How to Host a Chick Flick Night at Home

Movie nights are, in my opinion, one of the easiest Girls' Nights Out to organize. I've shared about my Chick Flick Club and, most recently, about my chick flick movie picks for this winter. I don't know if you've noticed this, but movie tickets are expensive. Heading out with some girlfriends to see the latest romantic comedy can cost around $20 or so if you get a snack and a drink. The easiest way around this is to host a Chick Flick Night at Home!

My friend Christy and I organize monthly events for our MOPS group, and we decided to throw a "movie night in" for the January Moms' Night Out. Our friend Michelle agreed to host, because she has a big giant beautiful house and her kids are old enough and well behaved enough to not scare the moms off with question-asking and whining and nose-picking and other annoying kiddie things that all of our kids do. Michelle is a smarty-pants who also has great ideas for fun decorating.

With a little planning, it was not hard to make the evening memorable without going overboard.

Here's how we put the Chick Flick Night together:

Invites
Just like with the Chick Flick Club, if you're inviting a large group, sending an Evite is the easiest way to track RSVPs and get the word out. Be sure to let the group know the specifics: date and time, dress, and whether or not the event is a potluck or not. Give your friends a week or two notice.

Decorations
Totally optional, but it really helps get everyone in the mood. Michelle found the cutest rolls of "Hollywood" tape that we wound around the columns on her front porch and stretched across the front door and the door to her basement.

Dress
It is sooo much fun to go completely casual for nights like this. We requested the the moms come in pajamas, sweats, or loungewear, and the vast majority were good sports. I wore lounge pants, a Barbie t-shirt, and a comfy socks. It's so much easier to relax and enjoy yourself when you are comfortable!

The Space
Michelle has a fabulous basement, spacious and open...plenty of room to watch the movie, hang out, and arrange the food. Basements are great because they give you space away from noisy kids who don't want to go to bed, husbands who want to sneak cookies off the buffet, and pets who stick their noses into your friends' purses. If you don't have a basement (I don't!), just make your designated space comfortable with extra pillows and blankets.

Food
Times are hard for many families out there, and hosting a party or event can be daunting if you're worried about providing food and drinks for a bunch of people. We opted to make our chick flick night a potluck. This is a great option which means you'll get a nice variety of appetizers and desserts. Christy and I bought drinks and popcorn, and Michelle put some yummy movie candy out with the cutest movie-themed paper goods.

Ice Breakers
If the group is small and knows each other well, you'll have no problem chatting and coming up with fun stuff to talk about. We opted to open the evening with a Wii dance game. Our friend Amy, a former model, was kind enough to do a little "workshop" with make-up tips. The moms all brought their own make-up for beauty tips and make-over fun. You could even do a little movie trivia quiz or game and offer a DVD or movie ticket prize!

The Flick
We opted to narrow down our DVDs to a few and let the group vote (we ended up watching Water for Elephants), but if you're celebrating the release of a specific movie, you could just make sure everyone knows what you're watching ahead of time.

And the only thing left to do is, well, watch the movie!

What's your favorite Moms' Night In idea?