Lockdown upon lockdown has either made time fly or crawl. One silver lining of this added time indoors is the necessary demand for creativity. Although, admittedly, much entertainment came from Netflix and alcohol… some stand out purchases really helped us through.

Want company but housemates are at deadline central? No worries, just settle down with “Bones Jones” – our niche new housemate. This plastic skeleton was a Christmas gift which we dress up to join Friday theme nights. Bones Jones is currently relaxing over the break surrounded by glow balloons, yet also acts as a storage unit for the confectionary accumulated from family care-packages.

A further recommendation is geared toward these themed nights. With the end of term on the horizon, we planned a huge celebration for deadline completion. A great investment for anyone missing clubs were glow sticks and light up balloons. We dressed fancy, turned out the lights and had a mini rave –  all accompanied by the childish glee of making glow bracelets, crowns and even a hula hoop! Highly recommend for celebrations after the exam period and anyone longing for Hijacked.

A long-term recommendation is the simple purchase of paper. But not any paper, this is IKEA’s 30m roll of paper. We have used this to run the well-known game where you flip a coin onto paper and draw around where it lands. You then write a rule in the shape, which must be followed if the coin lands there again. This has kicked off many a “night out” (in) and affords the luxury of a different game every time. This purchase keeps on giving as after buying it in September we now have a tapestry to remember boozy evenings and personal jokes past. I would consider this an essential for those in new house next year.

A final recommendation is for the aftermath of these festivities. Our house made the unanimous decision to each buy a onesie (ranging from Platypus to Flying Squirrel) as part of our “Pyjama Party” theme night. However, these have also come in useful during the delicate morning afters, allowing movie marathons to feel more of a planned occasion and keeping us cosy whilst we stayed up watching the Superbowl. A bonus is that after moving on from uni, we will continue to own these cute yet space consuming outfits in memory of our lockdown life.

-Ellie Doherr

Featured Image Source: Unsplash