The Staying In Club: 36 Cosy Night-In Combinations

Your evening has been booked. Travel time: zero.

Welcome to The Staying In Club: a free night-in planner for the evening when everyone says “I don't mind” and nobody chooses anything. Pick one atmosphere and one activity below. Six of each gives you 36 possible combinations, from a solo bookshop evening to a two-person living-room cinema.

No sign-up, shopping list or new purchase required. Start with whatever is already in your home. Send this page to the person you want to stay in with and ask them to choose one half of the plan.

Readers who run cold: start with our five-check reading-nook setup. Pages free, light aimed, essentials nearby. No new purchase needed.

A book club without the homework: invite a few people, let everyone bring their own book, and use our free reading-night host kit. Invitation, bookmarks, conversation cards and a one-hour plan, ready to print in A4 or US Letter. No email needed.

Choose your evening in 30 seconds

1. Choose a letter, A–F. This sets the atmosphere.
2. Choose a number, 1–6. This supplies the activity.
3. Put them together. B4 means a living-room café with a small tasting menu. F2 means a quiet hideaway with a film you already love.

Want an easy starting point? Choose B4 for a living-room café and cupboard tasting menu, or A1 for a quiet reading room with a three-song exchange.

First, choose the atmosphere

A. The bookshop after closing

Switch on one reading light, find a comfortable seat and put a book or magazine within reach. Use an instrumental playlist if you like background sound. The rule: nobody needs to be interesting for an hour. You can be together while doing entirely different things.

B. The living-room café

Make a familiar drink and serve it in the mug you usually save for guests. Put a small snack on an actual plate. A handwritten menu can be two lines long. This is a café where the dress code is socks and nobody needs the table back.

C. The rainy-day cinema

Close the curtains, settle the lighting and put everything you need within reach before pressing play. If it isn't raining, the cinema still opens. The important part is choosing before you sit down so the evening doesn't become an hour of trailers.

D. The kitchen-table social club

Clear enough space for two drinks and a small activity. Put the phones aside by agreement, rather than making a rule for someone else. Choose this setting if you want the evening to revolve around conversation instead of a screen.

E. The tiny holiday

Choose a place you would like to visit. Find music from there, revisit your own travel photos or look through a cookbook you already own. Borrow an atmosphere; there's no need to recreate a country with a shopping trip.

F. The do-not-disturb hideaway

Give yourself permission to leave the chores for a defined hour. Put on a comfortable layer, choose the quietest corner and lower the demands on the evening. This works alone or with someone who understands that silence isn't a problem to solve.

Then, choose the activity

1. A three-song exchange

Choose a song for a place, a person and a time in your life. If you're with someone, take turns playing yours and telling the story. Alone, make a six-song playlist for your future self. No scoring and no requirement to have impressive taste.

2. A comfort-film double bill

Each person nominates one film they've seen before. Choose one tonight and save the other for next time. Alone, pick a favourite and give yourself permission to skip searching for something new. Use a service you already have; check any rental price before agreeing to it.

3. A deliberately small game night

Play one short game you already know. Cards, a word game or a familiar board game all work. Agree on a stopping point before you begin. For a solo version, choose a puzzle, crossword or one round of a game that won't turn the evening into a second job.

4. The cupboard tasting menu

Find three foods you already have and serve small portions. Invent a grand name for each course. “The last three crackers” becomes “the house selection.” Adapt to everyone's dietary needs and use food that's safe to eat. The joke is the presentation, not making someone try something they can't have.

5. A terrible-art exhibition

Set a ten-minute timer and draw an ordinary object from memory. Give the result an elaborate title, then exhibit it on the table. Alone, draw the same object twice without trying to improve it. Paper and any pen are enough; the standard is enthusiastic mediocrity.

6. The next-small-adventure plan

Choose one easy thing to look forward to: a local walk, a breakfast, a library visit or a call with a friend. Pick a rough day and one practical next step. Keep it small enough that planning it feels pleasant. Tonight's activity should not create a project-management spreadsheet.

Six combinations to steal immediately

• A1 — The soundtrack reading room. Swap three songs, then read beside each other.
• B4 — The café with a suspiciously familiar menu. Make drinks and serve the cupboard tasting menu.
• C2 — Fully booked, locally. Watch an old favourite with the curtains closed.
• D5 — The world's least exclusive gallery. Draw, name and display your terrible art.
• E6 — A holiday in miniature. Set the atmosphere, then plan one small outing.
• F3 — Competitive hibernation. A quiet corner, comfortable clothes and one short game.

Make it a seven-evening series

You don't need seven free nights in a row. Use these across a week or a month: Monday A1, Tuesday B4, Wednesday F3, Thursday D5, Friday C2, Saturday E6 and Sunday your favourite repeat. Change the days to fit your life. A good plan should be easy to move.

Send the invitation

Copy this into your own message: “Staying In Club tonight? You pick A–F, I'll pick 1–6. We use what we already have. Dress code: comfortable.”

For a solo evening: “Tonight's plan: C2. Previous commitments: none. Travel time: zero.” If you share your setup publicly, #SolenneStayingInClub gives the series a name. Share only what you're comfortable making public; other people don't need to be in the photo.

The optional uniform

Solenne makes Enfold, a hooded wearable blanket for evenings at home. If a blanket that stays with you sounds useful, take a look at the current colours, fit and delivery details on the product page. If your favourite jumper already does the job, you're dressed for the club.

Choosing a layer? Our wearable blanket buying guide explains what to check. Buying for your permanently chilly person? Start with practical gift ideas for someone who runs cold.

An original Solenne evening-planning menu, published 21 October 2026. The club is a free editorial series, with no paid membership or registration.