January

Happy New Year! We love this time of year! With a fresh start and renewed optimism, we have a feeling 2019 is going to be even better than 2018. As we wrap up the festive season and get stuck into winter, we have some great suggestions of what you can get up to. Whether you’re off the booze for dry January, looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle or you just want to explore some new spots we’ve got some great ideas for you.

Secret Cinema

Secret Cinema - Sign up quick

We love secret cinema - their lastest offering is Casion Royale. The first round of tickets might have sold out but they’re releasing more in the new year. So sign up to be the first to get your hand on them. Not sure what to expect ? Well …

The world of espionage has changed and they need your help more than ever. Should you accept, you will receive your mission briefing, including; alias, target location and further classified information. Are you ready to enter a world of high stakes, sophistication and deception? Operate in the shadows or be in the heart of the action where the risks are great, but the rewards are greater. The time has come to find out if you have what it takes.

Lino

Lino - New spot to check out

Housed in a converted Linoleum factory in the square mile, Lino are taking a new approach to drinking and dining in the city. They re-use, re-love and re-imagine. From salvaged light fittings to sustainably sourced materials – they give overlooked pieces a chance to shine. They bake, ferment, pickle and cure onsite. They mix old classics and shake up new combinations. They make the most of seasonal shrubs, herbs, fruits and veg - everything they serve is inspired by what’s available.

Alcotraz

Escape Alcotraz

Inspired by Hollywood Movies and TV that have brought to life America’s most infamous prison, Alcotraz is London's first immersive theatrical cocktail bar. From the orange jumpsuits upon entrance, to the real metallic cells, Alcotraz becomes the perfect backdrop to enjoy a drink within an epic yet intimate environment. When convicted to Alcotraz, inmates are taken into an exciting world of mischief as they are instructed by notorious bootlegger, Clyde Cassidy to smuggle-in liquor to be used to make delicious, bespoke cocktails. You won’t find a set menu of drinks here…after all, it is prison! Alcotraz creates a range of tailored cocktails every night based on the liquor you bring and your tastes. Just make sure The Warden doesn’t catch you. Luckily, our Guards are on your side and have creative ways of hiding contraband.

Lose your mind in a million balls

The incredible Ballie Ballerson is like no other bar you’ve ever been to. A world famous venue featuring over ONE MILLION balls, it will magic you right back to the fun of the playground like a ball pit time machine. Whether you’re being a baller in our VIP section, drinking Dibbie Dabbersons on the dance floor, or making a name for yourself in one of the ball pits, it’s an experience that will keep you smiling for hours and have your Insta feed begging for more.

The nudge

Open fire realness

Nothing beats an open fire at this time of year. And if you don’t have one of your own, why not head out and explore some great pubs that have roaring fires at the ready. The Nudge has put together a list of pubs across the capital to check out. Find the perfect spot to warm up in after an afternoon walk in some London’s parks. A couple of our favourites are Richmond Park and Primrose Hill.

Design Museum

Learn a new skill - how to make fermented and naturally preserved foods with artist and food-designer Inês Neto dos Santos.

Can eating bring us closer to our bodies? Can it help us engage with the world? What can it teach us about who we are, where we come from or where we’re going?

Led by artist and food-designer Inês Neto dos Santos, this one-day workshop provides a hands-on introduction to the art of fermentation and other natural preserving methods. Over the course of the day, you will be introduced to the history, health benefits and methods of these techniques, before using a range of ingredients to create your own edible stories to take away at the end of the workshop.

Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the Design Museum’s current exhibition Home Futures and to learn more about Inês’ ongoing project Fermen-Tour.

Pscyle

Get in gear for 2019

Psycle is a premium boutique fitness brand that offers a collection of class based workouts across London. Their immersive, energetic workouts are designed to help clear your mind and transform your body alongside a passionate community of like-minded individuals. With four different workouts and a team of highly knowledgeable instructors, Psycle classes harness the transformative power of movement to help every individual optimise their fitness and wellbeing.

Our top tips for creating a cosy guest room

Create a home away from home for your guests this festive season. 

It’s that time of the year when we turn hostess with the mostess and no doubt at some point you will be welcoming guests into your home. We’re sharing our top tips with you to create the most cosiest of guest rooms. Whether you need to completely overhaul a room or just add some finishing touches follow our tips and your guest won’t want to leave.

#1 - Lighting

Lighting in any room is so important for creating the right mood. To create a cosy atmosphere have your main lights on dimmers and turn them down or off. Use table and floor lamps at different heights. Each room should have about 3-4 different lighting sources. Use accent lighting to highlight certain areas or art. Add some festive fairy lights around the bed frame or add them to a glass jar. Another trick is to use fairy lights under the bed to create a warm glow. So magical!

sold out

GREY GLOBE LAMP

Sale Price:£78.00 Original Price:£190.00

#2 - Plants

Plants are a must in any room or bedroom. They breathe life and energy into a room and not only that they also purify the air. Hanging a bunch of Eucalyptus on a wall is a great decorative touch and also looks great once they dry out. Rubber plants, fiddle leaf figs and monstera plants are some of our favourites at House Curious. It's also a lovely idea to have a vase of flowers on a bedside table or go one step further and place a small plant next to the bed with your guests name on a tag as a thoughtful little gift.

sale

STRIBE FLOWER POT

Sale Price:£19.99 Original Price:£42.95

sold out

GLASS TERRARIUM - MEDIUM

Sale Price:£9.00 Original Price:£15.99

sale

RUSTIC TRAY WITH WOODEN LEGS

Sale Price:£32.00 Original Price:£55.95

#3 - Cosy Accessories

Layer up on tactile cosy accessories - blankets, throws and cushion are an easy way to update a room. Lambswool throw, velvet cushions and sheepskins are winter must-haves. Slippers by the bed is also a nice touch.

sold out

VELVET CUSHION CASE, NUDE

from £9.99

#4 - Statement Furniture

Bring in furniture that uses natural materials such as natural wood. Natural materials help ground a room and creates a sense of calm. When adding furniture think about how your guest might use it or how you want them to feel. They will need somewhere to store their clothes, a seating area with books creates a welcoming vibe. In our guest room I have a portable rail and I’ve added wooden furniture and wicker furniture that has been lovingly handmade.

sold out

LOW RIDER WICKER CHAIR

Sale Price:£206.00 Original Price:£295.00

#5 - Finishing Touches

Accessorise bedside tables with magazines, books, candles. A bottle of water with glasses by the bed is also a good idea, along with some painkillers for anyone that might be hungover. A calming pillow spray or rescue remedy night is also a nice touch.

December

Let the silly season commence….. The skies are sparkling with Christmas lights, ears are ringing with sleigh bells jinglin’ and best of all it’s time for Christmas parties and overindulging. And with the final countdown of 2018, here is our round up of what to squeeze in to the rest of the year before we ring in the New Year.

Cosy up in an igloo on the South Bank

Jimmy’s Lodge is Back! This time with a bigger, sleeker and chicer upstairs covered dining room, the cosiest winter warmer bar on the river and the return of newly customised private dining glass igloos! Situated on the river along the Queen’s Walk, Jimmy’s Lodge offers the perfect place to soak up the festive atmosphere!

Watch a Christmas Classic.

The UK's #1 Open Air Cinema. Luna Winter heads inside for a festive season in London and Liverpool this December.  The ultimate festive cinema experience, bringing Christmas classics to the big screen in some stunning indoor (heated!) spaces. From Elf, Love Actually (which turns 15 this year) to classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th street there is something for everyone.

Winter rooftop fun

Back for good with a brand new high up in the sky Pergola rooftop location, in an incredible new venue! Never before has the historic Olympia London had a venue built on its roof, until NOW.... Explore their new botanical bolthole located on the top of Olympia London. Drink, dine and escape the city with us amidst the lush vegetation of their new home! And don’t worry it’ll be heated and fully enclosed for the winter months, with a clear roof so you can see the sky without the plummeting temperatures. 

Dance the night away on a Christmas rooftop.

Come party the night away under the heated covered terrace (so no chance of freezing). On the 15th December Byday Bynight reach their final show in Brixton this year and welcome back their friend Maxxi Soundsystem to headline the main room and sprinkle festive cheer and Deep House goodness on a busy main room. With a plethora of huge releases under his belt over the past decade, Maxxi has developed a solid reputation of ensuring dance floors stay filled with deep grooves and pumping disco.

Explore the Christmas lights at Kew

As twilight falls, the magic begins. Now in its sixth year, Kew’s 2018 winter trail will be bigger than ever before, with over a million twinkling pea-lights and thousands of laser beams. Walk under welcoming arches into a world festooned with seasonal cheer and wander beneath unique tree canopies drenched in Christmas colour.  

Winterville - London’s Alternative festive experience

A completely different festive experience! Expect live DJs, comedy, musical bingo, roaming magicians, kid’s raves, Mexican wrestling and a family Christmas show on a double decker bus.

Elsewhere in our pop-up town you can skate on our outdoor Ice Rink, enjoy sensational food from Street Feast, lose yourself in Backyard Cinema’s Christmas maze, catch club nights in the Roller Disco, play crazy golf on a UV-powered course, ride the Big Wheel, enjoy cocktails and craft beer in themed bars and find unique gifts in Solo Craft Fair.

Looking for something a bit different to do this New Years Eve ?

Channel your inner-party animal and send off 2018 by dancing beneath the largest creature ever to have lived, at the Natural History Museum. Hosted in collaboration with experiential events company It's Unknown. We're not lying when we say this will be an unforgettable night, packed with animal-themed activities. Pick up your complimentary drink before trying your luck at Musical Bingo, sampling edible insects, or having a hoot in the silent disco. There will be the opportunity to make animal masks, roam free in the galleries, submit a song request to the Love Cats, or simply dance the night away with the Massaoke band and DJs.

We hope these give you some fun ideas to round off 2018.

Have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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