How to Make Staying in Feel Special

With a few extra touches—like whimsical lighting and a beginner-friendly fire pit—your backyard will feel like a brand-new space you (and your family) will want to cozy up in.

Here's what you'll need to turn your patio or balcony into an extension of your living room or a version of your favorite outdoor dining spot:

• Patio furniture
• Outdoor fire pit
• String lights
• Patio umbrella
• Coffee table
• Vases with flowers or foliage

If you don't have a lot of space for patio furniture, use an indoor coffee table as the perfect addition to your pop-up night in. Assemble the patio furniture, according to the accompanying instructions, the morning of your gathering, if not a few days in advance. Arrange the seating around the coffee table in your backyard or on your deck.

Make the space even more enchanting by adding extra details like string lights, a fire pit and linen napkins.

Set up the fire pit, string lights and umbrella (if needed, keep an eye on the weather forecast) before dark. Consider stringing the lights around the umbrella pole or draping them across your fence or deck railing. Feel free to get creative!

Turn on the lights and ignite the pit before you’re ready to wind down. You want the atmosphere to feel warm and cozy from the get-go.

Fold and stack the napkins on the patio coffee table so they’re already handy when you set out the snacks.

The beauty of staying in is that you don't have to go all out on a big menu or over-the-top ingredients to make it feel special. Featuring bacon, cream cheese and a kick of heat in one tidy package, this recipe is the rare snack that is a cinch to make, tastes great and looks impressive on a platter.

Here's what you'll need:

• Serving plate
• Cooking sheet
• Baking pan
• Zip-top plastic storage bags
• Paring knife
• 20 fresh Hatch green chile peppers
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 20 slices of thin, center-cut bacon, cut in half
• Black pepper to taste
• Honey for garnishing

How to prepare:

• Place the peppers on the baking pan and broil, turning occasionally, until their skins blacken. Remove them from the oven and place them in a zip-top bag for 10 minutes to let them steam.
• Once the peppers are out of the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove the peppers from the bag and gently rub away their skins. Stem, halve and deseed them (leave the seeds in if you want more heat).
• Spoon cream cheese into the pepper halves, about 1 teaspoon of cheese per half.
• Wrap the bacon strips around the pepper halves and arrange on the cooking sheet-lined baking pan. Crack black pepper over them before transferring to the oven.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Don’t panic if some of the cheese melts and oozes out—that’s what the cooking sheet is there for!
• Remove the peppers from the oven, drizzle them with honey, arrange them on the serving plate and set out on the patio table.

Tip: If you make the peppers in advance, keep them on the baking pan and return to the oven, set to its lowest temperature (or, if available, its warming mode).

If you're staying in for date night, this Berry French 75 cocktail is a contemporary twist on a classic that just so happens to come together in a snap.

Here's what you'll need:

• Serving tray
• Glasses
• Cocktail mixing set
• Small saucepan
• 1 1/4 ounces vodka
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 2 ounces dry sparkling wine
• Ice
• Lemon wheel, for garnish

How to prepare:

• Make the simple syrup ahead of time: Combine one part sugar with one part water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool before mixing.
• Shake the vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup over ice in a cocktail shaker.
• Strain the contents of the shaker into a glass over ice.
• Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon wheel.
• Repeat as needed, depending on the number of drinks you’re making.
• Arrange glasses on the serving tray and set out on the patio table.

Now that you've turned your outdoor space into the best al fresco spot in town, sit back and enjoy every minute. It's a great way to make staying at home seem exciting and new and it's a memorable way to make a date night or a family game night seem even more special. Change up the menu weekly when the weather allows and meet your loved ones in this spot for nights full of fun.

Tip: We recommend setting up the decor the day of, preparing the snacks within an hour-and-a-half of the start time and making the drinks just as you're about to sit and unwind.