Baddies Who BINGO
Galentine's Game Night In Partnership with La Crema
Hey Party People!
Let’s talk about love and specifically the love we share with your friend groups. I’ve always been blessed to have great girl friends—many of whom have seen me through such different chapters of my life.
The older we get (and the further we move), the more intentional we have to be about making time to just be together. And I am talking more than “catch up” calls and “quick drinks while you’re in town.” These moments are nice, but they sometimes feel like car maintenance rather than mileage. You know what I mean? Let me stay in this analogy for a second because personally, I need mileage. I need a car filled with my favorite girls on this road trip with juicy conversation, hot debates, and a few sporadic sing-alongs. That is the type of togetherness that fuels my strongest relationships.
When we actually carve out time to make new memories or keep up with our old gathering traditions, we have real community care and not just and not just community upkeep.
For my friends, I’ve found that game night is a really easy way to get regular meet ups on the schedule. And game nights with a theme? We are super locked in.
So let this be your inspiration to gather your group; it’s your turn to host galentine’s game night!
Happy Hosting!
Your Turn to Host Galentine’s Game Night
The Game: The game night vibe largely varies based on the game (and how competitive the group wants to be). If you want to do something light (and slightly ironic), I suggest BINGO. At first glance, your group might think it is boring or more of a retirement classic, but with a little reframing (Baddies Who BINGO), you invite people to embrace the game with a little more whimsy and perhaps a bit of intrigue. And I find that intrigue is half the battle in getting people to come out and loosen up. Whether you opt for BINGO or another game, just spend a little extra effort on the framing of what guests can expect. It will get everyone more excited about what you are planning.
Set Up & Supplies: For the backdrop of the gathering, I found heart shaped balloons here. [I stuck them to the wall with painter’s tape to avoid damaging the wallpaper.] On the table, I used craft paper and paint because I always have these supplies in my party pantry and I can use them whenever I feel inspired. I don’t feel like decorations are a necessity for this gathering, but if you want to do something, these touches are very low lift and your effort will not go unnoticed by your guests.
On The Menu: The food is another great opportunity to be festive for the occasion. With love on the brain, I wanted the romance of a red wine paired with the flirtation of a snack spread. My friends at La Crema sent bottles of their new wine: La Crema Light Pinot Noir. It is a great option if you want a red wine that is lighter on alcohol, low on calories, and no sugar added. This more conscious option is 100% pinot noir with notes of cranberry, raspberry, and pomegranate.
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And because the wine is light, you don’t need to feel the least bit guilty pairing it with plenty of cheese, chocolate, and sweet treats (life is about balance, right?).
My snacks of choice: brie, toasted baguette slices, prosciutto, pepperoni, fig jam, macarons, heart-shaped cookies, strawberry donuts, and dark chocolate bark. I thought this selection, particularly the dark chocolate bark, raspberries and brie were a great pairing with the wine.
[Other snack plate pairings to consider: cranberries, vanilla yogurt covered pretzals, gruyére, whipped ricotta, almonds, and sweet breads.]
On The Playlist:
Don’t Play - A Colors Show by Jill Scott
Formation by Beyoncé
Jumpin’ Jumpin’ by Destiny’s Child
Players by Coi LeRay
Where My Girls At? by 702
That distinction between community care and community upkeep is spot on. Most social maintenance feels transactional after awhile, like checking boxes instead of actually building anything. The BINGO reframing as Baddies Who BINGO is clever too, changes the whole energy of the gather. I've noticed themed events get way better turnout than generic hangouts, probablyy because people need excues to commit time these days.