We love a movie experience complete with buttery popcorn and candy but things have gotten pricey. A family movie night at the theater can run you up around $150 these days making movie going a luxury. But that doesn’t mean we have to lose movie night altogether! With a projector and your fluffiest pillows, staying in for a movie will have you singing a different tune. Here are some ways to upgrade your at home set up for a quality movie night!
- Ways To “Screen” Your Movie: For that true theater feel at home a projector is a must. Blogger Julie Sprankles started with a budget-friendly Vankyo model projector for $180… “it’s fine,” but the sound and smart features were lacking. Now, they’re obsessed with the Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22, calling it “a splurge but a worthwhile one.” At just under $1-thousand, it’s not cheap, but when you compare that to “six or seven trips to the movie theater for a family of four,” it starts to make a lot of sense.
- Snack Time: No movie night is complete without the perfect snack! Sprankles searched for ways to step it up from microwave popcorn and the answer was quite simple: a popcorn machine. Not the big industrial kind but even a stovetop popper can change the game. Sprankles also suggests reusable popcorn buckets just to make the experience more special.
- Snuggle Up: Comfort doesn’t have to be limited to just sitting on the couch! Sprankles recommends having some big fluffy blankets to share makes the experience all the more snugglier. There’s just something about laying down on a pile of blankets that changes the environment from your usual living room to a personal blanket nest perfect for locking in.
- Amp Up The Experience: You wanna go above and beyond? There’s something for that. Sprankles says easy tech additions like LED strip lights with fancy color-matching tech will impress just about anyone. And if you really want to turn up the party, a sound bar would certainly amplify your movie in ways a regular speaker could never.
- Crowd Pleasing Movies: If arguing over what to watch is a necessity for your viewing party, Sprankles says a rotation system was lifesaving. “My kids are very different, and their movie tastes vary a lot…No repeat picks, and no one else can argue about the pick…you have to keep an open mind.” Sprankles even shares a family’s tip to pick a theme each month, write down their movies, and then hold a blind drawing on movie night. Voilà! Tears and arguments averted and you can all watch a movie in peace.
Source: Scary Mommy