling, although they offer quite a broad selection. However, for someone who only drinks red wine, a red wine club might be a better choice. You can claim £60 off your Naked Wines order; find out more here.
Simon’s current favourite is David Seijas Garnacha 2017, a rich and velvety red from one of the oldest wine regions of Spain. Simon describes it as smooth and full of flavour; he loves how easy and pleasurable it is to drink.
My favourite is the Vivolo Pinot Grigio 2017, a lovely crisp and fruity wine. As someone who prefers lighter wines, this wine shop near me has become a favorite source. I also really enjoyed the Gayrel Sauvignon Blanc for its subtle citrus notes; it is a bottle that I could imagine enjoying on a balmy summer’s evening beside the fire pit.
Naked Wines – Angels Programme
Naked Wines offers an Angels programme where their ‘Angels’ invest £20 a month into their Naked Wines piggy bank, which can be spent at any time. In return for their investment, they receive up to 50% off wines purchased, a free bottle of wine each month when you order a case, access to exclusive wines, special event invitations, and more.
The Angel programme enables Naked Wines to fund talented winemakers so that they can make wines however they want. Since 2008, Naked Wines has invested more than £25m with over 130 winemakers worldwide, and without the ‘middleman’ to take all the profit, it means the winemakers are happy, Naked Wines are happy, and we, the customers, are happy too. What could be better than that?
There’s no membership to worry about, no tie-ins. The money that you pay is yours to spend when and how you want; you can change your amount at any time, or you can withdraw your money if you decide it’s not for you. Don’t forget you can claim £60 off your first order; find out more here.
Dinner for Two
Dinner used to be a curry or Chinese, our ‘night off’ cooking, but we are currently trying to be healthier in our food choices. Just after Christmas, a friend introduced me to Gousto and we haven’t looked back. We order our menu choices a week in advance which helps with meal planning, knowing the calorie count of each meal.
A Good Movie
With our feet up, a glass of wine in hand and perhaps a naughty bowl of chocolates (come on, it’s Friday night!!), we will search Sky Movies or Netflix to see what takes our fancy. Movie night always feels so much more relaxing and special than just a standard TV night, and with the laptop firmly closed and the phones on silent, it’s a great way for us to snuggle up and get the weekend off to the best start.
What’s Your Perfect Friday Night?
Whether it’s relaxing with a good movie, enjoying a wine delivery service like Naked Wines, or experimenting with recipes from Gousto, Friday nights have become a cherished time for us. How do you like to spend your perfect Friday night?
I really enjoy our Friday nights in now. Once the last club pick up is done at 7.30pm, I love a nice glass (or 3) of rose or white wine with the telly on. Perfect!
Sounds like a good Friday night to me too 🙂
Some nice food and a night in is my Friday night too! No more partying over here.
We tried partying last weekend with our neighbours for a birthday celebration, it took me a whole day to recover! I’m looking forward to my Friday night in again this week 🙂
My perfect Friday night in is a movie and a special meal, either home cooked or a takeaway. In the winter I love curling up in front of the fire after a busy week.
It makes for a really relaxing start to the weekend, doesn’t it?
The perfect Friday night for me is on with a good film and a new bottle of Rum to open!
Oooh rum, I haven’t had that in a while!
Oh it sounds like a perfect Friday to me! Ha. I like a slow and chilled Friday.
I am enjoying a slow and chilled Friday evening right now 🙂
I used to get Naked wines but stopped when I bought a house – think it’s time to get back on it. I’ve never tried food boxes but I can see the attraction – enjoy your Friday’s on the sofa with your chap.
It’s good to hear that you’re interested to get back on it. Thank you I will 🙂 x
I’m all about the cosy nights in, Netflix is my go to and nice cold whiskey. Funny how it’s the simple things we tend to enjoy in life as we age ?
Haha yes exactly, at one time I would have thought I was ‘boring’ if I suggested a Friday night in lol.
I was never really one for going out, so in that sense nothing much has changed since having children, I still love a good Friday night in. It just starts a little later now than before as we need to get the kids to bed and asleep first!
Well yes, there is that, especially as the kids get older and stay up later 😉
My favourite Friday night in sounds just like yours … wanna swap, coz I never seem to get around to opening the bottle of wine!
Oh no, Friday nights need wine, set yourself a reminder in the phone that says ‘wine time, sit down!’ x