In the entertaining section of At Home With Madame Chic, I talk about the importance of play for adults. As adults, we can lead such stressful lives with work and family obligations. We think playtime is only for the kids, but really it can be for us too! I attend regular game nights at my friend Juliana's house (I write about her infamous game nights in the book) and they are so much fun.
In this week's bonus video we have a very special treat! I am joined by my friends Juliana and Ariel, creators of Escape Room in a Box, to discuss the importance of adult play and to create a call to action hopefully inspiring you to throw your own game night.
There are so many benefits to sitting down with one or many friends to play a game, here are just a few:
- You are fully in the present moment.
- You are improving your mental skills (the opposite of dumbed down entertainment)
- You can connect and bond with your friends and family.
- It feels so good to laugh!
- It's a wonderful change from the usual night of Netflix or dinner and a movie.
- Playing games are a form of escape and help you to de-stress.
Escape Room in a Box
Juliana and Ariel have created their very own game, Escape Room in a Box: The Werewolf Experiment. This game is so unusual, unlike any game I have ever played at home. It is full of riddles, puzzles, mysteries and surprises. It's a 60-90 min cooperative game where 2-6 players solve puzzles, crack codes and find hidden clues to escape a mad scientist's lab! (So thrilling.) When I sat down to play with our friends, Mario, Liz and Marissa we were in for such a treat and had so much fun solving the mystery. For more information on Escape Room in a Box, or to order your own version of the game, visit Juliana and Ariel's website.
Check out our video to meet my friends and hear more on why play for adults is so important. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog, or visit my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur
News
The Secret Owl Society cites inspiration from At Home With Madame Chic for looking presentable always.
Comment of the Week
Charitie from Vis a Vis writes:
If there is any a time to follow the simplistic, quality-over-quantity wardrobe code, pregnancy is it. Like all mothers know, growing a child depletes physical and mental energy, with stamina concerning one's appearance being the first to go. Effort directed towards a polished ensemble diminishes and oftentimes makes the mother feel less than attractive, which is absolutely absurd because pregnant women always exhibit a radiant glow. Pregnant women should take the time to make themselves feel beautiful; take every opportunity to enjoy being pregnant.
Hi Charitie, you make a wonderful point and I couldn't agree more. By the way, you have a lovely blog!
This week I would love to know... do you ever host or attend a game night? What are your favorite games to play? Do you want to host a game night but don't know where to start? Let me know in the comment section below.
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10 comments:
Hi Jennifer,
What a great and valuable post, your friends' game looks really great. I am always on the look out for new games.
We love games in this household we do the Saturday paper crosswords and code words together every week. We also play cribbage when it is just the 2 of us. Then with 3-6 we play Settlers of Catan it is a family tradition at any opportunity and across the generations. We have an adult/teenage rule version of Uno we play with 4-12 it involves lots of jumping in out of sequence and having to pick up huge numbers of cards. We play scrabble with grandma, ligretto with up to 12 Players (a game I learnt on my exchange trip to Germany) and of course I absolutely love taboo plus a stack more we have in our games cupboard.
I am starting a tradition of hosting a midwinter (winter solstice) games night. We provide soup and bread and eat by candle light observing the light going and enjoying the longest night (this is July for us as I am in Australia) last year we had a whole range of games but ended up playing werewolf all evening. I was really excited to play as I had read about it in your book. I had a friend suggest it and offer to be the caller. It is such a fantastic party game as you can vary based on the number of people (we had about 20) it was also lovely as the Mum's present were able to cuddle and feed their babies as needed while still participating in the game as it is so conversational. There was also lots of intense debate, discussion and as with any good gaming experience lots of raucous laughter.
So thank you for sharing this post on the importance of play for adults. My kids are so excited to be big enough to play Catan with us (they have a lot to grow before then though)
Andii
Oh dear heart you are preaching to the choir here! I LOVE playing board games with my family and friends! My husband and I like to play Backgammon and Cribbage if it is just the two of us. I have a large closet full of other games in the screened-in porch room. I have made my own DIY versions of several games. Some recent favorites: Wits and Wagers, Midnight Party (especially at Halloween time), Deep Sea Adventure, Love Letters, Mah Jong, Winner's Circle,.... and so many more. We have several zombie themed games too. :)
Your post is perfect because so far I have had game nights on a somewhat random basis. I have wanted to institute a regular game night for a long time. So now you have really inspired me!
I can't wait to go see your friend's Kickstarter for their game and buy it! I envy your time together. I wish I could invite you all over!
By the way you can find lots of great information (reviews, rules, personal experiences etc.) about Board Games at the Board Game Geek web site. They can recommend good games for two or more players. It can be very helpful.
I love this message of yours, Jennifer! Thanks again and keep having fun!
Andrea Winchester
Man Child and I are huge board gamers (specifically Scrabble). But this sounds like something that might even intrigue the husband. We are moving into a neighborhood with a built-in social circle this weekend. I'm thinking a game night needs to be instituted.
Would you be able to keep us posted as to when this game is released please....hoping it will be available to those of us who live 'down under' sounds fabulous. I am linking you to a letter written by a school principal in the UK...about wearing PJ's on the school run keep up the good work you are not alone!!
http://www.today.com/parents/british-principal-parents-stop-wearing-pajamas-school-t69496
Thank you so much for mentioning the Secret OWL Society. :) I'm thrilled. And I'm going to check out that game!
These are great ideas! My family's favorite games are Scrabble and Apples to Apples. I have been trying to get my husband to teach me some classic card games since all I know is "Go Fish." I have been secretly fantasizing about hosting a classic ladies bridge party like the ones in The Help! There is something very charming about a glamorous ladies party with all kinds of special paraphernalia and do-dads like coordinating bridge cards and pencils and iced tea service sets! They have new sets for this on etsy as well as some vintage items. Nothing like adorable gear to get one inspired.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/186186888/bridge-set?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=bridge set&ref=sr_gallery_37
Hubby's family is really into board games! We often have dinner and game night once a month at least. Here are some ideas for games we routinely play:
For 3+ people, any of the Ticket to Ride games are great, not too complicated and tons of fun! They actually get better with more people. Quiddler is another good one and usually a real hit with older family members, we've found. We tend to like games that don't require a ton of setup or learning curve so we can spend more time enjoying the game and each other. However, sometimes group games don't fall into this category as well. Dominion is one example, but once everything is set up and you get the flow of it, it goes very quickly and has a lot of variations for game play (and you don't need a silly expansion!). Settlers of Catan has had its day and will probably come back around again.
Redneck Life and Trailer Park Wars are good, silly fun for adult groups. You won't be able to be too serious for long playing either of these games!
I found it can be hard to find really good games for just two people. Sure, there are the classics like Scrabble, Monopoly, etc. But what about new games for two people? The answer came in the form of a game called "The Duke" and I can't recommend it enough. It's like chess, only better and easier to play than chess in my opinion. A must-try.
Thank you for your kind words, Jennifer! Your thoughts (through your book and blog) give me inspiration and bolster my attempts to "chicness" and voicing my own thoughts through a blog. :)
Interesting post. Games have never appealed to me significantly, that is, until recently. Close friends a few weeks ago hosted a game night - I dread games, only because I have it in my mind that no good conversation will flow and you'll have wasted an hour or two on virtually nothing. Little did I realize the ability of a game, like you highlight in your video, to unleash a hard day's work and release tension of feeling the need to "perform" or be intellectual (but surprisingly, games do require significant intellect, almost unconsciously, because it feels so easy and fun!). After that game night, I realized it also provided an avenue to connect with my friends in a way I never had before - I learned more about their personalities and desires through playing a game. All this to say, they are well worth it and never a waste of time!
xoxo!
Charitie
Vis à Vis
The timing is spot-on for this post, Jennifer. My husband, mother, brother and I have been getting into games recently, including one called Munchkin, which is kind of like an RPG (role playing game), Skipbo, which is sort of like solitaire but not for just one person, and Phase10, which reminds me of gin or rummy. We've also dusted off the classics Monopoly, backgammon and Yahtzee. Although we are blessed with so many wonderful options, I love the unique and dynamic idea of your friends' Escape Room in a Box game. Thank you for this worthy recommendation. Also, I loved seeing you in your element with your friends; your joyous chemistry is palpable, delightful and refreshing. The world (especially the cyber one) needs more of that kind of good clean fun!
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