5 quick steps to a superb "kawaii - inning"!

 
Are you having a new friend over for the first time, and want to show off your super cute kawaii lifestyle? Or is it just a good ol´ bestie that you want to have an extra nice time with?

Well, this guide will show you in 5 easy steps how to set the mood for a great "kawaii - inning"!

What is a "kawaii - inning" you say? Nothing else than the opposite of an "outing" ;-)

If you are a student on a tight budget or just happen to don´t have too much money to spend, a night in might be a lovely alternative to frolicking around town! ^^

Well, here we go!

  
 
1. Smell

This might sound like a strange first step, but please hear me out. Ok, so, having to spend time together with someone new, you know that every home has its own smell depending on the people that live there. So in preparation for your friend to come over, how about cleaning up real quick with some soap first of all. This sets a good base to work with. A while before you head out to meet your friend, being it picking them up at the buss-station or the like, how about spraying some nice vanilla-scented perfume on yourself? Vanilla-scented perfumes are easy to come by as it is a very common scent, so it shouldn´t be too hard to find. By doing this, your friend will think you smell like a marsmellow upon hugging you (and who doesn´t like the thought of that?), also, if you leave the heat on and close the window before you head out, when you get back in again, your room will smell like newly backed cinnamonrolls! And really, that smell is hard to beat.
(WARNING: this might settle a want for the actual thing, so beware, and perhaps prepared ;-3)

(Little twin star blanket nr. 1)                                             (Little twin star blanket nr. 2)

2. Seating

Now, your friend has arrived, and you´ve taken of your coats. Its time to have a seat!
If you live alone, you might perhaps not have enough furniture to seat everyone properly, or it might be odd positioned, so an easy option is having your bed made up to sit on. Now, I´m not going to tell you how you should make your bed, since your mom should have taught you, but I can tell you how to make it look as cute as possible and thus add to your "kawaii"– experience together! ^^

Do you have a hard time finding cute bedding in the shops? Or perhaps you´ve got a hard time finding the correct size for your bed–shape? Well, a simple solution is simply forgetting the bedding itself and focus on a nice throw or blanket! There are several online shops that sell cute sanrio–themed blankets or you could settle for a simple floral design or what about a pink one with white polkadots? This will make your bed look instantly cute no matter what your bedding looks like, and another pro is that you don´t have to remove your duvet or cushion to be seated properly, you have a nice soft place for both you and your friend to sit! Extra tip is to add some extra cushions or plushies with cute designs if you happen to have those. 

(Display from my bedroom)

3. Decorations

Once again, if you are a poor student or have a tight budget otherwise, you might find it hard to buy loads of plushies or flowers or whatever other things you could imagine it would be nice to decorate your space with. If you still want to show your friend your exellent kawaii taste, how about laying out your cutest accessories on top of a drawer or a small shelf ensemble? 

Search up some pictures on tumblr for how to stack you goods, but I am sure that if you are at all interested in kawaii fashion, you do have atleast a couple of necklaces and some rings and bracelets, perhaps a few headbows or pins even! Laying them out for display is a good tip in many ways as it instanstly makes your room cuter, but it also makes it easier for you later if you decide to keep it that way, because you can get dressed faster! This is also a tip if you want a nice conversation starter; what about describing the time you made that bracelet or what friend gave you that necklace? 

4. Music

Now, I am not going to dictate how you "run the show", but if you don´t have any particular plans with your "kawaii – inning" and just wanted to have a friend over for some chat time, or non movie–based activities, putting on some music is always nice. I could say that you should go totally out and put on the most sugary j-pop you know, but if you want to set a relaxing and comforting mood for you friend, that might acctually be a bit stressfull! Also, it might be distracting with someone singing in the background while you guys chat. So, I would suggest making a playlist with relaxing soundtracks from a cute movie you both enjoy (or introduce your friend to some new music?), or perhaps musical box music or maybe even classical music is a good way to go? Personally I think nothing sets the mood as some comfortable music. Having it be only melody–based make a good base for inspirational conversations.

(My melody soap dispenser)                          (Sanrio characters tea-mug)

5. The little things

Lastly I wanted to add a little point about details. I personally think detail is key when it comes to presentation. If you really want to go the extra mile in impressing your new friend, please consider how you present the little things as well. It doesn´t have to be elaborate or pricy, there are some simple tricks that goes a long way! You have your own bathroom space? What about getting a cute soap-cup or dispenser? having a hand–soap that smells like strawberries is lovely on its own, but if you put it in a "My Melody"–shaped bottle, your friend will get a big smile on their lips while washing their hands. It also adds to your own elation later on! Another tip is how you present the snacks for you and your friend. Tea is always a good choice, and getting a couple of cute mugs is both easy and a handy investment. If you are the classical type, simply looking around a trift-shop might give you a handy result, since there is almost always a couple of tacky flower–printed cups to be found! Otherwise, take a look online for cheap sanrio mug on ebay perhaps? Pro tip: give your friend your own personal favourite mug. It makes your friend feel very appreciated.
The same thing goes for plates. Going to a thrift shop to find a floral plate couldn´t be easier. Otherwise, I might suggest a simple white plate with a cute napkin on top, or just a nice white border along the line. A last quick tip is to lay out the snacks symetrically in two parts. You might have an idea of a cake–presentation–plate, but if you own very few pieces of tableware, just using a plate for each of you where you´ve laied out the snacks in a nice pattern might be good. 

And thats it!

What you do with the rest of the meeting is up to you :-) 

If you are the kind of friends to game super–mario all night long, marathon tacky 90´s teenage-series like "Clueless" or "Sweet Valley High", or even if you are the kind of people that love horror movies despite your cute style otherwise, I won´t stop you from doing so!

The point is that now you´ve made a magical experience for both yourself and your friend.

And the best part is that now you´ve got these things all around you at all times, making your mood better in general (it really works!) 

I hope you enjoyed this quick little guide, and I hope you enjoy some good quality time with your friends. It might sound silly, but some of the best times I´ve spent visiting others was just simply spent talking together and hanging out like we did before computers. It was almost magical. 

Let me know if you try any of these!

And good luck!

Thanks for reading