How to make the weekend feel special and not like a weekday?

[Cantdecidewhich]

After a long working week we usually go out for dinner or to a pub at the weekend. Are any of you planning anything at home to make it feel different to any other day?

I was wondering this. Work at home by myself all week. "Weekend" comes, can't go anywhere or see anyone so not really sure what to do that's any different.

🍷!!

Last weekend we did a pub quiz over a video call with lots of our friends one evening. Had pancakes for breakfast followed by a nice walk in the sun one of the mornings. Roast dinner, apple crumble and a film / nap on Sunday. It didn't feel like a normal weekend but it didn't feel too bad!!

I have no idea, but would also love some suggestions. Its bad enough that every day sort of blends into one when you have a 3 month old. However now classes have been cancelled and I'm stuck at home for 12 weeks every day feels like groundhog day.

Takeaway, followed by either a board game or card game. We can never agree on a film or tv program we all like. This weekend we said family jigsaw puzzle after late lunch.

Yes we tested this last weekend, have been in lockdown since last tuesday (am in France).
I got dressed up a litle more at the weekend, did my hair and some make up, just to make me feel a little better! We opened a decent bottle of wine in the evening and as we weren't driving anywhere enjoyed it (and opened the rumafter the wine....)
I made sure we didnt eat in the kitchen sat & sunday - as we'd been doing that all week - and on sunday teatime let my two DDs choose where they were wanted to eat on a tray, just for a change.
I also make sure all working from home stuff (screens, laptops, paperwork) are put away and not visible!
Any little changes can make things just tha tbit different from the week, being kind to yourself helps!

Oh yes, got the jenga out for after lunch on both days, as we're not in a hurry to go anywhere, we took the time to play games (i drew the line at uno as that always finishes in arguements but could have been good otherwise!)
We also facetime family at about 6pmish to say hello and feel like we've seen people too!

We have been getting up and dressed to do school work/WFH this week so on the weekend we shall stay in our pyjamas and watch a movie, have pancakes for breakfast

We are doing no school/home work on weekends, might go for a walk.. We are having a more routined week day.. So up by 8:30, start school work/work from home and although not fully structured that will continue Mon-Fri with weekends being more relaxed just to help differentiate the days... Well that's my plan a week in...

We have small children so I thought we'd do them a treat tea and special bath with lots of bubbles on a Friday evening.
I'm meeting friends online for a beer on Saturday night and dh and I will watch a film or something.
I considered doing a little party on Sunday afternoon for our kids and any cuddly toys they would like to invite. They can put on their party dresses which they love and we can play some party games and eat cake.

Its a great idea to try and make it special. I fancy a film night on the couch under the throw with sweets and the dog on my knee.
When we are at work we just dream of being at home, make the most of it.
Some of our planned events
Empty the loft
Do the garden
Bake cakes
MIL has cleaned and is paining the house and fence etc she is 79! make the most of the time.

Wine. Mostly.

Also have a virtual dinner party with friends on Saturday night.

I WFH anyway. We usually go out somewhere on one of the weekend days, which obviously isn't happening now, but they're different to the week because I do more washing, cleaning, ironing and gardening. The latter at least is enjoyable.

We made a pub in the kitchen last Friday (rearranged the table to be more pub-like, located some beer mats, pint glasses and crisps) and stopped work an hour earlier. Made dirty fries in little tin bowls and played Connect 4. Both had a shower and got dressed in proper clothes and asked each other questions about our work day like we would on a normal Friday.

I think because we are both WFH the weekends do feel a bit different because we aren't working and can have a lie in iykwim, we have been sticking to our normal routine in the week and both really busy with work.

We are having a bit of a disco on Friday nights, then a theatre night on Saturdays, board games and working together doing lego or just chilling out reading.

We are trying really hard not to work at the weekends so that this is clear family time vs the madness of trying to work and homeschool through the week.

We're going to have a sleepover in the living room on Friday nights. Youngest ds has just hit the age when sleepovers are a thing and he had a few planned for the Easter holidays and one for his birthday. So we will watch a movie and sleepover on Fridays.
Saturday we are going to try and have a takeaway for as long as takeaways are open.
The days will probably be much the same though. One kid has a music lesson on a Saturday morning via Skype, I usually go to church on Sundays so I'll watch something online.

Pancakes? Special breakfast/brunch. A treat dinner. Loving the idea of party dresses - perhaps the whole family could dress up - you can get your kids to dress you (mine love doing that).

Dh and I have just been discussing this very thing. I recon we’ll get the board games out of the back
of the cupboard (although there’s not much chance of persuading the 12 year old to join in.)

I’m also trying to convince DH that we should have a weekend takeaway every week. We usually only have one once a month so he’s a bit reluctant from a health/money point of view.

I paid for Disney plus yesterday so I recon we can fit a film or 2 in, plus an early morning or evening walk.

We are keeping to our routine in the week, up dressed and ready to work by 8.30, work / school work, break at 12, lunch at 1 finish at 4, walk. Weekend; lie in, different clothes, no work.

We live in a third floor flat with no outside space. DH is currently wfh so Friday/Saturday evenings were in danger of just being hopping from the desk to the sofa.

Last weekend we made a 'bar area' in the kitchen. We have a fabulous view out of the window so we put two barstools at the windowsill and fairy lights around the window. We made a huge playlist of our favourite songs and on Saturday night we arranged to 'meet' at the bar at 7pm. Playlist on shuffle, DH made cocktails, and we made some burgers later on. Had the window wide open so it felt a bit outdoorsy, too.

All a bit daft I know - it started as a bit if a joke but it was actually a lot of fun and was a change of scenery to the living room! Bonus that the drinks/food were a lot cheaper than out and no annoying loud idiots or queueing for the bar. We'll be going to our bar again this Friday and Saturday evening

Some brilliant ideas here, loving the home made bars might do that and a takeaway. We have been writing our wedding playlist for our (probably now cancelled) wedding in June so may play that too :)

I didn't realise takeaways were still open! That has made my day!

My husband and I switch the computers off at 5.30pm and go outside onto our balcony for an hour to unwind!

At the weekends we will cook a bit of a treat meal - get dressed nice for it - have dinner and then we had music on and we a few drinks and we video called in some of our friends for a catch up and had a few cocktails together

We will have our 2nd wedding anniversary While in lockdown too - trying to work out a plan for that currently :)